After leaving from Naka Shrine, Itachi didn't accompany his father back home. Instead, he headed to the empty forest not far from the shrine. This was his usual training spot, and Shisui had already arrived there ahead of him.
Upon hearing footsteps approaching behind, Shisui turned around, smiled at Itachi, and said, "Congratulations, Itachi. Becoming a Chunin and getting recommended for the Anbu at such a young age. It's incredible."
A ten-year-old in Anbu—it was the youngest ever in Konoha.
Shisui could sense the pride swelling within the gathered clansmen over Itachi's achievements, Which demonstrated the Uchiha clan's strength.
While Itachi possessed remarkable ninja talent, his achievements today wouldn't have been possible without the Sharingan and the family's resource support.
In the eyes of the clan, it was now time for Itachi to contribute to the family. By joining Anbu, he would monitor Anbu movements and the village's senior management for the Uchiha clan. They needed to control firsthand information.
"Stop teasing me, Shisui."
Itachi replied, shaking his head with a hint of helplessness. He didn't look as happy as one might expect.
Reflecting on the gathering, Itachi couldn't ignore the extreme views of his clansmen towards the village and its high-ranking officials. The thoughts still lingered in his heart. He realized that if the Uchiha clan rebelled, Konoha would plunge into a civil war , resulting in countless casualties.
War... Itachi's eyes betrayed a hint of pain. Having experienced the pain of war at the tender age of four, he harbored a deep hatred for it.
Regardless, the clansmen pushing for thr internal war seemed oblivious to the pain their actions could inflict on Konoha and the Land of Fire. It was unfathomable how they were ignoring the bigger picture, the civil war could involve the cost of countless innocent lives just for the clan's benefits.
Yet...Itachi was at a loss on how to stop it. He didn't know what approach to take or what position to assume to stop the clan's increasing ambitions.
"You're troubled by the clansmen's extremism, aren't you Itachi?"
Shisui's smile vanished, leaving his face expressionless. It was the second time he had seen Shisui that way.
"How do you..."
"How would I know? You've always been a thoughtful child. It is only natural that such matters would trouble you.".
"As expected of you, Shisui."
Despite his best efforts to conceal his emotions during the gathering, Shisui saw through him. Itachi admired Shisui's keen insight. In both the use of the Sharingan and the ability to read emotions, Shisui had surpassed him by far.
Itachi felt a sense of shame being hailed as a genius, such title should belong to Shisui.
"Don't blame the clansmen for their thoughts. They feel cornered with no other choice."
"A last resort?"
"Yes. Since the Second Hokage's rule, the Uchiha have sensed the village's rejection. It's this lingering curse from history that keeps on driving their desperation now."
"Are they really unwilling give up on the past glory?"
Shisui remained silent.
There were reasons for this. The Uchiha, considering themselves the founders of Konoha, often faced criticism. Their blind arrogance and ignorance of the world made them appear aloof to many ninjas in the village.
Now isolated for external and internal reasons. Some Uchiha who have awakened the Sharingan tended to entertain extreme thoughts. For now, these were mere wods but in the future, these extreme ideas might turn into reality.
That would be truly catastrophic. Whether it meant the annihilation of a clan or Konoha descending into a civil war, these were scenarios Shisui fervently wished to avoid.
After settling his complex emotions, Shisui replied to Itachi, "I've been thinking about how the village and the clan could get along, but with my abilities alone it won't be sufficient. Now, with you in the Anbu, we can work together to find a way for the clan and village to coexist peacefully."
Itachi nodded, sharing the same sentiment. No matter if they succeeded or failed, the clansmen's extreme ideas would traumatize Konoha deeply. This had to be prevented.
"So, I implore you. It's not just about changing the clan's view of the village; but we also need to change the council's' view on our clan. The situation has escalated beyond being an internal issue for our clan. Perhaps the council bear some fault too."
Shisui hoped that Itachi could convey the Uchiha clan's current difficult situation to the council rather than merely monitoring the clan. Such an extreme approach would hinder the clan and the village from fostering a positive relationship.
Because only Itachi had the capability to do so. As the son of the Uchiha clan hear, Shisui couldn't compare to him in terms of identity.
Now, Itachi had been chosen for Anbu, granting him direct access to the village's officials. Shisui was different, despite being in the Anbu, only the Third Hokage knew of his identity as an Anbu.
It would be futile to persuade the Third Hokage alone. Additionally, they had to explain properly to the two advisors and, Danzo, to try persuading to instigate change.
Currently, only Itachi possessed the qualifications for this task. His opinions would surely be carefully considered by the high-level officials.
Shisui harbored great expectations for the future. The real bridge for communication between the village and the leadership had been established. If negotiations proceeded smoothly, unnecessary conflicts between the Uchiha clan and the village could undoubtedly be avoided.
.,....
In the Anbu HQ building.
In an empty room, all the Anbu of the second division assembled. The second division had four squads, the fifth to eighth squads.
Itachi stood next to the captain of Anbu's second division - Hatake Kakashi.
Kakashi was also the target of Itachi's pursuit and admiration. Although Itachi graduated at the age of seven and became a Chunin at ten, Kakashi graduated at five and passed the Chunin exam at six. His extraordinary talent left most ninjas feeling envious. Kakashi was likely to be one of the strong candidates for the Fifth Hokage in the future.
"Starting today, Uchiha Itachi will be a member of our division."
Kakashi announced to his subordinates. As the division leader, Kakashi seldom went out on missions. Most time, he directed the operations of the four squads below.
"Greetings. I'm Uchiha Itachi."
The ten years old Itachi appeared noticeably shorter among the adults.
The four squads scrutinized Itachi with a mix of skepticism, curiosity, and disdain, as if attempting to see through him.
Itachi sensed the weight of their gazes, recognizing the disdain probably directed at him because of the 'Uchiha' name.
"Itachi, you'll be in the sixth. There happens to be an opening there."
Kakashi pointed to the position of the squad six. There were only three people there, a squad leader, plus two members of the team, there was still a third person missing. The open spot on the sixth squad will now be filled by Itachi.
"Yes."
Itachi walked to the position of the squad.
The three in the sixth squad were one of the few teams that didn't look at him with disgust. This was thanks to Kakashi's careful consideration, which made Itachi very grateful. If he was placed on an Anbu squad dissatisfied with his surname, it could easily cause a rift.
"Tenzo, I'll be leaving Itachi in your hands. Help him get accustomed to the Anbu rhythm as soon as possible." Kakashi instructed the sixth squad leader.
"Yes."
The Anbu named Tenzo nodded slightly to show he understood.
Kakashi then dismissed the meeting and left the room. The other Anbu also began leaving one-by-one to return to their unfinished mission. Anbu meetings were always short and to the point. With the new member introduction complete, there was no reason to waste time.
The integration of new Anbu members could be handled directly during regular tasks. In the end, only Itachi's squad remained without leaving the room.
"As you already know, I'm Tenzo, leader of the squad. From now on you'll be under my command, Uchiha Itachi."
"Understood."
Itachi nodded understandingly. Judging from his voice and body shape, his squad leader wasn't very old, he should be fifteen or sixteen years old. To be made squad leader in Anbu at that age, he must be quite an impressive senior.
"Going forward, you can choose a codename for yourself to operate under. For now, come with me to the mission location." Tenzo said, looking at Itachi curiously.
Itachi wondered about the look but didn't ask questions. He simply followed Tenzo obediently, along with the other two members.
....
Itachi was shocked when he saw the scenery in the room.
Somewhere in the underground of the Anbu building.The entire surroundings was completely sealed off, having only a one door permitting entry or exit of the base, with densely packed intricate surveillance instruments.
And on the monitoring screens, without a doubt was a place Itachi was very familiar with - the Uchiha clan. From the streets to the training areas and even around the Naka Shrine, everything was under close observation. Was this going to be his workplace?
In the center of the room, Kakashi stood motionless, staring at the screens. When he saw Tenzo's squad coming in, he just gestured silently to let them get to work quickly.
In addition to Tenzo's squad, there were the four others from the fifth squad. They were tasked to monitor the Uchiha clan 24 hours a day.
"As you know, the Nine-Tails attack resulted in the Fourth Hokage's death. Reliable intelligence suggests that there's an insider within the Uchiha clan." Tenzo explained quietly.
"An insider?"
"When Uchiha Ruri defected ten years ago, we believe she had somehow infiltrated the Uchiha clan. The Fourth Hokage's death is probably related to her." Tenzo replied.
After hearing Tenzo's words, Itachi clenched his fists involuntarily. He had heard the name Uchiha Ruri before but he never paid much attention. He only knew she was a powerful Uchiha ninja who had defected from Konoha for unknown reasons.
He didn't expect her defection to bring such disaster onto the clan. If she hadn't left and killed the Fourth Hokage, the Uchiha would never be in this situation.
So who was this insider? One person? A group? Or were most of the clansmen involved? Itachi felt a chill run through his body. The oppressive atmosphere made it hard for him to breathe.
Tenzo put a hand on Itachi's shoulder, "It's not your fault. However, I hope you can keep this matter a secret. It will be very troublesome if exposed."
"Yes, I won't say anything,"
Itachi knew that the clan already suspected that the Anbu was spying on them. But they never imagined that Anbu's surveillance of the Uchiha clan was so intensive. If the radical members discovered this level of surveillance, it would surely accelerate their coup plans. This had to remain hidden.
Tenzo didn't understand why Itachi had been assigned here, but he knew it wasn't Kakashi's decision. It came from higher up, the Hokage. A test of some kind? Tenzo thought. It was truly something troublesome, beyond what he could handle alone.
"Remember, you're an Anbu of Konoha now. Here, there are only missions and the village. No clans. You are Konoha's Uchiha Itachi now, not someone fighting with the Uchiha name on your back,"
That was the most important Anbu rule. ninjas who joined renounced their identity to serve Konoha's interests. No matter their background or how special it was, once they donned the mask they had to abandon everything, view things from the village's perspective and give priority to following orders. That was unchanging principle.
"I understand personal matters cannot interfere with missions," Itachi acknowledged solemnly.
Anbu was an organization that only the elite could join. Those accepted were all ninja of excellent caliber and unwavering conviction for the will of fire who had earned the approval of the Hokage.
Making a name here would undoubtedly enable further ascension within Konoha's hierarchy. Afterwards, would be the goal to become the Hokage, becoming the first Hokage from the Uchiha clan.
Shisui's wish would finally be fulfilled. As long as he attained the position of Hokage, the barrier between the village and the clan will dissipate.
Furthermore, under the Hokage's name, he would establish frequent communication with officials from the other ninja villages, initiate diplomacy, and secure the cooperation and assistance of other ninja villages and their forces to prevent the recurrence of war.
Even the most warmongering of daimyos would lack viable excuses to incite further warfare then. The ninja world might finally witness an enduring peace under the unified vision of its Kage leadership.
A remarkably clear path unfolded in Itachi's mind, filling him with the motivation to act. To walk such a path, excelling amongst the Anbu ranks was essential. He would apply himself fully to this preliminary step.
"Your assignment is here, so don't burden yourself excessively. At least so far, we haven't found any evidence of collusion with the Uchiha clan... Consider it a test for you."
Tenzo positioned Itachi in a specific corner, allowing him to sit in the corresponding position, surrounded by numerous screens. All the movements of the Uchiha clan were presented on the screen and imprinted in Itachi's eyes.
...
On the outskirts of the Land of Demons, a rural village.
Although it appeared like a small village isolated from the outside world, a few years ago, the Land of Demons completed the nationwide road construction, which strengthened communication and management between cities and towns, centralized power, and enabled government orders to be conveyed accurately and clearly in a timely manner.
Even if an accident occurs, the city's security force will arrive at the scene as soon as can to solve whatever problem the residents had encountered.
Solving problems for the people was no longer just a matter of hiring ninjas, as it had been traditionally. Rather, it was a matter of the tax-paying citizens enjoying the protection of the country.
Using the traditional "hire" model to spend money on ninjas would diminish the people's sense of identity with the country, adversely affecting governance. This could lead to resistance against paying texes and, when discontent brews to a certain extent, it may result to riots. It was common even in the five major countries.
Spending money to hire ninjas to solve incidents was already commonplace in the ninja world. But hiring ninjas was expensive. Civilians with limited income not only pay taxes but also additional funds to hire ninjas, making it accessible only to the wealthy. So, it became obvious that ninjas had gradually become a tool for the powerful to oppress common.
Understanding these disadvantages, Shiraishi was determined to change this pattern and so it had shown surprisingly good results. Now they only needed to pay taxes for the country's protection without additional expenses for hiring ninjas.
As a result, public reception towards the security forces and military ninja improved dramatically. No longer seen as tools for wealthy interests, people willingly reported incidents requiring response from town security forces.
In this border village, after getting a report, the security team from the nearby town immediately investigated the scene. According to the villagers, monsters were causing trouble in the village at night.
Tall creatures that made rumbling noises when they walked, with eyes that shone in the dark.
Realizing this was no simple matter, the villagers immediately sought help from the town's security team.
Two guards were inspecting the scene. One squatted down and examined the sunken footprints in the concrete road, which had cracks radiating from them. When the 'monster' moved around, it was extremely powerful, probably even stronger than forest beasts.
"These footprints don't appear like that of human and they also don't match any beast I know of."
One of the two said, shaking his head, puzzled by what monstrous creature could crack concrete simply by walking on it.
The other ninja also shook his head. He meticulously recorded the information about the footprints in a notebook and took photos to show experts back at headquarters for analysis.
Just then, an old man walked over tremblingly. He was the village chief of this border village. He said worriedly.
"This may be traces of the Terracotta Army,"
"Terracotta Army?"
The two ninjas raised their eyebrows.
"I just remember now, but it's been a long time. The terracotta army are soldiers controlled by the demon..." The village chief was filled with worry. "Only the demon can control that army, they have the powerful power to ravage the earth."
The demon was a legendary undead monster that had plagued the Land of Demons. Many of the elderly had heard of the legend. For thousands of years, the Miko have guarded this country, and have fought against the demon so far, but there was no decisive winner.
"Is that so? We know about the demon as well. Everyone should stay inside at night for now. We will contact the nearby shrine. If it really is a demon, we'll have a Miko perform an exorcism."
The ninja world had many strange creatures. This demon are one of them. The leadership had ordered if any traces of them were found, support should be immediately requested from the nearest shrine. Sealing the demon required the power of Miko, as ninjas were vastly inferior against it.
"Then I'll leave it to you, and please report this to Miko-sama immediately. Only Miko-sama can deal with such the demon."
Pleaded the worried village chief. If his guess was correct, the Land of Demon's stability was at stake.
....
"A neutral country with military region this strict...do they really want to remain neutral?"
In a cave at night, several Kumo ninjas sat around a bonfire. One of them couldn't help but complain,
They were spies who had secretly sneaked into the Land of Demons to gather intel from the army. But in the past two years, they haven't had the opportunity to access any of the military areas. As long as they got too close, they would be detected by sensory ninjas. Their security system was too absurd.
It wasn't that no one had noticed the neutral country's military buildup; nations just hadn't mentioned it publicly. Spying was the best way to gather intelligence.
"We can't help it, those are Raikage-sama orders... Besides, after being active here so long they definitely know about us already. They likely haven't responded yet out of fear of the Land of Lightning's retaliation." The Jonin Captain sighed helplessly.
With this vigilance, it was impossible they hadn't detected the intruders. Otherwise they could have already infiltrated a base and obtained classified intelligence.
"What should we do next?"
"We continue the mission..The command hasn't recalled us so they mustn't have given up yet."
"We can't keep this..."
Before the Kumo ninja finished speaking, the captain hissed, signaling for quiet. The rest of the team members also hushed, sensing something amiss with the atmosphere.
Together they looked toward the cave's entrance as an ominous wind blew in, extinguishing their fire. The cave was immediately plunged into darkness.
"Lightning Gun!"
At the moment the bonfire was extinguished, the captain swiftly moved. After forming a seal, a sharp lightning gun shot from his mouth, piercing the night's darkness and hitting a specific location.
Under the moonlight, a cloud of purple-black mist emerged from the shadows.
The lightning gun pierced through the mist, smashing rocks in the distance.
"What!?"
Ignoring the Kumo Jonin's lightning jutsu, an eerie laugh emanated from the mist. It rushed at the several Kumo nins at an incredibly fast speed, enveloping them in the mist.
The shrill shouting lasted for a few seconds, and the cave returned to silence.
Outside the cave, pairs of eyes lit up across the mountains and plains.
A tall stone soldier stood upright, holding a stone blade, letting the wind blow as it stood motionless, rendering the mountains and forests into a lifeless abyss.
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