Chapter 72: Ninja Clans and Shadows
After the trial ended,
Uchiha Itachi's soul returned to reality. When he opened his eyes, his brows furrowed unconsciously.
Having grown accustomed to the pain-free body he had in the game, the sudden return of real-world ailments caught him off guard.
He couldn't help but cough.
Kisame Hoshigaki, who had been waiting nearby, asked with concern, "Itachi-san, did you pass the trial?"
"It went smoothly."
Itachi nodded, still mentally processing the power of the Cursed Arts User.
Though he hadn't traded in everything valuable, the cost of completing the trial had left him with few reward points. It was clear he would need to level up quickly in the game to earn enough points—
To enhance his skills, to purchase gear.
Only by becoming powerful enough could he ensure that when Sasuke eventually consumed him, he would become the strongest soul sigil possible.
Kisame asked curiously, "Itachi-san, what class did you awaken?"
"Cursed Arts User."
Itachi didn't want to elaborate and brushed off the question.
If it had been Sasuke asking, he would've willingly explained everything he had learned about the Cursed Arts User, holding nothing back.
But Kisame, while a comrade, hadn't reached the level of someone he would entrust his soul to.
At most, in a dangerous moment, he'd cast a few harmless support skills. But anything that drew from his soul—those were reserved for Sasuke alone.
Kisame, oblivious to the nuance, said excitedly, "That sounds like a powerful class. When the time comes, let's team up in the game, Itachi-san!"
Itachi didn't respond.
Sasuke's level was likely already high. He would first team up with Kisame to hunt corrupted monsters and level up, then find Sasuke.
While browsing the game store, he'd seen tools that could mask and disguise identities. If he approached Sasuke at the right time, he probably wouldn't be recognized.
Yes... that was the way. To silently give everything to his little brother before dying.
Forgive me, Kisame.
"What a delightful transaction. If neither of you have further business, let's part ways here!"
Fang Yi, who had made quite a profit, wore a gentle smile.
Even the sickly-looking ghost and shark-faced freak in front of him seemed more pleasing to the eye.
"Wait, Mr. Merchant."
Itachi suddenly spoke up, halting Fang Yi's fading silhouette. "I want to know... if possible, could you tell me what you plan to do to Konoha—or to the shinobi world as a whole?"
Even with Kisame beside him, he asked the question that weighed heavily on his mind.
Fang Yi raised an eyebrow. "I thought Itachi-san only cared about Sasuke."
Itachi deflected, "I'm simply concerned your plans might interfere with the leader's goals."
As a member of the Akatsuki, it was a reasonable excuse.
In truth,
he could've chosen not to ask. Questioning the intentions of a mysterious game merchant was extremely dangerous.
Who knew if this seemingly kind merchant would snap?
He had already done so much—staining his hands with the blood of his clan to stop the Uchiha coup, becoming a reviled traitor, infiltrating the Akatsuki as a spy.
He had given up everything.
He could have spent the rest of his days focused solely on Sasuke, and no one would blame him. But Itachi still couldn't stop himself from asking.
He had seen war with his own eyes as a child—those hellish scenes still burned in his memory.
He hated war. He cherished peace.
And the appearance of this mysterious game merchant would surely bring unimaginable upheaval to the shinobi world. So he spoke up.
Fang Yi didn't expose his intentions. He simply smiled and said, "I already answered that when we first met."
"Selling the Reincarnation Game. That's what I intend to do."
"But..."
Unrestrained distribution of such power would inevitably plunge the shinobi world into war.
Then the world would once again become a hellscape—homeless civilians, ninjas mourning dead brothers and wives, a land riddled with scars.
Itachi tried to say more, but Fang Yi cut him off.
"Itachi Uchiha, even without me, war would still come."
Fang Yi met his gaze calmly. "You think slaughtering the Uchiha clan would prevent war?"
"And yet what happened? Without the Uchiha, Konoha became a target for the other four great villages. I wouldn't be surprised if it's under siege soon."
"Within the village, after the Uchiha's demise, the Hokage's faction became stronger than ever. Danzo and the Hokage—two Kage-level powers—along with two formidable senior advisors, have placed unbearable pressure on the remaining ninja clans."
"And now, during the critical time of the Five Nations' Chunin Exams, the Hokage is distracted, while Danzo freely arrests elite ninjas from the clans, binding them to Root."
"The clans seethe but dare not speak. The tension only grows."
"Konoha—no, the entire shinobi world—is like a stack of dried tinder. One spark, and it'll become a sea of flames."
"Do you really think this is my doing?"
Fang Yi looked straight into him. There was no anger in his eyes, no irritation at being questioned—only pure indifference.
Like someone calmly sitting in a theater, waiting to watch a movie that was always going to play.
Itachi took a deep breath and said, "But without your game being sold, the war might be delayed—"
Kisame's palms were sweaty. He stared nervously at Fang Yi's projection, afraid the merchant might retaliate.
He didn't want Itachi to die.
"Just like when you slaughtered the Uchiha?"
Fang Yi never thought of Itachi as a good man. Nor did he see him as purely evil. Rather, he saw a man brainwashed by faulty ideals from a young age—a madman with an obsessive devotion to the wrong path.
A textbook case of teenage delusion.
One who, after a little persuasion, believed they were doing the right thing—even if they had to stand against the whole world.
Fang Yi retracted his smile and said flatly, "As you can see, the disputes in Konoha didn't stop with the Uchiha's demise. The fire is already starting. And where there's fire, there will be burning—and death."
"If the clans are strong, they'll burn Danzo and the Hokage."
"If the Hokage and Danzo's fire burns hotter, they'll scorch the clans instead. The pie's only so big—everyone wants a bigger slice. Hunger's not something you suppress with a few slogans about the Will of Fire."
Upon hearing Fang Yi belittle the Will of Fire, even the typically calm Itachi began to breathe more heavily.
He was someone who thought like a Hokage—capable of seeing the bigger picture.
Given the circumstances,
the Uchiha clan's destruction had been inevitable. There had been no other way.
But now, this mysterious merchant was saying that all the sins and sacrifices he bore... had been meaningless.
Anyone would lose composure hearing that.
A restless look appeared on Itachi's face. He restrained his emotions and asked, "If that's true... then is there really no way to stop the war?"
If so, then everything he had done since becoming a ninja—what had it all been for?
He didn't dare think further. But Fang Yi's words burrowed into his mind like maggots feeding on bone.
Because—
The facts were right in front of him. He hadn't returned to Konoha, but the intel he'd gathered confirmed Fang Yi's account.
The fall of the Uchiha had changed nothing.
How could this be?
Kisame had never seen Itachi so shaken. Nervously, he called out, "Itachi-san…"
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