"Mother, I'll take good care of Sasuke…"
Itachi's mind echoed with Itachi's deep, sorrowful words. The scene shifted, revealing Fugaku and Mikoto lying in a pool of blood.
Overcome by shock and nausea, Itachi felt as if he had been struck on the head. Memories came flooding into his mind with overwhelming intensity.
From childhood to adolescence, from Shisui's suicide to Mikoto's final moments—whispering softly, using all her remaining strength to reach out and caress his cheek.
"My poor child… Sasuke is in your hands now…"
---
At some point, two streams of hot tears slid down Itachi's face, dripping onto the ground.
"Mother, I'll take good care of Sasuke…"
He murmured softly, the words escaping his lips with a tone filled with sorrow and heaviness.
The overwhelming sadness in the memories engulfed Li Itachi, dragging him into an abyss of grief.
After a moment, Itachi wiped the tears from his cheeks and approached Fugaku and Mikoto's lifeless bodies. Determination flickered in his eyes.
Suppressing his instinctive disgust and the deep resistance within his heart, he reached out with two fingers and extracted Fugaku's eyes.
Carefully placing them into a container, he then took out a kunai, cutting a strand of hair each from Mikoto and Fugaku. He stored them solemnly.
"From now on, I am Uchiha Itachi. I'll protect Sasuke… I'll bring you both back to life…"
Uchiha Itachi gazed solemnly at their bodies, kneeling to bow deeply, making a silent vow in his heart.
Then he turned and left.
---
As Uchiha Itachi stepped out of the house, a wave of sorrow washed over him. He glanced back once more at the lifeless bodies on the ground.
The cold wind, tinged with the scent of blood, snapped him out of his daze. A sense of confusion and reluctance to part with the present world swept through him.
But he reassured himself. Back in his previous world, he was an orphan who had barely made it through six years of elementary school and three years of middle school before dropping out to work.
Life wasn't great, but he managed to scrape by. His only solace had been watching anime.
In his old life, he longed to experience the worlds depicted in anime. But now, finding himself in the world of *Naruto*, he was filled with apprehension.
With his knowledge of the story, he knew that at just twelve years old, Uchiha Itachi was about to become a rogue ninja.
A storm was about to break.
---
"Itachi, is it done?"
A vortex appeared in the air, and a masked man emerged from it.
Itachi looked at the masked man deeply.
"Uchiha Obito…"
Itachi silently recited the name in his mind.
In a way, Itachi's awakening of his Mangekyō Sharingan was all part of Obito's script.
On the night of the massacre, Obito had played a pivotal role, working in collusion with Danzo.
Shaking off his thoughts, Uchiha Itachi knew now wasn't the time for confrontation.
"It's done," Uchiha Itachi said calmly, his face devoid of expression.
Apart from a faint ripple in the depths of his eyes, there was no sign of emotion.
---
"Itachi, I didn't expect you to be so cold-blooded," Obito said, his eyes narrowing slightly behind his mask. He mentally took note of this talented prodigy.
Still, to Obito, Itachi was just another pawn.
Uchiha Itachi didn't reply. He simply stared blankly at the sky, inhaling the nauseating scent of blood in the air.
Seeing Itachi's indifference, Obito found him uninteresting. A vortex appeared beside him, and he disappeared into it.
Compared to this dull junior, harvesting Sharingan eyes was far more entertaining.
"Today truly is a season of harvest… how pitiful, the Uchiha clan…"
---
Obito reappeared, standing behind a lone figure, easily ending the life of this Uchiha clan member.
In the silent, blood-soaked night, Obito's conflicted murmurs echoed through the air. At first, there was joy in his voice, followed by a hint of melancholy.
---
Outside the Uchiha clan compound, members of the Anbu and Root divisions lay in wait, ready to eliminate any survivors who managed to escape.
On top of a tall building in the distance, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood with a complex expression in his eyes, puffing on a tobacco pipe. Beside him was Danzo Shimura, his face and one arm wrapped in white bandages.
Danzo's gaze alternated between the direction of the Uchiha compound and Hiruzen. He feared this weak-willed old man might falter at the critical moment, so he stood guard, ready to intervene if Hiruzen's resolve wavered.
The two were stationed here, prepared to provide support or suppress resistance at any moment.
After all, the Uchiha were a powerful clan in Konoha, with deep roots and formidable strength.
Especially Uchiha Fugaku, whose capabilities were unfathomable.
---
Finally, after a one-sided massacre, the sounds of wailing and screaming began to die down.
Hiruzen Sarutobi secretly let out a sigh of relief. The task was done.
According to the plan, the next step would be to declare that Uchiha Itachi had slaughtered his clan and defected.
If things escalated too publicly and the whole village became aware, it would be difficult to handle the aftermath.
Although most of the other clans understood the underlying truth, the villagers did not. Keeping things quiet and simple would prevent unnecessary panic.
It was best to deal with the "Uchiha rebellion" as they had—silently, discreetly, cutting out the cancer without creating chaos.
---
Feeling the gaze from behind him, Uchiha Itachi suppressed his disgust and swiftly slit the artery of an Uchiha clansman with his blade.
This person was someone he recognized, though not someone he knew well.
One reason for his actions was to avoid arousing Obito's suspicions. Such a twisted person was inherently distrustful and unlikely to believe anyone easily.
Although twelve-year-old Itachi had already awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, he was no match for Obito.
Moreover, this was not the Itachi of old but an Itachi who had transmigrated into this body. Despite the memories in his mind, his strength was greatly diminished.
He still needed to flee the village soon. Even though he was supposed to act as a spy, he knew a horde of people would be hunting him down. It was necessary to sharpen his skills in preparation.
This was the other reason for his actions.
For now, he only aimed to master this body's power. The future could wait—survival came first.
Itachi's thoughts became clearer as warm blood splattered onto him.
In this deadly situation, surrounded by danger, he had to tread carefully.
A single mistake, and there would be no second chances.
---
"I'm leaving first. Meet me at the usual spot outside the village," Obito's voice rang out, eerily and unexpectedly, from behind Itachi.
Startled, the tense Itachi almost flinched. He instinctively swung his short sword behind him.
Fortunately, Itachi, still unused to the battlefield and reacting half a beat too slow, didn't expose himself.
Otherwise, his composed and cold persona would have cracked, revealing a fatal flaw.
"Understood," Itachi replied coldly.
Then, he froze for a moment, his memories growing sharper.
Sasuke should be returning soon.
What should he do then?
Itachi fell into deep thought.
It was obvious that the actions of the Itachi in the original timeline were mistakes.
But taking Sasuke and leaving Konoha wasn't a practical option either. In his current state, Itachi couldn't afford to carry such a burden. If things went wrong, they'd both be doomed.
Then came another critical issue: what if Sasuke didn't believe the plan or fail to hate him as intended? If Danzo and Hiruzen grew suspicious, their ruthless "better safe than sorry" mentality might lead them to act in the shadows, eliminating Sasuke to prevent any future threats.
Itachi recalled the promise he had made to himself—to protect Sasuke—and felt his head ache.
The first major decision lay ahead...
---