Staring at the deserted clan grounds, Sasuke sat blankly at his doorstep.
It was as if he could still see the familiar figures passing by around him.
"Why did you do this? Come out…"
As this thought crossed his mind, Sasuke shouted into the empty air, as if Itachi were standing right in front of him.
A single tomoe Sharingan quietly appeared in his eyes before fading away again.
His body then went limp, collapsing onto the steps.
The ANBU appeared by Sasuke's side and carried him away.
---
In the original story, Sasuke awakened a double-tomoe Sharingan in one eye and a single-tomoe in the other.
However, due to the butterfly effect, he now only awakened a single-tomoe Sharingan, which was unstable.
Furthermore, because of his young age and poor physical condition, his body could not handle the strain of using the Sharingan.
Seeing Sasuke faint, Hiruzen Sarutobi lost interest and looked away.
He hadn't noticed Sasuke's fleeting Sharingan at all—it was just a brief glance for him.
Compared to Sasuke himself, Sarutobi was more concerned with the arrangements for the Uchiha clan grounds behind Sasuke.
He considered his options but knew it was impractical to take action.
Moreover, the Uchiha compound was located on the outskirts of Konoha, a desolate place no one wanted to go near.
And so, the Uchiha clan faded completely, becoming a small pebble in the river of history alongside the Senju clan.
Years later, it was likely that no one would even remember the name Uchiha.
---
"What? My assigned teammate is a twelve-year-old kid?"
After completing a mission, Juzo Biwa was incredulous when he heard Pain's words.
"He's strong enough for the role. He single-handedly wiped out the renowned Uchiha clan," Pain said calmly.
Since Obito's identity was kept secret, Pain attributed all the accomplishments to Itachi.
"The Uchiha clan you're talking about—is it *that* Uchiha clan?"
Hearing Pain's words, Juzo Biwa swallowed hard and asked seriously.
Pain nodded slightly but said nothing more.
As the leader of an ambitious organization, he didn't spend much time on trivial matters. After explaining the essentials, he turned his attention back to the files in his hand.
---
Seeing that Juzo Biwa was still in a daze, Pain frowned slightly.
"Go find him yourself and bring him here. I have something to discuss with you both," he said.
Noticing Pain's impatience, Juzo Biwa wisely excused himself.
"Yes, Leader."
As Juzo Biwa left, his thoughts were preoccupied.
A twelve-year-old who wiped out his entire clan—what kind of person could that be?
Would they be difficult to deal with?
And during missions, would he need to stay on guard to avoid being killed without even realizing it?
Juzo Biwa had a lot on his mind, and his curiosity about Itachi grew.
After all, this was the Uchiha clan they were talking about…
---
"Who is it?"
Hearing a knock at the door, Itachi frowned.
He disliked being interrupted, especially when he was in the middle of refining his ninjutsu—a process as intricate as cultivating immortality.
Even at this early stage, he found the experience deeply engaging.
While memories were one thing, the joy of discovering things firsthand was unmatched.
"I'm Juzo Biwa, your future teammate."
When the door opened, Juzo Biwa saw the young and handsome Itachi.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Juzo Biwa said softly, noticing Itachi's slightly furrowed brows, which set off alarm bells in his mind.
"Oh, nice to meet you," Itachi replied.
He observed Juzo Biwa carefully: short black hair, no eyebrows, sharp teeth, a large cross-shaped scar on his right cheek, bandages wrapped around his ears and neck, and red streaks painted on the lower half of his face.
Itachi's impression of Juzo Biwa improved significantly.
After all, this unconventional-looking man had been a loyal comrade in the original story—someone who sacrificed himself to protect Itachi.
---
Seeing Itachi's gentle expression, Juzo Biwa couldn't help but question what kind of person he was dealing with.
Anyone capable of committing such a heinous act as annihilating their own clan—despite the gentle expression on his face—Juzo Biwa couldn't sense any gentleness at all.
"How about we go grab something to eat? We might have a mission to head out on tomorrow," Juzo Biwa suggested.
Deep down, Juzo Biwa remained vigilant. Truthfully, he didn't want someone like Itachi as a teammate.
But he didn't have the luxury of choosing his comrades.
Forced by circumstances, he had no choice but to try to get closer to Itachi and figure out what kind of person he really was.
Ever since learning about Itachi's battle record, any trace of disdain Juzo Biwa once felt had completely disappeared.
This was the reality of the ninja world—strength commanded respect and fear.
"Alright," Itachi responded warmly to Juzo Biwa's suggestion.
…
Juzo Biwa, expecting to be turned down, was momentarily stunned by Itachi's acceptance.
He couldn't understand why this kid wasn't following any typical social cues.
It left him unsure of how to interact with him.
Juzo Biwa, who was already not great with words, was even more at a loss for what to say.
---
"What do you want to eat?"
The two walked one behind the other down the street as a light drizzle fell.
One of them carried an oil-paper umbrella.
"I'd like something sweet," Itachi replied softly, looking at Juzo Biwa leading the way ahead of him.
But after just a brief glance, Itachi began scanning the surrounding environment.
…
Watching Itachi's calm and indifferent demeanor, Juzo Biwa felt confused.
Just moments ago, he had seemed so enthusiastic. Why the sudden cold attitude?
But Juzo Biwa didn't say anything. In fact, he preferred this kind of atmosphere.
Being a man of few words himself, he wouldn't know what to do if Itachi were overly talkative.
After all, this kid seemed quite intimidating. If Juzo Biwa didn't respond the right way and Itachi became annoyed, he might retaliate during a mission. That was something Juzo Biwa couldn't afford to deal with.
He had a clear understanding of his own abilities.
He wasn't weak, but against a true powerhouse, he was slightly lacking.
After all, the members of the Akatsuki were all formidable individuals with distinct skills.
Interacting with them regularly had given Juzo Biwa a more grounded perspective on himself.
…
"Don't eat too many sweets; you'll get cavities," Juzo Biwa said softly as he led Itachi to a shop.
"Life is bitter, so eating something sweet helps to balance it out," Itachi replied gently.
But as he stood at the shop's entrance, he made no move to go inside or place an order.
It suddenly occurred to him that he didn't seem to have any money on him.
Or, more accurately, he was completely broke.
"Hey, you two handsome fellows, what would you like? Our sweets are the best in Amegakure!"
The shopkeeper quickly greeted them upon seeing them standing in front of the store.
…
If not for Juzo Biwa's intimidating presence, the shopkeeper might have considered asking them to leave.
Blocking the entrance like that made it hard for him to do business.
"Uh… I left in a hurry and forgot to bring any money," Itachi said without batting an eye, his expression completely calm as he turned to Juzo Biwa.
Not a hint of embarrassment.
"This…"
Juzo Biwa's heart skipped a beat at Itachi's straightforwardness.
"This guy… His shamelessness knows no bounds! Making such an unreasonable request the first time we meet?"
Internally, Juzo Biwa grumbled but kept his expression neutral.
"No problem, I've got it. Order whatever you want; it's on me," he said nonchalantly, though he was inwardly sighing at how terrifyingly brazen Itachi was.
He thought to himself, *Let's just eat quickly and get this over with. Money doesn't come easy, and I can't let this kid blow through it recklessly.*
…
"Thanks a lot!" Itachi said with a slight smile, his eyes narrowing into crescents like a crescent moon.
Then, as quickly as the smile came, his expression returned to normal.
"I'll take two of each," he said, pointing continuously at the sweets on display.
Juzo Biwa remained expressionless, but inside, his heart was bleeding.
It was as if he could hear the sound of coins jingling in his mind, only for those coins to soon leave his pocket and enter someone else's.
---