Time passed...more than a year in the blink of an eye.
On this day, dusk draped its shadow over Konoha.
Deep within a forest, Uchiha Itachi was half-kneeling, one hand clutching his left eye. His breath came ragged, sweat trailing down his pale face.
"How is it? Do you still think you're special?"
Perched lazily on the trunk of a tree, Obito looked down at him, his masked face tilted in amusement.
"You thought awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan would let you match me?" His tone dripped with mockery.
"Ridiculous. I thought you'd be better than this, Itachi, you're a letdown."
"Hoo…"
Itachi exhaled slowly, forcing his composure back as he rose to his feet. His gaze locked onto the masked man.
"Mangekyō isn't the end of the Sharingan… is it?"
He asked quietly, for the pressure Obito's ocular power radiated crushed his illusions with ease. Against that overwhelming force, his Mangekyō seemed fragile.
"Papapapa~"
Obito clapped mockingly, his voice a faint laugh.
"Sharp observation. But let me tell you something, a truly smart man doesn't step into a fight unless he's certain of victory. You, on the other hand, arrogantly believed you were special… that kind of stupidity? I can't understand it."
Itachi's face turned blue from irritation beneath his calm mask, but there was nothing he could do. He had given his all, and still couldn't lay a finger on him.
"Yes… you're right. The Mangekyō is not the end."
Obito's voice lowered, carrying a weight that made the leaves stir.
"Beyond it lies the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan."
"As the name suggests...an existence without limits."
"If you've already used your Mangekyō twice… then you should understand what that means."
Itachi stiffened. His hand instinctively touched his left eye. He had noticed it...his vision, faintly but undeniably, had already begun to blur.
"You've realized it, haven't you?"
"The Mangekyō's power comes with a price. Every use corrodes your sight, dragging you closer to complete blindness."
"But the Eternal Mangekyō… it has no such risk. Its power only grows stronger, its light never fading."
Obito leaned forward slightly, his Sharingan glinting behind the mask.
"Well then, Itachi…" His voice curved into a smile.
"Do you want me to tell you how to evolve it?"
But Itachi didn't answer. He lowered his hand and met Obito's gaze with a calm, unreadable face.
"Tch." Obito clicked his tongue.
"You're getting boring."
He shrugged, then spoke as if indulging a trivial curiosity.
"Well, it doesn't hurt to tell you."
"If you want to evolve into the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, you need a brother who has also awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"Then transplant your brother's eyes, the fusion of two Mangekyō eyes will force the evolution."
Yep, you heard me right. Family discount eyeball surgery. The Uchiha clan: where sibling love means organ donation.
Obito's tone was casual, almost playful, as he watched Itachi for a reaction.
"Itachi, I remember...you have a brother."
A brief flicker crossed Itachi's features, tension tightened his face for a heartbeat before he smoothed it back into placid calm.
"This is the same method you used?" Itachi asked evenly.
"That's right. I transplanted my brother's eyes." Obito answered, speaking as one who had lived Madara's legend...he even wore Madara's vest now, and he spoke from that experience.
"It makes sense." Itachi considered the words as if they were plain facts.
Isn't this the sorrow of the Sharingan…
To open your eyes and taste the grief of a fallen comrade.
To return home and be congratulated for a power born from blood while no one mourns the friend who died for it.
That indifference carved a hollow in him.
Not only his father's cold congratulation, Uchiha Fugaku had praised the awakening without a trace of sympathy but the cruel truth that Sharingan is awakened by death and suffering itself.
From that day, Itachi's resentment toward Uchiha traditions and toward his own clan took root.
--
Three days later, in the same woods where they met before, Itachi took the initiative and sought Obito out.
"I'd like to ask you a favor." He spoke after a heavy breath, voice steady.
"Tell me." Obito's eyes narrowed.
For a moment, it seemed the Uchiha's history might be rewritten…
Then Itachi, with the calmest face imaginable, said the most merciless words:
"Help me annihilate the Uchiha clan."
Obito didn't say anything, he just looked at him calmly with his scarlet Sharingan glowing.
Itachi's gaze never wavered.
"You bear a grudge against the Uchiha anyway."
"Interesting...you are asking me to help you kill your own family." Obito said, as if commenting on a quirky hobby. "Tell me, what kind of feeling drove you to make this choice?"
"It isn't about feelings," Itachi replied flatly. "What about your choice?"
Obito chuckled. "Fair enough. I'll help you."
Truthfully, he had once considered using the Uchiha clan for his plans. But after awakening his own eyes, their value had diminished.
They were unstable, dangerous even...just like Shisui, and like others who would come after, such as Sarada in another timeline.
The Mangekyō was terrifyingly powerful, but those who bore it could twist in an instant. A single spark of grief or rage was enough to turn loyalty into betrayal. Even the closest friend could suddenly cut you down...simply because you reminded him too much of someone he'd lost.
Unstable, yes. But even in death, the Uchiha would not lose their worth. In the shadows of his mind, Obito smirked. Their corpses, their eyes… they would serve a purpose in his future plans. Death was hardly the end.
"Tonight," Itachi said lightly, "we act." He turned to leave.
But Obito's voice stopped him.
"Itachi. My reasons for helping you exterminate the clan go beyond revenge. I have other purposes as well."
Itachi half-turned, eyes narrowing.
"You mean I'm to ignore what you're really after?"
"That's right." Obito didn't bother denying it.
"I don't need a child who hasn't awakened his eyes yet," he added, almost casually. "So your brother isn't my target."
"…That's supposed to reassure me?" Itachi's tone was flat, his back already turned. "Whatever your aim, I have no choice but to believe in you."
At those words, Obito's mouth curled into a quiet, mocking smile.
"If you ever find yourself without a place to go… join my organization."
"Your organization?" Itachi asked, glancing back with mild suspicion.
"The name is… Akatsuki."
"Are you trying to make me work for you?" Itachi asked, voice calm but probing for the man's true intent.
"That's right," Obito replied, mocking. "After tonight, you won't have a place in Konoha anymore, will you?"
Itachi's stare was steady. "Fine but on one condition."
"Speak." Obito's posture relaxed and looked at him amusedly.
"I work for you," Itachi said plainly, "but...you will not touch Sasuke, nor make a move against Konoha."
Obito was slightly stunned, then he let out an exaggerated laugh.
"Hahahaha!" His amusement filled the dusk.
"You think far too highly of yourself, Itachi."
He sobered, the grin turning cold. "Let me rephrase it for you. Option one: I walk in and slaughter you here and now, then go and touch your brother Sasuke afterward."
A hush fell. Obito's voice tilted darker, an edge of casual menace. "Umm…maybe kill the Hokage while I'm at it too?"
The words made Itachi's expression flicker, a cold sweat crept at his temple.
"The second option…" Obito continued, tone almost conversational, "is that I promise...as long as you remain in my service, I will not lay a hand on Sasuke."
The implication hung in the air... betray me, die, or let the bargain collapse.
Itachi was silent for a long, measured moment. Then, without theatrics, he said: "I agree."
Obito's smile returned, thin and indifferent. "Good. I'm 'glad' you agreed."
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