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36
"You two are overthinking things."
—Konoha, Hokage's Office—
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled kindly at Asuma and Kurenai standing before him.
"Itachi is an ANBU ninja. He rarely goes out because of his facial burns, so it's normal you've never seen him before."
"Itachi?"
Asuma had never heard that name.
But he didn't know every ninja in the village. If even the old man said so, it probably wasn't anything serious.
"I see. Then I was being a bit impulsive," Kurenai said, relaxing.
"No, what you did was right. These are turbulent times—Konoha could easily be infiltrated. Having your level of vigilance is commendable."
Hiruzen genuinely praised Kurenai.
After all, Team 8 had been quite a surprise lately: first forcing back Uchiha Itachi and a rogue Mist ninja, then discovering a treasure in the Land of Whirlpools.
He hadn't expected Kurenai to be so capable. Perhaps Konoha still had talent to rely on after all.
Plus, his son Asuma seemed to be getting close to her.
Hiruzen now looked at Kurenai with increasingly fond eyes.
"Since you've now met him, let's make formal introductions."
He gestured toward the door.
Moments later, a man wrapped head to toe in bandages, revealing only a pair of eyes, walked in—'Itachi.'
Kurenai and Asuma gave polite introductions, to which 'Itachi' only responded with a slight nod.
"He's Itachi. Just a bit shy after being isolated so long," Hiruzen explained.
"It's fine," Kurenai said.
But as she looked at the bandaged man again, something about him still felt… off.
——
"Thank you for enduring this, Itachi."
After Kurenai and Asuma left, Hiruzen finally called the bandaged man by his real name.
Indeed—it was none other than **Uchiha Itachi**, newly returned to the village.
"If only I had stuck to a more peaceful approach back then… if I hadn't listened to Danzo…"
"Lord Hokage, the Uchiha clan brought this upon themselves."
Itachi shook his head.
He had witnessed the rallying cries, the secret gatherings, the angered voices during clan meetings. If not stopped, rebellion would've torn Konoha apart.
Killing his clan had prevented civil war—he never doubted that.
"But still… I made you bear the sin of slaughtering your own kin."
"That was the fate of a shinobi. And honestly, back then, no one else could have done it."
Seeing Hiruzen's genuine guilt, even Itachi felt some of his long-harbored resentment ease.
"If only I had agreed to Shisui's plan…"
Hiruzen was referring to the time Shisui wanted to use Kotoamatsukami to control the clan leader, Fugaku.
A perfect segue into the topic of Shisui's eye.
"I never believed such a genjutsu existed… but now I wonder. Shisui wasn't the type to lie."
"It does exist. But even if my father had been controlled, it wouldn't have changed the clan's fate."
Itachi had thought long about Shisui's proposal. But his father's dying words made him realize the clan's downfall was inevitable—it had passed the point of no return.
"I wonder where that eye ended up…"
Hiruzen puffed at his pipe, face full of worry.
"If it falls into the wrong hands…"
"Shisui entrusted his eye to me before he died."
"Oh? Then we have nothing to worry about."
"However…"
Itachi hesitated.
"When I left the Akatsuki, the leader took Shisui's eye."
He had handed it over to Pain—not only to sow distrust between Pain and Obito, but also because he didn't want the eye falling into Danzo's hands.
After all, Itachi knew full well who had killed his best friend.
"What?! That eye… is in enemy hands?"
Hiruzen's face wrinkled even more.
"But I put a jutsu on it. If anyone tries to use it improperly, Amaterasu will destroy the eye."
"Are you sure it'll work?"
"I'm not certain. The leader of Akatsuki has the Rinnegan… I know nothing about his true power."
"Rinnegan!? Are you serious?"
That startled Hiruzen.
The "Future Notebook" had mentioned that a Rinnegan wielder would destroy Konoha in three years.
Could it be… that prophecy was referring to this?
"It's likely," Itachi replied.
"This intel is invaluable. Thank you for infiltrating the enemy."
Hiruzen had long heard of the Akatsuki, but only now did he take them seriously.
"They're targeting Tailed Beasts."
"Tailed Beasts? What do mercenaries want with them?"
"They claim it's for world peace."
"Peace? That sounds more like propaganda."
This Akatsuki… their ambitions ran deeper than anyone thought.
"In any case, now that you're back, I'll assign you to secretly watch over your younger brother, Sasuke."
Though Orochimaru had yet to return, Itachi had. Hiruzen wouldn't treat him unfairly.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage. But the person I want to monitor isn't Sasuke—it's Uchiha Ying."
"Ying?"
Hiruzen was surprised.
Did Itachi still hold a grudge over sparing that child back then?
"No. It wasn't Kurenai who repelled me and Kisame—it was Ying."
Removing this unpredictable factor was Itachi's real reason for returning.
"That's impossible. He only just graduated. Even if he's talented…"
Hiruzen thought Itachi was exaggerating.
"He's immune to my Mangekyō Sharingan. He took Kisame's Samehada in direct combat. He's no ordinary ninja."
"He's immune to *your* Sharingan? Are you sure?"
Hiruzen started to doubt himself.
"Yes."
Itachi then described every detail of their battle.
Including Ying using the Rasengan, a jutsu even elite jonin struggled with—and his complete resistance to Itachi's genjutsu.
"I see… then let's wait until he returns."
Contrary to Itachi's suspicions, Hiruzen now found Ying… fascinating.
A genius immune to the Sharingan?
Recalling how Ying once outwitted the Aburame clan, Hiruzen began to think there was merit to this theory.
As for Itachi's suspicion that Ying might be a spy?
Hiruzen wasn't convinced.
Back then, Ying had only been a child. No one would plant a spy using a Uchiha identity—especially not *on the night of the massacre*.
——
"Yugao-nee… still worried about Hayate-senpai's health?"
—Somewhere above the sea, on the way to the Land of Waves—
Uchiha Ying and Uzuki Yugao leapt across the ocean waves.
They'd really left Hayate behind on the island.
Ying couldn't help but wonder how she felt about that.
"Just a little. He likes to push himself too hard, which isn't good for an ANBU."
Yugao's face remained expressionless as she gave her answer.
Then she glanced at the boy beside her.
"And if you fought Hayate, I think you'd win."
She saw clearly what Hayate couldn't—Ying's true strength.
"You really believe in me, huh, Yugao-nee?"
"…Don't call me 'nee-san.' Just say 'senpai' or use my name."
"Huh? Why?"
"Do you hate being called that?"
"No."
She shook her head firmly.
"It's just… I always wished I had a little brother. When you call me that, my heart races—it affects my mission performance."
"Seriously?"
Ying glanced at her ear—yep, a bit red.
So this cold-looking kunoichi… was actually easily flustered?
"Every time you call me that, I feel like…"
Yugao pulled out her small pouch.
"I feel like giving you pocket money."
She handed him a bill.
"1,000 ryo? Wow, Yugao-nee, you're generous."
"I told you, don't call me that…"
She shoved another two 1,000-ryo bills into his hands.
"…If I keep calling her that for thirty more seconds, I'm gonna get her entire savings," Ying thought, half amused.
Just for calling her 'nee-san'?
Wait—has she been acting cold to *resist* this urge?
"Yugao-nee, do you know what an 'evil Uchiha' is?"
"Eh?"
She absentmindedly stuffed another 3,000 ryo into his hand.
"Nee-san nee-san nee-san nee-san—"
Like chanting a mantra, Ying kept calling her.
"Before I run out of breath, I will keep calling you 'nee-san,' Yugao-nee."
——
"I've never seen anyone faint from being called 'nee-san' too many times."
Yugao lay unconscious on his shoulder.
But with his stamina and chakra, Ying still arrived quickly in the Land of Waves.
"It's snowing?"
Standing on the unfinished bridge, he saw Kakashi's team, surrounded by corpses and villagers.
Naruto, Haku lying beside Zabuza… and snow falling like feathers.
"You okay?"
Yugao finally came to.
"Huh… Mist ninja?"
She saw the bodies and the two dying Mist ninja.
"Looks like Kakashi-senpai handled the situation."
As expected—Zabuza was no match.
"Yeah."
Good. They made it in time.
Ying used his Byakugan to spot chakra fragments from Zabuza and Haku.
"A couple?"
Yugao asked, looking at the dying pair.
"Maybe…"
If you didn't know Haku was male, they did look like lovers in death.
"If I could… no, that's unlucky to say."
Yugao almost said she'd like to die beside Hayate one day.
Better to wait till retirement.
"Thinking about Hayate-senpai again?"
"…Yeah."
Then she glanced at Ying.
"Don't call me 'nee-san.' I've got no more money left."
"No worries. I already put it all back. Think of it as a wedding gift in advance."
"You…"
She thought he was obedient. Turns out he was mischievous.
Bu
t just as she was about to respond—
"Hey! You two! Are you the enemy!?"
Naruto shouted from the bridge.
"Idiot—they're from Konoha's ANBU!"
Kakashi corrected him with a sigh.
"Sorry to ask this—but can you watch over Naruto and the others?"
Recognizing the newcomers, Kakashi finally collapsed to the ground.
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