This was a true shinobi—one who had slain countless enemies and comrades alike—dying with a heart full of conflict.
Itachi lay on the ground, head turned slightly as he watched Kisame being strangled to death, sorrow flickering in his eyes.
This feeling brought him back to the moment he first awakened the Sharingan.
In his hand, he still clutched his final trump card. But now, he hesitated.
Should he use it outright—or trade it for a better future for Sasuke Uchiha?
As Itachi weighed his options, Naruto's calm voice cut through the air.
"Uchiha Itachi, right? Don't bother. Hand over Kotoamatsukami—you should know that with me on guard, there's no chance you'll hit me with it."
Naruto's words struck Itachi like a bolt from the blue.
His head buzzed.
How is this possible?! How could he know I have Shisui's eye? Even the name of the dōjutsu?!
Smart people tend to overthink—and Itachi was no exception.
His mind conjured up countless terrifying possibilities.
The look he gave Naruto was incredibly complex.
Even when facing the Rinnegan of Akatsuki's leader, Pain, he hadn't felt fear like this.
A twelve-year-old boy who had surpassed Kage-level—and under those eyes of his, Itachi's secrets seemed laid bare, stripped of all hiding places.
The sensation filled him with a long-lost feeling: fear.
Yet, he didn't obey right away. He remained silent, lost in thought.
Seeing this, Naruto raised his brows, as if suddenly remembering something.
"Oh, right—about that sealing formula you just saw on the shark's back?"
"That's a Flying Thunder God formula. Sasuke has one too."
As expected, the moment he heard this, Itachi's expression completely broke—his breath turned ragged.
Sasuke was his one true weakness.
And now, Sasuke's life appeared to be in Naruto's hands.
Of course, in truth, Sasuke had no such seal on him.
But Naruto wasn't worried about Itachi doubting it. Worst case, he could just slap one on Sasuke later.
All he had to say was, "Marking this on you makes you stronger," and Sasuke would probably beg him to do it.
Even Kisame could see how deeply Itachi loved his brother.
Itachi wouldn't be stupid enough to think he could fool the Naruto standing before him.
So, he cut straight to the point.
"What do you want?"
Seeing his goal achieved, Naruto smiled faintly and listed his demands.
"The Totsuka Blade, the Yata Mirror, and Kotoamatsukami."
"Fine."
Itachi didn't hesitate in the slightest.
Compared to Sasuke's life, these things meant nothing.
"Not so fast—there's one last condition."
"I want you to work for me. Stay undercover in Akatsuki and feed me every important piece of intel."
"That's simple enough, isn't it? Just like you used to do for Konoha—only now, you serve me."
Itachi's heart jolted again.
He even knows that...
That feeling of being utterly seen through wrapped around him like a noose.
He hesitated. Naruto was too terrifying. Could someone like that even be trusted?
Then Naruto delivered the final, killing blow.
"One against seven… You wouldn't want your precious little brother to die a meaningless death, would you?"
"As long as you accept my terms, not only will I not harm Sasuke, I'll raise him, protect him."
"He'll live a happy life—and maybe one day, restore the Uchiha clan."
Itachi stared into Naruto's eyes.
He saw no trace of deceit in those words.
And in his mind, Naruto's vision began to take shape.
An older Sasuke—stronger, married, with a home of his own… raising a whole brood of adorable little Sasukes to carry on the Uchiha name.
The image was so beautiful that even Itachi's gaze softened.
If that's real… it might be worth betting everything.
After a few seconds of hesitation, realizing he had no other choice, Itachi decided to believe in that vision.
His own life had been a tragedy—so let Sasuke inherit all the good he never had.
"I hope you'll keep your promise," Itachi said, producing the Totsuka Blade and Yata Mirror.
A tiny gourd, and a palm-sized mirror.
It was hard to believe these small trinkets were the awe-inspiring divine artifacts he had wielded moments ago in Susano'o.
Naruto didn't hesitate—he took them immediately.
But he didn't let his guard down. He activated Transparent World, inspecting them repeatedly before finally storing them away.
Itachi noticed and couldn't help but remember Naruto's uncanny speed and perception during their fight. Curious, the ever-diligent learner asked:
"Your eyes look ordinary, but your perception seems even sharper than my Sharingan. Is that some kind of kekkei genkai?"
"You don't need to know. What about Kotoamatsukami?" Naruto shut down the question without hesitation.
Sensible as always, Itachi didn't press. He summoned a ninja crow.
Naruto tensed immediately.
Even though Itachi didn't seem like the type to go back on his word, he still prepared to dodge with Flying Thunder God at the first sign of Yin Release chakra.
Seeing Naruto's extreme caution, Itachi sighed inwardly.
In the end, Naruto had been overthinking it.
The Mangekyō Sharingan embedded in the crow's eye socket was successfully transferred to Naruto's hand.
Combined with the one he had dug from Danzo, Shisui's pair of Mangekyō was finally complete.
Naruto stored the eye away carefully.
Then he channeled chakra and placed his palm on Itachi's chest.
Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly, confused.
Didn't he want me to gather intel? Then what is this?
But the pain and death he was expecting never came.
Instead, he felt a warm current flowing into his chest.
His wounds began to heal. Even the blurry vision caused by Mangekyō overuse began to recover.
Another pillar of Itachi's worldview shattered.
How could lost Mangekyō vision recover?
Uzumaki Naruto... what a terrifying man.
Naruto withdrew his hand.
The combination of his perfected Sage Art: Healing Palm, his highly regenerative Wood Release Sage Body, and a maxed-out healing skill meant his treatment speed likely surpassed even Tsunade's.
With the treatment done, Naruto sealed Kisame's corpse into a scroll.
Seeing this, Itachi couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"Can I handle Kisame's body myself? I'd like to give him a proper burial."