A Rumor That Moves the World
"Itachi-san, this is a very interesting piece of news. Would you like to hear it?"
Konan had suddenly sought him out and asked whether he would consider taking on a mission.
Uchiha Yi accepted the scroll and skimmed through it.
Then he went silent.
Investigate the Sage of Six Paths' hidden treasure…
A rumor he himself had fabricated.
Interesting?
He felt a rare headache coming on.
Creating the rumor had already required careful wording and layered logic to make it believable across the shinobi world. Now he was supposed to accept a mission to investigate his own fabrication and even produce "results"?
After a moment of thought, he gave up immediately.
The purpose of missions was money.
And money was the one thing he had never cared about.
Naturally, he chose to refuse.
"This mission won't affect you, right?" Konan asked quietly.
There was concern in her eyes.
She didn't want her decision to interfere with Uchiha Yi's plans.
"Relax," he replied with a faint smile. "It won't."
He understood her meaning instantly.
And he also understood that Konan had likely guessed the truth that the so-called Sage's treasure was a carefully constructed illusion.
Her question wasn't suspicion.
It was concern.
Concern from her own perspective.
Concern for him.
Unexpected warmth stirred in Uchiha Yi's chest.
"Then I'll assign it to someone else," Konan said softly. "Akatsuki is still short on funds."
She reached into her cloak and handed him a storage seal scroll.
"Take this. Don't hold back. I have more if you run out."
Then her tone grew serious.
"And… be careful of Tobi and Zetsu."
Her warning was unmistakable.
She was worried about the cooperation between Uchiha Yi and Zetsu especially the darker half that lurked beneath the surface.
"I understand… Teacher Konan," he said gently.
She paused almost imperceptibly at the title.
Then she turned and left.
"Ha…"
"So I've formed bonds too."
Thinking back to her concern, Uchiha Yi exhaled slowly.
Then he understood.
To understand Konan and Nagato was to understand loss.
As children, Konan, Nagato, and Yahiko had wandered through endless war.
Their lives only gained warmth after meeting Jiraiya and becoming his disciples.
But what they lacked most family, stability, emotional shelter could never truly be restored.
That was why Jiraiya became their light.
Those quiet days of learning ninjutsu in the rain became treasures they guarded in their hearts.
Then everything collapsed.
War returned.
Yahiko died.
And the survivors chose pain over hope.
They buried kindness beneath steel.
They carried grief alone.
They walked into darkness and convinced themselves that light no longer existed.
And recently…
Uchiha Yi had quietly stepped into their lives.
Not as a savior.
Not as an ally.
But as a student.
He asked for guidance in taijutsu.
Sought advice on battle experience.
Discussed chakra control and strategy.
And each time he spoke
"Teacher Konan."
"Teacher Pain."
Those simple words struck wounds they thought had long since scarred over.
Memories resurfaced.
Rain-soaked laughter.
A small hut.
A reckless boy named Yahiko.
Slowly, their guard lowered.
What began as curiosity became acceptance.
And somewhere along the way, that fragile bond became real.
To them, Uchiha Yi was no longer merely a subordinate.
He had become something closer to family.
Emotions were unpredictable.
They arrived silently.
And by the time one noticed them, they had already taken root.
Of course, this was not romance.
It was something quieter.
A teacher and student.
A fragment of family in a broken world.
"…If I've already seen it," Uchiha Yi murmured, eyes dimming slightly, "then I'll change your ending."
Beyond Amegakure, the storm was spreading.
Unlike cautious Iwagakure, other villages had begun moving.
Many were deeply interested in the Sage's treasure.
Especially the Hidden Cloud.
Among the Five Great Nations, Kumogakure possessed several tools said to be connected to the Sage of Six Paths. Their belief in his legacy ran deeper than most.
Some even claimed descent from the Sage himself.
Now that rumors of a hidden treasure had surfaced, how could they remain still?
Inside the Raikage's office, chaos reigned.
"Lord Raikage! We should invade Konoha and seize the treasure directly!"
"Are you insane?! Do you think Konoha is that easy to crush?"
"What's there to fear? Without the Senju and Uchiha clans, Konoha isn't invincible!"
"Oh? Or are you just afraid to die?"
"I'm afraid of idiots like you!"
Voices clashed like thunder.
Veins bulged on the forehead of the Fourth Raikage, A.
Then
BOOM!
His fist slammed into the desk, shattering it instantly.
Silence fell like a blade.
"I called you here to discuss strategy," he growled, eyes blazing, "not to bark like dogs."
"If you want to argue take it outside. I'll spar with you personally."
No one spoke.
Everyone knew what that meant.
"Now speak. One at a time."
He pointed forward.
"You first."
Under his pressure, the room stabilized.
"Lord Raikage, we should observe first because"
"We must act fast or Konoha will secure it!"
"I believe"
Opinions varied wildly.
But ultimately, the decision belonged to one man.
After listening, the Raikage waved them away.
"That's enough."
"I'll consider it."
When the room emptied, he turned to his advisor.
Dodai stood quietly nearby.
"Dodai. Take two teams to Konoha."
"One team visits openly."
"The other operates covertly and gathers intelligence."
"Select whoever you need."
"Yes, Lord Raikage," Dodai replied without hesitation.
Sunagakure
In the Land of Wind, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, paused his gold dust manipulation when ANBU delivered an intelligence scroll.
He read it silently.
Then asked one question.
"What does Elder Chiyo say?"
The ANBU bowed.
"Elder Chiyo said the decision rests entirely with the Kazekage."
Rasa closed the scroll slowly.
"In that case… we return to the village."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"This may be an opportunity for Sunagakure's revival."
Kirigakure
Inside the Mizukage's office, Mei Terumi read the same intelligence and immediately understood the danger.
"The Sage's treasure?"
She shook her head.
"We won't pursue it."
"Even if it exists, Kirigakure lacks the strength to keep it."
"Our priority is rebuilding."
After a pause, she added:
"But we must understand what's happening."
She selected a capable shinobi and issued a simple mission:
Visit Konoha under diplomatic pretenses.
Observe.
Record everything.
No espionage.
No interference.
No competition.
Just watch.
"As long as you don't cause trouble," she said calmly, "you'll live."
"Yes, Mizukage-sama."
Elsewhere
"Itachi-san," a shark-like grin spread across his face, "I found something amusing. Interested?"
Kisame Hoshigaki tossed a scroll toward his partner.
Itachi Uchiha caught it silently.
Curiosity flickered behind his calm exterior.
Then he opened it.
And froze.
The first line read:
"I am Uchiha Itachi, and the following intelligence is provided by me…"
His expression didn't change.
But something inside him cracked.
When had he ever said such a thing?
Was there another Uchiha Itachi wandering the world?
Or had someone… used his name?
"Itachi-san?" Kisame chuckled. "How does it feel to become famous overnight?"
It was rare to see even the slightest ripple in Itachi's composure.
Kisame was thoroughly entertained.
Itachi closed the scroll.
"Let's go to Konoha."
He turned without explanation.
"Ah, right," Kisame added casually while following, "Konan already sent people to investigate this."
"…Understood," Itachi replied flatly.
But inside
He was tense.
As the eldest son of the Uchiha clan, he knew the truth better than anyone.
There was no Sage's treasure in Konoha.
Which meant only one thing.
This was a lie.
A carefully crafted lie.
But lies were dangerous not because they were false
But because people believed them.
And many already had.
Which meant Konoha was about to face a storm unlike any before.
Because at its core
Human nature was greed.
And nothing was more terrifying than desire.
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