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After finishing his fight with the boys who had provoked him, Sasuke did not head straight home. Instead, he deliberately walked to the glass door of a nearby restaurant and used its reflective surface as a mirror. He carefully checked his appearance, making sure his clothes were not disheveled, and only then let out a small sigh of relief. His gaze then shifted to the restaurant owner standing not far away.
When he saw the man glaring at him with open hostility, Sasuke responded with a cold snort and turned to leave without a word.
If Itachi's defection had caused the villagers to view the Uchiha clan with suspicion and quiet resentment—feelings that remained mostly hidden beneath the surface—then the death of the Kazekage at the hands of an Uchiha, which triggered the full-scale war between the Hidden Leaf and Hidden Sand, had transformed that resentment into outright hatred.
Even young Sasuke, who was still just a child, had become an object of that hatred.
Because of the Uchiha clan, many villagers had lost family members in the fighting.
The feeling was exactly the same as what Sasuke felt after losing Itachi.
Yes.
Itachi had been the person Sasuke admired most, yet he had become a traitor to the Hidden Leaf.
For a long time to come, that betrayal would remain a dark stain on the entire Uchiha clan.
And Sasuke was powerless to change any of it.
As for the death of the Kazekage…
That topic had become a strict taboo within the Uchiha clan.
Although no one spoke of it openly, its consequences permeated every corner of clan life.
After Itachi's defection, Fugaku had worn a constant expression of worry and rarely smiled. Even when Sasuke achieved first place in his class at the academy, Fugaku could not bring himself to offer a single word of praise.
After the Kazekage's death, Fugaku had visibly aged overnight.
He had even considered following the example of Hyūga Hizashi—sacrificing his own life to prevent further war—but the rest of the clan had strongly opposed the idea.
"It wasn't us who did it. Why should we apologize?"
"If we apologize, that would be the same as admitting guilt!"
"Hyūga Hizashi chose death because the Hyūga clan really was responsible. But the Kazekage's death has nothing to do with us. Why should we take the blame?"
All kinds of voices echoed within the Uchiha clan.
Yet the matter could not simply be resolved by refusing to acknowledge it.
Once the war began, the villagers' dissatisfaction with the Uchiha clan grew with every passing day.
In response, unrest within the Uchiha clan itself intensified.
Almost every member of the clan understood that they were drifting further and further away from the Hidden Leaf, with almost no possibility of turning back.
What awaited them was only death.
They refused to sit and wait for their end. They wanted to make one last desperate stand.
Complex and turbulent emotions filled the entire Uchiha district, creating a sense of rejection deep inside Sasuke's heart.
He wanted to go to school and play with his classmates, but his classmates treated him like a dangerous plague. At home, the atmosphere was equally oppressive.
He no longer wanted to go home.
"You're back," Fugaku said, wiping sweat from his forehead as he turned to look at his son.
Sasuke gave a soft acknowledgment and said nothing more. He lowered his head and walked into the house.
His mother approached with a tea tray, her eyes fixed on Sasuke until he disappeared from view. Only then did she kneel down and hand a cup of tea to her husband.
"How did it go? Are the clansmen still holding the same attitude?" she asked, frowning.
"This is no longer something I—or any single person—can change," Fugaku replied. "Let me ask you this: even if I admit fault, will the Hidden Leaf forgive us?"
His wife shook her head.
Even if Fugaku admitted fault, most of the clan would refuse to do the same.
The underlying conflict would remain.
"Admit fault… What exactly are we supposed to admit to?"
Her question left Fugaku momentarily speechless.
Yes. Even if they were willing to apologize, what exactly could they apologize for?
He himself did not know.
Fugaku let out a heavy sigh. The teacup slipped from his fingers and shattered on the floor.
...
Itachi and his three companions used Pain's technique, Projection Technique, to reestablish contact with Pain and quickly reported the details of their mission.
"You didn't retrieve the Six-Tails?" Pain asked.
"No," Itachi confirmed.
"That is not ideal. The first five tailed beasts have already been absorbed by the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. We now also possess the Seven-Tails and Eight-Tails. The Nine-Tails remains in the Hidden Leaf… Only the Six-Tails is missing. This is problematic. We must capture the Six-Tails. Otherwise, we cannot proceed with absorbing the remaining beasts." Pain's voice carried clear urgency. "We are only one step away from success. We cannot afford any delays."
"But locating the Six-Tails is the real difficulty," Itachi said.
"Perhaps he is still in the Hidden Cloud?" Sasori suggested.
"He is not a Cloud shinobi. He cannot stay there indefinitely… Could he have returned to the Hidden Mist?" Itachi speculated.
"No. Our informants report that he is not in the Hidden Mist," Pain replied.
"Then where could he be?" Itachi asked.
"He is like a filthy rat, always hiding in the sewers, impossible to track. Yet every time we begin an operation, he appears to interfere. It is disgusting," Konan said, frowning.
"If that is the case, then we should simply ignore him. He will show himself eventually," Itachi suggested.
Pain did not respond directly. Instead, he changed the subject. "Next is the following operation."
Instantly, every Akatsuki member's attention focused on Pain.
"The five great ninja villages have become aware of our existence and are preparing to hold another Five Kage Summit to discuss how to deal with us…"
"Is the intelligence reliable?" Sasori asked.
"Of course. The reports came simultaneously from our spies in both the Hidden Sand and Hidden Mist. There is no mistake," Pain confirmed.
"Where will it be held?" Kisame asked.
"In the Hidden Leaf Village. The leaders of the various villages should already be on their way," Pain said.
"Do we need to intercept and kill them?" Hidan inquired.
"Would that help?" Sasori countered. "They would simply replace the leaders and continue the meeting. Besides, the individual strength of each Kage makes it nearly impossible for us to assassinate them in single combat."
"What is your plan, Leader?" Itachi asked.
"Since they are holding the meeting in the Hidden Leaf, we will go to the Hidden Leaf as well. While we are there, we will also capture the Nine-Tails," Pain declared.
"But even if we could kill the five Kage, a direct confrontation would ultimately bring us no real benefit. There is no need for us to fight them head-on, is there?" Kisame asked, confused.
"You are mistaken. Our goal has always been the Nine-Tails from the very beginning. Killing the Kage will be left to others," Pain said, shaking his head.
"Who?"
"The Uchiha clan." Pain's gaze shifted directly to Itachi. When Itachi remained silent, Pain continued. "Their survival or death does not matter. As long as the five great villages are severely weakened, it is a victory for us. Itachi, what do you think of this plan?"
"Is this your idea?" Itachi asked, his brows slightly furrowed.
"Yes. I apologize, but it is a necessary sacrifice."
"No. I only ask that my younger brother survives… The 'Uchiha clan' you speak of does not include him, correct?"
"It does not."
"In that case… I have no objection." Itachi clenched his fist tightly, struggling to suppress the anger rising within him.
Just wait. He had to wait a little longer.
Sooner or later, he would uncover the true face of "Madara"…
Itachi silently vowed in his heart.