Fugaku didn't notice the dark emotions gradually forming in Itachi's eyes.
He was immersed in the joy and delight of his son's awakening of the Sharingan.
He envisioned his son's future as a pillar of the Uchiha Clan.
Not realizing at all that his words hurt his young son's heart more than the pain of losing a comrade.
"Although losing a comrade is painful, enduring it is something every ninja must go through. If you don't want your comrade's death to be meaningless, live strong with their thoughts in mind."
Fugaku concluded with this kind of encouragement.
Itachi's face was expressionless, his heart pierced with more pain.
At this moment, the power residing in his eyes burned even hotter.
The power of the curse... Itachi lowered his head, a veil of murky shadow covering his eyes.
◎
He received a lot of information about the use of the Sharingan from his father Fugaku.
Before gaining new teammates, Itachi began training day and night.
He had only one goal, which was to become stronger, surpass his father, surpass that Black-clothed Ninja, and protect everything he wanted to protect, ending all conflicts and unhappiness in the ninja realm.
In the past half month, every time he closed his eyes, he recalled the scene of Tsutama's death.
Even though he had witnessed more hellish sights, Tsutama's death lingered like a nightmare in his mind.
He knew that the path of his Sharingan was begun for him by Tsutama.
With his death and blood.
Every time he thought of this, Itachi felt only a suffocating guilt that he couldn't breathe through.
To open one's eyes with a friend's blood and sacrifice... what a terrifying pair of cursed eyes.
Itachi gasped, looking at the ground littered with kunai and shuriken, the Fire Style Jutsu having ravaged the ground clean.
Fortunately, after the Kyuubi Rampage, the Uchiha Clan, though pushed to the corners of the village, gained vast land, which allowed for intense training without disturbing others.
As for the cultivation of the Sharingan, he wanted to wait for Shisui to return from his mission to discuss it together.
He had a hunch that Shisui was even better than his father Fugaku in the application of the Sharingan.
While lost in thought, footsteps approached from behind.
Itachi was slightly startled, as the person who could get this close wasn't an ordinary ninja.
Turning around, Itachi saw a man exuding a somber aura all over.
Wrapped in black clothes, his right face bandaged, he looked at Itachi with an evaluative gaze, seemingly appreciating something.
"Who are you?"
This somber man, Itachi was certain he hadn't seen him before, nor was he familiar.
The man didn't answer but merely smiled.
"I have a question I want to ask you, the genius who graduated first in Ninja School."
"A question?"
"Yes."
"Then ask."
Itachi didn't refuse; he very much wanted to know this man's purpose in seeking him out.
The man said, "On a ship, there are ten passengers in total. One of them is afflicted with a severe contagious disease. Anyone infected will inevitably die. If you're the captain of this ship, how would you handle it?"
A very strange question.
It didn't seem related to anything in the ninja code.
Itachi thought for a moment and asked back.
"No matter what, being infected means death?"
"Yes, being infected means death."
"Since being infected means death, and there's no cure, if I were the captain of this ship, I would prioritize the lives of the other nine, kill the infected person, and throw them overboard."
This was the answer Itachi considered most perfect.
"You are indeed the type of person I'm looking for. I really like your answer, Uchiha Itachi."
The man nodded with a smile, very satisfied with Itachi's answer.
Then he turned to leave.
"My name is Shimura Danzo. I'm on your side."
He wasn't trying to recruit Itachi outright, but to make Itachi come to him voluntarily.
In this, Danzo was very confident.
He was Konoha's greatest darkness.
Ninjas like Itachi would inevitably be drawn to the darkness he carried and join his side.
This was the resonance between them.
Only darkness can merge with darkness.