Chapter 8 – Another Encounter with Uchiha Itachi
To be fair, Izaya couldn't really be blamed for his surprise.
Given Danzō's portrayal in the original Naruto story and all the despicable acts he'd committed, it was perfectly normal for Izaya to be completely thrown off by his true purpose.
Based on the logic Izaya had envisioned, Danzō had his Root ninjas "invite" him because they were short on experimental subjects. His predecessor was, after all, Konoha's number one dead-last, a failure with no friends besides Tenten. He was the perfect candidate to be dragged into the Root organization as human test material.
After all, in the original story, Danzō had collaborated with Orochimaru to experiment with the First Hokage's cells.
But just as Izaya was preparing to activate his Sharingan and make a desperate break for it…
Danzō had asked if he wanted to become stronger…
How was Izaya supposed to anticipate such a subversion of expectations?!
"Huh?!"
Seeing Izaya's hesitation, Danzō's expression, which had been unreadable, now darkened noticeably. Clearly, Izaya's wavering had displeased him.
"Lord Danzō, you must be joking," Izaya said, forcing a wry smile onto his face to mask his nervousness. The smile seemed to mock his own lack of talent. "While I truly wish to become stronger, my innate abilities are simply too poor. I must ask Lord Danzō to… find someone else."
In the end, Izaya used his own lack of talent as an excuse to refuse Danzō.
"You… dare to refuse me?!" Danzō was clearly taken aback. He had not expected Izaya to reject him so decisively, to not even grasp the opportunity placed before him.
"Lord Danzō, it's not a refusal," Izaya continued, noting the flicker of surprise on Danzō's face. "It's just that I am genuinely unsuitable. If I had the capability, I would certainly hope to serve under Lord Danzō. It's a pity…"
"Get out."
Seeing the resolute, almost pitying look on Izaya's face, Danzō didn't press further. He simply waved his hand dismissively, signaling for Izaya to leave.
"Yes, sir!"
Hearing this, Izaya immediately seized the chance and practically fled from the room. Though his heart was pounding with a mix of unease and relief, he maintained a slightly respectful smile on his face. Internally, however, he had already blacklisted Danzō. The current Izaya might not be Danzō's match, but he wouldn't forget this. He was, after all, a man with a system.
Once he had rushed out of the Root headquarters and put some distance between himself and that oppressive place, Izaya's tense nerves finally began to relax.
But just as he was about to head for home, an inexplicable noise sounded from behind him.
"Who's there?!"
Hearing the sound, Izaya immediately drew the kunai he kept hidden on his person, his face a mask of caution. He took a careful step back, preparing for a fight. Even though he was now outside the Root headquarters, necessary vigilance was still required.
"If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have made a sound…"
The moment Izaya blinked, a cold voice spoke up right beside him. Izaya's eyes snapped open, and he realized the person standing next to him was none other than Uchiha Itachi.
"What the hell!" After confirming it was Uchiha Itachi, ten thousand cursed alpacas stampeded through Izaya's heart. "Can you not be so terrifying next time?!"
"Is this terrifying?" Uchiha Itachi offered a faint smile, then plucked a blade of grass from the ground and placed it between his lips. "You were taken into the Root headquarters?"
"You followed me?" Izaya was startled by the question, but finally nodded. "Yes, I just got out. But how did you know?"
"I intended to find you earlier to… ensure your discretion," Itachi said, standing up and gazing into the distance toward the center of Konoha. "But when I arrived at your house, I discovered you had already been targeted by Root. I had nothing better to do, so I followed to see what would happen."
"So that's how it is…" Hearing Uchiha Itachi's explanation, Izaya felt a wave of understanding. It made sense. Given Uchiha Itachi's character, caution was his default state. After all, judging by the original timeline, Itachi was likely at the most conflicted and tense point in his life right now.
Thinking this, Izaya looked directly at Uchiha Itachi and spoke in an utterly serious tone. "Although, including this time, we've only met twice in my memory, I am not someone who enjoys sharing other people's secrets. You can rest assured on that matter."
"I hope so." Looking at Izaya's earnest expression, Uchiha Itachi didn't say much more. He simply acknowledged the statement and began to walk away.
"You're leaving?" Izaya called out immediately.
"Going home."
"Oh…" Seeing Itachi heading home, Izaya didn't linger on the street for long either.
But just as he turned to leave, a scroll came flying through the air from a short distance away. Izaya caught it and looked down, realizing Uchiha Itachi had thrown it to him.
From not far off, a faint smile touched the corner of Uchiha Itachi's mouth. "Those who are targeted by Root rarely meet a good end. Try your best to become stronger."
With those final words, Uchiha Itachi performed a swift leap and vanished from the street.
Izaya unrolled the scroll given to him by Uchiha Itachi. Inside, he found several C-rank Fire Release ninjutsu!
While most C-rank Fire Release techniques weren't particularly famous in the original story—often being less advanced than the jutsu used by minor characters—for Izaya, this was a treasure.
He recalled that the Ninja School only taught the Three Basic Jutsu. To learn combat-applicable ninjutsu, aside from inheriting a clan's techniques, the only way was to earn contribution points by completing missions and then exchange them at the mission desk.
What Izaya never expected was that Uchiha Itachi would just give him a complete set of C-rank Fire Release ninjutsu. It was, without a doubt, the most suitable gift for him right now.
Earlier, he had received the special Ichiraku Ramen and the Uchiha clan's bloodline blessing, both of which enhanced the power of his Fire Release. But he didn't know any Fire Release ninjutsu! It was like having a full set of buffs with no ability to use them. Now, it was completely different. This scroll of Fire Release training methods in his hand was a godsend.
"Itachi, I'll be your fan for life!" Izaya joked quietly to himself.
After his brief moment of elation, Izaya didn't linger on the street. He headed straight back home. His plan to practice Fire Release ninjutsu was now officially beginning.
And at this very moment, unbeknownst to Izaya, the various hidden powers within Konoha were slowly turning their attention toward him.