Land of Lightning · Kumogakure —
Dodai, a senior retainer who had served generations of Raikage, scoffed at Danzo's actions with open disdain. "What a waste. Two kids with that kind of vision, and he threw them away."
"Hmph." The Fourth Raikage snorted. The Raikage of every era might look rough and straightforward, but their minds were anything but simple. "For the future of Kumogakure, we can't let brats like that grow up."
Exactly.
So young, yet already possessing top-tier strength—and inheritors of the Sharingan's kekkei genkai.
They weren't bound by the limits of a single clan or even a single village. At barely over ten years old, their way of thinking already rivaled—no, even surpassed—the level of a Kage.
They weren't looking at just the ninja world—
No.
They were thinking on the scale of the entire world.
If Konoha produced two monsters like that at once, wouldn't they get even more arrogant?
Dodai smirked. "In that sense, maybe we should be thanking Danzo."
"The image from Kumogakure, broadcast across the world," Killer B continued rapping to himself. "Konoha's got their own scenes too, everybody's gonna see. Bastard, fool—we give thanks to Danzo today~. Konoha's mad and ready to fray, oh yeah baby~."
"Pfft—"
Someone couldn't hold back a laugh.
Yeah.
Konoha must be furious right now.
The whole world watching as their village produced two genius young ninja—one driven to death, the other slaughtered his entire clan and defected.
Well done, Konoha.
Really impressive.
Gotta give you a round of applause for that.
The reactions in the other villages weren't much different.
…
Land of Water · Kirigakure —
They hadn't forgotten how the Fourth Mizukage had been manipulated, nor the origin of the Bloody Mist era.
So carrying that deep resentment, they weren't about to let the image guide their emotions so easily.
Danzo was a despicable man, sure—but the Uchiha weren't without fault either.
Did they forget why the masked man had crashed the Five Kage Summit and declared the Fourth Great Ninja War?
To cast a massive genjutsu and give everyone peace and happiness.
What a ridiculous fantasy.
"So why are the Uchiha always so extreme?"
"Who knows? Maybe it's something to do with their dojutsu."
…
Land of Fire · Konohagakure —
"..."
The Third Hokage and the two elders, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, remained silent.
Especially the two advisors.
Back then, the Third Hokage had insisted again and again on resolving the Uchiha issue peacefully. But the two of them had sided with Danzo. As Hokage's advisors, they had stood against the Hokage himself—
Supporting Danzo and approving the extermination of the Uchiha clan.
Tobirama Senju also said nothing. Arms folded, he stared at the massive image ahead.
["Danzo never trusted me from the beginning just because I'm an Uchiha. He planned to protect the village his own way, no matter what," Uchiha Shisui said. "He already took my right eye. Of course he won't let my left eye go…"]
[In the image, the young Itachi stared at Shisui without interrupting him.]
[No one expected Shisui to reach toward his own left eye.]
Itachi—now in crow form—remained silent. Watching those memories again, even knowing what would happen next, he still couldn't let it go.
[Shisui pressed his fingers into his left eye socket. "At this point, instead of letting him take it, I might as well remove it myself and give it to you, Itachi."]
[Itachi's brows tightened. "Shisui…"]
["Pttchhh—"]
[With a sickening sound, Uchiha Shisui gouged out his own eyeball with his fingers.]
"!!!"
Even the ninja watching were startled. The civilians who had never experienced war or bloodshed gasped and quickly turned away, covering their eyes.
[Both of Shisui's eye sockets were now empty. He held out his left eye to Itachi.]
["The only one I can entrust this to… is you, my best friend."]
["Please protect the village. And protect the name of the Uchiha clan."]
[The crimson eye rested in Itachi's palm. His face remained calm, but his heart was anything but.]
["Can I… really protect the village? Protect the name of the Uchiha clan?"]
[Shisui wasn't unaware of Itachi's hesitation. "And what I'm giving you isn't just this eye. I'm giving you new power—the Mangekyō Sharingan."]
["Shisui, you—"]
Tobirama Senju thought to himself: Once the Mangekyō Sharingan is given to someone else, it's no different from handing over your entire power. The only end is exhaustion of life force… just like Madara's younger brother, Izuna Uchiha.
[Shisui's voice sounded almost light. "I don't have much time left anyway. Even if my stamina recovers, even if my wounds heal, Danzo won't rest until he sees my corpse. And he won't spare you or the Uchiha clan either… Think of it as my final gift to you."]
"Brother…"
Sasuke watched the scene with seething hatred toward Danzo.
Why did Shisui place all of this on my brother alone?
He was only thirteen at the time…
Seeing the flicker of sorrow flash across Itachi's calm face, Sasuke's heart twisted with conflict. He desperately wanted to know what happened next.
After watching everything so far, he could no longer be one hundred percent certain that Itachi had single-handedly exterminated the Uchiha clan.
So who was his true target for revenge?
[It wasn't just Sasuke who could see Itachi's sadness. Though blind, Shisui could still "see."]
["Why are you making that face, Itachi?" Shisui chuckled lightly. "Even now, I can clearly 'see' what you look like."]
["That uneasy expression doesn't suit you. No matter when, staying calm—that's the Itachi I know!"]
["If it's you, you can definitely do this. Have confidence!"]
[Itachi replied "I wanted to change the Uchiha clan together with you…"]
["For you," Shisui placed a hand on Itachi's shoulder, "the path ahead might be dark. It might even be unbearably difficult… And I won't be there to walk beside you."]
Shisui paused.
What he said next moved everyone in Konoha—including the Third Hokage and the two advisors.
Some even choked up.
[Shisui gripped Itachi's slightly thin shoulders, as if pouring all his strength and conviction into him. "I believe you'll hold to your path."]
[Then his voice rang out, firm and powerful—]
["As a shinobi of Konoha! Move forward!"]
As a shinobi of Konoha…
Even in the face of such opposition.
Even when rejected by the very village they trusted.
Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi still existed as shinobi of Konoha.
…
Carried by the emotions of the image, the Konoha ninja felt something ignite in their blood.
Yes.
They were shinobi of Konoha.
Even if darkness existed within the village.
Even if leaders like Danzo were narrow-minded and short-sighted.
Even if being a shinobi meant living with regret.
They were still shinobi of Konoha, bound to their comrades.
That bond would not fade. It would not change because of the village.
Even if regret and pain followed the living, the will of those who died protecting their comrades would endure forever.
"Yeah! Haku and Zabuza were both born in the Bloody Mist era!" Uzumaki Naruto, who was also observing as part of the Chunin Exams, suddenly perked up.
"That place had an academy graduation exam where students killed each other!"
"But I still really like those two guys!"
"Because no matter what, their bond never changed!"
"Naruto…" Sakura murmured.
"That's just like you," Gaara said.
Temari and Kankuro looked at him. "Blond idiot."
In front of the Konoha Ninja Academy, as the Third Hokage drowned in guilt over his misjudgment and misplaced trust in Danzo, someone began reciting a familiar verse—
"As long as leaves dance in the wind, fire will burn."
Another voice continued—
"The fire's shadow will shine upon the village, and new leaves will sprout…"
The Third Hokage's trembling, choked voice joined in—
"When someone wishes to protect something precious… that is when a shinobi's true strength emerges…"
Tears rolled down his aged face.
The fire's shadow did not refer to the Hokage alone.
It referred to every shinobi in Konohagakure who carried the Will of Fire.
They were born in the village, graduated from the academy, formed bonds through missions.
Their identity gave them honor. Their bonds gave them strength.
That strength was like the fire's shadow—illuminating the village, allowing the next generation to branch and grow upon the towering tree.
[Shisui let out a breath and looked toward the rising sun—the break of dawn, the true 'Akatsuki'—]
["Thank you… for everything."]
["My path ends here…"]
["But let it become your strength—to awaken new power, and forge a new path!"]