Within the darkness, Itachi discovered himself standing in an unfamiliar place.
The sky was gloomy, thick clouds obscuring the moonlight.
The air was filled with damp mist, while the sound of flowing river water came from the distance.
This was… the Naka River!
He recognized the place.
Right now, he seemed far older than his actual age, around seventeen or eighteen years old.
He tried to control his body, only to discover that he could do nothing but passively watch everything unfolding before him.
He could not make a sound.
He could not move even the slightest bit.
The night wind was cold.
It seemed he was waiting for someone.
Footsteps sounded.
A familiar figure staggered out from the darkness.
It was Shisui.
His entire body was covered in blood, his Anbu uniform soaked crimson.
His steps were unsteady. One of his eye sockets was empty, blood still trickling down from it.
Itachi wanted to speak, but no sound came out.
Shisui walked up before him and looked at him with his remaining eye, his expression complicated.
There was relief, reluctance, and resolve.
"Itachi, I'm entrusting the village and the clan to you."
He removed the remaining Sharingan from his socket and placed it into Itachi's hand.
Then he turned around and jumped into the Naka River.
"No!"
Itachi desperately tried to grab him, but could only watch helplessly as that figure vanished into the dark currents.
Splash!
Water erupted upward before being swallowed by the rushing river.
The river surface returned to calm, as though nothing had ever happened.
That grief surged over him like a tidal wave, even more violent and suffocating than when he had watched his teammates die before his eyes years ago.
Before he could recover from the emotion, the scene before him suddenly changed once more.
Beneath the moonlight, the Uchiha clan district was terrifyingly silent.
There were no insects chirping, no dogs barking, only the sound of wind passing through the empty streets.
He saw "himself" standing together with a man wearing a spiral mask.
Then, the slaughter began.
Blade light flashed.
Blood splattered.
He recognized every face that fell.
The uncle next door, the elder who always instructed the younger generation at the Training Ground, and those children who constantly followed behind him calling him "Big Brother Itachi"…
"Stop!"
Itachi desperately tried to stop it, yet could only helplessly watch everything unfold.
Finally, his figure arrived before a familiar estate.
This was… his home!
The door was pushed open.
His father and mother knelt in the living room, their expressions calm.
"Itachi."
"I do not wish to kill my own son."
Fugaku's voice was calm.
"Father, Mother, I…"
"We understand, Itachi."
Mikoto looked at him with gentle eyes.
Fugaku continued:
"This is the path you chose."
"It's a difficult road to walk, but since you've chosen it, we won't blame you."
"Even if our ideals differ, I am still proud of you."
"One last thing… promise me…"
"Sasuke is in your hands now."
Fugaku calmly closed his eyes.
And the blade descended.
Itachi could no longer control himself. He wanted to rush forward, seize that sword, and stop all of this.
Those scarlet Sharingan spun wildly within his eyes.
The three tomoe merged together, transforming into an even more intricate pattern.
...
Outside the illusion.
Tightly shut eyes suddenly streamed with two trails of bloody tears.
"Itachi!"
Mikoto stood up in shock.
The teacup slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor with a sharp crack, tea splashing everywhere.
Sasuke froze in fright, his little face turning pale.
Itachi slowly opened his eyes.
At that instant, a tangible killing intent burst forth from his body.
Both Mikoto and Sasuke were stunned.
Even Naruto subconsciously shrank behind Gento.
Only after recognizing the familiar surroundings did Itachi gradually restrain his aura.
He lowered his head and looked at his hands.
The sensation from the illusion still lingered in his palms.
Shisui's blood, his parents' gazes…
He had far too many questions.
"Clan Head, I…"
Gento waved his hand, interrupting him.
"We'll talk about the Mangekyo later."
"For now, familiarize yourself with your newly awakened Mangekyo."
He glanced at Sasuke and Naruto nearby before smiling.
"If you have time, spend more time with your little brother too."
"That will help you master the Mangekyo's power."
Itachi froze briefly before looking toward Sasuke.
The little boy was staring at him nervously, his face filled with concern.
"Brother…"
The tension in Itachi's expression finally relaxed, revealing a gentle smile.
He walked over and rubbed Sasuke's hair.
"Come on, Sasuke. Let's go to the clan Training Ground."
"Starting today, I'll officially teach you ninjutsu."
Sasuke was dumbfounded at first, then overjoyed, his eyes shining like stars.
"Really?! Big Brother always said he was too busy before. You finally agreed today!"
He could not resist throwing Naruto a smug look.
Naruto immediately jumped up.
"I'm going too!"
Itachi looked toward Gento. Seeing that he did not object, he nodded.
The two children ran out the door one after another.
Itachi followed behind them.
Once the door closed, only Gento and Mikoto remained alone together in the room.
Mikoto picked up her teacup and took a sip.
Her son's Mangekyo had awakened, so naturally she was happy.
Even so, the moment she thought about the man before her, she put on a cold face again, shifting her gaze toward the window and drinking tea as though Gento did not exist.
Gento, however, walked to her side and sat down beside her.
Mikoto shifted away.
Gento moved closer again.
Mikoto shifted again.
"If you move any farther, you'll fall off."
Gento reminded her with a smile.
Mikoto lowered her head to look and realized she was already sitting at the edge of the tatami.
She froze there, caught in an awkward position.
Taking advantage of the moment, Gento leaned closer until his shoulder pressed against hers.
"What? Still angry at me?"
Mikoto turned her face away, speaking in a flat tone:
"The Clan Head just finished holding his grand wedding ceremony. Such an impressive spectacle."
"How would I dare be angry at the Clan Head?"
Gento could not help laughing. He leaned even closer, the tip of his nose nearly brushing her earlobe.
"So, after I helped Itachi awaken the Mangekyo, you're not planning to thank me?"
The warm breath against her ear instantly turned Mikoto's ears red.
She let out a soft snort and tilted her head away a little.
"That's a separate matter."
"I'll naturally thank you for Itachi's matter later."
"And how much later is later?"
Gento pressed on relentlessly.
Mikoto bit her lip and was about to answer when her body suddenly stiffened.
Gento's arm had slipped around her waist from behind.
Resting his chin on her shoulder, he spoke in an intimate tone:
"And besides… how exactly are you planning to thank me?"
The teacup in Mikoto's hand trembled, nearly slipping from her grasp.
She could feel the warmth of his hands through the thin fabric of her clothes, causing her body to soften involuntarily.
Biting her lip, two blushes appeared on her cheeks, yet she still stubbornly maintained that cold expression.
But Gento's hands became less honest, lightly caressing along her waist.
In the end, Mikoto could not hold herself together anymore and turned to glare at him.
Only to meet Gento's eyes.
Within that gaze was gentleness, along with an undisguised heat.
Gento's hand slowly moved upward from her waist.
"Mmh…"
Mikoto subconsciously let out a soft moan.
She bit her lip, swallowing the sound back down.
"Don't…"
She pressed down on his hand, lowering her voice.
"This is… this is my home…"
Gento suddenly released her.
His hands rapidly formed seals.
The moment Mikoto saw that familiar sequence of hand seals, her expression immediately changed.
She was just about to stop him, but it was already too late.
"Yin Sealing: Slave Mark!"
The instant Gento's words fell.
The Lightning-Attribute Chakra within Mikoto's lower abdomen immediately began rampaging.
"Mmh!"
Mikoto could no longer support herself.
Her entire body collapsed onto the floor, curling up tightly.
...
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