A Storm Raged in Itachi Uchiha's Mind

'Boom!'

As soon as they entered the Land of Land of Rain, Hinata, Jiraiya, and Kakashi sensed the apocalyptic battle in the distance.

Even though they were far apart, and even though Hinata's Byakugan couldn't see what was happening on the battlefield, the aftershocks of the battle still reached them.

The earth trembled violently, and strong winds swept through the air. Driven by the air currents, the clouds in the sky scattered and drifted away, and huge meteorites fell from the sky, as if the end of the world had arrived.

Should we fly over there?

Hinata flapped her wings and flew in the air, her two Chakra arms holding Jiraiya and Kakashi respectively, her gaze fixed on the western horizon.

It's almost dusk!

Once night falls and the moon rises, everything will be over.

No!

It should be said that everything is just beginning.

What follows will be a completely new era.

"No!"

Jiraiya shook his head and said, "Let's go over there. We still need to wait for one more person."

As he spoke, Jiraiya pointed Hinata in a direction.

Waiting for someone else?

Could it be Itachi Uchiha?

With her back to Kakashi and Jiraiya, Hinata's eyes kept shifting as she wondered whether she should use her All-Knowing, All-Powerful to kill them and silence them.

Itachi Uchiha probably doesn't know much about this!

Kakashi was no longer the lazy bum he always was; he looked into the distance with a serious expression. "Who exactly is fighting?"

"Is there internal strife within the Akatsuki?"

"Or... did they encounter members of the Otsutsuki clan?"

Jiraiya's tone was equally serious. "I don't know! Anyway... we'll decide on our next plan after we see Itachi."

It really is Itachi!

Hinata flapped her wings and flew in the direction Jiraiya pointed. Before long, she saw Itachi Uchiha in the Byakugan's vision.

"Hmm..."

Hinata couldn't help but frown slightly.

Hinata had previously used Artificial Satellite to monitor the entire Land of Rain, but still couldn't find any trace of Itachi Uchiha.

But it seems that Itachi Uchiha is still in the Land of Rain.

How did he manage to do that?

It fell from the sky.

Jiraiya looked at Itachi Uchiha with a complicated expression. Without a doubt, this was a ninja who had truly inherited the Will of Fire.

If it weren't for the name Uchiha, Itachi Uchiha could have easily become Hokage.

What a pity...

Jiraiya had already learned some of the truth about the Uchiha clan from Tsunade. Despite carrying so much burden, he was still willing to sacrifice for the village.

"Itachi!"

Jiraiya said seriously, "Although I have a lot to say, let's get straight to the point without delay!"

Itachi Uchiha nodded.

Upon Jiraiya immediately asked, "What exactly happened over at Akatsuki? Who is fighting?"

Itachi Uchiha looked into the distance, feeling the aftershocks of the battle, and said calmly, "It's Madara and Sasuke!"

"Madara Uchiha!?"

"Sasuke?"

Kakashi and Jiraiya exclaimed in unison that the power of these two had surpassed their understanding of ninjas.

Madara is one thing, but Sasuke ...

How is that possible?

Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief. So that Masked Man really was Madara Uchiha ...

But at the same time, Kakashi felt a pang of sadness.

He was afraid that the Masked Man was Obito Uchiha, and that his former best friend had fallen into darkness, but he also wished that his former best friend was still alive.

"Sasuke!!!"

Hinata belatedly exclaimed in surprise.

After all, it would be strange if Hinata didn't react at all upon hearing such shocking news.

Jiraiya and Kakashi were so shocked that they didn't notice Hinata's unusual behavior.

Itachi Uchiha glanced at Hinata, are you just going to force yourself to act?

Hinata glared back fiercely.

What are you looking at? Be careful, or I'll kill you to silence you!

Kakashi looked at Itachi Uchiha and asked, "What exactly is going on over there?"

Itachi Uchiha shook his head slightly. "Due to some special reasons, I cannot go there to investigate. I learned about the situation through other channels and just entered the Land of Land of Rain to wait for you."

Hinata (angrily): What special reason? You might as well have just called me out!

Speaking of this special reason, Itachi Uchiha also had mixed feelings.

Before today, Itachi Uchiha was indeed wary of Hinata's abilities and had been cautiously investigating the Akatsuki, even daring not to enter the Land of Land of Rain.

But today, Itachi Uchiha placed Hinata in a position of 'absolutely not to be provoked'.

There's no other reason.

The leader of the Akatsuki is dead, and he died without a sound.

Moreover, Sasuke's power has transcended the realm of a ninja.

As far as Itachi Uchiha knew, Sasuke had always followed Hinata around, and was considered a subordinate.

He even abandoned his older brother, whom he had always admired, just to be with Hinata.

Sasuke is already this strong, so you can imagine how powerful Hinata is.

Fortunately Hinata never left Konoha.

Although Itachi Uchiha is not yet clear on what Hinata wants to do, it is obvious that Hinata and Madara Uchiha have different goals.

They might all want to use the Tailed Beasts for something.

The Akatsuki was merely a pawn used by them to collect the Tailed Beasts.

Itachi Uchiha continued, "The Akatsuki has already collected Nine Tailed Beasts. The current battle... may be about vying for ownership of the Tailed Beasts."

It was because of Sasuke and Madara's battle that Itachi Uchiha realized that Hinata and Madara had different goals.

After all, Sasuke is Hinata's subordinate!

When it comes to robbing, isn't it perfectly reasonable to send your underlings to the front lines?

Jiraiya and Kakashi exchanged a glance upon hearing this, Jiraiya said seriously, "The Tailed Beasts are the village's ultimate weapons for maintaining peace, and they absolutely cannot fall into the hands of the Akatsuki."

"The village plans to make Hinata the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, so she can control all the Tailed Beasts and deal with enemies that may threaten the world!"

The issue of ownership can actually be summarized in one sentence.

The weak sever disputes, while the strong do so from ancient times.

Although the aftermath of the battle showed that Sasuke and Madara's power was beyond their comprehension, if the two continued fighting, the final result could only be mutual destruction.

Even though Hinata's strength is weaker than the two of them, she still has a chance.

"Ten-Tails?"

Itachi Uchiha frowned slightly, but quickly understood.

So, gathering Nine Tailed Beasts is enough to bring the Ten-Tails to life?

So that was Hinata and Madara Uchiha's purpose!

Itachi Uchiha felt he was close to the truth.

The Akatsuki was a pawn used to collect the Tailed Beasts, and Hinata must have learned of this information through some unknown channels, which is why she secretly got involved.

To carry out this plan, Hinata secretly recruited Orochimaru and Sasuke as her henchmen.

Hinata's original plan was to let Sasuke wear down Madara Uchiha's power first, and then make her move at the last moment.

As for the village...

Hinata may have used some means to force the village to agree to Hinata become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki.

An enemy threatening the world?

However, it seems that the village is unaware of everything.