Itachi Uchiha

The war was over. Konoha had not suffered much damage, but Sunagakure had taken devastating losses. Orochimaru of Otogakure did not care in the slightest.

The village was peaceful after the war, and the villagers had returned to their normal lives. However, the Hokage's office was quite lively.

"What? Sarutobi, you want to resign? What are you thinking? Who could possibly take your place?" The two advisors were extremely agitated. Danzo was not present. He had failed to appear during the war that had just ended, so he would not dare come here now. Otherwise, the two advisors would tear him apart.

"Don't get so worked up. After this battle, I feel that I have grown old. Konoha is weakening, and it now needs a Hokage in his prime to breathe new vitality into it. Jiraiya." After speaking, the Third Hokage looked toward Jiraiya.

"Old man, you don't mean me, do you?" Jiraiya stared wide-eyed at the Third Hokage.

"Fine, I knew you would not agree. But I need you to bring Tsunade back. She should have returned by now." Upon hearing Tsunade's name, the two advisors no longer objected so fiercely. After all, Tsunade was Konoha's princess, the Third Hokage's disciple, the founder of medical ninjutsu, and its greatest medical ninja. She was also exceptionally powerful. It was acceptable for her to become Hokage.

"That seems rather difficult!!!" Jiraiya said helplessly.

"Take Naruto with you. Naruto performed very well this time. Continue teaching him. I think that is what 'he' would have wanted to see." The Third Hokage was referring to the Fourth Hokage.

"Fine. I'll do my best." Jiraiya agreed.

Since the war, Sasuke had not taken on any more missions. Every day, he waited near the village gates for Itachi Uchiha to appear. He should be arriving soon. This time, Sasuke had to meet Itachi, or who knew when the next chance would come? He also did not know how Itachi's eyes were doing, or whether there was still any chance of awakening the Four-Tomoe Sharingan. The Uchiha Clan relied too heavily on the Sharingan. In the anime, Itachi Uchiha used the Mangekyō Sharingan so often that his other ninjutsu rarely appeared. That kind of putting the cart before the horse was truly speechless, yet they still called themselves a cursed clan.

Early that morning, Sasuke was once again training while waiting near the gates. A series of bell chimes rang out, and mist enveloped the area around the entrance. So they were here. Honestly, they made me wait so many days.

Two people dressed in black robes patterned with red clouds appeared. The guards near the gates had collapsed. One was tall and the other short, both wearing conical hats. The taller one carried a large object on his back. After considering it, Sasuke took another route and approached them head-on, as though they had met by chance.

The two sides walked toward each other. One wore a conical hat, the other sunglasses, and they passed shoulder to shoulder. "Itachi Uchiha." Seeing that Itachi showed no reaction upon noticing him, Sasuke could only call out to stop him. "So you recognized me after all. When?" Itachi Uchiha asked without turning around.

"When you first entered. Come with me. I'll treat you to a meal first." Sasuke lifted a foot and headed toward his Barbecue Restaurant. There were still quite a few people inside. Although the war had just ended, there had not been much damage, so everyone was living as they normally did. Moreover, because of the war, many ninjas had come here to dine together. The three of them were quite conspicuous, but since Sasuke was with them, no one paid them much attention.

The three went upstairs and entered Sasuke's private room. A waiter brought over the menu. "Young master, what would you like to order?" When he had entered the restaurant, Itachi had already seen the Uchiha Clan fan crest on the signboard.

"You two are the guests. Please order." Kisame Hoshigaki was not polite at all, ordering a pile of seafood. He really did resemble a shark. In the anime, he had always followed Itachi. If Itachi had not died, what would have happened? That was hard to say. Sasuke would have to find out when he had the chance. Itachi did not order anything, so Sasuke took the menu. "Then let me do the honors." Sasuke ordered dishes he had created after coming to this world, mostly popular grilled foods from his previous life. Before long, the dishes arrived one after another. Kisame Hoshigaki immediately began eating, while Itachi did not touch his chopsticks.

"This is a meat wrap dish I developed. Give it a try." Sasuke picked up a lettuce leaf, wrapped it around a piece of grilled meat with sliced garlic and sauce, then handed it to Itachi. Itachi picked it up with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth.

"This restaurant was opened after that day. When I woke up, only the Third Hokage came to see me. I said I wanted to help collect the bodies of our clansmen, but the Third Hokage said that would not be possible. The Uchiha Clan was too special. Then I said I wanted to sort through the belongings they left behind, and he agreed to that. But most Uchiha properties were reclaimed by the village. I traded for this storefront instead and opened this restaurant. Business has always been good, and now it needs to expand. We are currently negotiating prices for the shops on either side." Sasuke calmly spoke of everything, but Itachi's hand holding the chopsticks froze in midair. As though he did not sense the strange atmosphere at all, Kisame Hoshigaki continued devouring grilled seafood and repeatedly praised it as delicious.

The meal ended in a strange atmosphere. A pot of green tea was brought up. Sasuke poured tea for the two of them, then poured himself a cup and slowly savored it.

"Are you full? If so, come somewhere with me. Your friend can come too." Sasuke was preparing to speak with Itachi. He had done all this today because he wanted to share a meal with his brother. Though he was no longer the Sasuke of the past, after their souls had fused, his feelings for Itachi ran deep. Perhaps it was because of that fusion.

The three fell silent again and left the Barbecue Restaurant together. Under Sasuke's lead, they arrived at the Forest of Death, where there was normally no one around.

Kisame Hoshigaki perceptively left them alone, standing at a distance to wait. The Uchiha brothers stood face-to-face, looking at each other. In the end, Sasuke spoke first. "When we parted last time, you gave me a wonderful gift that I remember fondly. This time, I hope you will do it again." After speaking, Sasuke deactivated his Sharingan and removed his sunglasses.

"As you wish." Itachi removed his conical hat, revealing eyes marked with the pattern of the Mangekyō Sharingan. Sasuke, with his Sharingan deactivated, was instantly caught in the Genjutsu Tsukuyomi. An empty expanse of land, a blood-red moon, and he was bound to a cross-shaped wooden frame. He studied it with great interest. So this was the incredibly awesome Tsukuyomi. What would it be like if it were activated with a complete Sharingan? I still haven't tried it myself.

"Isn't it strange? The moment we met, I didn't rush at you screaming your name and demanding revenge. Instead, I invited you to eat." Sasuke asked with a smile.