Konoha, Underground Base.
"Lord, the High Command may frame us when the time comes, accuse us of attacking them, then add the charge of abducting Uchiha Izumi to create conflict between us and the Uchiha Clan... And finally..."
Yakushi Kabuto adjusted his glasses.
While the others were coming up with countermeasures, they had also anticipated what moves the Konoha High Command might make.
"Let them."
Hyuga Sho said indifferently.
"We have nothing to fear."
If the Konoha High Command dared to do that,
Hyuga Sho would not mind disguising himself as Shimura Danzō, Utatane Koharu, and the others, causing trouble everywhere and framing them in return.
Chess.
It all came down to who was more skilled.
If the other side could not accept losing and flipped the board,
Hyuga Sho could flip it too—and faster than anyone else.
"Lord, regarding Uchiha Izumi..."
Kabuto brought up the matter again.
Uchiha Izumi had just been released.
Hyuga Sho had not recruited her directly.
Instead, he had explained the stakes to her.
What Hyuga Sho needed was... for her to willingly become his tool.
Afterward, Hyuga Sho dismissed Kabuto and rewarded Two appropriately, making the rewards and punishments clear.
On the way back,
Uchiha Izumi kept thinking about everything that had happened.
The shock to her worldview was so great that she failed to notice what was ahead and walked straight into someone.
"Ah~, I'm sorry!"
Uchiha Izumi hurriedly apologized.
Then,
she raised her head and saw a familiar figure.
"Izumi, long time no see..."
Uchiha Izumi's face brightened at once. "Itachi-kun!"
In the official novel timeline known as Itachi's Story, Uchiha Izumi first met Uchiha Itachi at the Ninja Academy. Itachi was about to be bullied by three older students, and Uchiha Izumi stepped in to stop them.
In the anime