The Ever-Elegant Uchiha

The rain had stopped by dawn.

The wind blew through the forest like it was passing through Konoha's alleys, rustling the leaves with a swish, and the dense water droplets falling seemed like another rain shower.

"Whoosh!"

A kunai whistled through the air from a hidden spot, shattering water droplets in its path.

Countless black feathers exploded in front of the kunai, scattering noisily.

The crows were so dense there wasn't even space to escape. The thick, black wings severely obstructed the middle-aged ninja's vision.

"Clang!"

He drew his sword and easily blocked the incoming kunai. Following the kunai, he saw a cold face filled with killing intent.

It was the brat who had just been hit by the kunai and escaped using the Crow Substitution Technique.

A sinister smile appeared on Yun Dun's honest face.

Having spent years in Konoha gathering intelligence, he knew a great deal about certain special individuals.

Therefore, he easily recognized the young man who had come to hunt him.

"Good thing it's not Uchiha Qing Xuan."

He spoke with a sly tone, pressing the sword in his hand down a bit harder. His dull eyes gained a touch of frenzied mockery.

"Otherwise, I would have died already! Right? What do you think, Uchiha Itachi!"

This extreme, frantic behavior made Itachi frown.

His Sharingan, already revealed, stared at the blade pressing closer to his neck, yet his face showed no panic whatsoever.

"I hate you guys who think you're geniuses!"

As if tormented by long-term pressure and on the verge of collapse, Yun Dun just wanted to roar and vent it all.

"Why? I just wanted to live a normal life! How many years has it been? I've provided them with so much classified information! And what was the result? Just because Uchiha Qing Xuan wanted to trade with the Raikage, they exposed me without hesitation!"

Madness! Ferocity! Pain! Twisted emotions contorted his face, making his honest features grow uglier, eventually becoming a profoundly painful mockery.

Yun Dun felt like he was truly going insane.

Perhaps he had gone mad the moment he agreed to be a Kumogakure spy over a decade ago?

But even so, nothing compared to what he had endured yesterday.

That seemingly never-ending rainy night, the indifferent stares of his former Konoha comrades, the way the Cloud Ninja looked at him as if he were discarded trash, and the disappointed gaze of the Third Hokage...

Everything tormented him, driving him to the brink of madness.

He suddenly lifted his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Itachi's face.

Last night, it was the same dismissive face, as if he and the box in his hands were merely lifeless communication tools.

He couldn't find any sense of himself as a person in that child's eyes.

In the end, he was even treated as a gift, a fate that could be decided on a whim!

"Let Itachi kill him, consider it a gift from me to my brother."

It was because of those words that he could walk out of Konoha safely, and yet those words pierced his heart deeply.

"Uchiha Itachi!"

Yun Dun twisted his smile, the blade of his sword creating sparks as it scraped against the kunai.

"I hate you! I hate Uchiha Qing Xuan! I hate you Uchihas! And I hate all of Konoha!"

He laughed hoarsely, his masterful swordsmanship allowing his long sword to easily bypass the kunai. The sharp edge at the hilt was about to slice open the young neck before him.

"Black feathers, crimson eyes, everything is because of that cold, silent heart."

Indifferent words came from an emotionless mouth.

Yun Dun suddenly froze, his gaze lifting to meet those scarlet, indifferent pupils.

The next moment.

Exploding flames engulfed his long sword, rushing towards him.

"Fire Style! Great Fireball Technique!"

Yun Dun trembled as he looked at Itachi's left hand, hidden in his sleeve. In an instant, his entire upper body was submerged in the surging torrent of fire.

"Boom!"

"Aaaah! Uwaaah!"

The scream had barely begun before it was swallowed.

Itachi landed lightly on the ground, wiping the lingering flames from his lips with his right hand.

"Villains die from talking too much."

Qing Xuan's words echoed in his ears once more.

He didn't tell the other party that he had actually been at the scene all night yesterday, brought by his father.

Saying some extremely cool words right before death was something no Uchiha would refuse.

Qing Xuan's words were always right, and his father always told him to learn from Qing Xuan.

The fleeting joy that flashed through his now calm heart made Itachi even more certain of this.

"Now!"

Itachi put away his Kunai, turned his head to look at the enemy being constantly harassed by crows, and at Tianma who was sitting at the enemy's feet.

Youqi and Xinzi were standing near the two rogue ninja, appearing to be surrounding them.

"Let's go, Xinzi!"

"Yes!"

As they charged towards the enemies, the flock of crows took flight and disappeared into the forest.

"GAAAHHHH!"

The enemy let out a tragic death cry and fell to the ground.

After carefully observing his surroundings, Itachi quietly rejoined them.

"Your judgment was excellent, Itachi."

Youqi, while dealing with one of the rogue ninja's bodies, turned his head and praised him. Tianma stood up and looked at them with angry and unwilling eyes.

Xinzi ignored the boys and went to check on the other fallen enemy.

Among the vegetable vendors who usually frequented Konohagakure, one was a spy from the Cloud ninja village, and his identity was exposed.

Itachi's Squad 2 received orders to eliminate this person and set out from the village.

Eliminating enemy intelligence operatives was usually a job for the Anbu. However, the Anbu were currently busy with a major case, and all members were away from the village.

The attempted kidnapping of Hyuga Hinata—

The leader of the Cloud ninja village, which had been in a hostile relationship with Konohagakure for many years, came to Konoha to form an alliance.

The village was filled with a celebratory atmosphere.

However, that very night, the legitimate daughter of the Hyuga Clan's main family, Hyuga Hinata, was almost abducted. The perpetrator was killed, and the incident did not escalate, but they later discovered the culprit's true identity as the leader of the Cloud ninja village, turning it into an issue between the two villages.

With their village leader killed, the Cloud ninja village adopted a hardline stance, demanding the handover of the Hyuga main family's body.

It was said that there was a huge commotion last night, and rumors claimed that the Uchiha had also been deployed, but because the Anbu had sealed off the street, no one knew the final outcome.

All the Anbu were dispatched this morning. Many people in the village worried that war might break out.

Despite this, they couldn't just watch the Cloud ninja village's spy escape.

Thus, Squad 2 was chosen.

In reality, it wasn't so much Squad 2 as it was Itachi who was chosen.

Although Itachi was only seven years old, some said his abilities could even surpass those of an ordinary Chunin. The higher-ups in Konoha had their eyes on his strength.

In fact, the mission had been going smoothly.

However, Itachi knew.

The truth of it all was far more outrageous than the rumors suggested.