"Shinobi World from the future?"
"The Ōtsutsuki Clan's invasion? The Shinobi World is on the brink of disaster?"
As Shirozumi recounted everything, Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki fell into a long silence, seemingly trying to absorb the information and determine whether it was true.
Shirozumi mentioned that he came from the future Shinobi World, but unlike at the previous meeting, he made no attempt to prove it. He merely brought it up.
Then he told them how the Ōtsutsuki Clan would invade the Shinobi World in the future.
After that, he explained that the Akatsuki Organization had changed its goal from collecting Tailed Beasts to gathering powerful combatants.
One of those goals was to revive Kaguya Otsutsuki.
"Is this what the real world is like?... But if we told the Five Great Shinobi Villages about this, they wouldn't believe us, would they?"
Kisame Hoshigaki sounded somewhat rueful.
"Exactly. That's why the Five Great Shinobi Villages are still our enemies for now. But if we weaken their forces, then later, when we face the Ōtsutsuki Clan..."
Uchiha Itachi stopped there and began watching Shirozumi's expression.
"Itachi, for the sake of the Shinobi World's future, could you make some sacrifices and compromises?"
Rather than continuing with Itachi's thought, Shirozumi asked him a different question.
"..."
Uchiha Itachi furrowed his brow and opened his mouth, but said nothing.
He had been about to nod, but then remembered that this didn't seem to fit his persona in the Akatsuki Organization, so he swallowed his words.
"Strategist, why not tell Itachi what you actually want him to do first?
Once he knows the specifics, he can decide whether to agree."
Kisame Hoshigaki chimed in from nearby.
"Itachi, you have a younger brother in Konoha, right? What do you think of him?"
Shirozumi walked ahead, a faint smile on his face.
At Shirozumi's question, Uchiha Itachi stopped in his tracks.
"...He's my spare set of eyes, my new light."
"Then I'm sorry, Itachi. For the sake of the Shinobi World's future, I have to stop you from doing that."
Shirozumi stopped and turned to face Uchiha Itachi.
That acting, that expression and posture—by the Boruto era, he'd have been an international superstar in no time.
"You mean..."
"Do you remember the core principle behind the Akatsuki Organization's new goal that I mentioned earlier? To gather all the powerful combatants.
Uchiha Sasuke would become one of the strongest fighters twenty years from now. His strength and character were beyond question, and he would be known as Konoha's supporting shadow.
Although he and the Hokage of that time would both be defeated by their Ōtsutsuki Clan enemies—and badly, at that—he would still be an invaluable fighter."
After Shirozumi finished speaking, it was Uchiha Itachi's turn to put on an act.
"What does 'supporting shadow' mean?"
Uchiha Itachi wore a sorrowful expression, his brow deeply furrowed.
But inside, he was relieved and delighted.
And that delight wasn't just because he'd learned about Sasuke's future achievements. If Shirozumi was saying the Akatsuki Organization's goal was this, then weren't they no longer just "allies on the surface," but his true allies?
At least as far as Sasuke was concerned, that was certainly the case.
"In the future, Uchiha Sasuke would leave the village under the pretext of traveling the world, gathering information on the Ōtsutsuki Clan from across the globe.
He would protect the village from outside its walls, silently supporting it like another Hokage. That's what it means to be the supporting shadow.
But though I say he protected the village, he was really protecting the world.
After all, the Ōtsutsuki Clan weren't aiming to destroy one little village like Konoha. They wanted to destroy the entire world."
As he spoke, Shirozumi took a scroll from his pouch.
With a "poof," a stack of cards appeared in his hand.
He flipped through them, pulled out one card, and handed it to Uchiha Itachi. "In the peaceful future, a company developed these Ninja Clash cards. This one is very rare and valuable."
Uchiha Itachi took the card and looked at it. It showed a middle-aged man in profile.
Before Shirozumi put the other cards away, Itachi caught a glimpse of them.
The figures on the other cards were all shown from the front, seemingly posed for the occasion.
Only Sasuke's card showed him in profile.
Without the familiarity between brothers, even people who had seen Sasuke in Konoha might not recognize him.
And that profile...
Even though it was only partly visible, Itachi keenly noticed it.
Was that... the Rinnegan?
The appearance of the Ninja Clash card made Itachi even more inclined to believe what Shirozumi had told them.
"The Rinnegan? Itachi's younger brother will have the same eyes as the leader in the future?"
Kisame watched from the side, noticed the detail, and asked bluntly.
"That's right. You'll find out how he gets the Rinnegan during this mission, so there's no need to rush."
Shirozumi's words made his meaning clear: he wasn't going to tell them now.
Kisame said no more.
"I can put aside my desire to kill Sasuke. After all, if the Shinobi World is destroyed, I won't survive either.
"Strategist, can you tell me what the organization—or you—plans to do about Sasuke?"
Uchiha Itachi quietly put the Ninja Clash card away, then replied to Shirozumi with an expression suggesting he'd struggled with the decision.
"What plans do we have for Sasuke? Nothing much. We'll just help him avoid a few detours and grow stronger as quickly as possible."
"I understand."
After traveling for a day and a night, the three had crossed the Land of Fire. They had been at the northwestern border that morning, and now they were in the east, close to their destination.
The three found an inn and rested.
Late into the night, Uchiha Itachi was still thinking over and analyzing what Shirozumi had told them that day.
First of all, what Shirozumi had said about the Ōtsutsuki and the future was highly credible.
One thing Uchiha Itachi still wondered was this: if Shirozumi came from the future, did he know that Itachi was a spy for Konoha, and how he really felt about Sasuke?
After thinking it over for a while, Uchiha Itachi gave up trying to figure it out.
Whether Shirozumi knew or not, as long as nothing else interfered, the outcome would be the same as it was now.
Even if Shirozumi knew his situation and was deliberately telling him what he wanted to hear, as long as they were still headed in the right direction, there was no need to worry.
Shirozumi, meanwhile, slept soundly.
Sometimes, "information" really was crucial.
Only by knowing the personalities and ambitions of everyone in the Akatsuki Organization could Shirozumi keep them all in hand.
Take Uchiha Itachi, for example. He had to be told part of the truth, so he'd understand that the Shinobi World's future was on the brink of destruction, with almost no hope of saving it.
Otherwise, people like Uchiha Itachi, Minato Namikaze, Naruto Uzumaki, and the later Uchiha Sasuke would instinctively resist "time travel" and "changing history."
Unless the threat was on the level of destroying the world, they would want to avoid changing the past, even if it meant making sacrifices.
Whether sacrificing themselves or someone else.
Before you continue