But I Refuse

Facing Uchiha Dan's request for guidance.

"Because I'm not like the Third Hokage and the others. I believe in the Uchiha."

At that moment,

Danzo raised his voice, extended his left hand toward Dan, and made a sincere offer:

"Dan, you should join too. Come into the Anbu with Itachi. Konoha needs talented people like you, not a policy of constantly suppressing the Uchiha."

Dan's gaze flickered at Danzo's words. He seemed tempted.

Seeing this, Danzo dangled another incentive, sweetening the offer:

"In the Anbu, not only will you grow stronger, you'll also gain power. I'll recommend you to the Third Hokage as a squad leader, and you'll work alongside Itachi. Isn't that exactly what you want, Dan?"

"Then what would I have to give up?" Dan asked.

"It's simple. All you have to do is trust me, just like Itachi does." Danzo's eyes gleamed. He put extra emphasis on the word "trust."

Dan took a deep breath and remarked,

"Lord Danzo, you're truly magnanimous and bold. One can't help but admire you. Joining the Anbu is certainly tempting for me, too. Do I really... only need to believe in you?"

He stared intently at Danzo.

"Of course."

Danzo looked completely sincere, as if he wanted nothing in return.

In reality,

once Dan joined the Anbu, he wouldn't be able to act and speak however he pleased. Danzo would have all the time and means he needed to slowly tame this unruly tiger.

Dan fell silent for several seconds, then finally parted his lips, seemingly about to give the answer Danzo wanted.

But just then,

he lifted his chin and gave Danzo a cold, sideways glance, speaking with a haughty air:

"But I refuse."

"Why?!" Danzo's composure crumbled on the spot. He nearly lost control of himself.

"Because one of my favorite things to do is refuse self-important people in power. It makes me happy."

As he spoke, Dan picked Itachi up and stood. Then he added, "Besides, I don't want to live behind a mask like your subordinates."

Thud!

Danzo stood as well, leaning on his cane, and snapped,

"Are you sure you won't regret this, Uchiha Dan?"

"Sorry, my nephew isn't feeling well. I'm taking him home to rest. Excuse me."

Leaving those words behind, Dan carried Itachi toward the door.

Whoosh.

Aburame Ryoma said nothing, blocking Dan's way. Outside the tea room, the Root Ninja rested their hands on their Ninja Swords, ready to strike.

Killing intent filled the air.

Dan's gaze turned cold.

If they really managed to piss him off, he might as well use "Za Warudo" right here and take Danzo out.

Just as the standoff threatened to erupt,

"Let them go," Danzo said, his voice once again calm and steady.

At his words, Aburame Ryoma silently stepped aside.

Dan strode out of the tea room.

As the Root Ninja watched,

the uncle and nephew walked away, their silhouettes soon vanishing into the night.

"Lord Danzo, what should we do about Uchiha Dan?"

Aburame Ryoma asked. He knew Danzo had no intention of actually letting Dan go.

Sure enough,

a murderous glint flashed in Danzo's cloudy eyes. He gave a quiet order: "The Third Hokage has people watching Dan, too. Make sure your men handle it cleanly. Don't leave any traces."

If Dan couldn't be made useful and had become a liability, then they might as well eliminate him.

After all, he was just a civilian without even a ninja's status. So what if he died?

"Understood." Aburame Ryoma accepted the order.

"Hmph."

Danzo snorted, tapped the ground with his cane, and turned to leave, surrounded by his guards.

On the street,

Itachi leaned against the wall as he walked for a while, but his stomach still hurt.

Dan went to a convenience store, bought a bottle of water, and handed it to his nephew.

"Thanks, Uncle." Itachi drank half the bottle and rinsed his mouth. At last, he felt a little better.

But right away, he turned to Dan with a grave expression. "Uncle, you've offended Danzo. He won't let this go."

Itachi was worried. His uncle didn't understand Danzo and had no idea just how frightening he was.

"Don't worry about me. I'll handle it."

Dan didn't think much of it. Instead, he warned Itachi, "You, on the other hand, shouldn't have anything more to do with Danzo. That old man's obviously no good."

"..."

Hearing this, Itachi wanted to tell Dan that his uncle didn't look like a good person either. In the end, though, he nodded.

"Mm... I understand."

Seeing Itachi hunched over, clutching his stomach and clearly unable to walk much farther,

"Come on, I'll take you home."

Dan sighed, crouched in front of his nephew, and turned his back to him.

Itachi was a little surprised, but eventually climbed onto Dan's back and wrapped his arms around his uncle's neck.

Dan carried his nephew toward the Uchiha Clan Compound.

The uncle and nephew walked in silence.

Itachi felt conflicted.

He couldn't tell what his uncle really thought of him. Dan seemed to dislike him, and yet he still took care of him.

Until now,

only Shisui besides his uncle had ever carried Itachi on his back.

The difference was that his uncle's back was broader and steadier than Shisui's, like a big bed.

As they neared the Clan Compound,

"Itachi, is that you?"

A clear voice suddenly came from a side street.

Itachi turned toward the sound and saw a lovely young girl standing beneath a streetlamp, staring at the uncle and nephew in surprise.

She had long, beautiful black hair, a beauty mark at the corner of her right eye, and a Konoha Forehead Protector on her brow, marking her as a ninja.

"...Izumi."

Itachi hesitated, then raised a hand to greet the girl.

Dan noticed Uchiha Izumi too and turned to ask his nephew, "What a pretty girl. Is she your girlfriend?"

At those words,

Izumi's face turned red. She lowered her head shyly, twisting her fingers together.

Itachi's expression changed, and he hurriedly denied it under his breath. "No, Uncle."

"I'm only joking. Don't be nervous. I'm not going to stop you from dating young."

As he spoke, Dan crouched and set Itachi back on the ground.

Then Dan walked over to Uchiha Izumi and smiled. "Miss, I'm Itachi's uncle, Uchiha Dan."

"Ah... hello, Senior Dan." Izumi hurriedly bowed, looking rather nervous.

The next second,

the smile vanished from Dan's face, replaced by an intense, almost tangible killing intent that descended on Izumi like a wave of cold air.

Whoosh.

Izumi reacted on instinct. Every hair on her body stood on end as she sprang backward and swiftly drew a Kunai from her pouch.

At the same time, her eyes turned scarlet, revealing the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

"Wow, impressive. You're a talented young lady, too."

Dan praised Izumi when he saw her Sharingan. He withdrew his killing intent as suddenly as he'd unleashed it, as if nothing had happened.

Izumi stood frozen on the spot, completely bewildered.

Seeing this, Itachi explained quietly, "Izumi awakened her Sharingan during the Nine-Tails' Attack. She was only five at the time, and she saw her parents die with her own eyes..."

"I see. That's truly tragic."

Dan sighed.

He remembered that Uchiha Izumi was practically Itachi's girlfriend. She would later die at Obito's hands during the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall, and Obito would take her eyes.

Izumi had awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan at eleven. If she hadn't died young, she would surely have become a Jonin in a few years. She might even have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.

After all, she was so young and had enormous potential. Her future held endless possibilities.