Two Uchiha Itachi

In Konohagure, the Kurama Clan had never given up on tracking Uchiha Itachi.

This was the first mission since the clan's re-establishment, holding significant meaning for its members.

Throughout the entire Ninja World, especially in Konohagure, all ninja placed great importance on their missions.

Kakuzu, an elite from Takigakure, accepted a mission.

"Go and eliminate the peak First Hokage, Senju Hashirama."

Even knowing he was no match for the opponent, and not yet possessing the forbidden jutsu Jigokudō, Kakuzu dared to attack the First Hokage. The outcome was obvious; he was easily defeated by Senju Hashirama's Wood Style.

Konohagure's White Fang, Kakashi Hatake's father, also failed his mission while saving his comrades. As a result, he was ostracized and verbally abused by the villagers of Konohagure, eventually succumbing to the pressure and committing suicide.

In the Ninja World, the simplest way for superiors to deal with subordinates was to give them an impossible mission. This was the cruel side of the system, but it was also the true touchstone for ninja.

As one of the few Chunin of the Kurama Clan, Kotaro's age meant he was no longer "on the front lines."

His temples were streaked with white, bearing the weight of years. Yet, he still dressed neatly every day, tied his forehead protector, and carried his scroll out, even though the village children no longer recognized his Clan Crest.

Some mocked him, "At this age, still taking on missions? Are you afraid of dying too peacefully?"

Kotaro would only smile and reply, "If the mission isn't completed, I'm not qualified to die."

In Konohagure, a ninja's income and status were always higher than in other professions. Even in old age, some were willing to don their forehead protectors and carry out missions. Kurama Kotaro was precisely such a person.

For the past few days, he had been completing clan missions.

The objective was singular: to find traces of Uchiha Itachi.

Even when new tasks were added mid-mission, such as monitoring suspicious newcomers in the village, he never forgot the clan's primary goal.

But the problem was, Uchiha Itachi was a renowned genius prodigy of Konoha, not only powerful but also an Anbu captain, with elusive movements and tight security. Even if he were lurking within the village, almost no one could accurately track his whereabouts.

Today, as usual, he was drinking tea at an old teahouse in the southeast corner of the village. The shop was small, the owner nearly fifty, a bald man detached from worldly affairs, but he brewed excellent tea, especially the "Bitter Tea," so astringent it cleared the mind.

"Brother Kotaro, the usual seat today?"

"Mm, the one by the window."

After sitting down, his gaze subtly swept outside the window. His position allowed him to see the street corner outside the teahouse and the main road through the village.

Information was often hidden in the most overlooked details.

The mysterious ring worn by the clan's young lady, Kurama Yakumo, was a discovery born from his meticulous observation. The style of that ring was never seen in Konoha's markets; it must have been custom-made, a token exclusively for high-ranking individuals.

And such a gift wouldn't be given away casually, would it?

"That ring she wears... it must have been personally given by some important figure," Kotaro had thought. "Perhaps someone from the higher echelons of the Land of Fire, or even someone who will decide Konoha's fate in the future."

The Kurama Clan is in decline. Besides Yakumo and Kurama Yui, the only one left who can barely hold up the family name is this aging Chunin. They can no longer afford to lose again.

Therefore, he dared not slack off.

The reason he was so persistent in tracking Uchiha Itachi was not only to complete the mission assigned by the clan, but also to seize an opportunity to prove himself to the important figure lurking behind Yakumo.

The Kurama Clan is still trustworthy, still has value, and is still worth being brought back into Konoha's chessboard.

Even if it's just him, even if it's just an aging Chunin, he can still complete a sufficiently tricky mission.

There was a Shiba Inu wandering outside.

It was the teahouse owner's dog, named Shiba. It was let out every evening for some air, and it had an extremely regular habit: at precisely 6:01 PM every evening, it would run to the base of that dilapidated utility pole to urinate, rain or shine, never missing.

"Shiba Inu Shiba, the most punctual in Konoha," Kurama Kotaro had once said jokingly.

But today was different.

After being let out, Shiba ran to the utility pole as usual, but it looked left and right, lifted its leg... but didn't urinate.

Kotaro's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Something's up," his internal alarm bells rang loudly, and he swallowed the mouthful of tea, not even bothering to savor the taste.

He wasn't joking. He was old, but by no means foolish. Besides missions and drinking tea, Kurama Kotaro had another hobby: he liked watching dogs urinate. It sounded absurd, but today, it earned him a valuable piece of intelligence.

He had been watching this dog, Shiba, for three years, and it had never missed its appointment.

But today, it hesitated.

What did this mean? It meant there was something wrong with this utility pole.

Kurama Kotaro pretended to be nonchalant as he stood up and ambled outside the teahouse.

The wind blew gently as he lit his pipe, feigning enjoyment of the sunset, even with a gentle smile on his lips. But his eyes scanned the utility pole inch by inch.

No advertisements were stuck on it, and it hadn't been freshly painted.

However, above the utility pole, he spotted a black feather stuck to it, swaying gently in the wind.

"A crow's feather," Kurama Kotaro was a veteran Chunin of Konoha and knew a lot about various animals. This was a crow's feather.

Crows were not common in Konoha. If it wasn't a common wild creature, then there was only one possibility.

A Summoning Crow.

A name immediately surfaced in his mind.

Uchiha Itachi.

"It seems it's him."

"But capturing him isn't my mission. My mission is to find him." He clearly understood his own importance and wouldn't expose his whereabouts on impulse.

Kurama Kotaro quietly flicked the ash from his cigarette, turned, and returned to the tea shop, sitting back in his original spot.

All of this had taken only three minutes.

Kotaro took out a thin drawing paper from his pocket, unfolded it, dipped his brush in ink, and quickly sketched what he had just seen. A utility pole, a feather, a setting sun, a Shiba Inu, Uchiha Itachi.

Not a single word, only pictures to convey information.

This was the secret art of the Kurama Clan.

After the drawing was complete, he pressed his thumb onto the paper, and a red mark appeared, Chakra flowing.

The signal had been sent.

At the same time, on the other side of Konohagakure, in a small hut, a young girl sat cross-legged, receiving the intelligence.

What surprised her, however, was that intelligence was also coming from another direction.

Kurama Yui was ambushing on the outskirts of the Uchiha Clan Compound, an area long abandoned and dark, with even the most basic streetlights extinguished. The entire region seemed intentionally forgotten by Konoha, so quiet that the sound of wind rustling fallen leaves seemed to be swallowed.

To conceal herself, Yui used Genjutsu. She transformed herself into an inconspicuous large tree, standing tall in the deep darkness. While the Genjutsu was marvelous, it also limited her sensory abilities.

The footsteps arrived, light and slow, carrying a chilling sense of pressure.

"Crack."

She quietly moved a branch, looking down from above. A dark figure emerged from the depths of the street, black hair, wearing a mask, holding a sword, his steps steady, like a hunter returning to a familiar hunting ground.

It was "Itachi."

Although she couldn't confirm clearly, she was almost certain: it was Uchiha Itachi.

Amidst the blur, Kurama Yui saw his profile, and one eye faintly revealed the crimson glow of the Sharingan.

"Mask, black hair, sword, Sharingan... it's him."

A cold wind blew, and the branches where Yui hid trembled slightly.

What happened next startled her even more.

The guards patrolling the outer perimeter of the Clan Compound, who had been on alert, were eliminated one by one by the figure without a sound, without even a chance to react. One sword strike, clean and swift. Almost no wasted movement.

The figure walked towards the Uchiha family main residence, his steps silent, as if he were intimately familiar with every flagstone.

The surroundings were deathly silent.

Finally, when the enemy had completely disappeared from view, Kurama Yui slowly extended a branch and slowly injected Chakra into the ring, transmitting an urgent piece of intelligence: Uchiha Itachi had appeared.

A few seconds later, Kurama Yakumo opened her eyes, the ring on her palm slightly warm.

The intelligence from Kotaro and Yui was almost identical.

Uchiha Itachi, appeared.

She hesitated for a moment, a flash of light in her eyes, and ultimately forwarded the intelligence to Uchiha Rei.

"Everything is up to the Lord's decision!"