White Dove: Itachi, Remember Me, Hate Me, Fear Me!

Kidney!

A ninja blade pierced precisely through Uchiha Itachi's kidney.

"Itachi, this blade is the price for your insolence today. From this day forward, remember me, hate me, and fear me at all times!"

White Dove whispered these words.

While speaking, he used a genjutsu to transmit a fabricated memory to him, showing himself killing Shisui, though he carefully edited out his own intelligence-related details.

(I cut out the information regarding Danzo; this will make him hate me even more!)

Uchiha Itachi, who had been preparing to fight back through the pain, stood frozen.

Because his mind was now flooded with the images transmitted by the genjutsu.

Watching the scene of Shisui being pierced through the heart by White Dove and falling into the waterfall, he felt only one thing.

Pain!

Too much pain!

The physical agony was not even one-ten-thousandth of the pain in his heart.

Yet, he failed to notice that while White Dove appeared to be constantly provoking him, his gaze was locked intently on his eyes.

Tch, what rotten luck!

He had intentionally provoked the boy, hoping to force him to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan so he could claim a pair for himself later, but unfortunately, it hadn't worked.

As he thought this, White Dove twisted his right hand holding the blade, and blue lightning surged, coiling around the edge of the steel.

A piercing, violent agony overwhelmed Uchiha Itachi, causing him to lose consciousness from the combination of pain and electric shock.

(White Dove: This blade is purely personal; he won't be needing that kidney anyway, so I'm just doing him a favor by removing it for free.)

Shing!

After pulling the blade from the body of the unconscious "filial son," White Dove spoke to Tekka:

"Stop the bleeding and send him back. Tell Clan Leader Fugaku that there won't be a next time!"

With that, he turned and walked toward the Hokage Building; he needed to collect his payment and accept a mission to leave the village.

His top priority now was to "open up" trade routes and bring back a personal medical ninja. Their clan was truly lacking in that department.

"Understood, Minister!"

Tekka nodded, then roughly stopped the bleeding on the unconscious Uchiha Itachi before hoisting him onto his shoulder.

Whoosh!

He left immediately using the Body Flicker Technique.

Along the way, Tekka deliberately jumped high and low, shaking the fresh wound where Itachi had just been stabbed until it bled anew, before heading toward the clan leader's residence where Uchiha Fugaku resided, feeling quite satisfied.

However, his actions were naturally spotted by the Anbu.

The news was relayed to the Hokage Building immediately.

"Go to the Uchiha clan at once and confirm Itachi's condition!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered the Anbu before him immediately.

If Shisui were still around, he wouldn't be this nervous, but now that Shisui was missing (dead), Itachi was the only piece he had left buried within the Uchiha, and he couldn't afford to be anything but anxious.

"Yes, Lord Hokage!"

The two Anbu vanished instantly, rushing toward the Uchiha compound to verify the situation.

When Tekka arrived at the clan leader's residence, he happened to see Uchiha Sasuke returning from the training grounds.

"Nii-san!!"

Seeing Itachi on Tekka's shoulder and the blood at his waist, Sasuke rushed over in a panic.

"Your Nii-san is fine, he just sustained a minor injury!"

Tekka explained to Sasuke, his face not as dark as it had been when dealing with Itachi.

"Ah... that's a relief!"

Sasuke patted his chest lightly; he had truly been worried that something had happened to Itachi.

Hearing the commotion outside, Uchiha Mikoto hurried out.

"Itachi!"

She looked at the unconscious Itachi with some tension.

It was only because she was a ninja herself and could sense that Itachi was still breathing that she remained merely tense rather than panicked.

"Itachi broke into the Police Force and slandered Minister White Dove, claiming he caused Shisui's disappearance, so he suffered a minor injury. However, Minister White Dove hopes Clan Leader Fugaku understands that there is only one chance for mistakes!"

After explaining, Tekka relayed White Dove's message.

He was hostile toward Itachi, but he held no real ill will toward Fugaku's family.

At least they were normal people, unlike Itachi, who wore a cold face whenever he saw his clansmen, his eyes filled with disgust and disdain. Did he really think they couldn't tell?

"...I understand!"

Uchiha Mikoto took Itachi from him.

She understood her eldest son, Itachi, very well. After hearing Tekka's brief account, she immediately guessed how the incident had unfolded, so she held no grudge against White Dove.

After all, the man was in the middle of a meeting; if you barge in and accuse someone of being the culprit behind Shisui's disappearance without a shred of evidence, not throwing you in a cell is already a courtesy extended to a fellow clansman.

Given that both the Uchiha and the major ninja clans currently defaulted to the belief that Danzo was responsible for Shisui's disappearance, running out to accuse Uchiha White Dove was a move that only "pained kin and gladdened foes."

If the village seized upon this to make trouble, the consequences would be unimaginable.

In that sense, giving him a small lesson was truly an act of "goodwill."

After handing the boy over to Uchiha Mikoto, Tekka left immediately.

As a follower of White Dove, it was naturally not ideal for him to get too close to the "old" clan head, Uchiha Fugaku.

Uchiha Mikoto, living up to her reputation as a former Three-Tomoe Jonin, immediately carried Itachi back into the house, cleaned his wounds, and re-bandaged him with incredibly practiced movements.

Of course, she also confirmed that Itachi's unconsciousness was merely due to pain and paralysis, not a serious injury. Even without medical ninjutsu, he would recover naturally after some time, so she finally relaxed.

"Mother, is Nii-san alright?"

Sasuke looked at Itachi, who was sleeping soundly on the bed, with concern.

"Don't worry, Itachi is fine!"

Uchiha Mikoto stroked her younger son's head, her gaze shifting to Fugaku, who was sitting quietly on the living room sofa.

Yes, ever since he learned what happened, he had been sitting there in a daze.

Rising to walk over to Fugaku's side, Uchiha Mikoto said softly:

"There must be something wrong with this whole affair. Itachi is not the type of child to be so impulsive!"

As a former ninja, she was no simple housewife; she naturally thought of a few things, and a sharp glint flashed in her eyes.

"I know, but the path is one Itachi chose himself..."

Fugaku shook his head slightly, his voice raspy as he spoke.

He had naturally figured it out immediately: the village higher-ups must have steered the narrative of Shisui's disappearance toward Uchiha White Dove, and his eldest son, who was as close as a brother to Shisui, had acted on that impulse.

But the matter of Shisui was undoubtedly linked to Danzo in some way—that was a certainty. Yet, his eldest son couldn't see past the surface, believing everything the village elders told him after just a few words. How could he not be disappointed?

He had sent his eldest son into the Anbu to act as his eyes and ears, but now he realized the boy had long since slipped out of his control.

Thus, whether as a father or a clan head, he had failed miserably. How could he not be dejected?

"Anata..."

Mikoto leaned gently against Fugaku, using her tenderness to soothe his frustrated heart.

In the room, Sasuke was dutifully keeping company with his unconscious, "filially pious" brother.

The scene was incredibly warm.

Provided it wasn't interrupted.

Because two Anbu arrived under Uchiha Fugaku's livid expression, stayed for a few minutes, and then left.

Once they learned Itachi was fine, they naturally returned to the Hokage Building to report.

And Sarutobi Hiruzen had just finished hearing the report when he received news that Uchiha White Dove had come to pay a visit.

"Bring him in!"

After a moment of consideration, he prepared to receive the man.

At the very least, the man was the "Police Force Captain," which counted as Konoha higher-ups; he did indeed have the qualifications to see him.

As for those civilian ninjas he usually met... they were either "gifted with extraordinary talent" or it was for the sake of appearances. Did people really think just anyone could see him, the Hokage?

One can only say that this is where anime differs drastically from the real ninja world. If one truly followed everything as it appeared in the anime, they would surely be screwed over time and time again.

Soon, White Dove stepped into the Hokage office located on the third floor.

"Lord Hokage!"

White Dove greeted him with docility and politeness, as if he weren't the same person who had led the Uchiha clan to stand against the village just yesterday.

It was just acting, after all; it wasn't as if anyone else didn't know how to do it.

Although he was still streets behind these old schemers who were all master actors, he didn't need profound acting skills—just enough to get the job done.

"Ah, White Dove, you've come. My apologies, I should have been the one to take the initiative to see you!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen was an even greater actor; every word he spoke made him sound like a harmless old man concerned for his juniors.

Well, the Senju and Uzumaki clans would certainly have a few choice words to say about that.

"No, no, Lord Hokage, you are busy with official business; it is only right that I should be the one to pay a visit!"

White Dove emphasized earnestly, as if he were part of the Hokage Faction.

That is, if one didn't know he had previously advocated for "Ninjas Above All" and constantly sang a different tune than the Hokage Faction.

The two of them engaged in a bout of acting, pretending to be a senior and junior who had been close for years, before finally getting down to business.