Must Fiercely Stuff Itachi Like a Cream Puff

Seven-year-old Uchiha Itachi could be described as cute, his features still somewhat tender, yet he had already graduated from the Ninja Academy and witnessed the cruelty of war.

Moreover, having been trained by the Uchiha's number one genius, Shisui, his strength far exceeded that of an ordinary genin.

"Don't be nervous, sit."

Uchiha Kazuhiko put on his glasses, steadied his breathing, and entered a conversational state.

He had long been prepared for Itachi's arrival.

Although the boy was still a child, he was the future culprit behind the Uchiha clan's annihilation, a "brother-obsessed" fanatic who would sacrifice his entire clan at the slightest provocation; he had to be treated with extreme caution.

While he had felt Itachi was quite cool when watching the anime, even feeling a little moved by the end, standing from the perspective of the Uchiha clan, it felt entirely different.

This kind of person—he was a psychopath!

Was the act of annihilating one's clan to protect a younger brother something a human would do?

Or were the Uchiha who were slaughtered not considered human?

Furthermore, it would be one thing to eliminate ninjas, but to commit genocide against ordinary Uchiha who hadn't even awakened their Sharingan was pure, beastly behavior.

Therefore, Kazuhiko's attitude toward Itachi was clear:

This mental patient required psychological treatment; his ideology had to be heavily influenced, deeply reformed, branded with the Uchiha's steel seal, and molded into a puff pastry.

Of course, if he couldn't be obtained, he had to be destroyed!

"Drink some tea. You are the Uchiha Itachi who is said to have the 'Hokage's way of thinking,' right?"

Itachi took the teacup with both hands, his expression remaining blank upon hearing Kazuhiko's praise. "The Third Hokage is too kind; I still have a long way to go."

"Shisui told me that you have something on your mind that you can't let go of? You can talk to me about it; he is very concerned about you."

Uchiha Kazuhiko sat opposite Itachi, smiling as he looked at the boy.

Steam rose from the teacup on the table, blurring the line of sight between the two. Behind his black-rimmed glasses, chakra flowed within Kazuhiko's eyes.

Sharingan Genjutsu: Hypnotic Illusion, activate!

Judging by Itachi's conduct, it was clearly impossible for a stranger to make him open his heart through mere conversation; after all, even his own parents couldn't know Itachi's true thoughts before they died by his blade.

Therefore, to reform Itachi's ideology, only genjutsu could be used.

Itachi vaguely remembered chatting with the doctor for a long time, and then the conversation ended, and he left the Clan Clinic.

Outside, Uchiha Shisui, whom Itachi regarded as a brother, had been waiting for a long time, smiling as he carried him on his back into that familiar moonlit night.

"Something feels wrong..."

Although Itachi's perception was clouded by the genjutsu, a ninja's instinct made him subconsciously sense an anomaly.

"You've been very unhappy since returning from this mission."

Before Itachi could think, he was drawn in by "Shisui's" words. The familiar voice brought Itachi an inexplicable sense of peace, causing him to temporarily forget his doubts and sink into the illusion woven by Kazuhiko.

As for Itachi himself, he was gently placed on a recliner and drifted into a light sleep.

Kazuhiko mimicked Shisui's tone and began the conversation: "Tell me why you're unhappy. It will feel much better to have someone to confide in."

"The ninjas of Kumogakure have no bottom line; they slaughter ordinary people, kill children... and we have to do the same things. I don't understand, why are we doing all of this?"

"To know the answer to that question, you need to ask yourself: what is the essence of the matter? What is its fundamental purpose? And why are you doing the same things?"

"Why do we do such things... That's right, what is it all for..."

Uchiha Kazuhiko stared at Itachi. The eyes beneath the boy's eyelids were moving rapidly, which meant Itachi's emotions were fluctuating wildly and he could wake up at any moment.

He pressed his palms together and began weaving hand signs to amplify the genjutsu.

"Wu, Mao, Yin, Wei, Si, Chen..."

Uchiha naturally do not need hand signs to use Sharingan genjutsu, which is why it is so difficult to guard against on the battlefield; if there is a gap in level between the two sides, it is easy to achieve a one-shot kill.

However, within the Uchiha clan, there naturally existed an "Exclusive Genjutsu Seal" to amplify Sharingan genjutsu, used to enhance the effect of the illusion and deal with enemies of a higher level.

"Because of the mission! Because of the war!"

Itachi's eye movements slowed down, and he muttered to himself:

"It is war that makes people lose their humanity, and the missions that must be completed turn ninjas into machines of slaughter..."

"Wrong! It is greed; that is the essence of all evil."

Kazuhiko's tone was resonant, forcefully instilling the philosophy he wanted to output.

"Slaughtering the innocent is merely a byproduct. Peel back the fog of war: Kumogakure covets the fertile lands of the Land of Fire, so they started the war; Konoha monopolizes all high-profit missions, which is why other villages start wars;... the village sends ninjas to carry out killing missions because it wants to completely crush the opponent and achieve victory."

"In any of these parties, greed is at work. Where there are people, there will be greed."

"Itachi, aren't your own eyes searching for what you want?"

Itachi frowned slightly. "Greed... what do I want?"

"What are these eyes of mine searching for?"

Suddenly, Itachi's chakra began to churn chaotically. He jolted awake, sitting bolt upright with his eyes wide open, staring blankly at Uchiha Kazuhiko, who still held his hand seal. The small eyes stared into the large ones.

After a moment of silence, Itachi realized what had happened, his tone firm:

"I want peace! Whether it is between nations, or between the Uchiha and Konoha! I want peace, and I do not want to see any more innocent people die before my eyes!"

"It is a deal!"

"I hope you will always remember the words you spoke today."

"To be able to break free from an amplified genjutsu—you are truly worthy of being called a genius of the new generation of the Uchiha clan."

Kazuhiko did not feel awkward. He released his hand seal and took a sip of tea as if nothing had happened. "You have great ambition, but achieving what you speak of will not be easy."

"Doctor," Itachi stood up, meeting Uchiha Kazuhiko's gaze, and said sternly:

"I am very grateful that you helped me find the answer to my problem, but I find your methods of treatment absolutely detestable!"

A look of undisguised disgust appeared on Itachi's face. "If the psychological therapy you pioneered is nothing more than using the people someone trusts to fool them, then you are not worthy of calling yourself a 'psychologist' at all."

[Uchiha Itachi's favorability has dropped significantly to: Loathing (You toyed with him; you shall now despise one another)]

[Uchiha Itachi's independent entry pool has been unlocked]

[Genin-level entry draw chance +1]

Are you a weasel or something?

Turning hostile the moment things don't go your way.

It was just a genjutsu projection of Uchiha Shisui to have a little chat with you. Is it really worth getting this worked up over?

No wonder you awakened your Mangekyo the moment Shisui died. Just you wait; I'll use genjutsu to make Danzo, the Third Hokage, Obito, the Sarutobi clan, and everyone who opposes the Uchiha slaughter Shisui over and over again, just to stimulate you into awakening that Mangekyo.

Besides, I was never a psychologist to begin with. I only took up this profession in the ninja world because I was forced into it by you lunatics in the Uchiha clan!

Uchiha Kazuhiko ignored Itachi's expression, walked back to his rocking chair, took out a form, and began to record Uchiha Itachi's psychological diagnosis.

The causes of mental illness within the Uchiha clan all shared similarities, so even though the conversation had been brief, Kazuhiko was able to perfectly fill out Itachi's psychological evaluation.

"It seems our initial psychological counseling can only go this far. You can take a look at the diagnosis results I've prepared for you later, and bring the report back for a follow-up visit..."

Before Kazuhiko could finish, Itachi stood up and walked toward the exit. "No need. We will not be meeting again."

[World line unfolding...]

[Uchiha Itachi: How could my brother admire such a person! This so-called psychologist is nothing but a fraud who uses genjutsu to pry into the hearts of others. A complete waste of time.]

[World line has unfolded--]

[World line one: Your ninja way is to do what you say; never cross paths with Itachi again. (Reward: Genin-level entry draw chance +1. On the Night of the Massacre, your name will be on the list.)]

[World line two: A ninja is a ninja precisely because they can endure what others cannot. Apologize and ask Itachi to stay, admitting you were wrong. (Reward: Itachi's favorability increases, Genin-level entry draw chance +N. On the Night of the Massacre, Itachi will mercifully grant you a quick death.)]

[World line three: Strive to please him and raise Itachi's favorability to Neutral or higher. (Reward: Permanent entry · Robust Physique · White/Green/Blue. On the Night of the Massacre, you will have a chance to wear down his ninja blade with your Robust Physique.)]

[Robust Physique: Provides a small/medium/large boost to your constitution, recovery, and chakra.]

[Entry rewards will be distributed based on the level of favorability achieved.]