By the coast,
atop a reef.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Uchiha Itachi kept hurling kunai at Sora. The numerous kunai collided in midair, then attacked from bizarre angles.
At the same time, his hands formed seals at incredible speed, and a series of small fireballs shot from his mouth.
Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!
The attack left no openings. Even an ordinary Chunin would have been thrown into disarray by such an onslaught.
Uchiha Sora didn't move.
Just as the attacks were about to graze his clothes...
Deep red chakra ripples suddenly surged around him, spreading like waves across a lake and carrying scorching force that could sweep all before it.
The kunai and fireballs crumbled under the chakra's impact, breaking into fragments that scattered across the ground.
Uchiha Itachi hadn't expected his attack to hurt his teacher, but he still couldn't understand how he'd been countered.
Thump!!
Suddenly, Uchiha Sora vanished from his sight, replaced by a sharp pain in his back.
Crack—
The first thing he heard was the sound of bones breaking.
"Cough..."
Uchiha Itachi coughed up a mouthful of blood. It felt as if a mountain had been dropped on his torso, leaving him unable to move.
Terrifying chakra surged through him like a raging flood, washing over his mind again and again.
For the first time...
He felt so close to death!
Uchiha Sora planted a foot on his back and looked down at him, speaking softly.
"You need to understand something."
"Dōjutsu, ninjutsu, techniques—they're all just ways for the weaker side to overcome the stronger."
"When the gap in strength between two people grows large enough, all of them become useless."
"Itachi, I'm not the kind of teacher you think I am. I won't play house with you like Shisui does."
"When I said the match had begun, you should've run away instead of attacking me."
Uchiha Itachi gritted his teeth, refusing to let himself cry out in pain.
After a while, just when he felt he was about to pass out, the terrifying chakra pressing down on him receded like the tide.
Uchiha Itachi finally regained control of his limbs. He wiped the blood seeping from his mouth and nose, his eyes still full of shock.
Just now...
His teacher had really been trying to kill him!
He'd once tried to understand the meaning of life by throwing himself off a cliff. He wasn't afraid of death...
At least, that was what he'd thought.
But he couldn't accept dying so casually in a sparring match!
"You're thinking about the meaning of life, wondering what kind of death would be worthwhile?"
Uchiha Itachi struggled to raise his head. He saw Sora's clothes shifting in the breeze, but his injured bones kept him from looking directly into those eyes.
"You have no right to think about that. Neither do I."
"The Shinobi World, Konoha, even your father and Shisui—they're always trying to make you think about and understand how this world works."
Uchiha Sora crouched down and gripped Itachi's chin, his eyes as calm as still water.
"From now on, forget that nonsense."
"Just remember the pain in your body."
Whoosh!
Red chakra poured into Uchiha Itachi's body, forcibly setting his bones back into place.
Then came the overwhelming agony of being burned alive.
"Aaaaaah!!!"
Uchiha Itachi could no longer hold back. He let out a scream of pure anguish.
"Does it hurt?"
Uchiha Sora's burning hand kneaded his face as he continued, "But let me tell you, compared to the pain of losing someone precious, this is gentle."
"Someone always has to bear the pain. If you can't do it, then Sasuke will have to bear it instead."
Itachi's eyes instantly cleared. He gritted his teeth and endured.
"No... I can... I can do it..."
Who knew how much time had passed? Uchiha Itachi touched his face after the heat had faded, feeling several distinct burn scars.
His first thought wasn't about being disfigured. He was worried that his appearance might scare Sasuke.
Uchiha Sora stood up straight and looked down at Itachi, who was breathing heavily. "Let me make this clear: I won't see you as my successor. You're just a tool I'll use to protect the Uchiha and Sasuke."
"I need you to do something."
"If you can't accept this fate, I'll heal the wounds on your face, and you can go home."
"You can keep living a peaceful life. I promise to treat you no differently from the other clan members. I don't mind protecting one more person."
Uchiha Itachi steadied his breathing and looked up at Sora. "I see... Is this something only I can do?"
"You're the most suitable, but you're not the only one."
After a long silence, Uchiha Itachi asked, "If I have to hide my identity... will it be a long-term infiltration mission?"
That would mean a long time... without seeing Sasuke...
A faint, inscrutable smile touched Uchiha Sora's lips. He delivered the decisive blow. "In the future I've seen, if you don't do it, Sasuke will be the one to go through all of this."
"Teacher, I'm willing!"
"Good. Look into my eyes."
Grabbing Itachi by the hair, Uchiha Sora let his eyes flash crimson and poured a chilling force of dōjutsu into Itachi's mind.
The dizzying sensation left Uchiha Itachi reeling for a long time.
"I've placed a Transcription Seal in your mind. It'll help you with your initial investigation. Once the conditions are met, you'll naturally learn the information stored in the seal."
"I'll have someone take you to Konoha. Your mission is to infiltrate the Konoha Orphanage and find a chance to join Root. I trust you to decide for yourself how best to do it."
"Keep an eye on someone named Yakushi Kabuto. Try not to kill him."
"Your target... is Shimura Danzō?"
Uchiha Sora shook his head. "His fate was decided long ago. I'm keeping him around simply to make use of what little he's worth."
"When you meet that person, the information in the seal will tell you what to do."
"This is the trial I've set for you, Itachi."
"Go home for now. If you die, this will be the last time you see them."
"I understand..."
—
Shisui appeared beside Uchiha Sora. He watched Itachi limp toward home, his eyes filled with concern.
"Sora... Actually, let me—"
"He's the best person to deal with that snake. They'll get along just fine."
Uchiha Sora cut Shisui off. "Don't think you'll be sitting around doing nothing. The things we have to do are even more dangerous."
"And a lot more interesting, too."
Uchiha Sora had already asked the platform whether he could bring other people along when accepting a loan.
The platform had said yes.
But any borrowed power the borrower used beyond the agreed scope would be considered the borrower's personal action, and such transactions wouldn't be protected by the platform.
Not being protected by the platform meant that if the person from the world with ghosts borrowed Uchiha Sora's power,
Uchiha Sora and that person would be in a borrower-lender relationship protected by the platform.
Uchiha Sora couldn't harm that person without cause. And if he encountered an irresistible natural disaster, he could withdraw unharmed and end the transaction unilaterally.
But if Uchiha Sora brought Shisui along, Shisui wouldn't receive those protections. Uchiha Sora would have to cover all the costs of Shisui's round trip.
The platform...
It seemed to be the product of some kind of rule, operating according to a set of established principles.
Setting aside everything else, the ability Uchiha Sora valued most was its power to connect with other dimensions.
If...
He could upgrade from an ordinary user to something like a subsidiary, independently issuing and accepting loan tasks...
Then the Uchiha Clan wouldn't have to limit its development to the Shinobi World.
It might not even be limited to the universe occupied by the Otsutsuki!
Before you continue