A New Beginning

Hearing Shisui's slightly helpless words, Itachi gradually snapped out of his guilt.

He slowly raised his head and looked at the girl in front of him.

The first thing that catches the eye is a head of long, straight, jet-black hair, the strands gleaming softly in the morning light.

The girl's face remained frozen at the moment of her death, the lines between her eyebrows and eyes soft and delicate, like a flower that had not yet fully bloomed.

There was little sadness in her eyes as she looked at Itachi; instead, there was a maturity beyond her years.

It's like an old woman watching her elderly relative, who has been with her all her life, pass away peacefully in their old age.

"Spring..."

Itachi softly called the girl's name, momentarily at a loss for words.

To him, the girl named Uchiha Izumi was not only his childhood sweetheart, but also his wife, with whom he would spend his life in the Genjutsu world she wove.

He had never forgotten either the image of her peacefully passing away in the Tsukuyomi World he had woven, or the gentle comfort she offered when the girl softly embraced him under the blood moon.

Now that they meet again, he is unsure whether to face the girl before him as her fictional husband or as the lover he killed with his own hands.

"It's been a long time, Itachi."

Just as Itachi was struggling with his decision, Izumi spoke first, breaking the brief silence.

She looked at the itachi who had come to his senses and smiled gently:

"Well, but for me, it wouldn't really be considered a long time."

You look much older now.

Izumi tilted her head, examining Itachi's cracked face, a hint of emotion in her voice:

"Whether compared to the old man in my Tsukuyomi World, or to you, the last person I saw..."

Itachi was taken aback at first, then gave a bitter smile:

"After all, so many years have passed."

"Yes..."

Izumi nodded gently, recalling what Koko had told her about everything that had happened over the years, and a pang of heartache rose in her eyes as she looked at Itachi.

She instinctively wanted to say something comforting; the words were already on the tip of her tongue, but she ultimately didn't say them.

Whether as a lover or as a wife to spend her life with, she knows the man in front of her very well.

Words of understanding and comfort will not lessen Itachi's guilt towards her; they will only cause him more pain.

"... Actually, you could easily criticize me, Izumi."

Itachi was silent for a moment, then whispered:

"After all, I am undoubtedly a sinner, both to you and to the Uchiha."

What I did to you is something that can never be made up for.

I understand that perfectly.

No, you don't understand.

Quan responded decisively, her little face showing a very serious expression:

"Itachi, I will never forgive what you did to the Uchiha."

"But from my perspective, I don't harbor any hatred towards you, just... a bit of mixed feelings."

"A sigh?"

Itachi repeated it subconsciously, seemingly somewhat puzzled.

"That's right, emotional."

After all, this should be our third separation.

Quan winked playfully, counted on her fingers, and spoke in a very relaxed tone:

"Including the time in the Tsukuyomi World, and the time I died at your hands."

The first two times you witnessed my end, and this time it's my turn to say goodbye. I feel a bit emotional.

"... Feel sorry.

In the end, it even caused you trouble.

Hearing Izumi's relaxed words, Itachi's suppressed guilt rose again.

The wind brushed against his cracked face, strands of hair fluttering by, making him look quite desolate.

"I've already said, at least in my case, you don't need to apologize."

Izumi sighed helplessly, then reached out and cupped Itachi's face in her hands, her palms pressed against Itachi's cracked skin, as if to shield him from the slightly chilly morning breeze.

Her palms were warm and soft. Itachi felt the warmth coming from both sides of his cheeks, and his eyes reflected the girl's serious expression. He was momentarily lost in thought.

"In the Genjutsu world you wove for me, we have already spent our whole lives together."

Although that may not be true, for me, everything I experienced and the emotions I felt during those fifty years were absolutely genuine.

Izumi cupped her lover's face in her hands, and the old man who had accompanied her through her life in the Tsukuyomi World, and the young face with cracks in his eyes, slowly overlapped in her vision.

"In that world, I have lived a life without any regrets."

Even if I return to this world, which is now practically unfamiliar, I can cherish those beautiful memories and live out the rest of my days with them.

"So... you don't need to feel indebted to me."

Izumi gazed into Itachi's moist eyes, suppressing the surging emotions within her, and said with a smile:

"Just like me in that Genjutsu world, without any worries... Get some rest."

"I, Shisui, my older brother Koko, Sasuke, and my uncles, aunts, and everyone in the Uchiha Clan have nothing to worry about anymore."

We will live happily in this world, carrying your share... with us.

As she spoke, Quan reluctantly let go of his hand, her slender fingers slowly sliding down his cheek, as if she were putting something down little by little.

She took a small step back to the side, revealing the crowd behind her.

The gazes of the crowd toward Itachi remained complex, filled with undisguised hatred, though the hostility had lessened somewhat.

Shisui stood not far away, his expression still carrying a hint of loneliness, but a forced smile had appeared on his lips.

Not far away, Sasuke, Fugaku, and Mikoto wore similar expressions, quietly watching Itachi and silently savoring this final moment.

Itachi's gaze swept over the familiar faces, his pupils trembling slightly, until it finally stopped when it landed on Koto's face.

"Finally, could you answer one more question for me, Brother Kou?"

"... You ask."

Looking at the slightly uneasy Itachi before him, he calmly replied.

Itachi took a deep breath, and a rare look of anticipation rose in his eyes as he looked at Kokoro, as if he had finally mustered the courage to ask the question he had always wanted to ask:

Are you satisfied with what I've done during this time?

Kou couldn't help but glance at him with some surprise.

His gaze lingered for a moment on Itachi's expectant eyes, then he turned his head away and answered in a low voice:

"It's... passable."

Hearing Kou's response, a glimmer of light finally appeared in Itachi's eyes.

He didn't say anything more, but simply glanced at the surrounding tribesmen again, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, a pure white light slowly rose from his body, enveloping him, and his Impure World Reincarnation body began to disintegrate.

The cracks widened in the light, and the fragments drifted away slowly, like scraps of paper being blown into the sky by the wind.

Itachi's soul, following that white light and the scattered debris, detached from his Impure World Reincarnation body.

Then it slowly rose into the sky, heading towards another world.

On the Fourth Kage Rock, everyone watched his soul dissipate, falling into a long silence.

Only the murmurs of the villagers below faintly reached this place, echoing in my ears.

The sounds were a mix of crying and laughter, indistinct and unclear.

"Well then, it's time to set off."

After a long silence, Kou spoke first, drawing everyone's attention to him.

He glanced at the people around him, then turned his gaze to the distant direction of the Land of Rice.

The morning light shone from behind him, making his silhouette very bright.

"Let's set off for the Land of Rice."

He paused, then looked at the people around him again, a gentle smile curving his lips:

"To bring all of this to an end."

--

The next chapter will return to the Land of Rice. There are about twenty more chapters left before the end of the main story, including daily life and the ending.

What are your thoughts on the upcoming side stories? Should we write the Konoha IF route first, or the gender-swap route? If you have any other suggestions or ideas, please feel free to share them. I'd like to spend a little more time with you all.