Itachi's Resignation

"泉, didn't Itachi go looking for you?"

Uchiha Izumi, hearing someone call her name, jolted in surprise.

Then she realized Uchiha Fugaku had called for her and immediately turned to him.

"Not yet, clan head. Was there something you wanted?"

Uchiha Fugaku didn't hesitate to answer her question.

"It's like this: lately, the Captain of the Military Police Force has had a little too much to deal with, so I was thinking of hiring an assistant."

"And I think you'd be a good fit. I'm also planning to train Itachi to handle these matters."

"Then..."

At the mention of Itachi, Uchiha Izumi's eyes lit up.

"I'll do it, Fugaku-sama! I'm the perfect fit!"

Hearing Izumi's answer, Uchiha Fugaku immediately smiled. He'd found someone to do his work for him.

He'd made it all the way to the Hokage's office and become clan head. How could he spend every day working so hard?

If he had to work such a dull job all the time, what was the point of being clan head?

But Izumi had no experience handling these matters yet. Who could he find to teach her?

No, he'd have to rope in someone experienced.

Thinking of this, Uchiha Fugaku turned his gaze toward the Great Elder, Uchiha Setsuna, who was busy preparing for the relocation.

After all, the more capable you were, the more work you could handle, right?

As for him, he only needed to spot problems and steer things in the right direction.

Why should he work himself so hard?

With that in mind, Uchiha Fugaku first taught Uchiha Izumi how to handle basic paperwork and tasks. Then he left her with a few words and slipped away.

"Izumi, Itachi will come find you in a bit. Tell him to help you handle these matters."

At that moment, Uchiha Itachi stood outside the Hokage Building, holding his Anbu uniform, unsure what to do.

In the end, Uchiha Itachi took the uniform and gently knocked on the door to the Hokage's office.

The sound of the knock made Sarutobi Hiruzen and the remaining members of the Konoha F4, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, pause in surprise.

Sarutobi Hiruzen gestured for the other two to be quiet, then called out.

"Who is it? What do you want?"

Hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice, Uchiha Itachi replied.

"Lord Hokage, it's me, Uchiha Itachi."

When he heard it was Uchiha Itachi, Sarutobi Hiruzen paused, unsure why Itachi had come to see him.

Still, Sarutobi Hiruzen told him to come in.

When Uchiha Itachi entered, Sarutobi Hiruzen was taken aback. Itachi was holding the Anbu uniform he usually wore in his hands.

He was dressed in the Uchiha Clan's clothes.

Now Sarutobi Hiruzen understood why Itachi had come.

"Itachi, are you planning to resign from the Anbu?"

Uchiha Itachi fell silent for a moment at Sarutobi Hiruzen's question, then gritted his teeth and answered.

"Yes, Lord Hokage. I can no longer serve in the Anbu, and I request to resign."

Beside them, Utatane Koharu couldn't help sneering.

"What is this? Have you done so many shameful things that you can't face anyone?"

"Did you finally realize you couldn't stay in the Anbu and decide to resign?"

There was a reason Utatane Koharu had chosen to mock Uchiha Itachi.

She blamed him for Shimura Danzō's failed operation the day before and all the losses the village had suffered.

After all, from her perspective, Uchiha Itachi had chosen to spy for the village, yet as Uchiha Fugaku's son, he hadn't even discovered the strength of Fugaku's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. The village had acted blindly and suffered tremendous losses, and Uchiha Itachi was ultimately to blame.

What was more, the information and operations Uchiha Itachi had provided them might have been part of Uchiha Fugaku's scheme, giving him an excuse to restore the Uchiha Clan's prestige.

Uchiha Itachi didn't argue back, because he knew that no matter how he explained himself, no one would believe him anymore.

Seeing Uchiha Itachi remain silent only made Utatane Koharu angrier.

"Hiruzen, look at him. This is the shinobi you trusted to have the Will of Fire."

"I told you long ago, the Uchiha Clan—"

Before Utatane Koharu could finish, Sarutobi Hiruzen cut her off.

"Utatane Koharu, be quiet. Don't say another word."

"This isn't Uchiha Itachi's fault."

"He's done very well, and this time, the mistake was Danzō's personal decision."

At Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, Utatane Koharu could only close her mouth. After all, she wasn't Shimura Danzō.

Besides, she still had to show respect for Sarutobi Hiruzen as Hokage.

After Utatane Koharu fell silent, Sarutobi Hiruzen thought for a moment before speaking again.

"Itachi, won't you reconsider?"

"You're actually quite suited to working in the Anbu."

"And I believe you're a shinobi with the Will of Fire."

Only after Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke again did Uchiha Itachi reply.

"I'm sorry, Lord Hokage. This is my father's order."

"I have no choice."

Hearing Uchiha Itachi's words, Sarutobi Hiruzen understood. He then said.

"That's a shame, but if it's Clan Head Fugaku's order, then so be it."

"Leave your uniform here for now. An Anbu Ninja will come find you later to complete the handover."

At Sarutobi Hiruzen's instruction, Uchiha Itachi replied at once.

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

Uchiha Itachi slowly placed the Anbu uniform on Sarutobi Hiruzen's desk, then left in silence.

After making sure Uchiha Itachi was gone, Mitokado Homura, who had remained silent until then, spoke up.

"Hiruzen, you're really letting him leave the Anbu just like that?"

"He's Uchiha Fugaku's son. If he stayed in the Anbu, we'd still have at least a little leverage over them."

Hearing Mitokado Homura, Sarutobi Hiruzen puffed on his pipe.

Only then did he speak wearily.

"Do you think I hadn't considered that?"

"But he's already invoked Uchiha Fugaku. Until we have some way to restrain him..."

"We can't afford any conflict with the Uchiha Clan."

"Otherwise, the village will be the only one to suffer."

"What happened yesterday is the best example."

At the thought of it, Shimura Danzō's face appeared in Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind.

Do you know? He was my closest friend.

But for the sake of peace in the village, I had no choice but to bury him with my own hands.

As he walked out of the Hokage Building, Uchiha Itachi felt an immense sense of relief, unlike anything he'd ever felt before.

At last, he no longer had to be forced to make a choice.

It was finally all over. From now on, I'll live only for my little brother.

Sasuke