Itachi's Resignation

"Izumi, has Itachi not come looking for you?"

Hearing someone call her name, Izumi Uchiha was startled for a moment.

Realizing it was Fugaku Uchiha calling her, she immediately turned to him and said, "Not yet, Clan Head. Is there something you need?"

Hearing Izumi Uchiha's inquiry, Fugaku Uchiha did not hesitate and spoke directly.

"It's like this: the Military Police Force has had a bit too much to handle lately, so I was thinking of recruiting an assistant."

"I think you're quite suitable, and I also intend to train Itachi to handle these matters."

"When the time comes..."

Hearing Fugaku Uchiha mention Itachi, Izumi Uchiha's eyes couldn't help but light up.

"I'll do it! Father-in-law, I am the most suitable person for this."

Hearing Izumi's response, Fugaku Uchiha immediately smiled. Hadn't he just found someone to do his work for him?

Since he had already transmigrated into the world of Naruto and become a clan head, how could he possibly spend every day working himself to exhaustion?

If he had to spend his time doing such boring work, wouldn't his position as clan head be completely meaningless?

However, Izumi certainly lacked the experience to handle these matters right now. But who could he find to teach her?

No, he had to drag someone experienced into this.

Thinking of this, Fugaku Uchiha set his sights on the Great Elder, Setsuna Uchiha, who was currently busy preparing for the relocation.

After all, the capable should do more work, right?

As for himself, he only needed to identify problems and steer the direction.

Why should he make himself so tired?

With that thought, Fugaku Uchiha taught Izumi Uchiha how to handle basic documents and tasks, then left her with a single sentence before slipping away.

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

At this moment, Itachi Uchiha stood before the Hokage Building holding his Anbu uniform, not knowing what to do.

In the end, Itachi Uchiha clutched the uniform and knocked softly on the door of the Hokage Office.

Hearing the knock, the remaining members of the Konoha F4—Sarutobi Hiruzen, along with the still-present Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu—were taken aback.

Sarutobi Hiruzen signaled the other two to be quiet, then spoke up.

"Who is it? What do you need?"

Hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice, Itachi Uchiha replied, "Lord Hokage, it is I, Itachi Uchiha."

Hearing that it was Itachi Uchiha, Sarutobi Hiruzen was stunned, wondering why Itachi would come to see him at this time.

Nevertheless, Sarutobi Hiruzen told him to enter.

Upon seeing Itachi Uchiha enter, Sarutobi Hiruzen was startled; the Anbu uniform Itachi usually wore was now held in his hands.

He was currently dressed in the standard attire of the Uchiha Clan.

At this point, Sarutobi Hiruzen understood Itachi's intentions.

"Itachi, are you choosing to resign from your position in the Anbu?"

Hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, Itachi Uchiha remained silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth and spoke.

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

Beside him, Utatane Koharu couldn't help but speak with a sneer.

"What? Have you done too many things to weigh on your conscience?"

"Did you only choose to resign because you realized you could no longer stay in the Anbu?"

Of course, Utatane Koharu had her reasons for choosing to mock Itachi Uchiha.

She blamed the failure of Danzo's operation yesterday and the losses suffered by the village entirely on Itachi Uchiha.

From her perspective, Itachi Uchiha had chosen to act as a spy for the village, yet as the son of Fugaku Uchiha, he hadn't even managed to uncover the strength of Fugaku's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. This led the village to act blindly and suffer huge losses, and the root cause was Itachi Uchiha.

Furthermore, it was possible that the information Itachi Uchiha had exposed to them was part of a scheme by Fugaku Uchiha to find an excuse to re-establish the prestige of the Uchiha Clan.

Itachi Uchiha chose not to refute her, knowing that no matter how he explained it, no one would believe him anymore.

Watching the silent Itachi Uchiha, Utatane Koharu's anger flared even higher.

"Hiruzen, look, this is the ninja you trusted, the one who supposedly possessed the Will of Fire."

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

Before Utatane Koharu could finish, she was interrupted by Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Utatane Koharu, shut your mouth and say no more."

"This is not Uchiha Itachi's fault."

"He has already done very well, and this error was a personal action by Danzō."

Hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, Utatane Koharu could only obediently shut her mouth; after all, she was not like Shimura Danzō.

She still had to give face to Sarutobi Hiruzen as the Hokage.

Seeing that Utatane Koharu had quieted down, Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered for a moment before continuing.

"Itachi, will you not reconsider?"

"In truth, you are still very well-suited for work in the Anbu."

"Furthermore, I believe you are a ninja who possesses the Will of Fire."

Hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen speak again, Uchiha Itachi finally replied.

"I apologize, Lord Hokage, but this is my father's order."

"I have no room to choose."

Upon hearing Uchiha Itachi's words, Sarutobi Hiruzen naturally understood and spoke up.

"What a pity, but since it is the order of Clan Head Fugaku, then so be it."

"Leave your uniform here for now; later, an Anbu ninja will find you to complete the handover."

Hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's command, Uchiha Itachi immediately replied.

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

Uchiha Itachi slowly placed his Anbu uniform on Sarutobi Hiruzen's desk, then silently departed.

Once it was confirmed that Uchiha Itachi had left, Mitokado Homura, who had been silent until now, spoke up.

"Hiruzen, are you just going to let him leave the Anbu like that?"

"You must realize he is Uchiha Fugaku's son. If he were still in the Anbu, we would have at least a small bargaining chip to hold over them."

Hearing Mitokado Homura's words, Sarutobi Hiruzen could not help but puff on his pipe with a rhythmic pat-pat.

Only then did he speak with exhaustion.

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

"But he has already brought Uchiha Fugaku into this, and without any means to restrain him,"

"We cannot afford to have any conflict with the Uchiha Clan."

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

"Yesterday's incident is the best example of that."

Thinking of this, Sarutobi Hiruzen could not help but let the face of Shimura Danzō surface in his mind.

Do you know? That was my dearest friend.

Yet, for the sake of the village's peace, I had to bury him with my own hands.

Walking out of the Hokage Building, Uchiha Itachi felt only a sense of relief—an unprecedented lightness.

He no longer had to be forced to make those choices.

Everything had finally come to an end; from now on, I will live only for my younger brother.

Sasuke.