Akatsuki Mobilizes (1)

"Pitter-patter..."

A fine curtain of rain continued to fall over the Land of Rivers.

At the same time, two dark figures slowly walked through the dense rain. One had a savage, strange face, while the other was handsome and deeply silent.

"Splash!" "Splash!"...

Water splashed up beneath their feet as they walked.

Just then, the man with the strange, shark-like face slowly turned his head. His tiny shark-like eyes looked at the silent man beside him as he spoke oddly.

"Itachi, would it really be okay for you to return to Konoha!?"

Hearing this, Itachi's silent expression did not change in the slightest. As he walked through the rain, he answered in an even tone.

"Kisame, why would you ask that?"

At that, Kisame's lips curled into a faint, savage smile as he replied strangely.

"It's nothing. I just feel that if it were you, Itachi, returning to the village you betrayed might stir something within you."

"After all... what you did that night shook the entire Ninja World..."

As he said this, his small shark-like eyes narrowed slightly, and his voice became somewhat hoarse.

"That sort of thing... even I, who grew up in Kirigakure and was called a monster, could never do..."

Hearing him, Itachi seemed unmoved and continued onward.

His calm, cold voice slowly drifted through the pattering rain.

"I wanted to test the limits of my capacity... The Uchiha Clan could no longer contain my capacity... That was all..."

Kisame slowly came to a stop in the rain, watching the heavy figure moving away from him, feeling somewhat wistful.

Itachi... during the time I've spent with you...

Capacity... is that truly what you care about...

If so... why does your back look so heavy... What burden has made a ninja as exceptional as you so weary...