He took Sasuke home.
Afterward.
Itachi headed into a stretch of forest away from the Uchiha district.
"You asked to meet me just to hide out here?"
Itachi spoke slowly to a large tree.
From behind it,
Danzo emerged, his eyes narrowed.
"You seem to be in good spirits lately, Itachi."
He rummaged through his robes.
Danzo pulled out a scroll and tossed it over.
Itachi caught it.
His eyes filled with confusion.
"This is the document signed by the Konoha High Command to impose sanctions on the Uchiha."
"Both daimyō have signed it..."
"I came to find you as soon as I got my hands on this agreement..."
"You should know why..."
Danzo spoke calmly.
Itachi remained composed.
He opened the scroll and skimmed it.
"The Uchiha's decision isn't something I can reverse on my own."
"My views don't represent them, either."
Itachi suddenly sensed that someone was hiding nearby.
He turned and prepared to leave.
"The Uchiha are doomed to this fate."
"I came to you because I hope you'll understand my intentions."
"To preserve peace..."
"We have to spill blood..."
"Think of Sasuke."
"An internal conflict will inevitably draw the outside world's attention."
"When that happens..."
"Nothing will ever be the same..."
Before Itachi could leave,
Danzo deliberately voiced what he had in mind.
But for all he'd said,
he was simply using Sasuke as leverage.
He hoped Itachi would step in and stop the Uchiha coup.
That way, peace could be preserved.
Itachi didn't respond to Danzo.
He got up and left.
"Hiashi..."
"Am I really not worthy of your trust?"
Danzo spoke softly.
Hiashi's figure suddenly appeared in the forest.
"I'm sorry, Lord Danzo..."
"This is such an important matter. I was only worried about you."
Hiashi's words sounded sweet enough to sing.
How could Danzo not see through his intentions?
He had come to confirm whether the Uchiha Clan Annihilation Plan was real.
All this time,
the Hyuga Clan had always put vigilance first.
Because of their bloodline,
they feared being used in everything they did.
One careless move,
and their clan could be wiped out.
"You heard my conversation with him just now, didn't you?"
"When the time comes, you should know what to do."
Danzo looked at Hiashi with a quiet, knowing gaze.
"Understood."
"I'll go back and make preparations right away!"
Hiashi was delighted to see that Danzo not only didn't blame him,
but had even assigned him a task.
As for the Uchiha,
judging by the current situation,
some of the clan members had begun to develop new ideas and opinions.
The idea of a coup hadn't appeared overnight.
But things were different this time.
Because...
Fugaku had gotten involved, too.
At first, he and Shisui had shared the same view:
they wanted to stop the clan from staging a coup.
But after two failed negotiations,
and Danzo's continued pressure on the Uchiha,
Fugaku had eventually given in to his clan.
The coup had begun to take shape.
As things stood,
it would take a year at most.
The conflict would escalate.
The moment they broke apart
would be the Uchiha's final outburst of rage.
"When will my second brother come back...?"
Sasuke lay in Itachi's arms and asked glumly.
Itachi smiled faintly but didn't answer.
He raised his head to gaze at the white clouds.
A sudden yearning stirred in his heart.
An eagle soaring through the sky never stopped halfway.
Even if it died in a foreign land...
Even if its bones were buried in a deep forest...
Three days later...
Ryūchi Cave.
Chuan Yu had been here for nearly a year.
His senjutsu training had reached its peak.
He slowly opened his eyes.
A wisp of cold breath escaped Chuan Yu's lips.
[Sage Mode 258/500] [Sage Mode Second Stage] [Stored Senjutsu Chakra reached 1000 points]
He had successfully reached the second stage of Sage Mode.
He could finally leave...
He pressed the mechanism on the wall.
The door to the secret chamber slowly rose open.
Air from outside slipped through the gap and filled Chuan Yu's nose and mouth.
He had waited so long for this moment.
The dazzling sunlight streamed in.
Squinting, Chuan Yu peered ahead through the gaps between his fingers.
Two figures appeared and disappeared in the glare.
"Congratulations, Uchiha Chuanyu."
"You've successfully reached the second stage of Sage Mode."
The pleasant voice.
The familiar face.
It was Ichikishimahime.
"Chuan Yu!"
In the soft light,
Karin suddenly threw herself into Chuan Yu's arms.
Ichikishimahime watched them with undisguised envy.
For some reason,
she also felt a little disappointed.
A year had passed.
Though Chuan Yu had stayed in the secret chamber the whole time,
the natural nutrients contained in Senjutsu Chakra
had brought a noticeable change to his height and build.
His complexion was clear,
and his features were handsome.
The only thing was, his hair had grown a little long.
But suddenly, Chuan Yu felt as if he couldn't breathe with something pressed against his chest.
He gently pushed Karin away and took a closer look.
Karin had grown quite a bit over the past year, too...
"Don't celebrate just yet."
"The White Snake Sage left you one more test."
"You have to defeat her clone..."
"Only then will you have truly graduated!"
As soon as Ichikishimahime finished speaking,
the surroundings twisted rapidly.
By the time Chuan Yu realized what was happening,
he was already standing in the Starry Realm.
Standing opposite him
was the White Snake Sage, transformed into human form.
"Very good..."
"You've successfully reached the second stage..."
"It's been a year. Let me see how much you've grown!"
With that, she suddenly transformed into a colossal dragon-serpent.
It coiled upward into the sky and let out a thunderous roar!
The sound shook the heavens and earth.
Just the White Snake Sage's imposing aura
was almost too much for Chuan Yu to withstand.
He used Sage Mode to seal off his five senses,
relying on his perception to pinpoint the White Snake Sage's position.
That way, she wouldn't be able to influence him.
The White Snake Sage nodded slightly. "You've grasped quite a bit of Ryūchi Cave's essence."
"But..."
"You'll have to show me some of your strength!"
At the edge of the starry sky,
the White Snake Sage roared and charged at Chuan Yu.
Though it was only a clone,
it was still close to Kage Level.
However...
Chuan Yu gripped the Kusanagi Sword tightly in his hand.
The Byakugan and Mangekyo appeared at the same time.
"You don't stand a chance either!"
Every movement the White Snake Sage made,
every trajectory,
every direction—
Chuan Yu saw it all in a complete, 360-degree view with no blind spots.
To win,
he would have to use the Mangekyo's full power at the very least.
After a year, he had finally mastered this Mangekyo completely.
Now it was time to gain a new, eternal power...
Karin and Ichikishimahime waited quietly where they were.
In front of them,
Chuan Yu stood perfectly still with his eyes closed.
According to Ichikishimahime,
he had entered the White Snake Sage's world of illusion.
If he successfully defeated the White Snake Sage's clone,
he would wake up.
But if he failed...
he would remain a vegetable forever...
Three hours passed.
Just as Karin was about to fall asleep,
suddenly,
Chuan Yu spat out a mouthful of blood and dropped to his knees.
Karin jolted awake and hurried to his side.
"Chuan Yu! Are you okay? Don't scare me!"
"Say something!"
Karin's voice was almost breaking into sobs.
She shook Chuan Yu desperately, hoping he would respond.
But black blood suddenly began to trickle from his tightly shut left eye.
Karin quickly rolled up her sleeve, baring her pale arm.
Then she pried open Chuan Yu's mouth.
"There's no need, Karin..."
Karin froze.
She hurriedly looked up.
Chuan Yu was gazing at her tenderly, his left eye still closed.
The confident smile on his lips looked just as it had yesterday.
Karin let out a sudden giggle.
As she laughed, tears streamed down her face before she even realized it.
That's right.
He had won...
After coughing violently several times,
Chuan Yu got to his feet with Karin's help.
Ichikishimahime smiled faintly at the two of them.
Then she turned to leave.
"You've passed every trial in Ryūchi Cave."
"Go on."
"Come visit whenever you have time."
With her back to Chuan Yu,
a tear suddenly slid down Ichikishimahime's cheek.
But she didn't let Chuan Yu see it.
Even so, Chuan Yu felt an inexplicable sadness well up inside him.
Ichikishimahime had always been able to see Chuan Yu's past and innermost thoughts.
Ever since the day Chuan Yu absorbed her chakra,
ever since the day she poured chakra into him,
their Senjutsu had connected them,
and a Heart Bridge had formed between them.
That meant they could sense each other's emotions,
and even each other's past.
But Chuan Yu himself had no idea.
For a whole year,
Ichikishimahime had been in his heart,
keeping him company...
"Well then..."
"Goodbye..."
"Big Sister Ichikishimahime..."
Without a moment's hesitation, he turned and left with Karin.
Ichikishimahime never turned around to face Chuan Yu.
"Idiot...!"
But don't worry.
There's another twist coming.
Get ready to have your mind blown.
Come get fired up with me.
See you at 7 p.m.!
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