Generous Rewards

Parting was always painful.

As a deep blue door opened before Uchiha Kei, the four children couldn't hide their sadness at saying goodbye.

"Teacher, you have to come back and visit us!"

"Teacher, don't worry. Hashirama and I will bring about peace!"

"Teacher..."

"Teacher..."

Seeing the four little brats with tears in their eyes, Uchiha Kei felt a pang of sadness too.

"Train hard. Remember, you must never turn against one another, no matter what the circumstances!"

Uchiha Kei's expression was stern. After taking one last look at the four of them, he resolutely stepped through the door.

The door closed and vanished before their eyes in a ripple of distortion.

"Madara, the teacher really left."

Hashirama wept uncontrollably, tears and snot streaming down his face.

"Even though the teacher is gone, his will remains. I'll remember his words and carry on his will!"

Madara's gaze was profound.

Fight war with war, and end killing with killing!

Only slaughter could bring lasting peace!

"Mm-hmm! I'll remember the teacher's words too and uphold his will!"

Hashirama hurriedly wiped away his tears and snot.

If absolute fairness couldn't bring peace, then could they achieve peace if their side had strength far beyond everyone else's?

The four children looked at one another, their eyes filled with a fierce desire for strength.

"Let's fight!"

"Bring it on!"

A wave of dizziness washed over Uchiha Kei, and he appeared in his new home.

He raised his hand and looked at his small, thin palm, feeling a little unaccustomed to it.

He was back.

"Ding. Host has completed the Space-Time Mission."

"Space-Time Mission completion: 100%"

"Mission reward: Rinnegan."

"Bonus reward for 100% mission completion: Jonin-level chakra, Fire Style Mastery."

In an instant, vast amounts of chakra flooded into his body, roughly tearing at his meridians before finally gathering in his dantian and expanding it, which had been weak and frail.

Fortunately, the process lasted only a few minutes.

Uchiha Kei was drenched in sweat. Panting, he collapsed onto the floor, his face frighteningly pale.

"Ding. Host has completed the first Space-Time Mission. The Shock System will now upgrade."

"Time required for upgrade: three years."

"System, are you just making excuses so you can go AFK?"

"Ding. System is upgrading and cannot process host's questions."

"Fine."

Uchiha Kei lay flat on the floor.

He wasn't too bothered by the system taking three years to upgrade.

He was a lazy, unmotivated person by nature.

Besides, he'd already obtained the ultimate cheat—the Rinnegan. Add his Jonin-level chakra to that, and it was more than enough for now.

Looking at his familiar yet unfamiliar surroundings, Uchiha Kei sighed.

The place was exactly as he'd left it, without the slightest change.

That meant all his efforts had done nothing to change the future.

Hashirama had still founded a Ninja Village.

Madara had still chosen the Infinite Tsukuyomi Plan.

The Battle of the Valley of the End had still taken place.

He was frustrated, but at the same time, somewhat relieved.

Scratching his head in frustration, Uchiha Kei sat up and looked out the window.

"You've come all this way. Come in and sit."

As soon as he spoke, a slender figure climbed in through the window.

"Where's Shisui?"

"He went to take care of what you asked him to do."

Itachi's face was hidden in shadow, making his expression impossible to read.

"Ah, I see."

An eerie silence settled over the room.

"All right. If you have questions, ask."

After a long while, Uchiha Kei finally broke the silence.

Itachi looked up, his blood-red eyes fixed on him. "I admit, what you said opened my eyes. You showed me a path that truly belongs to the Uchiha."

"But how did you know about all those things? You're only eight!"

"And where did you go today? No one in the whole village could find you. It was as if you'd vanished into thin air!"

So a month in the Space-Time Mission was only a day in the real world.

Uchiha Kei had been worried about that, but now he felt at ease.

"Age doesn't mean anything. Konoha may seem peaceful on the surface, but beneath it, currents are running deep. For someone like me, who's endured so much hardship, it's no surprise I know these things."

"As for my eyes..."

Uchiha Kei raised his gaze, and his blade-shaped Sharingan flared to life.

"When I was three, my father died in battle. When I was four, my mother took her own life because she missed him."

"From then on, I wandered Konoha every day just to stay alive."

"Given all that, wouldn't it be a disgrace to the Uchiha name if I still hadn't awakened my eyes?"

Itachi's lips moved, but in the end, he said nothing.

"Making you the Fifth Hokage is this village's only chance at salvation! You have to understand..."

"The one who wants to destroy Konoha and the Uchiha the most..."

"is me, Itachi!"

A cold, murderous air filled the room.

Looking at the blade-shaped Sharingan, Itachi suddenly felt a chill run down his back.

That was true. As the son of a war hero, he should have been cared for by both the village and his clan. Instead, he'd struggled to survive at such a young age.

It was easy to imagine how deeply he must hate the village and his clan.

"But even so, how did you learn Danzo's secrets?"

Itachi lowered his head and pondered for a moment before asking what he most wanted to know.

Ever since Kei had revealed his strength, Itachi had been baffled. How could an eight-year-old know so many secrets?

Uchiha Kei pointed to his eyes. "I've had these eyes since I was four. Would the village be on guard against a four-year-old?"

Four years old!

Itachi's pupils contracted sharply.

He'd awakened his eyes at eight and was hailed as the foremost of the Uchiha's new generation, showered with glory.

Meanwhile, Kei had been called "the Uchiha Clan's once-in-a-century failure" and awakened the Mangekyo at four!

The difference between them was enormous!

For a moment, Itachi didn't know what to say to the Kei standing before him.

"I left the village today."

Itachi nodded woodenly.

Ninjas weren't allowed to leave the village. Any unauthorized departure would be considered desertion, and several Jonin guarded the village gates.

But for them, with the Mangekyo, leaving the village was simple.

Hadn't Shisui left the village to take care of what Kei had asked him to do?

"I'm planning to build an organization outside the village for us."

Itachi frowned, waiting for Uchiha Kei to continue.

"Danzo and the Third Hokage have already grown uneasy because of me. Consolidating the village's forces on our own would be too conspicuous."

Itachi fell into thought.

That was certainly true. The Third Hokage and Danzo operated in the open and in the shadows, respectively. Nothing that happened in the village escaped their notice.

But building an organization was no simple matter.

An organization needed not only enormous financial backing, but also a network of capable people and powerful fighters.

Building an organization...

would be difficult!

"I know what you're worried about."

Uchiha Kei patted him on the shoulder.

"We'll have money, talent, and powerful fighters. What we need is time."

"As long as you and I are still in the Anbu, they won't do anything openly. As for their little tricks behind the scenes..."

"They're just clowns. Nothing to worry about."

Itachi looked up at Uchiha Kei.

The two pairs of Mangekyo, glowing red, met. The gentle air suddenly grew colder.