"It's me," Ian said with a smile, "Aren't you going to invite me in?"
Itachi hesitated for a moment and then said, "Please come in, Your Majesty."
Ian walked in and looked at the room. Except for a brand new Chakra TV, the layout here was very similar to the Uchiha Clan mansion in the anime, but it was much smaller. He looked at the young Uchiha Clan genius and asked:
"Now that you have come into contact with a whole new world and civilization, have you ever reflected on what you have done?"
Itachi sighed deeply, "I have thought about it."
"Then what?"
"I was wrong. No, the whole Shinobi World was wrong."
In the past few weeks, Itachi had to go to school like everyone on the planet, and he learned a lot about history, sociology, modern culture, mental health, and more.
He came to the conclusion that his actions were wrong, and this conclusion was not only because his actions were as stupid as the emperor said when they first met. It was also because Shinobi World's war itself was twisted. The chain of hatred was passed down from generation to generation, making peace impossible to exist at all. And the system that used ninjas as tools was also the root cause of the collapse of the entire system.
Second is the use of Boy Scouts. Children - no matter how talented they are - should never be exposed to the brutality of war. They should never carry the weight of other people's lives on their shoulders.
"So, you figured it out? I thought you would be very stubborn and insist that you made the right choice."
"I have never been an arrogant person and I can admit my mistakes." Itachi replied calmly.
"Very good quality," Ian nodded. "Have you explained everything clearly to your brother?"
Itachi paused. "Wouldn't it be better to let him think I'm dead?"
Now that things have happened, he no longer needs to let his brother kill him. First of all, Empire has a safer way to awaken Sasuke to Mangekyō Sharingan. Secondly, he no longer has to die and can watch his brother's growth in secret.
Ian waved his hand, and a holographic screen appeared in front of him. He made a gesture, and the screen floated in front of Itachi.
"What is this?" he asked doubtfully. However, after seeing the title, his pupils shrank and he glanced through it quickly. As he read, his hands trembled. Placed in front of him was the psychological evaluation report of his brother Sasuke.
The results showed that his brother had many psychological problems - possibly even suicidal tendencies.
Itachi once took an online course on the Empire server about the psychological impact of war on young people. This course helped him to a great extent to figure out many things about his past and how his childhood affected him now. Therefore, he has a certain understanding of mental health issues.
So, as he scrolled through the list of his brother's psychological problems, his mind was in a state of confusion. Because he knew that ninety-nine percent of these problems were caused by him - some even caused by him unintentionally.
"What... did I do," he murmured to himself. Maybe his ninja mentality made him believe that he was a good brother, paving a way for his younger brother to survive in this cruel world.
However, the Arcane Empire thinking he now possesses makes him realize the lasting damage he has done to his brother. This damage will affect Sasuke for the rest of his life.
"There is still hope for you brothers," Ian said. "Although this may require years of family therapy, and may even require the intervention of a powerful psychic Arcanist, you can still be cured."
"Yes, there is still hope." He said in a slightly hoarse voice.
"Also, it might be helpful if your family can be reunited," Ian added. This sentence made Itachi's eyes light up, and he remembered that Empire had a way to Resurrection the dead. Moreover, it was by no means the inhumane method of Edo Tensei.
"Can they really come back? Will they still accept me after the horrific crimes I committed?"
"I'm not sure either," Ian replied, "But I know that the love of parents is boundless. As long as they can help you gain inner peace, they will not hesitate to bear the burden of your sins."
It can be seen from the way Fugaku and Mikoto calmly accepted their death in Itachi's hands that they understood their son's burden and accepted his choice. Therefore, if they were Resurrection, he would still be their favorite son.
Hearing this, Itachi's body trembled. He remembered the pain he felt when he killed his parents with his own hands, and the despair of watching their bodies fall on the floor, with blood staining the ground red. He remembered the calm faces of his parents before they died, and the scene of watching the life slowly disappear from their eyes.
Itachi took a deep breath and controlled his emotions. He couldn't escape for the rest of his life, there were some things that he had to face. No matter what the outcome was, he would accept it.
"Your Majesty, why did you come to see me?" He asked after regaining his calm and stoic face. He did not think that the emperor came to him just to talk about his ideas or his family affairs.
"I'm here to give you an invitation," Ian said.
"What invitation?"
"Empire's most powerful military force is not Imperial Navy, not Royal Army, not Earth Defense Force, nor Auror--but Ghost Squad."
Itachi felt a little confused, but he did not interrupt and continued to listen. He also had some guesses about the emperor's purpose.
"Ghost Squad is my right arm and my shadow. They can mobilize all the resources of the Empire - including knowledge and secrets that are not open to the public."
Itachi understood what such a force meant. After analyzing the situation at the Empire, Itachi understood that the people of this world were currently in a "honeymoon period" and Empire had opened up many resources and knowledge to them in order to allow them to transition more smoothly.
However, once this period is over, everyone will be self-reliant, working to earn resources; they must compete with the Empire's hundreds of billions of other citizens.
If he and his brother wanted to have a place among the Empire, it would be challenging - especially since Sharingan no longer gave them any advantage. If Itachi wanted to Resurrection his parents and clan, he simply couldn't imagine how much effort it would take.
"Recently, I decided to transfer manpower from Ghost Squad to establish another special force focused on intelligence collection, infiltration, espionage and assassination. I want you to serve as the deputy commander of Shadow Squad."
Itachi smiled bitterly, "You led me out of the darkness, and now you want me to return to the darkness."
"Darkness cannot be eradicated - not even in my world."
"Since Ghost Squad has such great power, there must be a price."
"Yes, I control their souls." Ian replied calmly.
"As expected."
"You don't need to worry too much. Some people sign temporary contracts and only hand over their souls within a specific period of time. After expiration, I will let them leave."
"Really? You're going to let them go?"
"Don't think of me in such a bad light," Ian said. "Except for having certain memories erased, I will indeed let them go."
"Should I be glad that you still have some humanity left?" He murmured softly, then shook his head.
"Why did you choose me? I know you have the power to control life and death. You can go find people like Madara Uchiha, or the first and second generation Hokage."