Changes Brought by the Butterfly Effect

"I'm not your teammate, but we are like-minded companions."

Looking at Itachi holding her hand, Konan spoke softly.

Her voice was exceptionally distinctive, enough to stir a desire in many men to cherish and protect her.

"Come in and have a seat."

Itachi released her hand and stepped aside, gesturing for Konan to enter the room.

Seeing this, Konan walked into Itachi's room with graceful bearing.

If only the melancholy in her eyes could turn into joy, she would have been perfect.

Itachi gently closed the door, then walked to the table and poured Konan a cup of tea.

"These new clothes you bought don't fit very well..."

Watching Itachi close the door and pull his zipper all the way up to his neck, Konan spoke softly.

"I bought them last time when I had some free time. I hadn't worn them before..."

Feeling a little short of breath, Itachi pulled the zipper back down to his chest.

"When did you join the organization? How come I've never seen you before?"

After watching Konan take a sip of tea, Itachi poured himself a cup as well.

He asked a question whose answer he already knew.

"I'm one of the organization's founding members. I've just been in seclusion training all this time."

Konan answered Itachi's question.

"You've worked really hard..."

Hearing Konan's words, Itachi sighed with feeling.

After hearing Itachi's words, a faint blush quietly rose to Konan's face as she recalled the piles upon piles of Explosive Tags created through Paper Release.

That should count as training too...

Konan silently thought to herself, then answered calmly, "It was all right..."

The room fell silent. Neither of them was particularly good at conversation.

"I just came out of seclusion and heard that the organization had taken in a new member who was quite young, so I came to take a look."

After a moment of silence, Konan took the initiative to speak.

"Yeah. Before I knew it, I'd already been in this organization for over half a year. Rounding it up, I've practically been here for a whole year."

Itachi answered with some emotion, his voice carrying a touch of wistfulness.

"Do you miss the village, Itachi?"

The melancholy in Itachi's voice made Konan feel a little sorry for him, so she asked.

"No."

Itachi's answer to Konan's question was brief.

At that moment, he did not quite understand why Konan had come looking for him.

Konan was slightly stunned by his curt response.

Then she looked around Itachi's room.

"Then I'll be leaving first, Itachi. Get some proper rest."

Noticing the bedding spread across Itachi's bed and his guarded, terse answers, Konan set her teacup on the table and spoke softly.

This time, she had merely come to see Itachi and get acquainted with him.

They could get to know each other gradually later. It would not do to overdo things...

After seeing Konan out, Itachi closed the door.

He then walked thoughtfully to the table and sat down, unconsciously picking up the tea he had poured earlier and taking a sip.

A faint fragrance rushed into Itachi's nose, and he froze slightly...

Only then did he realize that he was sitting where Konan had been sitting just now, and the teacup in his hand...

It was not really his fault. When he was alone, he also liked sitting in this spot. Lost in thought just now, he had unconsciously walked over and sat in the familiar seat.

And when Konan entered the room, this was the nearest spot, so she had sat down directly as well...

Itachi set the teacup in his hand on the table and discovered that there was not much tea left inside.

After thinking about it, since he had already drunk from it anyway, he might as well finish it. Leaving it there made him uncomfortable.

Of course, that was only his inner compulsive tendency at work.

Itachi poured the half cup of tea onto the ground, turned the cup upside down, and did not place it back on the tray for teacups.

Feeling somewhat parched, Itachi picked up the tea he had poured for himself earlier and began to drink.

"When young, one must control one's lust. It is a great enemy! When grown, one must control one's urge to fight! Once all this is achieved, one will become a promising person in the future..."

Itachi's solemn voice echoed through the room...

Lying beneath the covers, Itachi repeatedly muttered words spoken by some philosopher.

"Sasuke, how are you doing with the composite ninjutsu I taught you?"

In the small courtyard, Sasuke meticulously practiced forming hand seals.

Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared beside Sasuke and spoke with a kindly expression.

Especially after Sasuke used chakra test paper, Hiruzen Sarutobi was astonished to discover that Sasuke, like himself, was a ninja with all five elemental attributes. This made him cherish Sasuke even more. (Aside from lacking the Yang attribute, Sasuke possessed the other six major chakra attributes.)

Sasuke's diligence, in particular, delighted him greatly and gave him the sense that he had a successor...

Yet after obtaining such a priceless treasure as Sasuke, he also feared losing him...

Itachi, it's time for you to leave this world... Consider this the last thing you do for the village and for your younger brother...

Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart turned cold and vicious.

As long as he dealt with Itachi, someone who knew the truth and was capable of shaking Sasuke's resolve,

Sasuke would become Konoha's most celebrated genius. Once he rose, no starlight would be able to compete with Sasuke, that blazing sun.

"Grandpa, am I a little stupid? Of the five C-rank ninjutsu you taught me, I've only learned three, and my hand seal speed is too slow..."

Hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, Sasuke stopped what he was doing and spoke softly.

"Foolish child, dripping water does not pierce stone in a single day. It has only been a month, yet you've already learned three ninjutsu. You're more talented than most people. But remember to balance work and rest. Don't neglect refining chakra."

Hiruzen Sarutobi patted Sasuke's head and spoke softly.

At that moment, he was like an old man who dearly loved his grandson. He did not even smoke in front of Sasuke.

"Oh..." Sasuke's lips curled slightly as he responded with some distress.

"Foolish child, you're still young. You'll understand when you grow up. But it's a good idea to practice hand seals often. The composite ninjutsu your grandpa excels at is especially powerful, and one of the key requirements is sufficiently fast hand seal speed."

Seeing that Sasuke was somewhat unhappy, Hiruzen Sarutobi comforted him softly.

As the saying went, those who came later enjoyed the shade planted by those before them. Orochimaru's defection was Hiruzen Sarutobi's regret and unresolved knot, but it was also an experience he had learned from.

He had also come to understand that what children might need most was care and companionship.

So now, every day after Sasuke returned from school, Hiruzen Sarutobi spent time with him.

He listened as Sasuke told him various interesting things.

He would also selectively bring up some interesting political topics to broaden Sasuke's horizons and deepen his thinking.

Honestly, the current Hiruzen Sarutobi treated Sasuke exceptionally well.

Perhaps even better than Sasuke's own grandfather would have.

Sasuke's heart was made of flesh as well. Though Indra's Will occasionally influenced him, making him somewhat extreme and withdrawn,

Hiruzen Sarutobi had still opened his heart. He had left a deep mark upon it.