Were You Crying, Mr. Itachi?

The Light Screen in the sky stirred again.

Now playing: "Even as a failure, I loved my little brother."

A sorrowful melody slowly began to play.

Tearful version: "Piecing Together Memories for You"

May your heart remain as steadfast as the moon.

The memories we shared.

I gathered every one of them with care.

I always cried in secret.

Like a weary bird that had lost its way home.

The Light Screen in the sky slowly came into focus.

The image gradually revealed two grown men in black Akatsuki Robes.

They stood inside a stone cave, sheltering from the rain.

Drip.

One of the men wore a black Akatsuki Robe and had a face like a shark.

His name was Kisame Hoshigaki, and he had once been one of Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

Beside Kisame Hoshigaki stood Itachi Uchiha, son of the former head of Konoha's Uchiha clan.

Konoha

Fugaku Uchiha recognized the man at first glance. It was Itachi Uchiha, his eldest son.

He watched his son's future self wearing the same clothes as the Mystery Masked Man.

Itachi, so this was the path you chose, Fugaku thought.

But as your father, I can see the sorrow in your eyes.

Let me see what kind of path you chose.

Despite what Fugaku might have said, seeing his son's future self filled him with an ache he could not put into words.

Watching the rain grow heavier, Kisame Hoshigaki joked, "Doesn't look like it'll stop. It's coming down harder than ever."

Itachi Uchiha gazed calmly at the rain, then slowly walked out of the cave.

Kisame paused in surprise as Itachi stepped outside. In the end, he called after him, "Getting soaked isn't good for you, Mr. Itachi."

Itachi ignored Kisame's warning.

Outside the cave, Itachi slowly raised his head.

He paid no mind to the rain soaking him and looked up at the sky, pain in his eyes.

Drip...

Large raindrops fell against Itachi's face.

Kisame was about to tease him again when he noticed something.

For a moment, it looked as though Itachi Uchiha was crying.

Kisame's teasing expression faded. After a silence, he asked, "Mr. Itachi, this downpour almost makes it look like you're crying..."

When Kisame wasn't looking, a tear slowly slipped from the corner of Itachi's eye.

Only in the rain did Itachi dare reveal his most vulnerable side.

To Itachi, the rain gave him the courage to face the failure he believed himself to be.

Or perhaps he was mourning his parents and his clan...

Itachi slowly closed his eyes.

The Light Screen showed a memory of Itachi Uchiha.

A small, young hand gently pushed open a door.

The moment it opened, young Itachi Uchiha came into view, gripping a Samurai Sword still stained with blood.

The view slowly drew closer...

The sorrowful music reached its climax.

Young Itachi fixed Little Sasuke, who had just come home from school, with a bloodthirsty stare.

Little Sasuke's gaze dropped, and he saw two freshly slain bodies in front of his brother.

When he looked again at the bodies lying on their family's floor, he realized they were his father and mother...

The bodies before Itachi were Fugaku Uchiha and Mikoto Uchiha.

Little Sasuke stared in disbelief at the boy ahead of him, at once so familiar and so strange.

Before Little Sasuke could ask a question,

young Itachi fixed him with a murderous glare.

Without a moment's hesitation, young Itachi's crimson Three Tomoe Sharingan changed into the Mangekyō Sharingan.

He immediately cast Genjutsu on Little Sasuke.

Clang!

"My foolish little brother."

No one knew what young Itachi made Little Sasuke see.

But once young Itachi used his Mangekyō Sharingan,

Little Sasuke collapsed to the floor and raised both hands in agony.

Clutching his head with all his strength, he rolled across the floor and wailed, "No!"

"Stop it! Stop it!"

The shock made Little Sasuke's body convulse uncontrollably.

Foam spilled from his mouth, and despair filled his eyes.

He lay on the living room floor, wailing without end.

"Aaagh..."

"Stop it!"

Young Itachi lowered his head slightly and looked at Little Sasuke, his eyes full of murderous intent.

"Heh."

Disappointment written across his face, young Itachi said, "You're worthless. You don't deserve to die by my hand yet."

"Weak..."

Young Itachi raised his foot and kicked Little Sasuke hard in the stomach.

Thud...

Little Sasuke flew backward and hit the floor hard.

Looking at the unconscious Little Sasuke, young Itachi said coldly, "You're far too weak."

"Right now, you're not even worthy of dying by my hand."

Young Itachi stared once more at the unconscious Little Sasuke. Greed and bloodlust mingled in his eyes as he muttered, "Heh. Keep living your wretched life."

"My foolish little brother."

"Work hard to grow stronger."

"Heh. Hahaha."

"Only... only then will you be worthy of becoming my light."

Whoosh...

A long-haired young man in a tiger-patterned mask and black samurai clothes leaned lazily against a pillar, arms crossed. "What's wrong?" he taunted, bloodlust in his voice. "Can't bring yourself to kill your little brother?"

The young man in black samurai clothes was Obito Uchiha.

Young Obito continued, "If you can't do it, how about I help you?"

Young Itachi heard Obito suggest killing his little brother.

His Mangekyō Sharingan flared to life, and he warned Obito with murderous intent, "Stay out of my business."

"If you lay a hand on my little brother, I'll make sure you never leave this place."

Obito quickly raised both hands in surrender.

"Ahaha..."

"Don't be so cold. I was only joking."

Young Itachi paid Obito no further attention.

Instead, he feigned indifference. "It's not that I couldn't bring myself to kill him. He's simply my prey."

As young Itachi walked on, he said coldly, "That tedious clan stopped testing my abilities long ago."

"I spared him only so he could prove my abilities one day."

Obito gave him an unreadable smile. "I understand. Don't worry, I won't touch your little brother."

Watching young Itachi's expressionless face, Obito added, "Don't be so cold. You were the one who asked me to be your partner, weren't you?"

Young Itachi replied coldly, "You've received the payment we agreed on. It's time for you to leave."

"Oh... right."

"It really is time to go."

"But..."

Obito deliberately teased him. "Don't you want to know..."

"...what that woman said to me before she died?"

Young Itachi trembled at Obito's words.

He stopped abruptly and waited in silence.