"...I know my own body." Itachi nodded. "Don't worry. I'll go back."
"...I just hope the me in this timeline won't have the same regrets I do..."
Adult Sasuke looked up at him one last time, then his figure gradually faded before Itachi's eyes, along with his voice.
"Sasuke, I feel the same. No matter the era, I hope you can find happiness and stay safe..."
Itachi tugged at the collar of his Red Clouds and Black Robe and casually summoned a crow. After giving it the scroll containing the sealed Shisui, he was about to release the genjutsu on Kisame.
But the next instant, the scene before him suddenly shifted.
Genjutsu?
After a moment of wariness, Itachi relaxed.
He understood the purpose of Adult Sasuke's final glance.
The scene before him became a riverbank at dusk.
A little black-haired girl wearing red-framed glasses was practicing with shuriken. She looked lively, and the Uchiha Clan's crest was printed on the back of her short red vest.
Sasuke stood beside her in a black robe, seemingly keeping her company as she practiced.
"...Her name is Sarada. Her dream is to become Hokage."
The black-robed Sasuke suddenly spoke, addressing the riverbank before him in a soft voice.
Itachi watched the girl, taking in her slightly frustrated expression and her still-unpolished Shurikenjutsu.
Yet his eyes were filled with boundless relief. "Hokage... That's a wonderful dream. Sarada Uchiha, I'll never forget that name."
As though she had heard Itachi's sigh, the little girl in glasses suddenly paused, turned toward where he stood, and broke into a smile. "Uncle Itachi."
Itachi froze, and the next moment, the genjutsu before him vanished completely.
Itachi tugged at the collar of his Red Clouds and Black Robe, concealing the smile on his face a little.
*What incredible genjutsu.