My name is Tobi

"A pair of three-tomoe eyes, a pair of Mangekyō-two pairs of Uchiha Sharingan. What a massive haul!"

"Yeah, remember this place. Then, a few years from now, if this battle still happens, go throw your life away in front of Itachi!"

"Don't worry. Itachi will make sure everything is accounted for and have you die without a sound."

Meanwhile, inside the Hokage Office in Konoha.

The four who had remained tense throughout quietly let out long breaths together, their anxious hearts finally settling.

Relief filled Mitokado Homura's face as he murmured, "Thank goodness... Itachi held to his principles until the very end. He still loved Konoha."

"He didn't publicly reveal the secrets behind the massacre back then. He didn't plunge Konoha into chaos."

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly nodded, his eyes holding a complicated mixture of regret and approval.

"Even as a child, Itachi had the perspective of a Hokage. He carried the will of fire in his heart."

"Even burdened with infamy, even subjected to his little brother's hatred, he always put Konoha first."

Utatane Koharu nodded slightly, her tone calm. "This counts as a satisfactory conclusion."

"The threat eliminated itself, Orochimaru was sealed, and the Cursed Seal was eradicated. In the future, Sasuke can return to Konoha and become one of its strongest assets."

The Third nodded in agreement and smiled. "If the truth remains hidden, I believe Tsunade will be willing to accept the Uchiha by then."

"Yes. Even though I don't like that girl Tsunade, I also believe she doesn't particularly care about the feud between the Senju and the Uchiha," Utatane Koharu said.

But as soon as she finished, they noticed something was wrong.

Even members of the Senju Clan didn't hate the Uchiha Clan and could accept them.

Why were they the ones who couldn't?

Why?

The three of them paled, then immediately composed themselves.

We mustn't dwell on it.

Thinking too much could lead to problems, just like it did for Itachi!

Only Shimura Danzō remained silent.

His eyelids lowered, a dim light flickering repeatedly in his cloudy eyes, concealing countless calculations and considerations.

The Mangekyō, Susanoo, the Totsuka Blade...

At the Ninja Academy.

Sasuke Uchiha stared blankly at that gentle tap on the forehead in the Sky Screen, unconsciously raising a hand to brush his own forehead.

The familiar sensation reached across time, blurring his memories.

He had almost forgotten how gentle, how doting Itachi had been back then.

Yet the coldness, cruelty, and madness that followed had been all too real.

Those two utterly different figures frantically intertwined and collided in his mind.

His thoughts were a tangled mess, leaving him restless.

"What does it mean...?"

He murmured under his breath, utterly bewildered.

That tenderness before he died.

What was Itachi trying to convey?

His vengeance was complete, yet Sasuke felt not a trace of joy, only emptiness, irritation, and confusion.

His hatred had reached its end, and his obsession had come to nothing.

Yet for the first time, he realized with absolute clarity-

Perhaps he had never truly understood his older brother.

Torrential rain scoured the devastated mountains, bloody water mixing with mud as it flowed freely. Desolation and deathly silence filled the world.

The brothers lay in the mud, one ahead of the other. The battlefield was so silent it weighed heavily on the heart.

Just as the entire shinobi world thought this fated battle had finally ended and all the turmoil had subsided-

The scene on the Sky Screen suddenly changed again!

Space twisted slightly within the empty curtain of rain, and a dark figure silently materialized out of thin air.

The newcomer wore a yellow mask that covered his entire face. He stood tall, his presence sinister and uncanny, an air of cold, dangerous menace surrounding him.

Most people in the shinobi world looked utterly bewildered, with no idea where this mysterious masked man had come from.

But the few who were well-informed and knew about the Akatsuki felt their hearts clench. They instantly recognized that distinctive black outfit!

Someone from the Akatsuki!

The Akatsuki again!

The same organization as Uchiha Itachi!

The masked man stood quietly in the rain, looking down for a long time at Uchiha Itachi, who lay in eternal rest. His gaze was inscrutable, and no one knew what he was thinking.

After a moment, he slowly bent down. His movements were practiced and cold, without the slightest hesitation as he plucked out Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan and stored them away.

Once that was done, he turned toward Sasuke Uchiha, who lay unconscious on the ground, utterly unable to resist.

Reaching out with one hand, he easily slung the exhausted Sasuke over his shoulder. His figure flickered, and he vanished completely into the sweeping rain.

The entire process was seamless and silent.

Everyone in the shinobi world seemed to stop breathing at once, their hearts leaping into their throats!

"!!! Here we go again!!"

"Another mysterious powerhouse! Who is he?!"

"He took Itachi's Mangekyō! What is he planning?!"

"Sasuke's been taken! He just finished a life-or-death battle, and someone scooped him right up!"

Boundless suspicion swept through the shinobi world, sending chills across everyone's scalps.

There had been too many twists today, too many schemes, too many elaborate plans. No one dared let down their guard anymore.

"There are far too many old monsters and schemers lurking in the shadows of the shinobi world!"

"This has to be another enormous conspiracy! Schemes within schemes from beginning to end!"

"Itachi's death, the battle between the brothers, Orochimaru's rampage-all of it ended up benefiting this man?!"

Everyone stared fixedly at the Sky Screen, afraid of missing even the smallest clue.

Inside Konoha's Hokage Office, all four expressions changed drastically. They rose to their feet at once, their eyes filled with grave concern.

Another unknown powerhouse had appeared!

And he wasn't even mentioned in their intelligence.

He had even taken Itachi's Mangekyō and abducted Sasuke Uchiha!

This was absolutely unacceptable!

"Someone from the same organization as Itachi poses far too great a threat."

Danzo's gaze stayed locked on the Sky Screen, greed and apprehension fiercely intertwining in his eyes as he clenched both fists.

"Now that he's taken Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan, will he pose a threat to Konoha?"

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were deathly pale, panic gripping their hearts as they vaguely sensed a great upheaval that would sweep across the shinobi world.

Only the Third, Hiruzen Sarutobi, kept his brows tightly furrowed, his heart sinking to rock bottom. He knew that ever since the Sky Screen appeared, the future had been changing.

The scene on the Sky Screen abruptly shifted.

Inside a dark cave, all was quiet, shut away from the wind, rain, and commotion outside.

After a long while, Sasuke's eyelashes trembled slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes.

As his awareness returned, bone-deep pain gripped him, his injuries and exhaustion washing over his entire body.

"You're awake."

A lazy, casual voice that sounded harmless echoed softly through the cave.

In an instant!

The newly awakened Sasuke's nerves went taut, his guard rising to its limit. Gritting his teeth, he forced his battered, depleted body upright.

His gaze was sharp as he stared fixedly at the masked man leaning against the rock wall.

"Who are you?"

Faced with Sasuke's wary demand, the Masked Man tilted his head slightly. His tone was light and casual, without the slightest hint of menace.

"Me? You can call me-Tobi."

"Tobi..."

Sasuke repeated the name quietly, the vigilance, suspicion, and wariness in his eyes not diminishing in the slightest.

An unfamiliar place, an unknown enemy, an opponent whose strength was a mystery, and no ability to fight.

He knew very well that he had once again fallen into an unknown, perilous situation.