The tone whispered in her ear sounded strangely familiar to Mikoto, and a quick glance revealed her strikingly long, black hair hanging beside her.
In addition, the fragrance of grass and trees surrounding her left a deep impression on her.
" Huayue? You're Uchiha Huayue? Wait, let me go! What's going on?"
Seeing that her identity had been exposed, Huayue smiled calmly, feeling both gratified and helpless.
"Oh my, Mikoto still remembers me! I'm so honored, and I feel really happy, hahaha..."
Once she calmed down, Uchiha Mikoto recalled the whole story. After a moment of silence, she still couldn't help but feel concerned.
"Itachi, how is he?"
"He has now been classified as S-rank Rogue Ninja and a warrant has been issued for his arrest by major ninja villages. He has probably already left the Land of Fire."
A long silence fell over the room. Her beautiful eyes were filled with tears, and she was still unable to calm down from everything that was flashing through her mind.
"Unbelievable? Uchiha Itachi, who was regarded as the pride of his clan, and who became a squad leader of the Anbu at a young age, why would he betray his clan and join Konoha?"
The two looked at each other, and Mikoto, filled with countless questions, needed an answer that she could accept.
Huayue's eyes darted around as she recounted everything she knew, without revealing any of her own secret arrangements.
Time ticked by, and Mikoto's expression gradually shifted from confusion to bewilderment, and from bewilderment to helplessness.
"The death of Uchiha Shisui, the dual pressure between Konoha and the Uchiha, and Itachi's choice to sacrifice the Uchiha for the peace of Konoha, in exchange for Sasuke and peace."
"Frankly speaking, I find this phase very difficult to accept from my personal perspective. Why would someone peacefully turn their knife against others? This is no different from terrorists who indiscriminately kill innocent people under the guise of revenge."
Tears streamed down Mikoto face, leaving streaks, yet a smile played on her lips.
"So that's how it is. We really put him in a difficult position. We overemphasized Itachi's talent and failed to notice his mental problems. It's not his fault; it's my fault as his mother."
Sometimes, living in this world is more painful than dying. The pain of death is temporary, but living in this world means enduring all kinds of torment with strength.
"It's okay, there's still a chance to make amends. Although I can't let you reappear in this world in your original form, you can use your childhood appearance to accompany your child, Sasuke-kun."
Upon hearing Huayue's proposal, Mikoto nodded slightly. As a family member of a rebel leader, she was likely to be targeted by Konoha High Command if she showed up.
"Also, in order to revitalize the Uchiha Clan, I'd like to trouble Mikoto..."
"Wait... wait a minute, I'm already a mother. Remarrying at this point is really..."
"What does it matter? A little girl mom and all that... just thinking about it is kind of wicked!"
Beneath her exquisite and intricate eyes, Mikoto unconsciously made a decision according to her own will: in order to be by her child's side, she decided to return to the Ninja Academy.
The next day, as dawn broke, on the outskirts of Konoha, inside the Uchiha Clan's compound.
Sasuke, who was eager to gain power, appeared at Huayue's mansion.
"What's this?"
" The Silent Blood Armor can withstand a maximum of three attacks from a Jonin's full-force ninjutsu. If one has strong chakra or possesses certain special powers, its effectiveness will be doubled."
Inside the syringe, the azure liquid rippled with the aura of life, and the faintly visible black spells and metallic droplets within stirred both desire and hesitation.
" The Silent Blood Armor, a name I've never heard of before. Secret Jutsu of the Uchiha Clan?"
Sasuke frowned slightly, looking very puzzled. He had never heard his father mention that the Uchiha possessed any Secret Jutsu other than eye techniques.
"No, this is Secret Jutsu I developed myself. The Silent Blood Armor is a close-range defensive Secret Jutsu that can be automatically triggered when attacked, as it can continuously train physical strength and mental strength."
"If you're worried about the results..."
With a soft "plop," before Huayue could finish speaking, Sasuke inserted the needle into the vein and injected the contents little by little.
After waiting for his blood to circulate throughout his body once, his eyes suddenly turned cold, and he casually pierced his eyeball with the needle tip.
With each breath and heartbeat, azure ripples spread across his eyeballs, deflecting the needle tip with a single blow; the powerful force made Sasuke's wrist go numb.
"Like this, it also has a certain degree of auxiliary ability, but it's best not to overestimate it. The effect of chakra refining depends on the user's physical fitness and stamina."
Huayue's smile was gentle, and Mikoto, who had instinctively rushed out of the shadows, froze in place.
She could hardly believe that the child shrouded in darkness before her was truly the gentle and sunny Sasuke she once knew.
With a quick glance, Sasuke, who felt that Mikoto looked somewhat familiar, was once again immersed in this unprecedented power.
"That's not enough. This power isn't enough to defeat Itachi. I need even greater power. I want that guy to know that there are other ways to obtain power besides the one he gave me!"
Sasuke's face twisted slightly, unaware that this scene, witnessed by Mikoto, caused her even more heartache.
"There's a limit to being willful. You can't even handle the basics, let alone defeat Itachi with an age difference of more than 8 years. You should start training from the basics properly!"
"The guy you want to deal with is someone who can become Anbu squad leader at the age of 13, which is equivalent to Anbu. Start with the most basic physical training."
He casually tossed out two very heavy gravity rings, Sasuke to the training ground for physical training.
Inside the room, Mikoto was heartbroken. As a mother, was she only able to watch helplessly as her two brothers killed each other?
"It's okay, there's still time. What we need to do now is make that child realize that there is still light in this world, right?"
Huayue gave a mischievous smile, and Mikoto, who had been flustered, nodded vigorously as if she had found her pillar of support.
When Kushina rushed back, she felt that the figure looked strangely familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before.
Land of Fire, near the border of the Land of Rice Fields.
Uchiha Itachi gazed at Konoha in the distance, a hint of worry in his heart, wondering if the Third Hokage and Danzo would keep their promise.
In addition, Uchiha Huayue's dangerous remarks made Itachi even more uneasy.
Throughout the entire Uchiha Clan, only Huayue remained hidden in the shadows, and no one could see through his true face.
Perhaps, the answer lies within him...
The wind howled, and fallen leaves rose into the air. A sickly pale figure emerged from the brown tree trunk beside them, its eyes filled with astonishment.
"The newcomer that the leader was talking about, it turns out to be you, the Itachi the Clan Killer!"