Just then, a small black figure landed silently in front of Itachi.
"Meow..."
It was Little Black, the ninja cat.
The bell around its neck was stained with blood, and its feline eyes were red.
"Little Black?"
Itachi's voice was hoarse.
Little Black said nothing, merely touching the bell with a paw.
With a faint flash of light, two cold eyeballs stained with dark red blood rolled into Itachi's trembling palm.
They felt cold and sticky.
Sasuke looked up and saw what his brother held. His pupils abruptly contracted, and he opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Uchiha Izumi froze as well, covering her mouth as tears instantly welled up.
Itachi lowered his head, looking at his father's lusterless Mangekyō Sharingan in his palm.
There were no wails, no cries.
There was only a cold, bone-deep pain that pierced his heart in an instant, then turned into something hard and settled deep in his eyes.
Little Black spoke through tears:
"Lord Fugaku... died in battle. He used the last of his strength to hold everyone back... and told me I had to give you his eyes."
"He said... this was his final gift as your father... and that you must live on."
Itachi remained silent.
Only after a long while did he put the pair of Mangekyō away with extreme slowness and raise his head.
His eyes were still black, but deep within them, something seemed to be spinning and gathering wildly, almost bursting from their sockets.
He looked east, in the direction of the secret passage Hyuga Hiashi had indicated.
"Go."
He said only that one word and hoisted his mother onto his back again.
Half an hour later.
Deep in the forest, in a secluded hollow.
Uchiha Itachi's group of four had to stop and