" Konoha..."
Uchiha Itachi gazed eastward, towards Konoha, where everything he knew was there, and where Sasuke...
He naturally wanted to go back, but... Uchiha Itachi gently shook his head and said:
"I'm sorry, I have other matters to attend to right now and can't return to Konoha. I'm very grateful for everything you've done for the Uchiha Clan. If you need anything in the future, you can contact me using this Crow."
A black Crow on a branch flew to Naoki Senju's shoulder. The Crow gave Naoki Senju a strange feeling, seemingly illusory yet incredibly real, and even possessing a certain weight!
"How do I use it?" Naoki Senju reached out and stroked the Crow's black feathers, but he couldn't feel any real touch. This high-level Genjutsu, which was so realistic that it was hard to believe, was truly enviable.
"Look directly into its eyes, relax your mind, and you will be drawn into Genjutsu. You can leave a message within the Genjutsu."
Naoki Senju smiled and nodded. Although he hadn't been able to bring Uchiha Itachi back to Konoha yet, he had made a good start, and it was only a matter of time before he was brought Konoha.
"Itachi, Konoha will always welcome you. I'll keep the position of Anbu captain for you."
A fleeting smile appeared on Uchiha Itachi's expressionless face, a moment that Naoki Senju keenly caught. Perhaps the trust represented by those words was something Uchiha Itachi had always dreamed of hearing.
Unfortunately, despite Uchiha Itachi's selfless dedication to Konoha, even abandoning his own clan, he only earned Konoha's suspicion in return. Sending Uchiha Itachi to infiltrate Akatsuki was merely a way for both sides to save face. Given Akatsuki's current weak performance, it was hardly worth the attention of Konoha, one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
" The Akatsuki's main target is Orochimaru, and they don't know your strength. If you don't intend to expose yourself now, you'd better stay with Lady Tsunade and stay away from Orochimaru." Uchiha Itachi returned the favor, revealing all the Akatsuki's secrets.
Furthermore, based on the limited information and intelligence available, they deduced part of Naoki Senju's plan.
Naoki Senju was silent for a moment, then asked, "Why should we stop them from getting themselves killed?"
"Sending themselves to their deaths..." Uchiha Itachi was stunned. The Akatsuki was a mercenary organization with influence throughout the Shinobi World, how could they be sending themselves to their deaths...? Wait, all the information he and Kakuzu had this time contained 'errors,' and Kakuzu died because of it. Wasn't this just sending themselves to their deaths...?
Uchiha Itachi's emotions were somewhat disjointed, and he could only nod blankly. This was the second mission failure he had committed since joining the Akatsuki. The last time was when he infiltrated the Kirigakure Village and encountered the Three-Tails Jinchūriki, the Fourth Mizukage. Akatsuki's Nanto Juzo Biwa died in the battle, and the Fourth Mizukage was also defeated by his Amaterasu.
(The Fourth Mizukage Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, did not die immediately after being attacked by Amaterasu. The true cause of his death was that Ao discovered he was being controlled by Genjutsu, and then, led by Mei Terumi, he launched the Kirigakure Revolution, resulting in his death. The Three-Tails, which the Kirigakure was unable to seal, became a wild Tailed Beast.)
Uchiha Itachi flicked his right hand across his left sleeve, dispelling the small sealing array on the sleeve and revealing a small red scroll in his hand. After Genjutsu the genjutsu placed on the scroll, Uchiha Itachi tossed it to Naoki.
"This is the intelligence I've gathered about the Akatsuki Akatsuki. It includes information on their strongholds, some of their members, and seven core members, including Kakuzu and Orochimaru. In addition, I have one more request."
Naoki Senju took the scroll but didn't rush to confirm the accuracy of the information. Instead, he said seriously:
"However, Konoha will do its utmost to meet the needs of the Anbu leader."
Uchiha Itachi couldn't help but smile faintly. Although he wasn't particularly interested in the so-called head of the Anbu Anbu, and certainly wouldn't be happy about such a position, this unreserved mutual trust reminded him of someone from the past...
"The incident involving the Uchiha Clan, though stemming from irreconcilable conflict between the clan and Konoha, ultimately involved me as the one carrying out the mission, and my father and mother ultimately fell by my blade..."
Uchiha Itachi's voice grew softer and softer, yet the sorrow within it deepened. His words were, without a doubt, reopening an unhealed wound and rubbing salt into it...
"So please don't tell Sasuke the truth. If he needs someone to hate and vent his anger on, I hope that person is me."
Naoki Senju fell silent, deeply moved by Uchiha Itachi's profound love. This man loved Konoha and Sasuke deeply, and was willing to bear it all alone.
He exhaled a breath of stale air and asked in a low voice:
Is it worth it?
He could have revealed the truth, and even though the Uchiha Clan no longer existed, the bond between the two brothers would not have been broken in the slightest. But he chose the most difficult path...
Uchiha Itachi's eyes remained as firm as ever, showing no regret for his decision. He had made his move, and there was no going back.
"Hatred can make him forget his pain, and it can also give him the motivation to become stronger, allowing him to grow up in the shortest amount of time."
In short: Worth it!
"Understood." Naoki Senju took an item out of his ninja tool pouch, tossed it to Uchiha Itachi, and explained, "This is a rare medicine formulated by a medical master. It can relieve physical fatigue and burden. The side effect is that you'll fall asleep, but you must be careful not to overuse your Chakra, otherwise even if Sister Tsunade herself intervenes, it will be too Rotation."
Uchiha Itachi gripped the medicine bottle tightly, put it away without hesitation, and said:
"Thank you. Please also convey my message to Lady Tsunade that I will investigate the Akatsuki's objectives and strength to clear external obstacles for Konoha."
Naoki Senju nodded in satisfaction. It was worth the expensive secret medicine he had paid for. Ninjas often suffer various hidden injuries during training or battle, and the formula for the medicine to heal these injuries is a closely guarded secret among the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
The Akatsuki probably also has its own secret medicines, but they are definitely not as good as the restorative medicines prepared by Tsunade, a medical genius.
After the two agreed on the time and place for their next meeting, as Uchiha Itachi turned to leave, Naoki Senju called out:
"Wait, we can't just go out like this."
Uchiha Itachi looked at himself. His black robe with red auspicious clouds was only slightly dirty and messy, and he didn't have many wounds on his body. The few wounds he had were left by the Third Kazekage. He certainly didn't look like he had been through a great battle.
"Can we find his exact location?"
Uchiha Itachi spoke calmly, and his intense killing intent sent a chill down the spines of the Black Zetsu and White Zetsu outside who were itching to pounce.
"We can't find him, and he's underground; even Wood Release wouldn't be enough to catch him. All we need to do is disguise him for you. We'll put on an act, and I guarantee the Akatsuki won't notice."
Naoki Senju smiled as he approached Uchiha Itachi Uchiha Itachi suddenly felt a bad premonition...