"So this is the village you once called home. It looks far more prosperous than Sunagakure."
The red-haired youth stood beside Uchiha Itachi, gazing at the serene Konohagakure before him with a cold smirk.
Scorpion of the Red Sand, the partner assigned to Uchiha Itachi by Pain.
He was also one of the Akatsuki members tasked with this so-called mission to gather intelligence on the Two-Tails.
On most days, Scorpion hid within his puppet, Hiruko. But Hiruko was far too conspicuous, and to avoid drawing attention, Scorpion had chosen not to conceal himself within it this time.
Though their black cloaks adorned with red clouds hardly screamed subtlety.
"Hm, indeed."
Uchiha Itachi responded calmly.
"I'm not like Kisame. This mission is under my lead."
Scorpion cast a sidelong glance at the stoic man beside him.
"Do as you please."
Itachi had no intention of squabbling over trivial matters with Scorpion and agreed without protest.
At Itachi's indifferent demeanor, Scorpion let out a cold huff.
His puppet body rendered him immune to the illusions of Itachi's Sharingan, giving him the confidence to fear nothing from the Uchiha.
As Scorpion strode forward, Itachi followed silently.
Just like their previous visit, the two brazenly walked through Konoha's gates.
The gate guards, Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki, seemed oblivious to their presence, chatting idly among themselves.
Clearly, both had fallen under Itachi's genjutsu in an instant.
The moment they entered Konoha, Scorpion and Itachi vanished from sight, blending seamlessly into the bustling streets nearby.
"I have something to attend to."
Before Scorpion could speak, Itachi moved to leave.
"Got some shady business to hide?"
"Mind if I tag along?"
Scorpion sneered at Itachi.
From the moment Pain assigned him this mission, something felt off.
Gathering intelligence? Why send Uchiha Itachi when Zetsu would suffice?
And how long had it been since Itachi last snuck into Konoha with Kisame? Yet here he was, back again.
There had to be a conspiracy.
"Do as you please."
Unfazed by Scorpion trailing behind him, Itachi headed straight for the Uchiha clan grounds.
He hadn't seen Sasuke last time. But this time, through subtle clues, he'd confirmed Sasuke was in Konoha.
And to think Hiruzen Sarutobi had sent Sasuke to the battlefield—a clear violation of their agreement. Itachi planned to give Sasuke a lesson in love before slipping away from Scorpion to confront the Hokage.
The stone path was overgrown with weeds, and the once-mighty Uchiha clan—first among ninja clans—now lay in desolate ruin.
"Tch, tch, tch. What a wreck."
Scorpion surveyed the scene with amused curiosity.
The faded Uchiha crests on the crumbling walls told him exactly where they were.
The Uchiha clan grounds.
The homeland of his companion.
Stepping onto this familiar yet alien territory, Itachi's expression remained unchanged.
His heart was still as water.
Trading the lives of his entire clan for peace.
It was worth it.
As they ventured deeper, the weeds thinned, and signs of life grew stronger. Clearly, someone still lived here.
Who could stay in a place where so many had died?
The answer was obvious.
A faint ripple stirred in Itachi's heart.
Sasuke…
I'm here.
How have you been these years?
Forgive me.
All of this was unavoidable.
Instead of heading to his old home, Itachi led Scorpion toward the Uchiha training grounds.
Knowing Sasuke's temperament, he'd be training relentlessly whenever he had the chance.
Itachi was half right.
Sasuke was at the training grounds—but he wasn't training. He was getting beaten.
A girl with cascading black hair relentlessly whipped Sasuke with a tree branch.
"Pathetic limbs, unsteady steps."
"Sluggish reactions, brainless decisions."
"How did a weakling like you even make it to the battlefield?"
"You'd just drag everyone down out there."
"Back in my day, a pretty boy like you would've been snatched up as breeding stock!"
With every critique, Uchiha Hikari lashed Sasuke with the branch, leaving five or six fresh welts across his body.
She even struck his face, showing no mercy.
"Don't glare at me. Sweat more now, bleed less in battle."
"Get up!"
Hikari whipped the back of Sasuke's hand mid-sentence.
Watching this scene, Itachi froze, his Sharingan instinctively flaring at the sight of his brother's battered body.
Hm?
Killing intent?!
Hikari, forged as a weapon of war by the Uchiha clan in the Warring States era, was acutely attuned to killing intent. She sensed Itachi's presence instantly.
With a flick of her wrist, she hurled a shuriken at him without looking.
"Who's there?!"
Only after the shuriken flew did Hikari's voice ring out, calm and unhurried.
Deflecting the shuriken with a kunai, Itachi and Scorpion revealed themselves.
"Who are you?"
Hikari raised an eyebrow, locking eyes fearlessly with the man bearing Sharingan.
Wasn't Sasuke supposed to be the last Uchiha?
Did that pink-haired Sakura Haruno lie to me?!
"He looks a lot like you, huh?"
"Didn't you wipe out the entire Uchiha clan?"
Scorpion studied Sasuke, noting his resemblance to Itachi with keen interest.
"He's… my…"
"He's… my…"
"Brother…"
"Brother…"
A hoarse voice rasped from behind Hikari, overlapping with Itachi's response to Scorpion.
Crimson three-tomoe Sharingan spun wildly in Sasuke's eyes.
"Uchiha Itachi…"
"You dare…"
"Show your face before me…"
His heart pounded violently, eyes bloodshot. Sasuke gasped for air, his body trembling uncontrollably.
Not from fear or terror.
But from hatred, excitement, and exhilaration!
"My foolish little…"
"That stone-faced guy."
Before Itachi could finish, a clear, crisp voice cut him off.
Hikari studied Itachi with curiosity.
"I heard you slaughtered the entire Uchiha clan?"
"Why spare Sasuke alone?"
She'd learned of the Uchiha clan's destruction from Sasuke.
Though she regretted not being the one to do it, Hikari was intrigued by why Sasuke had been spared.
She hadn't expected to meet the culprit so soon after arriving in Konoha.
Itachi didn't recognize Hikari, but her attire suggested she was an Uchiha.
Had he or Obito overlooked a lucky survivor that night?
It didn't matter.
"It was to test my own capacity…"
Sasuke, struggling to suppress his raging thoughts, forced the words through gritted teeth.
"You actually believe that nonsense?"
Hikari shot Sasuke a withering glance.
"Heh, it was both to test my capacity and to…"
A triangular pinwheel formed in Itachi's eyes as he stared at Hikari.
"The Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan…"
The moment he spoke, Itachi unleashed his ocular technique.
Sasuke, the lucky survivor of that fateful night, clearly valued this girl.
In that case, she would die here!
"Tsukuyomi!"
"Tsukuyomi!"
At the same instant, three distorted black tomoe appeared in Hikari's eyes. She and Itachi cast the same ocular technique simultaneously!
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