I, Uchiha Itachi, Will Bear the Burden
Xu Fan was just about to rest and wait until the next day to seek out Jiraiya when he heard a voice outside the door.
"Xu Fan."
It was Uchiha Itachi.
His tone was calm, but there was a quiet weight behind it.
Xu Fan didn't bother changing out of his pajamas. He walked straight to the door and opened it.
Itachi stood alone in the moonlight. There was no sign of anyone else—no masked man, no ANBU. Just him.
Despite the late hour, Itachi's expression was serious.
"Let's talk inside."
Xu Fan nodded and stepped back to let him in.
Technically, this wasn't even Xu Fan's home—it was Hatake Kakashi's. But Kakashi was still hospitalized, recovering from the aftereffects of a powerful genjutsu embedded in his mind. So, for now, the place was quiet and secure—perfect for a conversation like this.
"You don't seem surprised," Itachi remarked as he followed Xu Fan into the living room.
He expected questions. Doubt. Maybe even fear.
But Xu Fan remained calm.
"What's there to be surprised about?" Xu Fan replied as he poured himself a cup of tea. "The masked man?"
"It doesn't matter. If you think I need to know something, you'll tell me. If not, I won't waste my time asking."
"And even if you did betray the village… I know you must have had your reasons."
He said it casually, but his words were calculated—meant to gain Itachi's trust and convince him he was on his side.
Truthfully, Xu Fan knew far more than he let on.
He already knew the true identity of the so-called Masked Man was Uchiha Obito, not Madara. He knew the plan Obito was pursuing—the Eye of the Moon Plan. He even knew about the girl Obito once loved: Rin Nohara.
Xu Fan could shatter Itachi's assumptions with a single sentence.
But he didn't.
"You're more composed than I expected," Itachi admitted, pausing for a moment. "The Third Hokage told me you were the one who subdued the Nine-Tails."
Xu Fan nodded. "I just did what had to be done."
"He also told me you're staying here, in Kakashi's house."
"Makes sense," Xu Fan replied. "So? What did he say to you?"
"...His name is—"
Itachi hesitated, then took a breath, as if summoning courage.
"Uchiha Madara."
He waited for Xu Fan's reaction.
But Xu Fan didn't even flinch.
Itachi blinked, surprised. "You're not shocked?"
"I'm surprised," Xu Fan said with a small shrug. "But what does Madara want from you?"
"You believe me that easily?" Itachi frowned.
To him, Madara was a legend—the first Uchiha to awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, the man who had built Konoha alongside Senju Hashirama, only to clash with him at the Valley of the End and disappear afterward.
For him to reappear now... It was surreal.
"I believe in you, Itachi," Xu Fan replied. "Do you remember when we first met? I showed you my biggest trump card. I told you who I really am."
"We haven't spent much time together, but I've always thought of you as a friend. Someone I can trust completely."
"And if anyone deserves the same trust in return, it's you."
Xu Fan looked him in the eye. "So, go on. What do you want from me?"
Itachi exhaled slowly.
"The Uchiha coup has been averted… for now. But Madara—Obito, whoever he is—approached me with an invitation."
"I intend to accept. I will leave the village tonight and join the Akatsuki, posing as a rogue ninja. That way, I can monitor their movements and send intelligence back to Konoha."
"And… I have one request."
Xu Fan already knew what it was.
"Sasuke?"
Itachi nodded. "Yes. He's the only one I can't protect once I leave. I want you to look after him."
"Of course," Xu Fan said without hesitation. "When do you plan to go?"
"Tonight. The village will blame the coup entirely on me. They'll say I used my Mangekyō Sharingan to manipulate clan members and tried to seize power."
Xu Fan frowned. "That's more than just taking the fall. That's rewriting history."
"It's necessary," Itachi said firmly. "If the world sees me as the villain, I'll have the credibility to move within the Akatsuki. It will protect the village… and Sasuke."
Xu Fan understood. This wasn't just sacrifice. This was strategy.
And it would work—at least on Nagato.
Obito, however, wouldn't be fooled. He didn't care about the truth; he just needed Itachi's strength to further his own goals.
Still, both sides would get what they wanted.
After delivering the final message, Itachi's body dispersed into a flock of black crows that scattered and vanished into the night.
Xu Fan stood alone in the silent room.
"So he's gone," he murmured.
Though the Uchiha clan hadn't been annihilated this time, Itachi's heart remained unchanged. He would still walk the path of shadows—spy, traitor, protector.
And now, Sasuke—and perhaps the whole Uchiha future—had been entrusted to Xu Fan.
The road to heaven is paved with silent burdens.
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