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"Leaving is easy, but coming back won't be." After a long moment of contemplation, Tsunade sighed heavily.
"I know." Itachi nodded.
Shisui had been willing to give his life for the Uchiha clan and Konoha. Becoming a rogue ninja wasn't something Itachi couldn't accept.
Understanding Itachi's resolve, Tsunade exhaled deeply before instructing Shizune to summon Midorima.
Midorima hadn't been resting either—his mind was still preoccupied with the Cell Research Lab, pondering how to evolve the Three-Tomoe Sharingan into the Mangekyō Sharingan.
When Shizune relayed Tsunade's message, Midorima was momentarily taken aback before rising to his feet and returning to the main room.
Itachi laid out his thoughts, but Midorima showed no surprise.
This had been his choice in the original story, yet even now, he still chose to join the Akatsuki.
However, in this world, Itachi's state of mind was likely different.
"Now, it's up to you to decide how to proceed," Midorima said.
With a clear direction, the next steps became easier to map out.
"What's your idea?" Tsunade glanced at Midorima.
Making Itachi's defection from Konoha appear natural seemed like an insurmountable challenge to her.
"Simple. There's a hard way and a soft way. The hard method is more direct and effective, of course. The soft approach… well, it's less impactful, but emotionally, you might find it easier to accept." Midorima smirked.
Tsunade stared at him as if he were a ghost. "You're joking."
To her, even coming up with one solution was difficult—let alone two.
Midorima rolled his eyes. If only it were that simple.
"The hard way is to kill—slaughter a large number of Konoha villagers or shinobi. That would naturally brand him a rogue ninja."
In the original story, Itachi had joined the Akatsuki using this very method—except he hadn't killed ordinary villagers, but his own clan.
Tsunade's face darkened. What kind of bullshit plan was that? Wasn't it just inviting hatred?
She turned to Itachi, only to find him seriously considering the idea.
Hey, hey, don't let him lead you astray!
Tsunade slammed the table. "What's the soft method?"
"Itachi needs to openly express his dissatisfaction with Konoha and the Uchiha clan. The reason? He couldn't find Sasuke. He should vent his frustrations in front of the Third Hokage… Oh, and he can throw in other grievances too. Essentially, he'll declare his disillusionment with both Konoha and the Uchiha, sever ties with the village, and set out alone to find Sasuke."
"That's not a bad plan, but why would the Akatsuki want him?"
"The Akatsuki is short on members—especially highly skilled ones."
The Akatsuki had a knack for recruitment. Deidara, for instance, had been poached by them.
"However, simply cutting ties with Konoha won't be enough to grab their attention. You'll need to showcase your abilities… Oh, by the way, did you know the Akatsuki is strapped for cash?"
Tsunade shook her head, eyeing Midorima suspiciously. How did this kid know so much?
"Remember why Kakuzu attacked me? Because my bounty was high," Midorima reminded her.
Tsunade lightly smacked her forehead as it came back to her. "I recall his partner died."
"Right, but the dead guy isn't the point." Midorima waved his hand dismissively. "Their main income comes from bounty missions. Your goal is to complete those missions before they do. That'll force them to take notice of you. At that point, whether you join the Akatsuki or not will depend on your luck."
Truthfully, this method wasn't as foolproof as outright killing, but that option is obviously off the table.
Tsunade frowned, processing Midorima's words.
Though the second method seemed less bloody, it involved direct conflict with the Akatsuki—making it far more dangerous.
After weighing both options, Itachi chose the second path.
Midorima understood his decision. At his core, Itachi was someone who shouldered responsibility.
"What about the people who kidnapped Shizune…?"
"I'll say this much—if Itachi and the Third Hokage clash, someone might pin the blame on Itachi. Be wary of that person." Midorima gave a subtle hint.
Tsunade's eyes gleamed, a faint smile curling her lips. "Understood."
"And then there's the matter of the Uchiha clan. I don't need to explain how complicated it is. Honestly, I'd rather not get involved in Konoha's affairs."
"Don't tell me you have a solution for this too?" Itachi asked, surprised.
"I have ideas, but this kind of thing requires the right timing, conditions, and people. I can't do it alone." During his time in Konoha, Midorima had had plenty of idle hours to think. Gradually, he'd pieced together a rough plan regarding the Uchiha.
But after Shisui's death, stopping the Uchiha coup had become nearly impossible. No single person could achieve it.
That's why Midorima had mentioned "timing, conditions, and people"—or, to put it bluntly, luck.
"Fine. My life is in your hands. If you can help with this, I'll do anything."
"I'm not some sage—how can I guarantee anything?" Midorima rolled his eyes. "Right now, I'm still in Konoha. There are things I can't say openly. If we meet again in the future, we'll talk more then."
Tsunade hesitated, wanting to ask Midorima something but holding back.
The truth was, she had little leverage. Her strongest card was medical ninjutsu—but Midorima was already proficient in it.
Even if she tried bartering, she had nothing of equal value to offer… unless she taught him the Summoning Technique.
But she couldn't bring herself to make that decision yet, so she let it go for now.
The discussion between the three had been fraught with complications, but in the end, they reached a conclusion.
The next day, Naruto Uzumaki woke up. Tsunade and Itachi immediately went to his hospital room to ask about the incident.
Naruto's memory was intact, but the information he provided wasn't particularly useful.
"A Konoha shinobi ambushed me. He killed almost everyone there." Naruto described the assailant's appearance from memory, and a sketch artist produced a portrait based on his account.
"Yeah, that's him!" Naruto pointed at the drawing. "Wait—what about Sasuke? Is he okay?"
Tsunade and Itachi didn't answer right away. After glancing at the portrait, they realized further questions were unnecessary.
The man in the drawing had been found the day after the incident—but only as a corpse, his face peeled off.
This indirectly confirmed the truth in Midorima's words—Orochimaru had been the one to take Sasuke.
What followed was Itachi's descent into apparent madness. He flew into a rage at home, injuring his parents before storming into the Hokage's office and overturning the Third's desk.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stared wide-eyed at the dark, almost sinister expression on Itachi's face, his mind racing—Is this rebellion or not?
In the end, Itachi threw his Konoha headband to the ground, declared, "I've lost faith in this village," and walked out without looking back.