[Golin City]
Gaara and Rasa had just come out of the administrative building. After coming out, the grandfather-and-grandson pair both reached out and wiped the oiliness from the corners of their mouths.
Lord Tokugawa was truly too enthusiastic. Every time they met, the table was filled with endless little snacks.
Gaara secretly let out a small burp, but Rasa still heard it. He slapped the back of Gaara's head and said, "Pay attention to the village's image."
Gaara covered the back of his head, but didn't mind.
He described to Rasa, one by one, everything he had seen and heard in the Research Institute and Kirigakure during this period of time.
Gaara had returned yesterday together with the annihilation army. He stayed one night in Golin City, and today Rasa came to take him back to the village.
Because he had lost the White Snake's "extracting the tail beasts" ability, and the scholars of the Research Institute tried all kinds of methods but could not take the One-Tail Shukaku out without harming Gaara.
A perfectly good child couldn't be kept imprisoned in the Research Institute forever, so they simply took a step back and changed the plan.
Since they couldn't pull the One-Tail out, then make the One-Tail obedient and well-behaved, turn it into Gaara's weapon, letting him have a certain level of self-protection.
Even if one day in the future he really encountered an enemy attack, Gaara, who controlled the One-Tail, could still buy time and wait for reinforcements.
As for what to do if the One-Tail had a bad temper and didn't listen?
Well, there were four others just like that.
The four Tailed Beasts captured by Ryosuke were quite rebellious when they first arrived.
But now aren't they all supporting the research in the Institute? Smiling at everyone, and in their free time, they even had to help the green snake move goods and organize warehouses. Everyone was living in harmony.
For the hot-headed One-Tail, these four seniors did ideological work for a few days and eventually talked it through.
Listening to Gaara's endless rambling, Rasa frowned slightly and scolded, "You've talked for half the day and it has no logic or order at all. Is this how I usually teach you?!"
Gaara was frightened, immediately shut his mouth, and lowered his head.
Rasa took two steps forward before realizing it. He turned back and saw his son's eyes dimming. He forcefully patted his own forehead to wake himself up a bit.
Now wasn't the same as before. He didn't need to pressure Gaara anymore, testing whether he could suppress a Tailed Beast.
Rasa saw a shop selling ice cream nearby. He walked over, bought two, and handed one to Gaara.
Gaara looked at the ice cream in surprise.
In the past, his father never let him eat this kind of junk food.
"Take it."
Gaara didn't dare disobey his father's order and accepted the ice cream.
Rasa recalled Gaara's rambling just now, and after a moment of silence asked, "At the Research Institute and Kirigakure… were you happy there?"
"Happy!"
Gaara nodded strongly.
Rasa reached out and rubbed his head. "Then go play there from time to time. When that happens, I'll go with you."
Gaara's eyes lit up at once.
"I heard Konoha Village will hold the Chunin Exams soon. Dad, let's go together!"
Rasa's tense expression loosened, and a faint smile appeared, "Alright, we..."
His smile froze.
Under the blazing sun, Rasa felt a chill run down his spine.
He pulled Gaara behind him, slowly turned around, and looked toward the far end of the street. The ice cream in his hand had long been thrown away, replaced with a kunai he always carried.
The street was crowded and bustling, but at this moment, in Rasa's eyes, the passersby seemed to lose their color, turning into streaks of gray shadows flashing by.
And among those gray shadows, one person stood there silently.
He wore a black robe, a hood over his head, head lowered, like a statue.
A silent pressure, like threads of mist, spread over, dispersing the heat of the scorching sun, making Gaara, hiding behind Rasa, tremble slightly.
"Don't be afraid."
Rasa said softly, "I'm here."
He suddenly raised his hand. The kunai in his palm precisely slipped through the gaps in the crowd, spinning toward the black-robed man.
Pa!
Rasa didn't even see the opponent's movement clearly.
The black-robed man's hand moved as if it had instantly teleported forward, catching the kunai with one grab.
He lowered his hand, and at the same time slowly raised the head that had been hanging low.
Two completely different Mangekyō Sharingan rotated slowly.
"Uchiha… Itachi?!"
Rasa's voice was full of shock.
Because Uchiha Itachi's condition was far too bizarre.
His skin was unnaturally pale, completely unlike what a human should have. Even more terrifying, in the instant their eyes met, a faint chakra wave was transmitted.
Cold, eerie, enormous.
"What… have you done to yourself?!"
"..."
Uchiha Itachi did not answer. The pressure only grew heavier in the silence.
Having obtained his father's eyes, and the White Zetsu cells, many changes had occurred in Uchiha Itachi.
Some he could explain, most he could not.
Itachi could confirm only one thing, that is, he had surpassed the limits of his own self in the true sense.
BOOM!
Black flames of Amaterasu appeared out of thin air.
Uchiha Itachi didn't care about the people at all. The pitch-black flames followed his gaze. Just when they were about to fall onto Rasa, a thin layer of gold sand appeared, blocking the flames.
"I understand now."
Rasa's eyes turned cold. "You've turned yourself into a complete lunatic!"
In the past, even if Uchiha Itachi killed people, it was for a purpose, part of a plan.
Now, he had abandoned all humanity.
The crowd fled in screams, and the cries drew in patrol mice.
Several mice in gray cloaks ran over quickly. Seeing the scene before them, they too were stunned.
"Go call for reinforcements!" Rasa said.
"Yes!"
Rasa wasn't confident he could take Uchiha Itachi down.
And with Itachi's abilities, the longer they fought, the more destruction the city would suffer.
The mice who rushed over naturally recognized Rasa. They nodded hard and ran toward the back.
Uchiha Itachi didn't care about the leaving mice.
"I will end the battle within three minutes."
This was the time he agreed on with Obito.
Based on the distance between the Land of Wind and Kirigakure, plus the fact that communication methods in this era were not very convenient.
Golin City would need at least three minutes to contact Ryosuke.
Even if Ryosuke endured the damage from Tensō no Jutsu and teleported directly across most of the ninja world, Itachi would have already killed Rasa, taken Gaara, and escaped long before that.
Yes, his target was Gaara.
To be precise, the One-Tail.
This was the content of the deal between Uchiha Itachi and Obito.
Obito helped Itachi with physical modification, and Itachi would capture this most troublesome Jinchuriki brat.
After hearing Uchiha Itachi's three-minute declaration, Rasa let out a short laugh, filled with anger, and threw out one word, "F*ck."
He clapped his hands together, and golden sand filled the sky.
If Rasa had a defensive weakness, it would be genjutsu. If it were the Itachi who once possessed "Tsukuyomi," he really wouldn't have many options, one misstep and he could easily fall into illusion.
But now...
Rasa saw Itachi's target and his eyes grew icy cold, "You dare touch my son?"
"I'll kill you!"
'Magnet Release: Gold Sand World Method!'
Countless sharp golden-sand spikes, like bamboo shoots, grew wildly and stabbed toward Uchiha Itachi.
Facing the nearly flawless attack, Itachi gently closed his right eye, the eye of Amaterasu, and poured all his chakra into his father's left eye.
Mangekyō ability activated, "Tentaigyōmei"
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