The world blurred as I carried Sasuke's unconscious body away from the burning hotel. Kisame's screams faded behind me, swallowed by the black flames of Amaterasu. One flicker after another, we were gone, vanishing into the night.
"Ding. System notification: Host status updated. Displaying current stats."
A blue panel unfurled before my eyes:
[Host: Itachi Uchiha – Transmigrator]
Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan – MAX LEVEL
God of Fire Style – MAX LEVEL
Forbidden Technique: Izanagi – Level 12 / 100
Forbidden Technique: Izanami – Level 15 / 100
God's Envy (Your Talent) – Level 30 / 100
Sword of Totsuka – Level 50 / 100
Yata Mirror – Level 70 / 100
Chakra Reserves – 2 Chakra Cards
Uchiha Bloodline – Level 60 / 100
Uchiha Swordsmanship – Level 70 / 100
Uchiha Throwing Style – Level 80 / 100
Scientific Knowledge – Level 60 / 100
I skimmed the stats with narrowed eyes. "So this is where I stand right now. Strong… but not nearly enough."
"Ding. System has issued a quest."
A new panel flashed before me.
[Quest: Blood Ties Unbroken]
Objective: Escape Konoha's notice with Sasuke Uchiha.
Condition: Sasuke must survive the escape.
Reward: Hashirama Sage Synchronization.
I froze mid-step. "Hashirama… Sage Synchronization?"
The system's voice was matter-of-fact."Reward grants Host synchronization with Hashirama Senju's Sage Body. Effects include: nearly infinite chakra reserves, cellular regeneration on par with immortality, Wood Release potential, and resistance to all forms of physical deterioration."
My heart pounded. So that's it… This is what made Hashirama truly broken. Not just cells, but his sage body itself.
If I had this, my greatest weakness—my failing body and limited chakra—would vanish. With it, I could rewrite the fate of the Uchiha, of Sasuke, of the entire shinobi world.
But first, I had to complete the quest.
Sasuke stirred weakly in my arms as I slowed near a forest clearing. I laid him down gently.
His eyes cracked open, Sharingan spinning. "Nii-san… what happened?"
"I handled Kisame," I said simply. "For now, we're safe. But Konoha will send pursuit, and the Akatsuki won't forgive me for betraying them."
He clenched his fists. "Then let them come. I'll kill them all."
I looked at him for a long moment, seeing the same hatred that once blinded the original Itachi. But I also saw potential—raw, burning power. Power I could shape.
"No, Sasuke. Not kill them all. Not yet. We'll train. We'll grow. And when the time comes, we'll crush Danzo and everyone who hides behind his shadow."
The words tasted like iron on my tongue, but Sasuke's eyes lit with a dangerous fire.
"Then where do we go?"
I closed my eyes briefly, summoning a mental map. We couldn't go back to the Uchiha hideouts—they were surely monitored. Konoha's patrols were too tight for the north. That left… the Land of Rivers. Remote, forgotten, and far from both Akatsuki and Konoha's reach.
"We'll head west," I said. "Land of Rivers. A perfect place to vanish."
As I lifted him again, the system chimed once more.
"Ding. Side Quest Available."
[Side Quest: Seeds of Power]
Objective: Locate a sample of Senju DNA within one year.
Reward: Early partial synchronization with Hashirama Sage Body (10%).
A smile tugged at my lips. "So even the system wants me to become unstoppable…"
I tightened my hold on Sasuke. "Then let's begin, little brother. This world doesn't know it yet, but the Uchiha are about to rise higher than ever before."
With a body flicker, we vanished into the night.