Itachi's voice grew quieter as he spoke.
"And what else?"
"You've always been observing my growth, even forcing me to awaken the Sharingan. You deliberately killed Tsutama in front of me, didn't you? Minazuki-sensei may be a Jonin, but you could have killed him in one move if you wanted to. After killing Tsutama, you just left..."
Itachi tried his best to suppress the anger inside him, but sadly, he could do nothing.
Izumo Tsutama was one of his few friends.
Even though their relationship wasn't good at the time, he was still a comrade who fought alongside him.
Because this man wanted him to awaken his eyes, Tsutama was brutally killed in front of him.
That scene still replays in his mind, an indelible shadow.
"Remarkable. Indeed, I left those messages so you'd notice my existence."
The man clapped his hands in praise.
"So who exactly are you?"
Itachi raised his head, fearlessly meeting the man's gaze.
With two laughs, the man turned to look at the Uchiha Stele, sighed softly, filled with the weight of the ages.
"It's something you could guess just by thinking with your toes, especially a genius like you."
"..."
Itachi was silent for a moment.
Indeed, this should have been obvious without much thought.
Someone with a Sharingan, ignoring Konoha's barrier to infiltrate the village, moving freely within the Uchiha clan's territory, knowing even the details of this secret chamber...
Moreover, a male Uchiha completely forgotten by Konoha.
There's only one person who fits the profile — Uchiha Madara.
"You should have died long ago. Why incite Hachida and the others to rebel from behind the scenes now?"
Itachi asked.
"Haha, actually, you're wrong about that; I didn't incite them."
Madara chuckled.
"What?"
"Believe it or not, I've never interacted with Uchiha Hachida and the others. It's just the accumulating tensions between the village and them coincidentally erupted at this moment. The sole reason I came here from the beginning was to obtain your power."
"My power?"
Itachi was somewhat surprised.
But he quickly calmed down; he couldn't discern if Madara's words were true or false, and mustn't let himself be led by him.
"Yes. To me, as long as I have your power, that's enough. The situation of the Uchiha clan has nothing to do with me."
"Sorry to disappoint you, but I won't betray Konoha like you."
Itachi said firmly, looking at Madara with eyes full of hostility.
"That's uncertain. For ninjas with a life full of thorns like you, Konoha doesn't have the soil for your survival. You will definitely come to my side."
Madara smiled meaningfully and turned to leave, disappearing into the chamber like a ghost.
Itachi took a deep breath where Madara vanished.
Uchiha, Konoha, Madara... things are becoming more complicated.
What should he do?
◎
"The plan is proceeding smoothly, Afei."
On Konoha's Kage Rock, Madara, wearing a black cloak with red clouds, stood atop the First Hokage's rock, feeling the evening breeze. Beside him, White Zetsu and Black Zetsu's hybrid emerged from the rock, barely holding back laughter.
No longer in the somber and raspy tone from Nankai Shrine, the self-proclaimed Madara, real name Afei, sighed deeply as White Zetsu.
"Oh dear, playing the role of Madara-sama is exhausting. The cryptic lines you designed really made me want to comment. Earlier, I almost couldn't hold back from asking what it's like to relieve oneself."
Black Zetsu and White Zetsu were embarrassed for a moment; if such a question were asked in front of Itachi, the scene... would've been disastrous.
"Anyhow, we've instilled enough fear and apprehension within Uchiha Itachi, which will compel him to follow our steps. Danzo will also cooperate with us."
Black Zetsu said.
"Will Danzo really agree?"
Afei couldn't help but ask.
Black Zetsu replied confidently, "He certainly will, not only Danzo, but also the Third Hokage."
"Eh?"
Black Zetsu's revelation surprised White Zetsu and Afei.
Danzo aside, why would the Third Hokage join in? Isn't he supposedly neutral?
Black Zetsu scoffed, "If Konoha's upper echelons truly intended to negotiate with the Uchiha clan, in the past two or three years since Itachi joined Anbu, the Third Hokage had plenty of opportunities to contact the Uchiha clan for discussions. Yet, it didn't happen. Third Hiruzen refused to negotiate conflicts with the Uchiha clan, just enduring it and waiting for the Uchiha rebellion to occur."
"Impossible, right?"
"The Ninja Professor, out of touch with the times and aging, will because of his decline be unable to act with confidence and balance the conflicts between the Uchiha clan and the village. Since he can't balance these disagreements, the only remaining method to resolve them is... to etch the name 'Uchiha' coldly into history — becoming remnants of history. Avoid what can't be controlled, and it'll be destroyed; that's reality."
A cold glint flickered in Black Zetsu's eyes.
Afei swallowed hard, frightened by Black Zetsu's explanation.
"Human will diminishes with the decay of the body. Existence like Madara-sama is extremely rare in the Ninja Realm. It's clear Konoha is on its decline. Once matters here conclude, we can shift focus to other individuals. Let's not forget who killed Madara-sama. Our greatest threat isn't Konoha."