As his voice faded, the only sound left in the courtyard was the wind rustling through the withered leaves.
Shinichi's lips curled into a smirk. "So, the Akatsuki is launching a full-scale assault?" He chuckled, though his eyes remained icy cold. "If that's the case... things could get tricky." He crossed his arms, his posture entirely relaxed. "But only a little troublesome."
An all-out attack from the Akatsuki was a daunting prospect, sure. But to him, it was nothing more than an annoyance.
True, Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke hadn't fully matured yet. They were still far from reaching their destined peaks. However, Konoha wasn't some weakling that could be bullied at will.
Armed with Wood Release and Sage Mode, Shinichi's own strength sat firmly at the absolute peak of the Kage level. In a head-on clash, he was powerful enough to suppress—or outright kill—the vast majority of the Akatsuki roster.
Then there was the Third Hokage. Sarutobi Hiruzen might be old, but anyone who underestimated him would be making a fatal mistake. Jiraiya, a master of Sage Jutsu, could hold off the Six Paths of Pain as long as he had enough intel. Tsunade was also on her way back to the village.
And finally, there was Might Guy—the man who could trade his own life to kill absolutely anyone below the Six Paths level.
If the Akatsuki really dared to invade, it was hard to say who would be the ones walking away alive.
"You seem... very confident," Itachi said slowly.
"It's not confidence. It's just a fact," Shinichi corrected him. He seamlessly shifted the topic. "But right now, I'm actually more curious about something else."
"What?"
Shinichi didn't answer right away. He took two slow steps forward, closing the gap between him and Itachi. He stopped just close enough to project an aura of immense pressure.
"If I remember correctly..." Shinichi began, letting the words hang in the heavy air. "Kotoamatsukami requires a ten-year cooldown period after every use. And right now... that jutsu..."
He raised his gaze, staring dead into Itachi's eyes. "...is still on cooldown."
Shinichi leaned in, finally asking the question that had been burning in his mind.
"So tell me... who was the very first person hit by Kotoamatsukami?"
The courtyard plunged into a dead silence. The wind swirled the withered leaves between the two shinobi.
Itachi's eyes trembled. He stared at Shinichi, his lips parting slightly, but no sound came out.
A few agonizing seconds passed before he finally spoke.
"..."
Outside the gates of the Uchiha Compound, Sasuke leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.
He lazily kicked a loose pebble with his foot, watching it roll out, hit the curb, and bounce back before he kicked it again.
Today's events were simply too much to process. The man he had hated with every fiber of his being for six years had suddenly morphed into a silent guardian—someone who had been protecting him from the shadows all along.
Screeech!
The heavy groan of turning hinges snapped him out of his thoughts. Sasuke dropped his arms and stood up straight as the massive compound doors swung open.
Shinichi walked out first, with Itachi following closely behind. The two men came to a halt at the entrance. Shinichi glanced at Sasuke, his gaze lingering thoughtfully on the boy's eyes for a brief moment.
"Shinichi... Itachi..." Sasuke hesitated. "Are you done talking?"
"Yes," Shinichi nodded. He took a step back, yielding the floor.
Itachi's phantom drifted forward, stopping right in front of his younger brother. The two Uchiha locked eyes in a thick, tense silence.
"I'm leaving," Itachi stated simply.
Sasuke's lips moved, but the words caught thick in his throat. He stared up at his brother's face—a face he had only seen clearly in his worst nightmares for the past six years.
"Will you... come back?" Sasuke finally managed to force out.
"No."
Itachi's answer was crisp, cold, and uncompromising.
Sasuke's fingers tightened into fists.
"Why?" he pleaded. "Since we know the truth now... why can't you just stay?"
"Because there are some paths that, once taken, cannot be abandoned," Itachi answered softly. "The path I chose is like that. And the path you chose... is the same."
Sasuke gritted his teeth. Seeing his younger brother's frustration, a faint, genuine smile finally graced Itachi's face.
"Just because I am not coming back, doesn't mean we can never meet." Itachi paused, his voice dropping a fraction. "After all, I need to verify your strength with my own eyes."
Sasuke furrowed his brow. "Verify?"
"To test if you can truly meet Shinichi's requirements," Itachi said slowly. "To see if you are really qualified to become his Shadow Guard—and to see if you can shoulder the burden of revitalizing the Uchiha clan."
The mention of their clan's glory struck a nerve. Sasuke's spine instantly straightened.
"I can," he declared without a single hint of hesitation. "I won't just become a Shadow Guard. I will make the Uchiha name resound throughout the ninja world once again."
Itachi looked at him, complex emotions swirling in his dark eyes. "Then, let's make a promise."
"What promise?"
"Three years." Itachi held up three fingers. "Three years from now, right here at the compound. We will duel."
The wind abruptly died down. Suspended withered leaves drifted silently to the ground. Off to the side, Shinichi stood quietly, watching the two brothers have their moment.
Sasuke stared hard into his brother's eyes. His jaw was taut, and his fists were clenched so tightly that the veins bulged against his skin.
"Fine." Sasuke spat out the word. "Three years. Right here. I will prove to you that I am qualified."
Itachi smiled warmly. "I'll be waiting."
He slowly raised his right hand, his index finger extending toward Sasuke's forehead.
Sasuke didn't flinch. He didn't try to dodge. He simply watched the finger draw closer, completely entranced by the sudden softness returning to Itachi's gaze.
Clink!
The fingertip tapped lightly against the cold metal of his Konoha forehead protector.
At that deeply familiar touch, Sasuke froze, rooted to the spot.
Slowly, Itachi's phantom figure began to turn transparent. The edges of his form dissolved into black feathers, drifting upward into the sky like a startled flock of crows.
Just before he vanished completely, his lips moved in silence...
'Forgive me, Sasuke. This is the last time. Three years from now, I will…'
His silhouette flickered, barely holding its shape. For a fleeting moment, he looked at his little brother—one last, lingering gaze, heavy with everything left unsaid.
Then, he dissolved entirely into a flurry of black feathers. They circled in the twilight air before scattering out into the wind.
Sasuke stood perfectly still, staring at the empty space. He slowly raised a hand, his fingers tracing the cold metal of his forehead protector. The phantom sensation of his brother's touch still lingered on his skin.
"Three years..." he murmured.
Hmph! A soft scoff escaped him as the corners of his mouth curled into a confident smirk. He turned back toward Shinichi, who was casually leaning against the courtyard wall with his arms crossed.
"Shinichi."
Shinichi raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?"
"I've decided." Sasuke lifted his chin, his voice entirely resolute. "I'm not just going to become your Shadow Guard."
He paused, expressing his next words with heavy conviction...
"I am also going to become Hokage!"
He spoke with the absolute solemnity of an oath. "To protect Konoha—and to restore the glory of the Uchiha."
Shinichi's eyes narrowed. A highly dramatic, all-too-familiar melody suddenly seemed to roar to life in his head.
"Pfft..."
A sudden bark of laughter spilled from his throat. He couldn't hide his amusement, his shoulders shook as he laughed at the dead-serious expression on the young Uchiha's face.
Raising a playful eyebrow, Shinichi drawled, "Becoming Hokage, huh? That's a difficult path. You should know, besides me... you still have your formidable rival, Naruto, waiting in the wings."
"Naruto?" Sasuke scoffed, tilting his chin even higher.
His solemn oath was instantly overshadowed by his trademark arrogance. "That dead-last?"
He folded his arms, the three tomoe of his Sharingan turning slowly within his eyes. His voice carried undisguised disdain.
"Don't even mention him. No matter what kind of 'genius' someone claims to be… before the Uchiha name, they're all just mortals."
The words came out with absolute conviction—but at the very end, he hesitated. His voice dipped slightly as he added, almost begrudgingly—
"Except for you, of course."
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