A month—long or short, depending on who you ask.
For Uchiha Itachi, that month had been both joyful and tormenting.
He was happy because he finally had time to truly be with his little brother, making up for the lost days since joining ANBU.
But the torment came from the internal chaos within the clan—and the pressure brought on by that masked man calling himself Uchiha Madara.
Itachi couldn't understand or accept Shisui's stance. From the Hokage's perspective, this was a direct confrontation between the clan and the village leader.
And the Hokage was elected to represent the will of the village. To defy him was to defy all of Konoha.
To be fair, Itachi hadn't made up his mind at first. He was still struggling.
But the masked man's appearance—and Danzo's words—finally pushed him to make his decision.
The terror of Uchiha Madara didn't need further explanation. Even if Itachi suspected the identity was fake, those Sharingan under the mask didn't lie.
Not to mention, the sheer pressure this man gave off couldn't be ignored. A person like that appearing in Konoha had to have sinister motives.
With the clan's descent into chaos, Shisui's "defection," and Madara's arrival, the pressure Itachi felt was overwhelming.
Under that crushing weight, and guided by Danzo's manipulation, he made his choice—
To purge the Uchiha for the sake of the village—and to use that as a way to get closer to "Madara" and extract intel for Konoha.
Maybe out of concern for his mental state, or to give him time to prepare, both Hiruzen and Danzo granted him a month's leave to rest.
And now, that leave was over. Itachi knew the time for action had arrived.
"Brother, what are you thinking about?"
At dusk, Itachi was walking in a daze, barely listening to Sasuke's voice, which earned a pout from the younger boy.
Sasuke looked displeased, but really, it was more of a playful sulk.
"It's nothing. Just thinking about something important," Itachi said, shaking his head before offering a gentle smile.
"By the way, you should head home on your own later. I've got something I need to do."
"What? But you said you'd spend the whole day with me!"
Sasuke's face drooped even more. He knew his brother had spent a lot of time with him lately—but people always want more.
His favorite thing in the world was being with his brother. Itachi had looked after him since they were little, but their time together had always been fragmented.
This past month had made Sasuke really happy—but he still wished it could last longer.
"Sorry, but I have to leave because of something important," Itachi said patiently. "And I'm an ANBU shinobi. Sometimes things are out of my hands."
At that, Itachi stopped walking. Sasuke still pouted stubbornly.
Itachi chuckled, crouched down in front of him, and lightly flicked his forehead.
"Next time, Sasuke. I'll spend more time with you next time."
"Jeez! I'm not a little kid anymore!"
Sasuke rubbed his forehead, a little stung, but deep down he had already forgiven his brother.
He wasn't unreasonable. He understood Itachi could be busy. So, after saying his piece, he turned and ran home.
While running, he shouted, "Remember, big brother! You better keep your promise next time!"
Itachi kept smiling as he watched Sasuke's back fade into the dusk.
But once Sasuke disappeared from sight, that smile completely vanished.
With a quiet sigh, he turned and headed toward the cliff where he and Shisui used to meet in secret.
The sun had set, and a silver moon now hung in the sky. Itachi had been waiting there in silence for a long time.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes. He could sense a strange chakra swirling around him.
He knew—the person he was waiting for had arrived.
"Looks like you've made up your mind," said a hoarse voice from behind a spiral-patterned orange mask. "Uchiha Itachi."
"Aren't you supposed to be Uchiha Madara? Then show me some of that power," Itachi replied coldly, wasting no time.
"I need your help. There's another Mangekyō user in the clan. If he makes a move, it'll get messy."
"You mean Shisui?"
Obito's voice remained grating, but there was a mocking tone hidden within.
"I heard you two were good friends, brothers even. Guess you really have made up your mind.
But I imagine it won't be just you and me taking action, right? The Uchiha have a lot of members. Even two Mangekyō won't be enough."
"That's none of your concern."
Itachi's expression didn't change, but his fists clenched, and his eyes transformed into their Mangekyō form.
"I just need minimal backup. I can handle the rest. All I want is an answer—can you help me deal with him?"
"Heh... interesting. Very interesting."
Obito looked at Itachi with amusement, then finally nodded.
"Fine. As you wish."
"But I'll give you one piece of advice—wait until they let their guard down. Don't forget, Shisui's got the Mangekyō too."
Under the moonlight, back in the Uchiha compound, Shisui arrived at Yuhara's house carrying a ninja blade.
"The sword you asked for is ready. It's a special piece. It even had a summoning seal embedded in it. The craftsmen had a hell of a time removing it."
He placed the blade on the table, giving Yuhara a small smile.
"Tomorrow's the big day. Are you ready?"
"Of course I am. I didn't waste this past month."
Yuhara smiled and picked up the blade, inspecting it carefully. It wasn't heavy—standard ninja sword shape, and the grip felt solid.
Unfortunately, it was designed to pair well with Lightning Release chakra. His Wind Release technique, Soaring Bird Dance, might not fully sync with it.
Still, even with that mismatch, it was far better than a normal ninja blade.
Normal swords could technically carry chakra, but the efficiency was awful, and they could break under strain. This blade solved that weakness nicely.
"By the way, how's the sentry work going?" Yuhara asked curiously, still eyeing the sword.
"All set. Don't worry. The elders all respect your caution and preparation," Shisui nodded solemnly. "Do your best tomorrow, Yuhara."
"Thanks, Shisui."
Yuhara's face grew serious. Tomorrow, he'd give it everything he had.
Because tomorrow... the curtain rises.
(End of Chapter)