The setting sun painted the river in molten gold.
Itachi's gaze carried a weight far beyond his years. "Brother Shisui, the tension between my father and the clan council grows unbearable. Why must strength always be used for conflict? Why, when we are all part of Konoha's founding bloodline, do we feel cast out?"
Shisui's eyes followed the flowing water, calm yet resolute. "Itachi, I have been pondering the same question. Hatred breeds only more hatred. Power is meant to protect, not destroy."
"I believe that with a bridge of communication, the clan and the village can find a path to coexistence. Itachi, let us be that bridge together." He extended his hand, palm up, an open gesture that felt like sunlight piercing through the haze of Itachi's young heart.
Itachi smiled faintly and grasped Shisui's hand, sharing a fleeting moment of hope.
The same Naka River, but now night had fallen.
One of Shisui's eyes was nothing but an empty socket, while the remaining Mangekyō Sharingan had dulled.
"Itachi… I have failed!" Shisui's voice trembled, fragile as if it could break at any second. "Kotoamatsukami… has been taken by Danzo. He will never allow peace between the Uchiha and the village…" With his last ounce of strength, Shisui removed the remaining, untainted Mangekyō from his own eye and placed it into Itachi's trembling hand.
"Protect the village… and the future and honor of the Uchiha… that is entrusted to you!" The words barely left Shisui's lips before he collapsed backward into the river.
Itachi clutched the warm eye, and a tidal wave of grief, anger, fear, and an all-consuming hatred for Danzo erupted within him.
He lifted his head, and the three-tomoe Sharingan in his eyes spun violently under the force of his emotions, warping and merging. A new, windmill-shaped Mangekyō pattern emerged abruptly.
At that moment, Itachi witnessed the purest intentions and ideals, crushed ruthlessly by the desire for power. He realized, in despair, that Shisui's bridge of peace had been severed by Danzo's hand.
The path ahead was swallowed by suffocating darkness.
Itachi remained frozen, emitting a soundless cry.
As the tensions between the Uchiha and Konoha escalated, the pressure on him grew unbearably, nearly suffocating.
After reporting the clan's increasing volatility to the Konoha leadership, the Third Hokage promised he would seek a peaceful resolution.
Danzo, however, leaned closer to Itachi, his voice cold and commanding. "Do not be deceived by the Hokage's words. In the end, he will protect the village, and you must make your choice. Will you side with the Uchiha, joining them in rebellion, or with Konoha, leaving only your brother alive and helping eliminate the clan?"
"Eliminate the entire Uchiha?" Itachi's eyes widened, shock rooting him to the spot.
Danzo's expression remained unreadable. "To protect the village, the rebellion must be crushed before it begins. Only a dual agent, an Uchiha loyal to both the village and the clan, can shoulder this responsibility. That agent is you, Itachi. No one else can do it."
"Do you accept this mission?"
Itachi understood. He had been cornered. There was no choice left.
The shadows of the Uchiha clan lands were heavy and oppressive that night.
Across from him stood a mysterious figure, an orange swirl mask hiding his face, with only a single crimson Mangekyō Sharingan visible.
The masked man's voice rumbled. "Look, Itachi. Do you see them? Your clan has been blinded by ambition. They are desperate to tear Konoha apart. Danzo only wants them eliminated."
"That indecisive old man, the Third Hokage, can do nothing. Konoha, the brother you wish to protect… they will be destroyed in this pointless civil war."
Itachi's Mangekyō glimmered faintly in the darkness. His face betrayed no emotion, only bone-chilling despair and the numb resolve of a man who had already made his choice.
In his mind, his inner voice echoed: There is no other path. Shisui's death sealed this fate. I cannot let Sasuke be dragged into this unwinnable war. I cannot let the Uchiha name become synonymous with traitors.
He spoke, voice dry and hoarse. "What are your terms?"
The masked man chuckled low. "Simple. I remove these reckless Uchiha for you. You get the outcome you want: the Uchiha legacy carried by the surviving brother, Sasuke. Konoha avoids civil war. The price is your name: a traitor. You join my organization, the Akatsuki."
Itachi's fist clenched within his sleeve until the knuckles turned white, his nails digging deep into his palm.
After a long, silent pause, he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were calm, still as dead water, resolute. "I agree. But I have one condition. After the Uchiha are handled, you must never touch Konoha again, and you must never reveal anything about me or tonight. And Sasuke… he must never be harmed."
"I agree," the masked man nodded.
This was the only chance Itachi could secure for his brother's survival.
A fateful agreement, steeped in blood and destined to drag him into hell, was made in the despairing hours of night.
In the Uchiha household, Fugaku and Mikoto sat on the tatami, their backs straight, the clan emblem behind them a reminder of their family's honor.
The room was untouched by violence.
Fugaku and Mikoto turned to Itachi. Their eyes were not angry, only deep sorrow and reluctant acceptance. "We never wanted to fight our own son. You have chosen their side?"
"Father… Mother, I…"
Mikoto's voice, ever gentle, cut him off softly. "We understand, Itachi."
Fugaku's tone was heavy with duty. "Itachi, promise me. Protect Sasuke. Keep him safe from all of this."
Hearing his parents' words, Itachi could no longer hold back. Hot tears streamed down his face, and the hand gripping his kunai trembled.
"Do not fear. This is the path you have chosen. Compared to you, our suffering is only a moment. Even if our thoughts differ, we are proud of you."
Itachi let out a suppressed sob. Tears fell onto the back of his hand holding the kunai, then dripped onto the tatami below.
After taking the lives of his parents, Itachi glimpsed Sasuke entering the room.
He used Tsukuyomi, his genjutsu, and later, on the rooftop, donned his Anbu mask to meet the masked man once more.
"It's over. You… never mind. Go ahead."
"You go first. I need to ensure the Konoha elders are secure." Itachi's voice, cold and unwavering, came from beneath his mask.
The masked man said nothing, transforming into a swirl of smoke and disappearing.
Once the masked man was gone, Itachi could no longer sustain himself. He collapsed to his knees on the rooftop, crying out in anguish.
After confronting Danzo, Itachi sought out the Third Hokage, entrusting him with Sasuke's protection and safety.
Later, standing in the forest outside Konoha, Itachi gazed at the village. The night air was still, yet heavy with the burden of everything he had done, every life he had ended, and every secret he must carry alone.