Escaping the Mist Ninja starts with backstabbing your teacher.

Chapter 284 Itachi Steps into Darkness

He lightly traced a line on the control panel to record the data, then reopened the culture tank and retrieved a new sample of cytokine cells.

This time it wasn't a small clump, but the entire number of clones in the blood.

He moved the petri dish next to the starstone fragments, allowing the radiation to steadily envelop the entire cell cluster.

The cells of the juvenile deuterium began to mutate on a large scale under radiation, with sharpening of the edges and accelerated division.

The body's natural energy conversion circuits were interfered with by the starstone radiation, resulting in a mutated Sage Chakra with subtle radiation characteristics.

This mutated Sage Chakra travels among the cell clusters, occasionally synchronizing with the abnormal fluctuations of neighboring cells, forming a brief resonance.

He repeated this process seven times, creating seven groups of radiation mutants, which he numbered.

Of the seven groups of mutants, two collapsed shortly after the mutation began.

The cell walls ruptured, the Sage Chakra dissipated, and the entire clump of cells turned into a pale gray smog, leaving several scorch marks on the surface of the lab bench.

Three groups barely remained stable, but their division rate was too fast, and their cell morphology was completely out of control.

The originally pale green Jugo cells have turned into sharp, dark gray fibers, and his chakra fluctuations are disordered.

Only two groups maintained a relatively stable shape, although the edges became sharper.

However, the rate of division gradually decreases after approaching a certain threshold, and the frequency of internal mutations also tends to follow a regular pattern.

Izumikawa picked out the two groups of stable radiation mutants and scanned their internal structures one by one with his Byakugan vision.

The two groups of mutants have different Sage Chakra frequencies; one is sharper, and the other is more subdued.

The sharper cells divide faster and have a higher peak chakra output.

The slower-dividing group has a slower cell lifespan and higher output stability.

He labeled the slow-moving group as "Radiation Mutant-06".

The sharp one is marked "Radiation Mutant-07".

The two groups were then re-implanted into culture tanks and allowed to continue culturing in a radiation-free environment.

The radiation stopped, and both groups of mutants showed signs of degradation to varying degrees, just at different rates.

Number 06 is retreating very slowly; its cell morphology and chakra wave frequency can still be maintained.

Number 07 retreated quickly, its splitting speed dropped sharply, and its mutated Sage Chakra dissipated almost within two hours.

Izumikawa recorded this phenomenon. "The mutation is unstable and will slowly degenerate after being removed from the radiation source."

"To maintain this special Sage Chakra, Jugo's cells need to be exposed to starstone radiation for a long time, or a way needs to be found to rebuild the radiation source inside the cells."

"Otherwise, this mutated chakra would only have experimental value, not practical value."

He turned off the screen, put the starstone fragments back into the sealed tray, and then pushed the petri dishes back into the culture tank one by one.

With the experiment concluded, his next step is to obtain chakra samples from the Six-Tails and Seven-Tails in order to continue his research.

The Starstone experiment can only proceed to this point for now.

On the other side, Konoha.

Night fell heavily over Konoha, and only a bedside lamp was lit in a private room on the third floor of the hospital.

Sasuke lay on his side on the bed, breathing evenly, with a few dried tear tracks still on his face.

He occasionally frowned in his sleep, as if he was dreaming of something that made him uneasy, and his fingers unconsciously gripped the corner of the bed sheet.

Itachi sat on a chair by the bed, his elbows resting on his knees, his black eyes reflecting Sasuke's sleeping face in the dim light.

He gazed at it for a long time, so long that the moon outside the window peeked out from behind the thin clouds and then disappeared again.

-

So long that Sasuke turned over, kicked the blanket halfway off, and then gently kicked it back on.

Then he stood up, took a small cloth bag from his ninja tool bag, and placed it next to Sasuke's pillow.

Inside were a few soldier rations, half a pack of ninja tools, and a plum rice ball wrapped in oil paper, which Mikoto used to make.

He knew that Sasuke might not notice it when he woke up, but he still wanted to leave something behind.

He reached out and gently tapped Sasuke's forehead with his index finger.

This time he didn't give a perfunctory answer or make excuses.

His fingers paused there for several seconds, as if trying to imprint the words "I will come back" into Sasuke's body through the warmth of his fingertips.

Then he turned and walked toward the door.

The corridor was quiet, and the nurse on duty was dozing off behind the nurses' station.

Itachi didn't go through the main entrance; instead, he climbed out of the window at the end of the third-floor corridor and landed in the shadows on the side of the hospital.

Silently rising and falling between the eaves and alleyways, the hem of her clothes fluttered slightly in the night breeze.

There were scattered lights on in the direction of the Hokage Building, and he knew that the Third Hokage was still in his office at this moment, preparing his words for tomorrow's briefing.

The person he wanted to see was the Third Generation.

Itachi landed in the Hokage Building, went up the stairs to the third floor, and pushed open the door to the Hokage's office.

The third generation was sitting behind his desk, a pipe in his hand.

He was clearly not surprised that Itachi had come; he simply raised his head and looked at him calmly with his wrinkled eyes.

It was as if they were waiting for the twelve-year-old boy to say what he wanted to say.

"Third Hokage, I'm leaving Konoha." Itachi's voice was soft. "I will leave as a rogue ninja."

"I'm going to find that masked man who calls himself Uchiha Madara."

"He killed my mother, threatened me with Sasuke, and is directly involved in the Nine-Tails Night."

"Konoha has no useful information about him. Staying in the village will only keep him bogged down in the Anbu's missions and the Root's mess."

I need to go outside to investigate.

The third generation was silent for a few moments, then took the pipe out of his mouth and gently placed it on the ashtray.

He looked at Itachi, his gaze filled with a complex emotion that Itachi had never seen in anyone else's eyes.

Regret, heartache, understanding, and a barely perceptible restraint.

"I understand your thoughts and decision," the Third Hokage said slowly, his voice hoarse.

"From tonight onwards, you are no longer the Itachi I placed in the Anbu; you are the eyes Konoha sent into the darkness."

Itachi bowed deeply and turned to walk towards the door.

He paused at the door, but didn't turn around. "Sasuke—please."

"I know." The Third Hokage's voice came from behind, soft and steady.

Itachi pushed open the window, and the night poured in from all directions.

He took one last look at the stone statues of the four Hokage on the Hokage Rock, then leaped out of the window and disappeared into the night of Konoha.

He never looked back. Sasuke was still asleep in his ward on the third floor of Konoha Hospital.

Moonlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains, illuminating his curled fingers and the small cloth bundle beside his pillow.

After leaving Konoha, Itachi traveled swiftly in the northeast direction.

He did not use any techniques that would leave obvious traces of chakra, relying solely on taijutsu to move silently among the treetops.

-

The darkness provided the best cover, and Danzo's Root organization was in the midst of a chaotic power transition.

With Shan Zhongfeng suspended from his post, the main force of the secret service was also focused on handling the aftermath in the village, and there were no pursuers.

On an unnamed hill about twenty miles from Konoha Village, Itachi stopped.

He stood in the shadows of the trees, looking around, and after using the other party's contact information, he waited quietly.

The mountain wind swept in from the northeast, passing through the low pines on the ridge, making a low, mournful sound.

About fifteen minutes later, the shadow behind him suddenly twisted unnaturally.

Black Zetsu rose silently from the shadows, like a pool of ink seeping up from the ground.

Black Zetsu has no eyes, but Itachi could feel the other's "gaze" falling on him.

"You came quickly, Uchiha Itachi." Black Zetsu's voice seemed to come from all directions, deep and slow.

"He won't see everyone who wants to see him, but you're different."

"You're special." He paused for a moment, as if conveying this message in another direction, before continuing, "He'll come, but he'll only give you half an hour. Think carefully about what you want to ask."

As soon as he finished speaking, Black Zetsu sank back into the ground and disappeared.

Silence returned to the hillside. Itachi did not move; he knew the other must be nearby.

The opponent's abilities can appear from anywhere, so he cannot be careless or reveal any weaknesses.

He didn't need to reveal any flaws, because he wasn't there to kill anyone tonight.

He came to negotiate, to approach the man who killed his mother, kidnapped Sasuke, and pushed the Uchiha clan into the abyss, in his own way.

A moment later, seven steps behind Itachi, a spatial vortex silently cracked open.

Obito emerged from the crowd, his orange spiral mask covering most of his face, revealing only his scarlet Sharingan.

He folded his hands in his sleeves, his posture languid, as if attending a meeting that had been rehearsed countless times.

"Itachi," Obito's voice was soft, "you really came looking for me."

Itachi didn't turn around, still with his back to Obito, his voice colder than the mountain wind: "I have already left Konoha."

"I will no longer work for the Anbu, nor will I serve the Konoha leadership. From tonight onwards, I have nothing to do with Konoha."

Obito stood seven steps behind him, neither approaching nor interrupting.

Behind his orange spiral mask, only one scarlet Sharingan was visible.

Under the moonlight, I quietly observed Itachi's straight back and the muscle lines that were faintly visible under his sleeves.

He had seen too many people burdened with hatred, but Itachi was different from them.

This twelve-year-old boy had crushed his pain to an almost invisible degree, yet he was negotiating a deal with him in a terrifyingly calm tone.

"The clan is gone, my father is dead, my mother is dead, Shisui is dead." Itachi's voice remained steady, but his breathing was a little heavier than usual.

Every word he uttered seemed to come from the depths of his heart, each word sparking with fury: "Of those who killed them, Danzo was partly responsible, Izumi was partly responsible, and you were partly responsible."

"Danzo is a member of Konoha, and Konoha can no longer tolerate me."

"I killed him, and it was perfectly justified, but you—" Itachi slowly turned around, the black pattern of his Mangekyou Sharingan gleaming coldly in the moonlight, piercing straight towards Obito.

"You killed my mother, threatened me with Sasuke, and gouged out the eyes of my clansmen."

"I should kill you. If I could kill you right now, I would rip your heart out of your chest."

Obito didn't move. He merely tilted his head slightly, as if listening intently to a story whose ending had already been written.

"But I can't do it." Itachi hung his hands at his sides, palms open, without forming hand seals or taking out a weapon.

"I am no match for you, nor for Izumi."

"Even with the Mangekyou Sharingan awakened, my chakra, stamina, and combat experience are still far from sufficient."

"He possesses the Byakugan, Sharingan, Lightning Release Chakra Mode, Shikotsumyaku, and that spatial ability."

"He could blow up the Uchiha clan's territory and drive Shisui to suicide."

"On my own, I can't even touch his shadow, so I need strength, I need you."

He paused, his Mangekyou Sharingan slowly rotating in the moonlight, as if estimating Obito's reaction.

"I'm not here to pledge allegiance to you, nor will I offer any flowery words."

"You help me become stronger, and I'll do things for you, deal with Izumi, and get rid of those people you don't want to get your hands dirty with."

"Once I kill Izumi and avenge Shisui and Fugaku, I will come to kill you too."

"So in your eyes, I'm a knife that will backfire. Do you dare to wield it?"

A mountain breeze swept across the hilltop, causing the cloak, covered in soil, to flutter loudly.

Obito remained silent for a moment, then slowly raised his hand.

He smiled, a very faint smile, as if looking at a sharp and dangerous weapon that had finally been handed to him willingly.

"I dare," Obito said. "I've been waiting for you to say those words for a long time. Uchiha Itachi, welcome to the darkness."

Obito lowered his hand, slowly walked around to Itachi's side, and said in a gentle tone, but with an undeniable certainty: "Akatsuki! You should have found a few words about this organization in the Anbu files."

"Its leader, the holder of the Rinnegan, has deep ties with Izumigawa."

"Izumikawa invited members of Akatsuki to watch the battle at the Hokage Rock, and he has also been providing some members of Akatsuki with chakra batteries and intelligence."

""

"The other party trusts him, at least for now."

Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan narrowed slightly, but his expression remained unchanged.

Xiao! He had indeed seen this name in the intelligence files of the Dark Division, but the information was extremely fragmented.

A mercenary organization composed of S-rank rogue ninjas, whose members have mysterious identities and seem to be related to tailed beasts, war, and assassination commissions from various countries.

It turns out this organization is also related to the masked men, and its leader is even closer to Izumi.

"I want you to join Akatsuki." Obito looked towards Amegakure, "as a Konoha traitor and the last surviving member of the Uchiha clan."

"Akatsuki will not refuse anyone from the Uchiha clan. Once you join, you will become my eyes and ears within the organization."

"Keep an eye on Nagato, keep an eye on Konan, keep an eye on anyone who has contact with Izumigawa."

"I wrote down everything they used in their conversations, the chakra fluctuations they transmitted, and the locations where they met."

"You don't need to please anyone. All you need to do is observe and wait for my next instructions."

As Itachi watched his retreating figure, he understood that the first step he needed to take was to stabilize the other party so that he could protect Sasuke and ensure his safe growth.

The second step is to gather intelligence on the enemy, find their weaknesses, and deliver a fatal blow.

"In exchange, Akatsuki will give you some opportunities to sharpen your skills." Obito's voice held a faint hint of amusement. "There are a few people in the organization who would be perfect opponents for you."

"To deal with Izumikawa, the Sharingan alone is not enough. You need to fight against strong opponents from different systems and hone your eye power in life-or-death situations."

"Akatsuki is the perfect battleground, and all you need to do is keep an eye on the enemy and Izumigawa for me, and don't die, can you do that?"

Itachi tilted his head back, the moonlight reflecting on his young and pale face, his Mangekyou Sharingan like two cold flames slowly rotating in the darkness.

He spoke, his voice calm yet so heavy that it made the mountain wind pause for a moment.

"I can do it." He paused, then added, "But don't forget. After I kill Izumi, I'll come and kill you too."

Obito chuckled, then said nothing more. His figure was swept into the spatial vortex and disappeared.

Only the weasel remained on the hill, the wind whistling through the low pines.

He looked down at his empty palms, then looked up at the direction of Konoha in the distance.

The Hokage Rock and the lights of Konoha were no longer visible; only a dark, dense forest stretched across the night.

He turned around and walked in the opposite direction from Konoha.

From this night forward, he is no longer Itachi Uchiha of Konoha.

He was merely a sword already drawn from its sheath, heading towards darkness.