Naruto: Starting with the Two Kamui

With Itachi's comforting words, Sasuke drifted off to sleep again.

Standing at the border of the Land of Fire, Itachi looked back at the land behind him with complicated emotions. He knew that once he left, he didn't know when he would be able to return.

"Dad, Mom, and Shisui, I hope we can meet again someday..."

Whoosh, a gust of wind blew his bangs across his forehead, he turned around and stepped out of the border of the Land of Fire.

Itachi didn't look back, and with his beloved younger brother, he continued into the darkness... After enduring countless pursuits and crossing three countries, they finally arrived at their destination!

Itachi's clothes were tattered and his body was covered in wounds, but his younger brother, who was in swaddling clothes in front of him, was unharmed and sleeping peacefully.

He stared into the unfathomable pupils beneath the mask of the man before him and said, "You are... Shadow... Uchiha Yu?"

“Yes, it’s me,” Yu said.

"I want to join your ranks!"

"The reason is..."

"The Uchiha are about to launch a rebellion, and it is destined to fail. There is no place for me in Konoha Village."

"What's the real reason?"

"For my younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke!"

Yu's gaze darkened slightly: "How can you be so sure that I'm willing to accept you?"

Itachi replied without hesitation, "Because my younger brother survived, thanks to you!"

Whoosh, a gust of wind blew by...

Yu looked deeply at Itachi, then turned and said, "Come here."

Thump! Itachi collapsed to the ground at that moment.

His body was already pushed to its limits; he had only managed to get this far through sheer willpower. Even as he collapsed, his instinct to protect his younger brother dictated that he should land on his back...

Later, it was the experience of the two brothers and Izumi living in the Hidden Shadow Village. Sasuke also had memories of that time, but the underlying tone of the same memories was completely different... Unlike the carefree memories in Sasuke's memories, Itachi's memories, behind the warmth, were actually tinged with sadness!

He lived in constant anxiety. As Kabuto said, Itachi during this period was considering his future path!

Six years later, in Dark Hidden Village, at Heavenly Feather Pavilion.

"Nisan! Look, look!"

Six-year-old Sasuke showed off the origami cranes he had just folded to Itachi...

Twelve-year-old Itachi looked at his younger brother with the same tenderness in his eyes as before: "Sasuke, you're so smart..."

"Itachi, Sasuke, dinner's ready~" Uchiha Izumi placed the food on the table, took off the apron she was wearing, and looked at Itachi with eyes full of affection.

Yes, all these years... she has been living in the same house as the Itachi brothers.

When Itachi wasn't around, she took care of Sasuke; when Itachi was around, she stayed by his side.

After finishing his meal, Sasuke fell asleep with his head on Izumi's lap.

"Izumi, you've really had a tough time these past few years," Itachi said to Izumi.

"Why are you suddenly saying all this? Do we need to be so polite between us..." Quan's little face was flushed, and she twisted her two fingers together: "Aren't we just like, like..."

“Izumi… I might have to go on a long-term mission soon,” Itachi interrupted Izumi.

"A long-term mission? As long as the Dragon Vein mission back then?" Quan asked, taken aback.

"It might take even longer than that, so..."

"Is it dangerous?" Izumi's eyes were filled with worry.

"A ninja's mission is always accompanied by danger..." Itachi's answer was somewhat vague.

"But I've never seen you like this before, Itachi. Are you hiding something from me...?"

A smile appeared on Itachi's face as he patted Izumi's head: "Don't overthink it, it's really nothing."

"Then... you'll definitely come back, right!"

"Of course, so please take good care of Sasuke and wait for me to come back..."

"Yes! No matter how long it takes, I'll wait for you!"

It was late at night, and Izumi and Sasuke had already gone to sleep.

Itachi turned his head, gave the two of them a deep look, and went out.

In a secluded place, a figure stood with his back to him, completely concealed in a black robe, exuding an extraordinary aura...

Even with Itachi's magnanimity, that aura felt unfathomable!

Half a month ago, Itachi received a secret letter, instructing him to come to the location mentioned in the letter alone at this time!

This secret letter... appeared on his bedside table after he woke up!

Itachi was astonished that someone could sneak into the Dark Village, which was full of experts and protected by a barrier, without being discovered by anyone!

Although, at that point in time, Shadow did not seem to be in the village.

"As expected, you came alone. Didn't you notify Shadow? That surprises me." The figure with its back to Itachi said.

“If I had notified Shadow, you probably wouldn’t have shown up!” Itachi said.

"It's better not to end up here than to risk never being able to go back."

"If you really had that intention, why bother with all this trouble if you acted without me noticing? You must be trying to confirm something through this, right..." Itachi's gaze towards the back of the figure before him became complicated.

"..." After a moment of silence, the figure turned around, removed the mask from its face, and revealed a familiar face with a hearty smile: "Itachi, you really have become an excellent ninja, just as I thought..."

"It really is you, Shisui-ge..."

"Itachi, all these years I have been searching for your whereabouts. It wasn't until half a year ago that I heard you had joined the Hidden Shadow Village and become one of the personal disciples of the Shadow Uchiha Yu, and you command the 'Heaven' of the Hidden Shadow Tenchi Squad, which is feared by all!"

"Shisui-kun, where have you been all these years?" Itachi asked with a complicated expression.

After a moment of contemplation, Shisui made a startling statement: "I've joined... Akatsuki."

"What?! Akatsuki! The strongest mercenary organization in the ninja world?! Then why have I never heard of you before?!"

"Well, my condition for joining Akatsuki was that the leader of Akatsuki conceal my true identity... Over the years, I have been acting as a member of Akatsuki while simultaneously monitoring the organization's activities!"

Shisui then looked at Itachi and said, "Itachi, you came to the Hidden Shadows Village, probably for the same purpose and thought as me!"

Itachi confessed, "Six years ago, I disobeyed my father's arrangements and came to the Hidden Shadows Village with this intention in mind..."

"Let's not talk about that now, I have something to give you!"

Shisui pulled a vessel from his robes, inside which resided an eye: "This is what Mr. Fugaku entrusted to me to give you six years ago, on the night of the Uchiha massacre! It's your father's right eye!"

Itachi reached out a trembling hand and took it: "Father's...eyes?"

"Yes, that night Mr. Fugaku wanted to control the Nine-Tails to protect the Uchiha, but Danzo saw through his plan and set up an ambush. When I met Mr. Fugaku, Danzo had already taken his left eye."

"I originally advised Mr. Fugaku to leave with me, but he was determined to live and die with the Uchiha clan, and entrusted his right eye to me to give to you, hoping that you would obtain the true power of the Mangekyou Sharingan..."

"Now I'm going to show you everything I witnessed on the night of the Uchiha massacre, Itachi. Look into my eyes!"

Noisy!

Shisui's eyes transformed into kaleidoscopes, revealing everything he had witnessed through those eyes to Itachi without reservation!

"Father, Mother, everyone!!"

Thump!! Itachi knelt on the ground, his teeth clenched, his eyes bloodshot... until, anger and pain broke through the critical point, he suddenly covered his eyes, and bloody tears flowed down his cheeks!

*Whoosh!* A dramatic change occurred with his three tomoe—he awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan!!

Looking into Itachi's eyes, Shisui said with a complicated expression, "Just as I expected, when you witness this scene with your own eyes, you will also awaken these eyes..."

After a long while, Itachi finally calmed down. He wiped the blood and tears from his face, his Mangekyou Sharingan transformed into three tomoe, and he stood up: "Shisui-nii, besides fulfilling my father's request and helping me awaken these eyes, there must be other more important things..."

Shisui said, "During these five years, I infiltrated Akatsuki and discovered a secret... The leader of Akatsuki is ostensibly Pain, the village chief of Shin Amegakure, but in reality, it is someone else!"

"Someone else?"

"Shadow Uchiha Yu!"

"What? But the Shadow and Pain had an earth-shattering life-or-death battle in the Land of Muzan in the Land of Grass, a fact known to everyone in the ninja world!"

"Ah, I was once fooled by this too, but later I discovered... it was actually a play they staged themselves to deceive the entire ninja world!"

Shisui glanced at Liu Jing and said, "So, the Akatsuki organization is the extension of the Shadow Uchiha Yu's goals and ambitions! He openly develops the Hidden Villages, making them on par with the Five Great Hidden Villages, while secretly developing Akatsuki... Its true purpose is to collect the Tailed Beasts!"

"Tailed Beasts!? Isn't Akatsuki a mercenary organization?!"

"We haven't started yet... The plan is to be implemented three years from now, because the Three-Tails died seven years ago and has not yet been resurrected!"

"Then why not act sooner? Even without the Three-Tails, the other tailed beasts are still incredibly powerful!"

"I also asked the leader about this, but the leader's answer was that Akatsuki is still accumulating strength and it is not advisable to start a war with the five great nations at the moment. In addition, he was afraid of alerting the enemy and worried that the countries might harbor or secretly dispose of the Jinchuriki. There was a precedent decades ago when the Tsuchikage Onoki used Dust Release to kill the Jinchuriki in the village who was almost taken away by the enemy country!"

Shisui changed the subject: "But I think that since Akatsuki is the mastermind behind the Shadow, things are definitely not that simple... He must want to achieve some purpose through the Tailed Beasts, a purpose that is more terrifying than the deterrence of combat power! It is beyond our current level of understanding! And the dead Three-Tails... is an indispensable link! Or rather, no Tailed Beast is dispensable! That's why he is waiting, waiting until the Three-Tails is resurrected before he starts to act!"

"If he succeeds... then the ninja world will surely face a catastrophe! Therefore, we must stop Uchiha Yu! Otherwise, a tragedy like that of our clan may be repeated in the ninja world!"

Itachi asked, "How do you intend to stop it?"

Shisui covered his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Kotoamatsukami, my Mangekyou Sharingan's unique eye technique can change the thoughts of the other party without their knowledge, making them act out of their own will..."

Itachi's pupils contracted sharply: "You want to use this eye technique on Shadow?"

Shisui said, "Yes! I know this is not an easy task! In a clash of raw power, I am no match for Shadow. To find the right moment to use my eye technique, I must get close to Shadow and make him look into my eyes. Itachi, I need your help!"

"..." Itachi fell silent at this moment.

Six years ago, he could have made the decision without hesitation, but now...

Shisui said, "Itachi, I know this will put you in a difficult position, after all, you are currently receiving favors and being highly valued by the Shadow..."

"No, it's not just that that worries me." Itachi gazed at the sky, his eyes filled with thoughts beyond his years: "Shisui, no matter how superior this eye technique called Kotoamatsukami may be, wouldn't the peace gained by using it to manipulate people's minds be too empty..."

Shisui clenched his fists: "Of course I know that relying on eye techniques is not a long-term solution, but it can at least solve the immediate crisis! Uchiha Yu is the most unstable factor for peace. At least use Kotoamatsukami to stabilize him first, and then look for other methods. Itachi, please, I have never asked you for anything before! This time, please help me!"

Itachi looked at Shisui: "Shisui-nii, if you use Kotoamatsukami on me, I probably won't be able to resist, right..."

Zhi Shui frankly replied, "Yes! But I don't want to do that to my only best friend!"

"Can you give me some time to think it over? I'll give you an answer in three days..." Itachi said.

"Ok, I will wait for you!"