Sasuke stared blankly at his brother, who was kneeling on the ground, his mind a mess.
The figure of his once great brother now seemed so fragile and weak.
He struggled to understand why his powerful brother would make such a humiliating gesture for him.
In his heart, his brother was omnipotent, a strong individual who would never bow his head to anyone.
But now, for him, his brother was willing to abandon all his dignity and pride.
He hated his own incompetence, his own weakness.
He couldn't fight alongside his brother in front of powerful enemies, only hiding under the wings his brother had spread.
Tears streamed down his face, his small hands clenched into fists, his hard nails digging deep into his palms, as if punishing himself for his helplessness with this pain.
The Akuma walked over, his voice slightly urgent:
"You are a rare talent. If you are willing to come with me, I will spare your brother's life, how about it?"
"I can..."
Itachi's voice was suppressed and trembling, but before he could finish, Sasuke crawled to Itachi's side and interrupted him with an urgent shout.
"No! ..."
Itachi raised his tired eyes, looking at his tear-streaked brother, complex emotions swirling within him.
"Sasuke..."
He extended two fingers and gently touched Sasuke's startled forehead, leaving a fresh red bloodstain.
His weak face was filled with endless tenderness and apology.
"I'm sorry... next time..."
Suddenly, a white light behind Itachi intensified, and his body seemed to be caught by some unseen force, falling into the white light.
Sasuke's desperate gaze followed his brother's figure, his heart feeling as if it was tearing apart at that moment.
He desperately reached out, wanting to grasp the fingers that were about to leave him, but he was mercilessly blocked by a powerful force.
He gritted his teeth and looked up, his black pupils having already faded, replaced by angry red Sharingan.
A single black tomoe swirled in his sorrowful pupils, and tears streamed uncontrollably from the corners of his eyes.
The Masked Man was momentarily stunned, then activated his Mangekyo, staring at the child before him.
Sasuke's expression suddenly stiffened, his pupils returning to their lifeless black, appearing exceptionally hollow and despairing under the clear Gekko.
The Masked Man gently placed the unconscious Sasuke on the ground and slowly sighed.
The Akuma, standing not far behind, saw this and quickly walked over, his voice from behind the mask suddenly becoming clear:
"How is Sasuke?"
"He's fine, I just temporarily made him lose consciousness."
Sasuke's tear-stained face appeared exceptionally pale under the transparent Gekko.
Gently wiping away Sasuke's tears, Chizhao's heart was filled with mixed emotions.
To save the Uchiha Clan from a tragic fate, she had no choice but to make such a decision.
She also felt deep guilt for the pain Sasuke was enduring.
"Let's go. Konoha's higher-ups will be here soon. Let's go check on Itachi's injuries first."
Returning to the small cabin through the teleportation gate, they saw Uchiha Itachi lying on the ground, bleeding profusely.
"Itachi-nii!"
Anxiously discarding the mask on her face, Chizhao quickly took out a Membrane Card to stop Itachi's bleeding and treat his wounds.
【Good Deed Progress +10】
A subtle glimmer of light passed from under the cloak.
But Chizhao, concerned about Itachi's injuries, didn't pay attention to it.
"You were too reckless, Itachi! This wasn't part of our plan!"
Helping Itachi up from the ground and letting him lean against him, Shisui's slightly angry tone was filled with concern.
"I'm sorry..." Itachi's voice was faint and hoarse: "Such clumsy acting wouldn't deceive Sasuke and Konoha's higher-ups."
But from the bottom of her heart, Chizhao believed that the scene just now was not acting.
Because Itachi's love for Sasuke was always genuine and pure, without any impurities.
"Enough, Chizhao, it's fine now..."
Itachi gently held the hand clutching the Membrane Card, and the coldness from his palm startled Chizhao.
"But your wounds haven't fully healed."
Itachi propped himself up on the floor, enduring the pain from his wounds, and sat up, his voice a little weak:
"I still have to go see that person..."
"Did you even factor in getting injured, calculating that Masked Man?"
Helping Itachi up, Shisui looked at Itachi's calm expression, a hint of complexity rising within him.
Having known him for a long time, he understood Itachi's character to some extent; to ensure the smooth progress of the plan, he would even stake his own life on it.
"Only this way can I gain his trust..."
Itachi sat down at the table with some difficulty, his pale lips making him look vulnerable.
"Shisui... I'm counting on you for the Clan. As for Akatsuki, I'll infiltrate them..."
Shisui looked deeply at Itachi, closed his eyes, and sighed:
"I understand. I will help with the Clan's reconstruction. We'll stay in touch. Be careful with everything."
After finishing his instructions to Itachi, Shisui turned to Chizhao and nodded slightly.
"Chizhao, I'll trouble you to send me to the Clan members."
Hearing this, Chizhao opened a passage to the Uchiha basin on the wall and looked at Shisui:
"Shisui-nii, let's keep the other hardened membrane with you. That way, if anything happens, I can come find you."
He placed his palm on Chizhao's head, a gentle smile gracing his lips:
"Mm, the Uchiha's door is always open to you."
Then he and Itachi exchanged a firm, knowing look, and he disappeared into the white light.
After watching his close friend leave, Itachi gasped for breath and slowly stood up:
"It's about time I left too..."
"Itachi-nii!" Chizhao suddenly called out to him, her voice filled with confusion and worry:
"Actually, you really don't need to infiltrate the Akatsuki Organization. Wouldn't it be better to stay and rebuild the Uchiha with Shisui-nii, and then tell Sasuke everything at the right time?"
You no longer need to defect from the Village and bear such a heavy burden!
The Uchiha Clan is safe now!
Why do you still want to...
"Chizhao..."
Itachi slowly crouched down, as if comforting a sister who had suffered a great injustice.
His smile was as gentle as ever, and in his obsidian-like pupils, Chizhao saw her own flustered expression.
His finger gently tapped her forehead, the slight touch bringing her back from Itachi's eyes.
His steady voice floated in the room like feathers.
"I am a Konoha Ninja too..."
"See you... next time..."
The figure before her was gradually surrounded by a flock of crows in Chizhao's misty vision, and that gentle smile was also submerged beneath the black feathers.
The crows' dark feathers suddenly burst open, and the surrounding sounds instantly fell silent, leaving only a clear Gekko and a sky full of scattered black feathers in the small cabin.