Part Time Employee in Konoha

Land of Fire.

In a small inn within the capital.

Uchiha Itachi lay on the bed, coughing incessantly.

Ever since his encounter with Uchiha Sasuke, Itachi's condition seemed to have worsened, possibly due to the effects of the Tsukuyomi space being broken.

However, Itachi insisted on holding on despite his illness, refusing to let Hoshigaki Kisame call for a doctor. Now, his body was so weak that he couldn't even continue traveling.

"Itachi-san."

Kisame, frowning, sat in the chair beside him, listening to his companion's coughs. Gripping his Samehada, he stood up, saying, "We need to find a doctor..."

"This is... cough, cough... the capital of the Land of Fire..."

Itachi coughed lightly, reminding his teammate, "Kisame, if we're careless and expose our location, the ninja from Konoha will definitely hunt us down..."

Kisame grinned, hefting his Samehada as he left the room, leaving behind only the sound of violent coughing, as if Itachi could no longer hold on.

However...

After Kisame left.

Itachi's movements became unusually swift, showing no sign of his earlier weakness. He quickly slipped out of the inn through the window, hurrying toward the residence of the daimyo.

But once Itachi had left, Kisame emerged from a corner, his gaze following Itachi's distant figure. A sinister smile crept onto his face, as if he had anticipated Itachi's feigned illness.

After all...

They had been teammates for many years.

Kisame knew his teammate's body well. There had been plenty of opportunities to see a doctor, yet within just two days, the condition had supposedly worsened to this extent. The obvious pretense for some alone time indicated that his teammate must have something urgent to attend to.

Kisame did not expose Itachi's act but quietly followed him, secretly keeping an eye on his old teammate.

"So, you're following me after all?"

Itachi paused briefly, sensing a strong figure tailing him. But he didn't have the energy to worry about it further.

It didn't matter.

Kisame could follow if he wanted.

He might even need Kisame's formidable strength soon.

Itachi planned to confront Shimura Danzo today to ensure Sasuke's safety, which could very likely lead to a conflict.

Today.

The daimyo's residence in the Land of Fire welcomed a new guest.

Shimura Danzo, the newly appointed Hokage of Konoha, had arrived to receive his official appointment.

Unlike his predecessors, Danzo did not arrive with much fanfare; instead, he kept a low profile, bringing only a black-haired youth as his personal bodyguard.

"The Hokage of Konoha is very important..."

The daimyo of the Land of Fire spoke lightly, holding a small fan to his lips. "It would be wise for the Fifth Hokage to arrange for more guards and take better care of his safety. We don't want him to end up like the Third Hokage..."

"My guard..."

Danzo glanced at Uchiha Sasuke, who stood behind him, gripping his cane as he coldly replied, "One person is enough."

"He still looks like a child..."

A noble from the Land of Fire chuckled, making a joke about Sasuke.

"..."

Danzo shot the man a cold look.

Clearly.

The new Hokage of Konoha was not someone to be trifled with.

The nobles and ministers present looked at Danzo's bandaged, grim face and quickly lost their mood for humor. The atmosphere at the high-level meeting in the Land of Fire grew tense.

After a brief silence.

Danzo stood up, leaning on his cane.

"I have matters to attend to, so I'll return to Konoha first."

"Very well, very well..."

The nobles and ministers of the Land of Fire finally relaxed, watching Danzo leave with polite smiles. Their expressions darkened once he was out of sight.

"This new Hokage doesn't seem easy to get along with..."

"He doesn't look like a good person at all..."

"He's nothing like the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen..."

The group began to quietly speak ill of Danzo, not wanting the military leader of the Land of Fire to be such a ruthless individual.

But...

They had no choice.

At least, until the daimyo openly expressed any objections.

However, the daimyo of the Land of Fire was timid by nature. When he met Danzo, it was as if he had encountered a villain, and he could only say nice things to appease him.

"Hmph..."

"It seems everything is going smoothly..."

As Danzo left the daimyo's residence, he relaxed slightly, feeling that he had passed the first hurdle in his ascent to Hokage.

"Yes."

A strange smile appeared on Sasuke's lips.

If nothing unexpected happened...

Konoha should already be in turmoil by now, right?

On one hand, he had secretly provided Kakashi with information about Danzo's collusion with the Akatsuki; on the other, he had spread rumors about the Akatsuki invading Konoha, manipulating Danzo to pressure the Konoha leadership into accepting him as Hokage.

These two matters...

Were in absolute conflict!

If Kakashi hadn't exposed Danzo's collusion with the Akatsuki, Sasuke would be waiting for word from the Sannin.

"Let's go meet Itachi first."

Danzo turned to Sasuke, issuing a command to his most trusted guard: "Sasuke, if a conflict arises when I'm talking to Itachi, I'll give you a signal. Then, you will ambush and kill him..."

"Yes..."

Sasuke's eyes lowered slightly.

"It's been a while, Danzo-sama."

Itachi's polite voice interrupted their conversation, causing Danzo's expression to sour.

"..."

Danzo gripped his cane, narrowing his eyes as he scrutinized the young figure emerging from the shadows.

Danzo's hand tightened around his cane as he looked at Itachi's Akatsuki cloak, haughtily greeting him first.

"Indeed..."

"It's been some time..."

"Itachi..."

"..."

The scene fell silent for a moment.

Danzo didn't mention his schemes that had been exposed; instead, he shifted the topic, inviting Itachi and Sasuke to follow him outside the city: "This place is too crowded for a conversation. Let's go outside the city..."

"The sooner, the better."

Itachi glanced at his brother before turning back to Danzo, casually mentioning the Akatsuki: "The Akatsuki are constantly monitoring me. I don't have much free time..."

"Hmph... Akatsuki."

Danzo snorted coldly.

To be fair...

He owed his position as Hokage to the Akatsuki.

If Itachi and Kisame hadn't infiltrated Konoha, showing the village the threat of the Akatsuki; if the leader of the Akatsuki, the wielder of the Rinnegan, hadn't planned to attack Konoha, perhaps Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado wouldn't have agreed to his appointment as Hokage...

Outside the daimyo's city.

Danzo wore an unmistakably proud expression.

With the loyal Sasuke by his side and the title of Hokage, Danzo felt he could finally look down on Itachi.

"I want to discuss Sasuke..."

Itachi glanced at Sasuke, who was following Danzo, and softly said, "Let's have Sasuke step away first..."

"My affairs..."

Danzo looked at Itachi with disdain, sneering coldly: "There's nothing that needs to be hidden from Sasuke."

"However..."

Danzo added, adopting a condescending tone: "In consideration of your past service to Konoha, I'll grant your request."

"Sasuke."

"Step away."

Danzo waved Sasuke off. He didn't want to completely sever ties with Itachi.

If Itachi continued to obey him, the fact that he was a member of the Akatsuki could still be useful to Danzo.

"Yes, Danzo-sama."

Sasuke respectfully stepped aside.

"Itachi."

"Your brother is much like you..."

Danzo touched his cane, watching the black-haired boy retreat, and slowly continued, "When I see Sasuke, it's like seeing you in the past, both placing the village's safety above all else..."

"..."

Itachi remained silent.

"Enough."

"Let's get to the point."

Itachi didn't want to dwell on Konoha any longer. He had already sacrificed enough for the village, and now he was solely concerned about his brother.

"Danzo-sama."

Itachi's gaze locked onto Danzo as he asked the question that concerned him most: "Did you cast the Kotoamatsukami genjutsu on Sasuke...?"

"!!!"

Danzo's eyes widened in shock.

How did Itachi discover this…?

The elderly man felt a wave of embarrassment as he was exposed, but this feeling quickly turned into a moment of realization. His eyes locked intensely onto Uchiha Itachi.

Uchiha Itachi… How could he possibly know about Kotoamatsukami?

"So… it was you back then?"

Shimura Danzō took a deep breath and recalled the incident with Uchiha Shisui: "Was it you who saved Shisui back then, Itachi?"

Years ago, Shimura Danzō led a squad from Root to ambush Uchiha Shisui, the wielder of the Kotoamatsukami Mangekyō Sharingan, forcibly taking one of Shisui's eyes. However, before Danzō could seize the other eye, Shisui used it to activate Susanoo and escaped.

The last time Danzō saw Shisui, the latter was a lifeless corpse without eyes, leaving the fate of the other Kotoamatsukami Mangekyō Sharingan a mystery.

Now it seems… Itachi was involved too!

"Indeed," Itachi's gaze sharpened as he stared directly at Danzō. "When you led Root to hunt Shisui, he came to me…"

"In that case…" Danzō's fingers instinctively played with his cane as his greed flared up. "The other Kotoamatsukami Mangekyō Sharingan… is in your possession as well?"

"Yes," Itachi calmly raised his finger, his expression unwavering. "So even if you control Sasuke with Kotoamatsukami, it's useless to me. I can use my Kotoamatsukami to correct Sasuke's will."

"The cooldown for Kotoamatsukami lasts for many years… Once I reset Sasuke's will, you should know just how powerful an angry Mangekyō Sharingan can be."

Itachi's gaze on Danzō became unnervingly calm, as if he held all the cards, showing no concern for Danzō's schemes.

As he spoke, a crow appeared on Itachi's shoulder. This crow bore a crimson Mangekyō Sharingan, the unmistakable shape of the Kotoamatsukami eye, confirming that Itachi's threat was no idle talk.

"!!!" Danzō gritted his teeth. This bastard… could still threaten him! And this threat was extremely dangerous!

If Itachi truly altered Sasuke's will, the arrogant young man would undoubtedly go mad and hunt him down. His most trusted subordinate would instantly become his most troublesome enemy!

This was certain! Even within the village, Sasuke had shown no hesitation in killing. He had slaughtered other villages' envoys in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen and killed Root ninjas right before Danzō himself. Let alone the fact that he had been controlled by Kotoamatsukami!

"What do you want?" Danzō's expression turned ferocious. The old man seemed as though he wanted to tear the threatening Itachi apart. If he could, he would have killed Itachi on the spot!

However… that was too risky! Danzō was not entirely confident that he could take down Itachi. If, during the battle, Itachi used Kotoamatsukami to alter Sasuke's will, he would then face an assault from both Itachi and Sasuke, the brothers wielding two Mangekyō Sharingan.

Even with the terrifying forbidden technique Izanagi at his disposal, Danzō couldn't be sure he would prevail against both of them!

"Maintain the status quo. Honor the agreement we made in the past. Do not harm Sasuke; let him live peacefully in Konoha," Itachi said calmly, continuing to stare at Danzō. "I will adjust Sasuke's will to protect Konoha. He won't choose to hunt you…"

"You think that kid will listen to you?" Danzō looked towards Sasuke in the distance.

"Kotoamatsukami will adjust his will," Itachi explained, ensuring Danzō's safety. "As long as you remain a Konoha ninja, after having his will altered to protect the village, Sasuke won't harm his comrades in the village."

"…" Danzō bit his lip. His fingers subtly moved, attempting to form a hand sign in secret.

"Don't use Izanagi in front of me," Itachi interrupted, as if he could see through everything Danzō was planning. "There are techniques within the Uchiha clan that can counter Izanagi…"

"…" A sudden sense of helplessness welled up in Danzō's heart.

"Fine." Danzō clenched his hand tightly. It seemed he had no choice but to agree. Itachi was as troublesome as ever!

Danzō recalled how, after the Uchiha clan's downfall, he had sent Root ninjas, pretending to be comrades, to secretly hunt down and kill Itachi. However, those two ninjas were easily disposed of by the ever-alert Itachi…

Truly… a nuisance! Even now, he remains troublesome!

Never mind. For now, it won't hurt to agree. If Sasuke's will is altered so that he won't harm Konoha's comrades, Danzō could later use his status as a Konoha ninja to find another opportunity to seize Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan. He had no intention of truly honoring his agreement with Itachi…

But still… he would lose a loyal subordinate.

"All right," Itachi raised his hand and controlled the crow on his shoulder to fly toward Sasuke.

The crow locked its gaze on Sasuke, who noticed it, and the Mangekyō Sharingan in its eye flashed with a red light as Kotoamatsukami's technique quietly activated.

This was the pre-set transfer seal that Itachi had prepared beforehand. Before meeting Danzō and Sasuke, he had already considered that if Sasuke truly came under Kotoamatsukami's control, he would correct Sasuke's will.

In the distance, Sasuke calmly raised his head and looked at the crow in the sky. He saw the Kotoamatsukami Mangekyō Sharingan in its eye.

That eye… was casting a new genjutsu on him.

"Indeed…" A hint of mockery appeared at the corner of Sasuke's mouth, as if mocking his brother, or perhaps his own fate. "This is not surprising at all…"

As he spoke, Sasuke reached out and touched his forehead, appearing to be in pain from the genjutsu.

No… it wasn't the pain from the genjutsu. The true pain in the black-haired boy's eyes was evident, and tears slowly fell from his eyes. "Must you plan everything for me? My past, my future, even the thoughts in my mind?"

"…" Itachi looked at his brother in the distance, his painful expression causing a pang of concern in his heart. However, he believed his decision was the best arrangement for Sasuke.

Kotoamatsukami… there shouldn't be a problem, right? This was the eye Shisui left him; the genjutsu inside should be flawless.

What worried Itachi was that Sasuke had now been subjected to Kotoamatsukami twice. Without a clear result, he couldn't help but remain anxious about his brother's state…

"Enough." Danzō, seeing Sasuke merely clutching his forehead in pain, decided he didn't want to witness his once loyal subordinate becoming cold-hearted again. The old man turned away from Sasuke and looked back at Itachi, coldly asking, "Let's get to the main point. How much information do you have on the Akatsuki organization? When will they attack Konoha?"

"Hm?" A flash of surprise crossed Itachi's eyes. Akatsuki… When did they say they were going to attack Konoha? What's going on?

Even if Akatsuki wanted to capture the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki in Konoha, with just those rogue ninjas, they wouldn't recklessly attack the most powerful ninja village in the world, would they?

Danzō frowned, seemingly growing impatient as he asked again, "Didn't you tell Sasuke to inform me that Akatsuki would take advantage of the Third Hokage's death to launch a full-scale attack on Konoha and capture the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki?"

"…" Panic suddenly surged in Itachi's heart. No… Something's wrong! I never told Sasuke anything like that! How could he have told Danzō such a thing? This is a lie! Wasn't Sasuke under Danzō's Kotoamatsukami?

If Danzō had cast Kotoamatsukami on Sasuke, he would have altered his will to "absolute loyalty to Danzō"!

But… if he was loyal to Danzō… how could he deliberately lie to him?

"!!!" Itachi's heart felt as though it was plummeting into an abyss. The young man who had always believed he could control the situation according to his plans now felt as if his heart was sinking into a bottomless pit, a sense of dread and loss of control washing over him.

~~~

Hysterical laughter sasuke! Wuhahah

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