'Itachi Of The Blood Moon Eye'

3 Years later…

It was midday and Itachi met with Danzo later that day to discuss Itachi's recent promotion to becoming an Anbu captain.

"In name, it's the establishment of a new team because of the increase in the number of Anbu missions.

And with a new team comes a new team leader. A position I selected you for," Danzo recounted dispassionately, sitting tall before Itachi in the office of the Foundation mansion.

Following Sugaru's death by Shisui's hand, Danzo brought in a recruit who was standing behind Danzo, in his white tiger mask.

"I've asked that the members of this new team come from the Foundation, and I've got Sakumo's approval."

"So then, will I belong to the Foundation?" Itachi asked.

"You won't be under the Hokage's direct command, nor will you belong to the Foundation.

Let's just say this will be a special team, independent within the Anbu."

"I don't understand what that means,"

A smile crept onto Danzo's face.

"I'll spell it out." He stopped there and stroked the area around his right eye, covered with a bandage.

"The formation of a new team is just the official line.

There is no new personnel. It's simply something we came up with to allow you to move freely. I think we'll give you a couple of men."

"For the sake of the Uchiha?"

"Precisely." Danzo stood up and walked around his desk. He walked over to Itachi and looked down at him with a light eye.

"Saying the new members would be from the Foundation is also a means to keep the Anbu from becoming suspicious.

Just like Shisui Uchiha worked for Sakumo, you will work for me from now on."

Danzo uttered the name of Itachi's good friend, and Ryuu's student, in his smooth attitude, Itachi could see the depth of the darkness in the man standing before him.

This man had planned to kill Shisui.

Itachi had heard this directly from the dead man himself, so there was no mistake.

"Why did you kill Shisui?"

The pattern of the magatama popping up in Itachi's eyes was meant to frighten him.

Danzo took the Sharingan in calmly and did not move, a smile still on his face.

"So, you knew?"

"Shisui was trying to stop the clan's coup d'état for the sake of the village. Just as he was about to do that, you interfered, and he died."

"Do you think Shisui's actions could have stopped the coup?"

Itachi, at a loss for a reply, was ashamed of himself for faltering.

"His actions would have impeded my plan to prevent the coup.

But Shisui of the Body Flicker… even if I had ordered him not to go forward, I doubt he would have been willing to listen, given that I'm not his superior. Not even the Hokage is his true superior.

He would only follow your cousin's orders with no questions… not that doing that helped him much."

"And that's why you killed him?"

"It is." He replied calmly.

Bloodlust glittered in Itachi's eyes. In an instant, his right hand was clutching a kunai, and he was thrusting it at Danzo's throat.

The man in the tiger mask blocked his way; Itachi's kunai pierced that man's palm.

Over the shoulder of his loyal subordinate, Danzo started speaking.

"You must have already realized it?"

"Shut up."

"How can we protect the peace of the village? And who will do what needs to be done?"

"Did you not hear me tell you to shut up?"

"If you want to kill me, then kill me. But killing me won't stop the clan from exploding.

Once I'm gone, and no longer in their way, the clan will probably get more and more carried away. And the moment you kill me, a village official, you become a criminal. Even worse than Hasai Uchiha.

Even if you were to make it out of this house, they would pursue you until you were dead. You cannot help your clan like that and your cousin cannot help you either.

You'll only be able to watch over the terrible spectacle from outside the village.

If you wish to choose that foolish path, then kill me."

It was a clear provocation. Danzo didn't have the slightest intention of dying.

The only other person in this room was that man in the white tiger mask, but scores of Danzo's people were in hiding all around them.

"Every second we stand here like this, the window of opportunity to kill me shrinks.

You don't have time for questions and answers. Once decided, a ninja shifts to immediate action."

The man in the white tiger mask slowly pulled out the kunai and rotated his body.

He positioned himself with one leg in front, and Danzo stood tall behind him.

"May I take your silence as your answer?"

'I know…

Killing Danzo would solve nothing. Quite the opposite; the situation would most certainly deteriorate.'

Itachi had a bigger ambition that he had to put ahead of his grudge, and his desire to get vengeance for his friend.

He tucked his kunai away in his vest.

"Now then, Itachi Uchiha." Danzo nodded, satisfied.

"Shall we return to the issue at hand?"

"I'm leaving," Itachi said, and turned his back to Danzo.

"You can't bear to listen to me anymore? So it appears you see it, then." Itachi started walking toward the door.

"If someone from outside the clan did that, there would certainly be lingering ill will toward the village.

Other clans would fear the Uchiha end, and one would inevitably become the next Uchiha. Which is exactly why…" Ignoring the man, Itachi reached for the wooden door.

"Someone from the clan must do it," Danzo continued.

"A mentally deranged young person from the clan. If this is what everyone believes, then peace can come to the village."

Itachi opened the door with a trembling hand and glared at Danzo over his shoulder with his Mangekyou on.

"Shut up. Don't you know my name?"

The sight of his Mangekyou Sharingan sent chills down both their spines.

Itachi had gained a reputation in recent years…

A reputation that frightened everyone who heard the story…

"You are the only one who can fulfill this role, Itachi Uchiha Of The Blood Moon Eye..." Danzo asserted.

"Hmph… you aren't worth the trouble yet," Itachi deactivated his Mangekyou Sharingan.

As if to reject Danzo's declaration, Itachi left the room.

He walked out of the Foundation mansion and walked along the village road at the foot of the Hokage Monument, where he met Ryuu.

During these years, Ryuu had grown up a lot. Not just in terms of power and reputation, but also…

Ryuu looked different from when he was younger.

For starters, for the first time in years, he shaved his hair because it had grown so much that it passed his lower back.

Ichika cut his hair shorter and didn't even fall to his back.

He removed the sealing tattoos by placing more seals on top that covered the previous ones to increase vigilance.

Ryuu looked back and smiled, seeing Itachi, and then they vanished into his dimension.

"So? How'd it go?"

"Just like you thought it would, big brother." Ryuu smiled.

"Well, it's about time we get this started, don't you think?"

"Big brother, I have to ask…"

Ryuu looked at Itachi.

"I figured out your plan but…

Are you doing all this for the clan or is it because you hate him? If you are, then that means you're judging him using your emotions rather than logic, doesn't it?"

Suddenly, Ryuu stopped smiling.

"Reality isn't all black and white, you know?

There's a misconception spread that once we're shinobi, we shouldn't let emotions in because they make us weak.

Just because I love means I can't kill, just because I hate means I can't be reasoned with or that I'll make a stupid decision.

That's all a misconception that spread and continues to spread. No, I'd even put it in a category of lies.

The truth is...

Reality isn't as easy as that.

Fact is...

Once I figured this out is when I became the Ninja I was meant to be.

I wouldn't have gotten an ultimate goal if I didn't hate someone enough, and I wouldn't have made it through all the punishment that came with the journey if I didn't love enough.

That's the difference between the strongest, the strong, and the weakest.

The day people will come over their egos and look through each other's perspectives is the day we can all become great and live in true peace. That's what Jiraiya-sensei and Nagato, a friend of mine, never understood."

Before he got too deep into this topic.

Ryuu stopped himself and changed the subject to another, better one,

"Have you seen him today?"

Itachi shook his head.

"I haven't seen him today. Is he there again?"

"It's not like he has many places to go, you know?"

Ryuu teleported Itachi out of his dimension.