Chapter 15
The young man had sword-like brows and starry eyes. The tear troughs extending from his nose made him look somewhat gloomy, no matter his expression. His straight black hair hung on both sides, and he knelt on one knee, fist pressed to the ground, his ANBU mask hanging at his side, and a standard short blade strapped to his back.
Under his dark grey-brown tactical vest, a red and white fan pattern was visible—the emblem of the prestigious Uchiha clan of Konoha.
"Hokage-sama, you called for me," Itachi said, his eyes lowered, staring at the floor.
"Takizawa Minoru is dead. He used to be your subordinate," the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, stood with his back to Itachi, looking out at Konoha's streets. Smoke from his pipe drifted through the window cracks and rose to the ceiling. "Some say he was killed because he stumbled upon the Uchiha clan's conspiracy. What do you think?"
"I don't know."
Hearing this answer, the Third turned to face the young man. His expression was a mix of disappointment and relief. He shook his head:
"I've said before that you have the ability to view everything from the perspective of the Hokage. You do have that capability… but don't burden yourself with so much pressure. I trust you. There's no one else here. You don't need to hold back. Now, tell me your true thoughts."
"Although the Uchiha clan has always harbored ill will towards the other ninja clans of Konoha, regarding this matter… it was a frame-up." Itachi slowly lifted his head.
Since he had informed Konoha's high command of the Uchiha clan's conspiracy, Itachi had acted as a double agent, gathering intelligence from within the Uchiha clan. Only he could provide the most accurate answer regarding whether the Uchiha killed Takizawa Minoru.