Chapter 198 : Itachi vs Shisui
The young man walked out of Konoha without breaking his stride. His silhouette looked thin in the morning light, but his back was perfectly straight, as if something was supporting him.
The Konoha symbol on the gate pillars gleamed in the sunlight. He had looked at that symbol for over a decade; it had been etched into his heart since he could remember. But looking at it today, it felt somewhat different.
He passed through the woods on the outskirts of Konoha and stepped onto the main road heading west.
The trees on both sides of the road were dense, their branches and leaves intertwining to completely obscure the sky. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the foliage, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
His feet stepped on the soft dirt without making much noise, leaving only the faint rustle of his soles brushing against the ground.
He was Uchiha Itachi.
Around fifteen or sixteen years old, he had a well-proportioned build—shoulders neither too broad nor too narrow, and a slender waist.
He was quite handsome, with refined features and a composure in his eyes that far exceeded his age.
Upon closer inspection, however, one would notice faint tear troughs on either side of his nose. Such lines were uncommon on a young man's face, but they were distinctly visible on his, making him look a few years older and adding to his steady demeanor.
After leaving the village, Uchiha Itachi headed west. He hadn't told anyone where he was going, nor had anyone asked. He simply walked out of the village and kept heading west.
Once beyond Konoha's borders, his pace wasn't particularly fast, though still much faster than an ordinary person's. His footsteps were light, the distance of each stride nearly identical, maintaining an even rhythm.
He didn't look like he was rushing; rather, it was as if he were taking a stroll, deep in thought, digesting something in his mind.
Just like that, he traveled for about ten miles.
The trees flanking the road grew denser, their canopies merging to block out the sky almost entirely.
The air was damp, carrying the scent of soil and decaying leaves.
The path transitioned from a smooth main road to a narrow forest trail. The grass on either side grew half a person tall, and the dew clinging to the blades dampened his pant legs.
His brows remained furrowed as if pondering something. His lips were slightly pursed, and though his eyes faced the road ahead, his gaze wasn't focused on any particular point.
As he walked past a thick, sturdy tree, his footsteps suddenly faltered.
Itachi shifted his gaze from the path ahead, letting it fall beneath a tree to his front left.
The tree trunk was massive, requiring several people to wrap their arms around it. Its sprawling canopy cast a large patch of the ground below into deep shadow.
Thick roots bulged from the earth, coiling over the soil like giant pythons.
A person leaned against the trunk with his arms crossed. One leg was slightly bent with the foot resting on a root, while the other was stretched out, heel planted on the ground.
The man had neat, short black hair that fluttered slightly in the breeze.
He was about four or five years older than Itachi, looking to be in his early twenties. He had a healthy, wheat-toned complexion, well-defined features, and bright eyes. He wore a standard Konoha flak jacket, a ninja tool pouch tied at his waist, and a short sword strapped to his back.
He leaned against the tree in a relaxed posture, but his eyes were fixed entirely on Itachi. He had been watching him from the moment Itachi appeared, as if he had been waiting there all along.
Itachi stood in place, looking back at him.
The two locked eyes for a few seconds.
The man spoke first.
"You're here."
Itachi looked at him and nodded.
"Yeah."
The corners of the man's mouth twitched slightly, as if he were smiling, or perhaps sighing.
"You shouldn't have come."
Itachi looked at him, falling silent for a moment.
"Alright, then I'll leave."
After saying that, he actually moved.
He didn't walk forward; instead, he changed direction, intending to bypass the man and cut through the other side of the bushes.
The man coughed dryly, pushing himself completely off the trunk. He uncrossed his arms and his lips curled into a helpless smile.
"Itachi, you're not as cute as you were when you were a kid."
His tone carried obvious teasing, mixed with a hint of nostalgia and fond memories.
Itachi stopped and turned to look at him.
"And you're not as composed as you were back then, Shisui."
The man was none other than Uchiha Shisui.
A ninja of the Uchiha clan, an elite of the ANBU, and Itachi's lifelong friend and older brother figure. He always wore that faint smile on his face, but upon hearing Itachi's words, the smile turned slightly awkward.
He raised a hand to scratch his head, running his fingers through his short black hair and messing up a few neat strands.
"The Clan Head said you were too rigid, and since that person's personality is so erratic, I thought you might like that kind of temperament."
His tone was casual, like he was chatting with a friend, but his eyes never stopped observing Itachi, watching his reactions and gauging his mood.
Itachi's expression remained unchanged. His demeanor was perfectly calm, his gaze steady.
"But you aren't him."
Shisui's smile froze for a second before slowly fading away. He let out a long sigh.
"Alright, you have a point."
He looked at Itachi, his expression shifting from a sighing resignation to utter seriousness.
"But Itachi, you should know the clan's current situation. By leaving the village without permission like this, you could easily put the entire clan in a vulnerable position."
He paused, as if giving Itachi time to process his words.
"Have you considered this?"
Itachi looked back at him without dodging his gaze. His eyes remained calm—so calm they resembled a pool of stagnant water, devoid of any ripples.
"I know."
His voice was soft, yet resolute.
"But given the current relationship between the village and the clan, if we don't make a change now, I'm afraid you can already guess what the final outcome will be."
After saying that, he just stood there, looking at Shisui and waiting for his response.
Shisui lowered his head.
He shifted his gaze from Itachi's face down to his own feet. His lips were pursed, his brows furrowed, and he remained completely still.
The wind blew through the forest, rustling the leaves. The grass swayed in the breeze, and dewdrops slipped from the blades, hitting the ground with faint taps.
After a moment of silence, he raised his head and looked at Itachi once more.
"There will be a way, Itachi."
His voice wasn't loud, but his tone was firm, as if he were trying to convince himself just as much as he was trying to convince Itachi.
Itachi looked at him and shook his head.
"You don't have a way."
He paused, as if organizing his thoughts.
"Neither do I."
He turned his head and glanced in the direction of Konoha.
That direction was obscured by the forest, rendering the village invisible, but he still stared for a few seconds.
"Even my father is the same."
Shisui's frown deepened.
"You're being too extreme, Itachi."
Itachi withdrew his gaze from the village and refocused on Shisui.
"No, this is something that must be done."
He paused, his eyes turning resolute.
"Aside from that person, no one can untie the knot binding the village and the clan."
Hearing this, a fleeting look of daze crossed Shisui's face before his eyes snapped back into focus.
Taking a deep breath, Shisui spoke again.
"Uchiha Itachi."
His voice was much louder than before.
"By the order of the Fifth Hokage, I am here to bring you back to the village."
He paused, as if giving Itachi one last moment to reconsider.
"Please do not resist."
The forest fell completely silent. The wind stopped, the leaves ceased their rustling, the grass stood still, and even the birdsong vanished.
In that moment, it felt as though only the two of them remained in the entire world, standing face to face.
Itachi looked at him, his expression entirely unchanged.
But he moved.
His hand reached for his waist, his fingers wrapping around the hilt of his ninja blade.
The hilt was black, wrapped in anti-slip cloth. The blade was hidden within its sheath, its edge unseen. The moment his fingers tightened around the grip, a soft click echoed between the sheath and the hilt—a crisp, brief sound of metal scraping.
The ninja blade was drawn from its sheath.
Shing!
The blade glinted coldly in the sunlight. It was incredibly thin and sharp, with a fine white line along the edge—the mark left by a whetstone.
His fingers gripped the hilt so tightly his knuckles turned slightly white. His arm hung naturally at his side, the tip of the blade pointing toward the ground.
"I refuse."
Two words. Short, decisive, and leaving absolutely no room for hesitation or negotiation.
Shisui looked at him and the blade in his hand, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.
His hand also reached for the hilt of his own sword.
"Very well. Let's see just how much you've grown over these past few years. It seems we haven't fought in a long time. What do you say, Itachi!"
Itachi remained silent, merely tightening his grip on his blade.
In that moment, the two locked eyes, a crimson hue bleeding into both of their gazes.
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