Naruto: Blacksmith

Itachi?!

Kuro froze, his eyes locked on the name glowing above the sphere of light on the projected map.

Unbelievable.

It can't be...

However, as the orb of light continued moving and returned to the Uchiha district, the reality became undeniable.

Stronger than average Jōnin, calm, intelligent... and an Anbu with a ponytail.

All the characteristics matched Itachi Uchiha. It made sense that he hadn't informed the Council about what he discovered.

When it came to loyalty to Konoha, Itachi was irreproachable. But loyalty to Konoha did not necessarily mean loyalty to the Council.

Perhaps, initially, those two concepts were the same for Itachi.

But after the incident with Shisui, he likely understood that Konoha is Konoha, and the Council is the Council.

Although he still worked for the Council, it was clear that Itachi had distanced himself from Danzo and, to a lesser extent, even from Hiruzen.

He didn't tell the Council about me…

Kuro frowned.

The only logical reason for this is the coup d'etat that the Uchiha clan is planning...

Itachi had discovered his secret, but he had kept it quiet, probably because he was now more focused on the problems within his own clan.

In the story, the exact moment when the Uchiha clan was annihilated was never specified, but there were clear signs that it would be at least after Sasuke entered the Academy and participated in the evaluation.

In other words, there were at least six months left, and Itachi was still trying to find a peaceful solution between both sides.

But if he discovered my secret and didn't report it…

A flash of understanding crossed his mind.

Has he already accepted that there's no peaceful solution? Is he looking for a way out for Sasuke and his family?

Sigh…

Itachi killed his own clan for the sake of Konoha.

Was that right or wrong? It wasn't an easy thing to judge. But, from Kuro's point of view, that had been the most logical decision.

Not for Konoha, but for the Uchiha clan itself.

His thoughts drifted toward the details he remembered from the anime.

After the clan's extermination, the Sharingan of the Uchiha were split between Danzo and Obito.

Obito had stored the collected Sharingan in the walls of his hideout, about twenty in total. On the other hand, Danzo had a similar amount.

That meant that, of the roughly one hundred people capable of awakening the Sharingan, only about twenty had done so at the time of the extermination.

A hundred Uchiha against Konoha?

Although the Uchiha district housed about a thousand people, excluding the elderly, children, and civilians, only around a hundred ninjas were in active age.

It was a ridiculous number compared to Konoha's total power.

Kuro didn't know exactly how many people were under Danzo's and Hiruzen's command, but the village now deeply loved Hiruzen.

With a single word, at least 90% of the ninjas would die for him.

And Konoha has around ten thousand Chūnin.

The only chance the Uchiha's coup had was Shisui's Kotoamatsukami.

But he chose Hiruzen's side, and later he was ambushed and took his own life.

The Uchiha had no chance.

Even if they had two pairs of Mangekyō now, it would be useless.

Because the Council knew everything happening within the Uchiha Clan.

The Uchiha, convinced they were acting in secret, didn't realize that their plans were being closely monitored.

If Itachi had chosen to ally with his clan, the result would have been the same.

Konoha would lose some valuable Jōnin, but the Uchiha would be completely exterminated. Perhaps Hiruzen and Danzo would suffer serious injuries, but the outcome would be inevitable.

Moreover, the resulting chaos would be the perfect opportunity for enemy villages to attack, dragging Konoha back into a devastating war.

That's why Itachi made the decision he did: to side with Konoha and save Sasuke's life.

It was the most logical choice, not only for Konoha but for the Uchiha clan itself.

Kuro could perfectly imagine Itachi's situation.

About a month ago, Shisui had been attacked by Danzo at the Nanga Shrine. There, Danzo had stolen one of his eyes, leaving Shisui weakened and unable to use Kotoamatsukami to change the will of the Uchiha clan or the Council.

Desperate, Shisui fled.

In a secluded waterfall, he encountered Itachi. With a grave and resigned tone, he told him everything that had happened, giving him his remaining eye as his final hope.

Then, he made the only decision he thought was right: he threw himself into the river, choosing suicide.

Shisui had no options. His loss had left him incapable of preventing the inevitable conflict between both sides. Yet, though desperate, he still had a spark of hope.

He didn't want his existence to hasten the war between the two sides.

He knew that if Danzo captured him, everything would end.

If the clan discovered that Danzo had attacked Shisui, the coup would be pushed forward, and Konoha would respond with its full force. To prevent that, he sacrificed his life, buying time and placing his trust in Itachi to seek a peaceful solution.

Itachi, inheriting that will, continued Shisui's path.

But the burden was immense.

While protecting Shisui's body to prevent it from falling into Danzo's hands, and facing the newly awakened Mangekyō Sharingan, Itachi was divided.

It was then, searching for answers, that he arrived at Training Ground 39.

What he found there made no sense.

Four Root ninjas were kneeling before someone they called "master."

Itachi observed the scene, confused. He had found something completely out of the ordinary.

He had discovered Kuro.

Although he didn't know everything about him, his connection to the Root ninjas and his abilities were enough to plant doubts.

Yet, Itachi didn't inform the Council.

Why?

Because he knew that Danzo had betrayed Shisui.

That, combined with his desire to protect Konoha and his clan, made him remain silent. Even as he sought a peaceful solution between the Uchiha and the village, he began to secretly investigate Kuro.

Time passed, and tensions grew.

Finally, Itachi decided to test Kuro.

He didn't want to reveal his identity, so he avoided using the Sharingan and kept the interaction brief. But, although Itachi was known for his calm demeanor, what he discovered in Kuro deeply shocked him.

The Chakra of the Nine Tails and a functional Sharingan in the eyes of a five-year-old.

That was impossible to ignore.

Although the circumstances were confusing, something in Kuro gave him hope.

Perhaps this boy was the key to a peaceful solution.

Kuro stroked his chin, thinking deeply.

"So he wants to find a solution with me..." he murmured.

It made sense.

The fact that he possessed the Chakra of the Nine Tails, a Sharingan, and the ability to use both powers was enough to make Itachi believe there might be something beyond the traditional options.

Itachi would continue investigating him.

When those investigations led nowhere, he would have no choice but to confront Kuro directly.

But Kuro was ready.

A faint smile appeared on his face as he looked at the fresh blood on the wall.

"You think you can observe me without consequences…" he murmured, sliding a finger through the blood and activating the system in his mind.

[Special material "Incomplete Immortal Blood" detected.

With this material, you can forge the following special accessories:

"Broken Fairy Crystal"

"Red Lenses"

"Endless"

"Peaceful Heart"

"Sword of Filial Piety Toward Parents and Children"

"Fraternal Bonds"

Do you wish to proceed with forging?]

"So many options?!"

________

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