"I'm just reminding you all—don't forget what you promised me!"
Tsunade pulled her hand off the table and brushed the dust off her palm.
She wasn't as depressed or withdrawn as before, but since she knew Orochimaru all too well, she felt the need to warn him every now and then—to make sure he didn't try to slack off or avoid his promise.
"Also, here's a list of the Senju Clan's Wood Release shinobi. They're all willing to take on the task. Though, most of them lean more toward researchers now rather than fighters."
After saying that, Tsunade boldly pulled a folded paper from the front of her robe and smacked it onto the desk in front of Orochimaru.
"Researchers are even better," Orochimaru said without hesitation. It wasn't like they'd be sent on combat missions anyway.
What he needed was for them to use their Kekkei Genkai and, with support from the Technology Development Department, create new types of special trees and plant seeds. That was a key part of the project.
If they succeeded, even if the Land of Wind didn't benefit, the Land of Fire's food supply might see a huge boost.
At least the vision Kagetsu had laid out for him—while no one had ever attempted it before—wasn't just a fantasy. From a technical standpoint, it was something truly possible.
At the very least, Kagetsu's plans and those unique and unconventional ideas gave him a sense of having his eyes opened—it was truly shocking and enlightening.
Although many parts seemed overly idealistic, if the Hidden Leaf Village could grow strong enough, then what Kagetsu envisioned might actually become reality.
He wasn't like those old-fashioned and stubborn elders—like his teacher and former comrades—who were no longer willing or able to accept new ideas.
If it had been them in charge, Kagetsu's plans would probably have been shelved and forgotten.
Back when Tsunade proposed the creation of the Medical Division, it was rejected several times.
It wasn't until the Second Great Ninja War, when the medical squads she trained made a huge impact—greatly reducing casualties and maintaining Konoha's fighting strength—that the higher-ups finally approved it.
At the Uchiha Clan Leader's residence.
Under the moonlight by the pond, Itachi stood silently, staring at the reflection of the moon in the water, deep in thought.
Suddenly, he heard clear and familiar footsteps approaching. The person didn't bother to hide their presence or sound.
"I heard from your mother that something's been on your mind lately. Is it about Kagetsu?" Fugaku stopped beside Itachi, looked down at him, and asked softly.
His tone was calm, but anyone sensitive to emotions could still hear the concern hidden beneath his voice.
Itachi opened his mouth as if to speak, but in the end, he just shook his head.
"Is it about the mission with the Sand Village?"
Thinking back to what his wife said about how Itachi had seemed troubled after returning from the mission, Fugaku made his own guess.
It couldn't be because of the unborn child, could it?
Before leaving the village for the mission, Itachi had already known about it—and he had clearly been genuinely happy.
Itachi hesitated, then looked at his father's stern but concerned face, and instinctively nodded.
Fugaku fell silent for a moment.
He was now considered a high-ranking member of the village. At least, as an advisor and Tsunade's assistant, he had access to a lot of intelligence, especially regarding missions.
He was currently recalling the conclusion of the mission that involved working with the Sand Village to hunt down the rogue ninja. There seemed to be some vague and unclear details.
Was it a secret mission?
Fugaku had a possible answer in mind.
"If you're feeling confused, you should ask your teacher."
In the end, Fugaku didn't press the matter any further. After sighing, he gently ruffled Itachi's hair and spoke softly.
Since it was a secret, he couldn't continue asking, but as the saying goes, the person who tied the knot must untie it. He could only let Itachi, who seemed to be overthinking, go and try to find Kagetsu.
The next morning, Itachi, led by Fugaku, arrived at the Nara clan's territory to visit.
After greeting the father and son in the backyard, Nara Shikakichi and his wife quickly made space for them. When Fugaku attempted to leave, Kagetsu stopped him.
"Fugaku-san said you've been down because of the Roran mission. Is it because of the future those people told you about?"
In the small room with only the three of them, Kagetsu asked Itachi directly.
Fugaku, who was sitting upright, widened his eyes at Kagetsu's words.
Itachi's gaze shifted between Kagetsu and Fugaku before he nodded stiffly.
Without waiting for further questions, he started revealing everything he knew, speaking rapidly as if to unload his thoughts.
Minato Namikaze inherited the Hokage position, the Nine-Tails incident, the Fourth Hokage's death, Orochimaru's defection, and the Uchiha clan's massacre.
The information Itachi shared made Fugaku feel both heavy-hearted and somewhat confused.
If what Itachi spoke of is the future, then what are they now?
"That's something that happened in another world. It's similar to ours, but the path the Shinobi world took is different." Kagetsu's explanation caused Fugaku to widen his eyes.
As the leader of the Uchiha clan, this was the first time he had encountered information about another Shinobi world.
This opened his eyes to new possibilities, but also made him feel sympathy for the Uchiha clan in that world who were wiped out.
That was also a kind of future!
Although it felt wrong to think this way about Minato, Fugaku couldn't help but feel relieved that Orochimaru-sama was the one who took the position.
"So, what weighs you down and makes you feel oppressed, is it the blood of your clansmen and blood relatives on your hands?" Kagetsu asked, after a brief pause, revealing the truth.
"Yes," Itachi nodded.
"You can't do it," Kagetsu said calmly, noticing how the future that Naruto and the others had shared with Itachi was truly affecting him.
"What?" Itachi looked at his teacher with confusion.
"You can't be the one to wipe out the entire Uchiha clan and still escape from the village. Even if the Itachi from that world has already unlocked the Mangekyō Sharingan, it's still the same," Kagetsu said calmly.
"It's likely that the village, or rather, Danzo from the ROOT organization, also got involved, right? Otherwise, the Uchiha in that world couldn't have held out until the village's reinforcements arrived.
From what I understand, the gap and conflict between the village and the Uchiha must have reached a point where they were irreconcilable, which is why they turned a blind eye to Itachi's massacre. They might have even guided or helped it secretly."
Compared to the naive Itachi, who could easily be influenced, Fugaku was more mature. He could make educated guesses based on the information Itachi revealed.
At the very least, the Third Hokage and the elder advisors in that world didn't seem much different from the ones Fugaku knew in his own world.
After piecing together the information, Fugaku quickly deduced the most likely scenario.
In the Uchiha massacre in that world, it was certain that the Third Hokage, who was in charge of the village at that time, played a shameful role!
In the worst case, the Itachi from that world, who was sent into the Anbu from a young age by another version of himself, could have even been a tool used by those higher-ups. Read complete version only at novel⸺fire.net
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