"What? My new teammate is a thirteen-year-old kid?"
Fresh off a mission, Biwa Jūzō stared at Pain in disbelief.
"He's more than capable," Pain replied calmly. "He single-handedly wiped out the Uchiha clan. His strength is well-known."
Because Obito's identity remained shrouded in secrecy, Pain had carefully concealed any trace of his involvement, attributing the entire Uchiha massacre to Itachi.
"Wait… the Uchiha clan? That Uchiha clan?"
Jūzō swallowed hard, his tone suddenly serious.
Pain gave a slight nod and said no more. As the leader of Akatsuki, he had no intention of wasting time on drawn-out explanations.
He returned to reviewing the documents in his hand, his expression unmoved.
Jūzō, still reeling from what he'd just heard, stood frozen in place.
Pain frowned slightly, irritated by the lingering presence.
"Go find him yourself," Pain said flatly. "Bring him here when you're done. We have things to discuss."
"Understood, Leader," Jūzō replied quickly, realizing he was being dismissed. He turned and left, still deep in thought.
What kind of person could annihilate their entire clan at such a young age?
Was this kid someone he should be wary of?
The questions nagged at him. He'd been around long enough to know not to underestimate anyone—especially not an Uchiha.
"Who is it?"
Itachi's voice came from within the room, low and calm.
He frowned slightly, annoyed at being interrupted mid-training. Nature chakra training required intense focus. Though he possessed prior memories, experiencing the technique in the flesh was something else entirely.
"I'm Jūzō. Your future teammate," came the voice from behind the door.
It opened to reveal a tall, rough-looking man: short black hair, no eyebrows, a jagged scar across his cheek, teeth like a shark's, and red markings on his lower face. His ears and neck were wrapped in bandages.
To Itachi, this grotesque appearance was oddly comforting.
In fact, it raised Jūzō's favorability in his eyes.
After all, this man would one day sacrifice his life to protect him—at least, in the version of events Itachi remembered.
"Nice to meet you," Itachi said quietly, his expression unreadable.
Jūzō, staring at Itachi's calm and gentle demeanor, couldn't reconcile it with the image of a cold-blooded killer who had exterminated his entire clan.
"Uh… how about grabbing a bite to eat?" Jūzō offered awkwardly. "We might have a mission tomorrow."
Truthfully, Jūzō didn't want to be partnered with someone like Itachi. But he had no say in team assignments. All he could do was get closer to the kid and try to understand him better.
After learning of Itachi's terrifying record, any trace of disdain Jūzō might have felt had completely vanished.
That was how the shinobi world worked. Strength earned respect.
"Sure."
Itachi agreed without hesitation, surprising Jūzō.
He'd expected to be turned down—brushed off with cold silence—but instead, he found himself staring at a boy who didn't play by any familiar rules.
Jūzō was caught off guard. He didn't know how to respond.
And honestly, he wasn't the type for small talk.
"So… what do you want to eat?" he asked, as they walked side by side beneath the light drizzle.
One of them held a paper umbrella.
"Sweets," Itachi replied softly, his gaze drifting past Jūzō to the streets around them.
Jūzō blinked, momentarily thrown by the simple response. Just minutes ago, this boy had been warm and agreeable—now he was distant and aloof.
But Jūzō didn't mind.
He preferred quiet.
If Itachi had been a chatterbox, he wouldn't have known how to deal with it.
Besides, someone like Itachi—who could commit such horrors at thirteen—wasn't someone you wanted to annoy.
Jūzō was experienced enough to understand his own limitations.
He wasn't weak, but in the Akatsuki, not weak wasn't good enough.
Here, everyone was powerful. Everyone was dangerous.
And now, so was his new partner.
"Don't eat too many sweets—you'll rot your teeth."
Jūzō said mildly as he led Itachi toward a local shop.
"Life is bitter," Itachi replied calmly, "so why not sweeten it a little?"
He stood silently at the storefront, not moving to enter or place an order.
That's when it hit him—he had no money.
Actually, to be more accurate… he never had money.
He was flat broke.
"Two handsome customers! What would you like to try? We've got the best desserts in all of the Hidden Rain Village!"
The shopkeeper beamed at them but cast a wary glance at Jūzō's fierce appearance.
Frankly, if Jūzō hadn't looked so intimidating, the owner might've already chased them off.
After all, loitering near the entrance was bad for business.
"I forgot to bring money," Itachi said, his face unreadable, tone completely flat.
No shame. No hesitation.
Jūzō inhaled sharply.
'Did he just say that with a straight face?'
He couldn't believe how casually Itachi threw that out on their first meeting.
'Thick-skinned little brat,' he thought.
But on the outside, he stayed composed.
"It's fine," he said evenly. "I've got some. Just order whatever you want—I'll cover it."
Inwardly, he sighed.
This kid was already costing him, and they hadn't even gone on a mission yet.
"Thanks!"
Itachi flashed a small, crescent-shaped smile. Then, just as quickly, his face returned to its usual stoicism.
"I'll take two of everything."
His finger moved down the dessert display with clinical precision, pointing at one item after another.
Jūzō's expression didn't change—but inside, his wallet was weeping.
He could almost hear the sound of silver coins bouncing into someone else's till.
—
"Konoha really produces monsters."
In the dim light of the underground gold exchange, Sasori muttered mockingly, draped in the Akatsuki's signature cloak.
"I've met that boy before. A good kid," Orochimaru said with a wicked smile. "Didn't expect him to end up like this."
"The Uchiha clan—a troublesome bunch. Hard to believe one thirteen-year-old wiped them all out. An S-class rogue ninja at that age... impressive."
When Orochimaru didn't rise to his taunt, Sasori lost interest.
There was no joy in teasing someone who didn't bite.
"You're no slouch either," Orochimaru added, licking his lips with an unsettling smirk. "You killed the Kazekage, didn't you? If the world found out, they'd be shocked."
Sasori sneered and turned away.
He loathed effeminate types. And Orochimaru was the worst of them.
Elsewhere, in a candlelit room filled with scrolls and ledgers...
A masked man with gleaming green eyes flipped through a notebook, licking his finger and turning pages like he was counting treasure.
"One more member means more money," Kakuzu murmured, his voice filled with greedy delight.
He looked like a man tallying profits, not planning assassinations.
Just then, a cold voice interrupted his bliss.
"We should go."
Kakuzu blinked, annoyed.
"What an irritating guy," he muttered. His patience with his partner dipped a little more.
If the chance ever came… well, one less mouth to split the bounty with.
—
"What do you think of this mission?"
Jūzō asked as he and Itachi stepped out of Pain's office.
"Observe and wait," Itachi replied, walking ahead without so much as a glance back.
He said it with the kind of indifference that made Jūzō sigh internally.
'This kid changes personalities faster than he changes clothes...'
Still, Jūzō hesitated, then called out.
"Hey..."
"What?"
Itachi turned around, his tone sharp with impatience.
"You're going the wrong way..."
Jūzō's shoulders slumped slightly. The irritation in Itachi's voice stung a little, but he let it slide.
"Patience," he told himself.
"You're not here to make friends. You're here to survive."
Jūzō's comment made Itachi pause for a moment.
"Oh? You know the way, then go ahead and lead."
Itachi spoke calmly, without a trace of embarrassment. It was as if shame was a foreign concept to him.
Jūzō felt a pang of unease. Teaming up with a kid this shameless and detached... this was going to be tough.
What he didn't realize, though, was that Itachi was acting that way on purpose.
He didn't want anyone getting a glimpse of his true self—his thoughts, his burdens.
Putting on a mask of indifference was easier than revealing what lay underneath.
Besides, constantly playing the role of a cold, faceless prodigy... it got old.
He was in a new world now, and he figured he might as well enjoy it a little.
No woman would fall for a guy who wore the same stoic expression all day, every day.
And more importantly—he was confident in his power. Unless they ran into someone truly formidable, he wasn't in any real danger.
After all, the most dangerous force in the shinobi world right now… was Akatsuki itself.
"The target's a missing-nin," Jūzō explained once they had left the Hidden Rain Village. He wasn't in a hurry, choosing instead to brief Itachi as they walked.
"Our mission is to track him down and bring his head back to the bounty exchange."
"Mm."
Itachi responded with a faint sound, not interrupting but offering no real input either.
Jūzō's enthusiasm to talk vanished on the spot.
He fell silent and quickened his pace, walking slightly ahead.
Itachi, unbothered, pulled out a bamboo hat, adjusted it over his head, and made sure it was on straight.
After all, he now had a bounty on his own head—and likely a sizable one.
It was better to stay low and unrecognizable.
Not just because of bounty hunters, but because anyone could be a threat. Even Konoha would act if they caught wind of his movements.
So the two of them traveled quietly, as if on a leisurely journey rather than a deadly mission.
Several hours later, Jūzō suddenly came to a stop.
"What is it?"
Itachi frowned slightly, sensing no immediate threat in the area.
Jūzō turned to look at him—then froze.
"Why are you wearing such an ugly hat...?"
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