Bonus Chapter
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Uchiha Itachi walked alone through the dark night.
Halfway along his path, he suddenly stopped.
"Come out," he said calmly.
A swirling vortex appeared in the void ahead of him. Gradually, a figure emerged.
He wore a black cloak, a samurai sword fastened at his waist, and an orange spiral-patterned mask that revealed only one eye.
The masked man.
"I didn't expect you and Uchiha Haru to have some kind of friendship," the masked man said in his low, rumbling voice, as if everything was already in the palm of his hand.
Itachi remained expressionless and silent. He was not someone who felt the need to explain his actions to anyone.
The two stood in silence for a moment. Then the masked man spoke again.
"Itachi, there's a problem with our plan."
"A problem?" Itachi raised an eyebrow slightly.
The man before him claimed to be Uchiha Madara. Whether or not that was true was still unknown. But one thing was certain—he was powerful.
This was a man who had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and possessed a rare space-time jutsu—Kamui. The exact extent of its offensive power was unclear, but its defensive capabilities were nearly absolute. Even Itachi wasn't confident he could harm him.
He was practically invincible.
So for someone like him to call something a "problem"… that wasn't something to take lightly.
"Yes. A big one," the masked man replied evenly.
"Oh? Who is it?" Itachi asked.
The masked man didn't answer directly. Instead, he returned the question: "What do you think?"
Itachi narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the man before him. Both of them were Kage-level ninja. Anyone who could be considered a problem for them had to be on that level as well.
Within Konoha, the only people that came to mind were the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen; Danzo, the head of Root; and his father, Uchiha Fugaku. The Legendary Sannin were out wandering and not currently present.
Though Konoha had some hidden forces, they were working with the masked man for now. So those forces weren't likely to be the issue.
That ruled out the Hokage, Danzo, and any Konoha-aligned enemies.
That left only his father—but Fugaku was already a known variable in their plan, accounted for and neutralized.
So who else could it be?
Itachi's mind raced.
He'd clearly overlooked someone.
Suddenly, something clicked. A name surfaced in his thoughts.
Someone he had originally considered irrelevant—but his instincts now screamed otherwise.
"Is it… Uchiha Haru?"
The masked man nodded.
"What? Him…"
Itachi's surprise was genuine. Just earlier, he had left Haru's home. At no point had he sensed that Haru was powerful enough to pose a threat, especially not to someone like this masked man—who claimed to be Madara.
"Has he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?" Itachi asked, trying to make sense of it.
Only Mangekyō could fight Mangekyō.
That was a universal truth among the Uchiha.
But the masked man shook his head.
"No. His Sharingan is still at the three-tomoe stage."
"Three-tomoe?" Itachi frowned. That couldn't be right. Was that really a threat?
"He relies on taijutsu. Unmatched taijutsu," the masked man said with a chuckle. "For an Uchiha to excel at taijutsu... heh, ironic."
Itachi recalled something.
During the rumors of Haru's battle with Kurosuki Raiga of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, the reports said that Raiga was defeated through sheer hand-to-hand combat.
So it was true—his taijutsu was formidable.
But could taijutsu alone match the Mangekyō Sharingan?
Impossible.
Only those who had awakened Mangekyō understood how terrifying its power was. Even elite-level physical skills would crumble under the all-seeing eye.
Itachi looked directly at the masked man. "You're overthinking it."
"The Mangekyō Sharingan is enough to crush everything."
"Maybe." The masked man didn't argue.
If he hadn't experienced it firsthand, he wouldn't have believed it either. The sheer speed and strength of Haru's body had even left him wounded—something that hadn't happened in a long time.
But he kept that detail to himself. After all, he was still wearing the persona of Madara. Admitting that he had been injured would destroy the myth.
So he only gave a cryptic warning.
"Itachi, don't underestimate Uchiha Haru. He's stronger than you think. He may become the biggest obstacle to our entire plan."
Itachi didn't respond. His face remained calm as he turned and began walking away.
Because there was nothing more to say.
Yes—one should never underestimate an opponent.
But at the same time, one must have unwavering faith in themselves.
He possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Haru only had the standard three-tomoe Sharingan.
Even if his taijutsu was unmatched—it didn't matter.
Three-tomoe could never beat Mangekyō.
That was the root of his confidence. His greatest asset.
Behind him, cloaked in shadow, the masked man stared at the boy moving away—so confident, so composed. He was reminded of someone else.
Old, sealed memories surfaced unbidden.
He thought of another genius from Konoha's past.
A partner. Someone he had trained with, completed missions with, fought alongside in life and death.
A brother.
And her…
Rin.
His vision began to blur. A girl's figure appeared before him.
Short brown hair, dark brown eyes, and the iconic purple markings on her cheeks.
She smiled at him. That smile—so warm, so pure, so intoxicatingly real.
Then the image shifted.
Her smile faded, twisted into pain. Blood pooled at the corner of her lips.
The vision shattered like broken glass.
Reality returned.
It was dark. Itachi had already vanished into the distance.
Just like those who once stood at his side.
The masked man's Sharingan glowed an even deeper red.
His body trembled slightly.
It was hard to imagine that this man—who called himself Uchiha Madara—this cold, ruthless puppet master, once had a side so human.
So broken.
In a voice barely above a whisper, he murmured, "Rin… I want to create a world with you…"
And just like that, the night swallowed him whole once more.
Yo, shinobi-in-training!
You've read through intense battles, emotional flashbacks, and probably a few secret forbidden jutsu…
But you still haven't ADDED this story to your COLLECTION, left a REVIEW, or launched a POWER STONE like a Rasengan?
Even Naruto left a shadow clone to drop one.
Sasuke looked back just to judge you.
And Kakashi? He's silently disappointed behind that mask.
Every collection adds chakra to my reserves.
Every review is like unlocking a new jutsu scroll of motivation.
And Power Stones? That's basically Sage Mode fuel—don't leave your author stuck in Genin-level energy!
Be a true comrade—support this humble story so it doesn't vanish like a filler arc!
— Your ever-grateful, totally-not-controlled-by-a-cursed-seal Author
ADD TO COLLECTION | LEAVE A REVIEW | DROP POWER STONES
Or Orochimaru might recruit you next. Just sayin'.
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Let's rise up the rankings together!
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This Week Bonus Chapter - 150 Power stones
2nd Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones✅
3rd Bonus Chapter - 600 Power Stones