Itachi Uchiha in High School DxD

Itachi stayed hidden behind a tree for a moment, lost in thought over Orochimaru's words. There were things he truly didn't understand, like what is an Otsutsuki?

Still, he understood most of the explanation the Snake gave him—Sasuke and Naruto had achieved peace in the ninja world. Itachi's heart felt a kind of release, as if a particular invisible weight had been lifted. His eyes, once bright and full of life, began to calm down.

A wave of stillness washed over his body. "I see…" Itachi said. A moment later, he appeared a few meters away from Orochimaru.

"Hmph!!!…" Not far away, tied to a chair, Asia Argento made many noises trying to get Itachi's attention. Her eyes, focused entirely on him, were almost completely red, her expression showing genuine concern.

"Itachi-kun, you look ten years younger..." Orochimaru's gaze moved along Itachi's body—arms, legs—before finally resting on the Uchiha's red eyes.

"You haven't changed either," Itachi replied with a half-smile. "Actually, you... you look more like a woman now," he said, mocking him slightly.

There was a brief silence as the two stared at each other, curiosity etched across their faces.

"Itachi-kun, I believe your little girlfriend is trying to say something," The Snake changed the subject, subtly pointing at Asia Argento behind him.

However, before Orochimaru could continue speaking, another Itachi emerged from the nearby trees, a kunai flying swiftly toward Orochimaru's head.

"Shadow clone…" Orochimaru's eyes widened as the Itachi he was just talking to vanished in a puff of smoke, and the kunai from the real Itachi embedded itself in his brain.

Yet— "This one's a clone too, hahaha," Itachi smiled as Orochimaru split into several snakes once his skin was pierced.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!" Itachi rapidly formed hand seals, launching a massive fireball toward the bushes nearby.

"Water Style: Giant Water Wall!" Orochimaru's voice came from within the undergrowth. A towering wall of water instantly rose, blocking the fireball and producing a thick steam that spread like a plague across the area.

Itachi moved ahead of time, quickly using a kunai to cut Asia's bindings and summoned a shadow clone to take her home.

"Itachi…" Asia clutched the edge of Itachi's clothing. Though her mind couldn't process everything, her body screamed that Itachi was in danger. Her eyes, filled with genuine worry, met his for a moment. "You… you didn't have to save me," she finally said.

At that moment, Itachi let out a quiet sigh. "Actually…" he was about to say something but stopped himself. He raised his right hand and placed it gently on Asia's head.

"Actually, I did have to save you. Now go home," he lied. The real reason he came to save her was simple—he'd softened emotionally during these last few years of peace.

"The me from the ninja world wouldn't have cared about things like this. I need to train more," he scolded himself silently. With a smile, he said goodbye to Asia as the clone sped off.

Asia Argento felt… strange. Moments ago, she had wished for death, and now she was filled with gratitude. Whether it was despair or relief, all her emotions had a single focus: Itachi.

"You'll come back alive, right?" Asia asked, lifting her head slightly to look at the clone. She didn't know he was a clone—only that the Itachi holding her wasn't the real one.

"Well, a few years ago I would've said yes, but Orochimaru has lived much longer in the ninja world than I have. I don't know what powers he has now," the clone replied.

In the Forest

Orochimaru emerged from the ground beneath Itachi, extending a hand that morphed into multiple snakes, their fangs aiming for Itachi's face.

Boom!

Just as the snakes touched Itachi's skin, there was a light explosion, and he vanished.

"Another shadow clone?" Orochimaru sighed. "You're still as skilled as in your prime, Itachi-kun."

The snake stood tall on a patch of grass, his eyes scanning toward a large tree.

"Sasuke married Sakura and they had a daughter. I suppose that was a happy ending, Don't you think?" Orochimaru's words sent a jolt through Itachi's body.

"Happy ending…" the Uchiha smiled faintly, then stepped out of hiding and faced the serpent directly.

"What do you plan to do in this world?" Itachi asked, his face calm and serene. The three tomoe of the Sharingan still spun in his eyes. Orochimaru made a peace gesture with both hands before crossing his arms.

"Actually, I just came to check in on an old friend, You know? It's been tough for me…" Orochimaru sighed, his expression genuinely sad. "I went from being one of the Legendary Sannin, a respected figure, to some kind of researcher that doesn't scare even a fly."

His voice was truly depressed. His gaze shifted from Itachi to the sky, then to the trees nearby.

"I couldn't act freely anymore. Naruto and Sasuke would kill me in a second if I resumed the kind of experiments I used to do," he sighed, as if waiting for some kind of reaction from Itachi.

But even after a few seconds, Itachi remained calm, just staring at him.

"I don't know if I can kill you, Itachi-kun. It's been a while since we fought, and I don't really want to find out. But… I came here today to see you for a particular reason."

Orochimaru sighed and took a few steps forward with a genuine smile.

"You were a good brother, Itachi-kun," The Snake finally said, letting out what seemed like genuine appreciation for the Uchiha as he closed his eyes in deep thought.

"At first, I thought Naruto and Sasuke were the reason I stopped trying to manipulate the fate of the world. But after a few months in this world, I realized…"

Orochimaru turned his back on Itachi and stared up at the moon for a moment.

"I was the one looking for something calmer. So let me tell you something, you're a Uchiha—the most talented I've ever met. I want to see how you manipulate the strings of destiny, Itachi Uchiha," Orochimaru began walking away.

"In this world, there are gods who may be even stronger than the most powerful people you knew, Itachi-kun… and they likely aren't happy about your presence here." Orochimaru's voice grew fainter.

"Pull the strings of destiny for me… so I can watch you, Itachi Uchiha!!!" Orochimaru finally shouted. His body dissolved into several snakes that slithered off in different directions.

Itachi stood still for a moment, a strange feeling of nostalgia and concern washing over him. After blinking a few times, he realized Orochimaru had really left.

"Gods, huh? Looks like this world has been hiding something important from me," Itachi concluded. He scanned the area once more before sighing and vanishing into the forest at high speed.

Not long after, Sona Sitri's group of devils arrived through a magic circle.

"I…" Sona stopped mid-sentence as she took in the scene. Her eyes quickly noticed scorched patches, cracks in the ground, fallen feathers of fallen angels, and a lingering heat in the air caused by steam.

"What the hell happened here?" Sona lost her composure for a moment, her voice full of surprise, before she quickly began inspecting the area.