Life as Uchiha Itachi

"I've come to see you again…" 

In the Konoha Cemetery, a masked, white-haired man crouched in front of a gravestone, gently placing a bouquet of flowers as he spoke. 

His voice carried an overwhelming sense of exhaustion. 

He sat down carelessly on the ground, removed his mask, and let it hang atop his head. 

The man was none other than Konoha's Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi. 

As Kakashi removed his mask, his flawless face was revealed, marred only by the scar running through his left eye, where his Sharingan remained open and unshuttable. 

His eyes, distant and unfocused, stared blankly at the gravestone. 

He said nothing, yet it seemed as though he had said everything. 

Images flashed through his mind, causing his lips to occasionally curve into a faint smile or twist in sadness. 

He was lost in his memories. 

The sun shone brightly, and the shadow of the gravestone merged with Kakashi's own. A gentle breeze lifted his white hair, almost as if an invisible presence were stroking his head and whispering softly to him. 

The scene shifted. Kakashi stood up, his mask now back on his face at some unknown point. 

"What is it?" 

His voice, cold and filled with murderous intent, echoed from beneath the mask. 

The warmth from earlier had completely vanished. He now resembled a cold, calculating machine of death. 

"The Hokage has summoned you," the visitor replied, their voice trembling under Kakashi's imposing presence. 

"Understood. You're dismissed." 

Though still cold, Kakashi's words seemed to relieve the visitor, who quickly responded, "Yes, sir!" and retreated. 

Once the subordinate had left, Kakashi turned to look at the gravestone one last time, his gaze lingering. 

"I'm leaving now… Maybe this time, I'll get to join you all…" 

His figure disappeared into the air, and his voice lingered momentarily before being carried away by the wind. 

When Kakashi reappeared, he was in the Hokage's office. 

"Hokage-sama," he greeted softly, addressing Hiruzen Sarutobi, then stood silently. 

"Ah, Kakashi, you're here," Hiruzen acknowledged as he put down the document he had been reviewing. 

Picking up his pipe, Hiruzen lit it with practiced ease and took a deep drag. 

Thick smoke filled his lungs, the sharp sensation bringing a faint flush to his aged cheeks. 

A fit of coughing followed, expelling the diluted smoke into the air. The pungent smell lingered in the room. 

After taking a satisfying puff, Hiruzen noted that Kakashi still hadn't spoken. This made Hiruzen feel somewhat bored but not surprised. 

"The departed are gone, and the living must carry on…" 

After a moment of thought, Hiruzen spoke with a complex tone. It seemed partly intended to comfort Kakashi, but it also carried a sense of mutual reflection. 

Whether the words were heartfelt or merely meant to create a connection, it was unclear. 

"If there's nothing else, I'll get back to my duties…" Kakashi replied blandly, unfazed by Hiruzen's attempt at sentiment. 

He was no longer the impulsive young man he once was. 

"You've been in the ANBU for years, moving in the shadows. It's time for you to step into the light. Konoha needs you." 

Kakashi's indifferent tone left Hiruzen feeling frustrated, as though he had wasted his words. 

"Fine," Kakashi replied nonchalantly. Whether he agreed with Hiruzen or simply wanted to avoid further conversation, it was hard to tell. 

"The current academy students are about to graduate. I want you to test them." 

Hiruzen was pleased with Kakashi's response; he didn't appreciate having his authority challenged. 

"Understood. I'll get to it." 

Kakashi hesitated briefly but ultimately agreed. 

"So, he wants me to become a squad leader. He could've just said that from the start instead of dragging it out," Kakashi thought, feeling slightly annoyed. 

"There's no rush. There's something else I need you to handle first. The matter of leading a team can wait until you return." 

Seeing Kakashi about to leave again, Hiruzen felt a bit exasperated. Was his company so unbearable that Kakashi couldn't wait to get away? 

But now that it was time to address the real task, Hiruzen dropped the pleasantries. 

Taking another drag from his pipe, he pulled a scroll from his desk as he stood up, exhaling smoke while walking toward Kakashi. 

This gesture served two purposes: to show concern for his subordinate by closing the distance and to ease the stiffness from sitting too long. 

Kakashi held his breath to endure the strong smell of tobacco as he carefully opened the scroll. 

After confirming its contents, he quietly rolled it back up. 

"I'll depart immediately." 

"Alright." 

... 

This time, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't say anything further. He simply waved his hand, signaling that Kakashi could leave. 

Once Kakashi was gone, Hiruzen raised his arm and lightly sniffed the fabric on his shoulder. 

Not detecting any strange odor, he frowned in confusion. 

"There's no smell at all. What are these young people even thinking about these days?" 

In the quiet office, Hiruzen muttered to himself in mild bewilderment. 

... 

Outside the office, Kakashi took a deep breath of fresh air, finally shaking off the suffocating sensation. 

Moments later, as the discomfort faded, Kakashi picked up the scroll and examined it again. 

After a few seconds of thought, he closed the scroll, patted his ninja pouch, and confirmed that his treasured book wasn't left behind. With his concerns about packing dismissed, he took a step toward the main gate, preparing to set out immediately. 

This time, his mission was to capture a rogue ninja from Konoha. 

In a no-error version from Book Bar 169! 

The rogue ninja had been hiding well, with a one-million bounty placed on his head by Konoha, yet he remained in the shadows. 

However, this time he angered a powerful figure, who released updated information and even increased the bounty. 

This forced the rogue ninja into the open. 

With the new intel, Konoha's attention naturally turned toward the matter—not out of reluctance to part with the original one-million bounty or the additional two million offered by the influential figure. 

Of course, it was still up to Hiruzen Sarutobi's perspective on the matter, and Kakashi wasn't entirely sure about that. 

... 

All Kakashi knew was that once he caught the rogue ninja, his job was to deliver him back to Konoha. 

As for the additional two-million bounty offered by the powerful figure, Kakashi could claim a significant portion of it. 

Two million ryo was a lot, though Kakashi didn't have much interest in how to spend it. 

He only knew that one of his elders was a highly accomplished writer. 

As a junior, he was determined to show support by collecting every single book in that elder's series, a gesture of filial piety. 

This had always been Kakashi's sole dream and goal. 

It was also the only joy he found in this world. 

... 

In the forest, Jūzō suddenly stopped walking, causing Itachi to pause and glance at the ring on his thumb as if understanding something. 

"Kid, this is Akatsuki's secret weapon," Jūzō said with a sly grin as he noticed Itachi's gaze. 

"Oh." 

Itachi didn't respond to Jūzō's posturing and merely replied indifferently, maintaining his cool demeanor. 

Following Jūzō's instructions, Itachi's consciousness entered a mysterious space. 

As he carefully examined his surroundings, he realized he was standing on a stone pillar. 

Other stone pillars slowly materialized, revealing faint, shadowy figures—an awe-inspiring sight. 

Although Itachi had seen this scene in the anime before, witnessing it firsthand felt entirely different. 

"Itachi, are you adjusting well to life in Akatsuki?" 

Once everyone was present, Pain spoke softly, inquiring about Itachi's experience. 

Perhaps finding introductions too tedious, Pain chose this method to inform the group that their family had gained a new member: Itachi. 

"Hmm." 

Pain's question caught Itachi slightly off guard, drawing everyone's attention to him. 

"Itachi, it's been a while. You've grown so much! Should we team up? I promise to take good care of you," Orochimaru's voice broke the brief silence. 

Zooming out, the group's stone pillars were revealed to be the ten fingers of the Gedo Statue. 

Each finger corresponded to a ring. The palms of the statue faced upward, with its thumbs pointing outward, fingers slightly curled. 

In the original story, Itachi's ring was on his right ring finger, while Orochimaru's was on his left pinky, meaning they weren't far apart. 

"I've only just started building a rapport with this kid, and now you want to pair up? Who do you think you are?" Jūzō retorted irritably to Orochimaru. 

Itachi remained silent, choosing to blend into the background. At this point, he knew it was best to stay low-profile. 

Once he was stronger, he could stand out—but for now, patience was key. 

... 

Before their argument could escalate, Pain spoke calmly, stopping the commotion and starting his speech. 

To Itachi's surprise, Pain merely inquired briefly about each team's progress, reiterated Akatsuki's grand ideals, and then ended the meeting. 

This left Itachi puzzled, unable to figure out Pain's true intentions. 

Compared to the gloomy environment of the Akatsuki headquarters, the bright outdoors felt much more pleasant to Itachi. 

"Confused? The recent slowdown in our money-making efforts is why Pain acted this way," Jūzō said smugly, noticing Itachi's confusion. 

"Uh... That sounds like slacking off. How is that acceptable?" Itachi finally responded after a moment of hesitation, though he left it at that. 

"Don't worry. Our efficiency is decent. It's the others who are slow," Jūzō quickly explained, worried that Itachi might suggest ramping up their workload and increasing competition. 

"In that case, for the sake of harmony in the organization, let's slow down too… as long as we're not the slowest," Itachi replied, his words perfectly aligning with Jūzō's thoughts. 

"Alright then… for the sake of harmony," Jūzō said after a brief pause, his tone heavy as if making a difficult decision. 

The two exchanged a knowing look, suppressing their laughter and maintaining solemn expressions. 

If Pain had witnessed this scene, he might have exploded in frustration. 

What a team—full of actors. 

...