Life as Uchiha Itachi

A few days later, Itachi and Jūzō arrived at their destination. 

"Is this target really that strong? How bold of them to show up so openly in a place like this," Itachi remarked softly. 

Wearing a straw hat with a long sword hanging at his waist, Itachi gazed at the bustling small town in the distance. 

Jūzō, also wearing a straw hat, remained silent at first. After a moment of contemplation, he finally spoke. 

"He's in this town right now." 

---

"What's the detailed intel on this rogue ninja? And by the way, can you hide that giant blade of yours? It'll just attract unnecessary attention and cause us trouble." 

Hearing Jūzō's words, Itachi grew somewhat interested. However, his obsessive nature made him more concerned about Jūzō concealing the oversized blade. 

After all, the Seven Swords of the Mist had quite the reputation and were easily recognizable. 

He already had a feeling that this mission wouldn't be simple. 

"Fine," Jūzō replied lightly. 

However, contrary to Itachi's expectations of sealing the blade with a scroll, Jūzō sat down on a stone block, pulled out a massive roll of bandages from who-knows-where, and began wrapping the blade. 

Under Itachi's bemused gaze, Jūzō continued wrapping the weapon until the job was done. 

"You've got to be kidding me. You're a real genius…" Itachi muttered sarcastically. 

"Ha-ha, you flatter me," Jūzō responded with a bashful laugh, seemingly unaware of the sarcasm. 

---

Feeling drained, Itachi chose not to press the matter further. Jūzō had technically followed his suggestion, even if the result was, at best, laughably ineffective—like trying to cover one's ears while stealing a bell. 

"The target this time is a seasoned jōnin who fought in the Third Great Ninja War. He's one of your Konoha talents," Jūzō began, evidently satisfied with his handiwork as he introduced the intel. 

"Oh? What's his name?" Itachi asked, unimpressed. To him, a jōnin was just another target—as long as it wasn't a genin, it didn't matter much. 

"His name is Yamamoto Kisu. Apparently, he's a civilian-born ninja with remarkable physical strength and substantial chakra reserves. Originally, Konoha only placed a 10-million bounty on him, suggesting he didn't know too many sensitive secrets. 

"But recently, he ticked off some rich guy. The guy got so mad he added another 20 million to the bounty, along with some updated intel, which is how he got exposed." 

Jūzō laid out the details, silently judging Itachi's apparent last-minute curiosity. 

If Itachi knew what Jūzō was thinking, he'd probably be furious. After all, he'd asked about the intel right after leaving Amegakure, but Jūzō, drunk at the time, had refused to elaborate. And now he had the nerve to judge? 

---

"Why would Pain assign us to this kind of mission? Isn't it too early for us to make a move?" Itachi asked, his tone laced with doubt. 

"Don't worry. As long as we don't reveal who we are, no one will know we're from the Akatsuki. And even if they do, it doesn't matter—they have no idea what our ultimate plan is," Jūzō replied with a sly smile. 

"Oh," Itachi murmured. 

He suddenly remembered that the Akatsuki was currently perceived by other villages as a mercenary group—one that operated purely for money. 

In summary, there wasn't much to worry about. 

---

The two entered the town and checked into an inn, with no intention of going out immediately. 

To anyone observing, they seemed like ordinary travelers stopping for a rest. 

Initially, they planned to explore the town and familiarize themselves with its layout. But the sheer number of people in the bustling streets made it risky. Their own identities were less than clean, so they abandoned the idea and decided to act at night instead. 

"Is today some kind of special occasion? Why is the town so lively?" Itachi asked. 

Lying lazily on his side in their room, Itachi tossed his straw hat aside. One hand rested on the futon near his stomach, fingers moving as if playing an invisible piano. His other elbow propped him up, palm supporting his cheek. His legs were casually sprawled—one straight, the other bent. He turned his face toward Jūzō as he asked the question. 

Sitting across from him, Jūzō shot him an annoyed glance before picking up the teapot on the small wooden table. Leisurely, he poured himself a cup, drank it all in one go, and finally replied, "I've never been here before." 

The air of mystery on Jūzō's face irritated Itachi. 

"Would it kill you to stop acting cool for once?" Itachi muttered under his breath. 

--

Itachi straightened up and sat cross-legged. Feeling a bit stuffy, he unbuttoned his robe. 

This revealed the inner garment with net-like edges and his fair, elegant collarbones. 

Leisurely, he poured himself a cup of tea. After taking a sip, he found it utterly tasteless. 

"Let's drink some sake instead; this tea is pointless..." Itachi suggested. 

"Drinking with you is boring. You're not even fun—nursing a single cup for ages," Juzo remarked disdainfully, casting a glance at Itachi. 

"That was back in the wilderness. I wasn't in the mood to drink. But now, the environment and atmosphere are great, so we can enjoy a few cups," Itachi replied, unfazed by Juzo's words. 

The room fell silent for a moment, as though Juzo was at a loss for words in the face of Itachi's shamelessness. 

... 

"Senior, in your opinion, how should we approach this mission?" Itachi asked, breaking the silence. 

"We'll spread out our sensory abilities tonight and act separately. We'll screen all the detected ninjas, and that should do the trick," Juzo answered immediately, without much thought. 

"Not bad. Great idea..." Itachi praised Juzo's plan but silently ridiculed it in his mind. 

"This approach is so typical of Juzo—reckless to the core." 

Juzo, surprised by the rare approval from Itachi, found the annoying kid a little more tolerable. 

"All right, kid, let's see what you've got. How do you think we should act?" Juzo asked, feeling emboldened by Itachi's agreement and assuming a mentor-like tone. 

"I think your plan is pretty solid—simple and direct," Itachi began with a compliment. 

"If it were up to me, I'd consider this: our mission target will draw attention due to their identity as a rogue ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village and the high bounty on their head. A lot of people are bound to show up. When they fight each other to exhaustion, we can swoop in and clean up. Wouldn't that be ideal?" 

Itachi praised Juzo first, then laid out his own idea. 

... 

"I think your plan is risky. I'd say it's safer to finish the mission quickly and leave while there aren't too many competitors around. There's only two of us—if too many people show up, wouldn't that be reckless?" 

Juzo envisioned the scenario Itachi described, shuddered, and spoke with less confidence. 

The commanding air he had moments ago was completely gone. 

"I've already sensed quite a few people arriving, including some formidable ones. If we follow your plan, it'll definitely provoke them. And at this point, they're still in peak condition," Itachi explained calmly. 

He had anticipated this disagreement, which is why he first feigned praise to soften Juzo's mood before making his argument. 

"That's not necessarily true. They might not even dare to challenge us," Juzo replied with slight frustration after hearing Itachi's reasoning. 

"Sure, they might hesitate at first. But once they see us capturing the target right in front of them, don't you think they'll go berserk?" 

"Of course, no plan can be perfect. Success depends 30% on strategy and 70% on strength," Itachi remarked thoughtfully, his tone tinged with emotion. 

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