Life as Uchiha Itachi

Itachi glanced at Jūzō, who was spouting bold remarks beside him, with a hint of surprise. In his heart, he felt a slight stir of excitement but chose not to act on it. 

Though the alcohol had somewhat dulled his nerves, it wasn't enough to override his cautious instincts. 

"Let's wait a bit longer—at least until Yamato Gisu down there is dead," Itachi said, spreading his senses while stalling for time. 

Hearing Itachi's words, Jūzō didn't push further. Instead, he stared idly at the battle unfolding below. 

Naturally a war fanatic, the alcohol only amplified his fighting spirit, burning like a blazing inferno within him. Now, he felt like he could hardly contain himself. 

The crowd surrounding them grew thicker, and the ninja fighting Yamato Gisu began to feel uneasy. 

Originally, the plan was to assassinate Yamato Gisu quietly and then retreat unnoticed, earning both merit and fame. 

But the target had been too vigilant, and the assassination attempt had failed. 

Left with no other choice, the ninja decided to fight with all his might, hoping to end the battle quickly. 

However, Yamato Gisu's strength exceeded his expectations. Even with his full power, the best he could manage was an even match. 

The battle dragged on with no resolution in sight, lasting until now. 

With so many onlookers gathering, the ninja knew that even if he managed to kill Yamato Gisu, escaping unscathed would be impossible. 

The fight had already lost its meaning. 

Realizing this, he felt a strong urge to retreat, planning to blend into the shadows and wait for another opportunity. 

Yamato Gisu, seemingly oblivious to this, continued to fight with all his strength, sweat flying through the air as he delivered another ferocious punch toward his opponent. 

The ninja, however, evaded with all his effort. 

A massive hole appeared in the wall, leaving it precariously unstable. 

The evenly matched opponent tumbled across the ground, rolling to his feet with surprising grace—a skill honed through countless battles. 

But this time was different. He had grown. 

While dodging, he formed a hand sign—a display of technique that sent chills down one's spine. 

He was no longer the desperate figure rolling away to escape. Truly, human potential is limitless... 

Seeing his punch miss, Yamato Gisu spun around and unleashed a whip-like kick. 

This time, he paused after striking. He had landed the kick—he had actually hit the irritating "fly." 

But in that brief moment of surprise, his opponent burst into a cloud of smoke, revealing a block of wood. 

Seconds passed with no sign of his adversary reappearing. 

It was then that Yamato Gisu realized what had happened: his opponent had fled. 

Yamato Gisu looked at the densely packed crowd around him, sweat dripping from his bald head onto the ground. 

"Dammit, I got carried away again..." 

The 6'2" man rubbed his shiny head, muttering to himself in frustration. Deep down, he knew his time was running out. 

Reflecting on his life, he thought perhaps this was the best outcome he could hope for. 

Born into a humble civilian family, Yamato Gisu was kind-hearted and naturally talented in martial arts. 

By a twist of fate, he had caught the wave of opportunity brought by the era. 

The ninja academy had made training accessible to children from civilian families. 

Thus, he successfully embarked on the path of a ninja. 

But his good fortune didn't last long. 

While still a Chūnin, the Third Great Ninja War broke out. 

Despite his limited strength, he survived countless life-or-death encounters through sheer luck. 

However, as if his luck had run dry, misfortune began to plague him. Eventually, he lost his family, his home, and became a hunted man. 

After painstakingly reinventing himself and finding some semblance of peace, life dealt him yet another cruel hand... 

Memories of the past flashed rapidly in his mind. 

The surrounding crowd, however, showed no intention of stepping forward, snapping Yamato Gisu out of his reverie. 

"Aren't you going to fight? If not, I'll be on my way," he said, his tone taunting. 

The onlookers weighed their options. Yamato Gisu's attacks were terrifyingly powerful, and his strength wasn't to be underestimated. 

None of them could take him down quickly, and whoever defeated him would likely face being ganged up on. 

The risks outweighed the rewards. 

"Yamato Gisu, come back with me." 

At that moment, a figure with a white mane and an Anbu mask stepped into the fray, his voice cold and indifferent. 

"The Anbu of Konoha..." 

Among the crowd, a few who recognized the masked figure murmured in subdued voices, their intentions to fight wavering. 

Some had come merely to try their luck, harboring the faint hope that Konoha's forces wouldn't show up. 

Although bounty hunters typically operated as lone wolves and rarely feared retaliation, self-preservation remained a universal instinct. 

Especially after experiencing the ease and privilege that strength afforded them, they clung to life even more desperately. 

Few were willing to gamble with their lives. 

For skilled bounty hunters, earning money was simple enough. If this opportunity fell through, there would always be another. 

Most importantly, they couldn't be sure if more Konoha shinobi were lurking in the shadows. 

Once a vendetta was formed and their identity exposed, their previously carefree lives could come to an abrupt end. The options would be death or relentless pursuit by Konoha's vast forces. 

"If no one's making a move, it's time to wrap this up..." 

As soon as the white-haired figure appeared, some people quietly left the scene. Feeling annoyed, Jūzō muttered, 

"No need to rush. Those who left are probably just going to disguise themselves and will return soon using another approach. After all, 30 million is no small amount—it could buy a lot of dumplings..." 

Itachi let Jūzō's words go in one ear and out the other. He tried to comfort Jūzō while also reassuring himself. 

To be honest, he was tempted to just set the crowd on fire. These people were stalling too much. 

Besides, he wanted to test whether Amaterasu, the fire that supposedly never dies, really couldn't be extinguished... 

In truth, Itachi wasn't wrong. Very few people truly gave up. Many of them had just gone into deeper hiding. These individuals were ruthless enough to plan on taking out Kakashi along with their target. 

"Go back? Go back where? I barely survived the war—forget merit, I at least suffered for the cause, didn't I? Finally, the war ended, I got married, and yet I was bullied by my clan's people. Broad daylight, they used their numbers to snatch my woman away." 

"And me? The victim? I was thrown in jail! If it weren't for sheer luck allowing me to break through and become a jōnin, would I even be standing here?" 

Hearing Yamato Kisu's words, Kakashi felt a tinge of sadness flash through his eyes. But as Yamato's speed surpassed what he'd displayed earlier in their fight, Kakashi didn't hesitate. His hands blurred into motion like afterimages. 

A wall of earth bearing a carved dog's head quickly rose in front of him. 

Yamato's fist, heavy with rage, smashed into the dog's head, shattering it instantly. The thick Earth Style wall cracked in several places. 

Seeing the sheer destructive force of Yamato's attack, Kakashi's heart sank. 

"You've already avenged yourself, and Lord Hokage has granted you justice. Let it go now." 

Kakashi's calm voice carried an unyielding resolve. 

"Hmph. If my comrade hadn't sacrificed his life to free me from my restraints, do you think I could've avenged myself?" 

Yamato sneered coldly, mockery written all over his face. He delivered a powerful kick, bringing the entire earth wall crumbling down. 

Kakashi stood motionless, staring at the furious Yamato before him. 

In their earlier fight, Kakashi had been observing Yamato closely. He had noticed a flaw in Yamato's immense strength—it only came from his left arm and leg, and after two powerful strikes, he needed to rest for three to five seconds. 

During that brief window, Yamato's attacks reverted to normal strength. 

"Your comrade sacrificed his life to save you. Would he want to see you like this?" 

The ice in Kakashi's voice melted slightly as he spoke with sincere persuasion. 

Yamato froze for a moment upon hearing Kakashi's words. 

Memories of his comrade's bloodied figure and the sweet smiles of two women flashed through his mind. He stared blankly at his own hands. 

"I can't go back... not to that disgusting village..." 

His weathered voice trembled as he spoke. 

"Darkness exists everywhere. When we're weak, we can't escape it. But when we gain strength, we can become a light, guiding others through that darkness. Having endured such pain, shouldn't we do everything we can to prevent it from happening to others?" 

For once, Kakashi spoke earnestly, trying to reason with Yamato. 

"Now I understand why Naruto is so good at persuading others. Turns out Kakashi played a part in it. He really did teach Naruto something..." 

Watching this scene, Itachi murmured softly to himself. 

"Are we stepping in now?" 

Jūzō, standing beside him, heard Itachi's quiet words but couldn't catch the specifics. Perking up, he asked eagerly. 

Itachi rolled his eyes at Jūzō's enthusiasm. 

"Fine, let's fight. All this talking is getting on my nerves." 

Frustrated and with his patience worn thin by both Jūzō and the alcohol, Itachi gave in. 

He removed his hat and tossed it aside while addressing Jūzō. After all, both Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi required clear sightlines to work effectively. 

If his eyes were obstructed, he'd be wasting his potential. 

"Burn, Amaterasu!" 

As the surrounding crowd gawked and gossiped, Itachi's three-tomoe Sharingan quickly morphed into the Mangekyō. 

He aimed for a densely packed spot in the crowd and unleashed a blast of Amaterasu. 

A little fire to liven things up. 

He wasn't reckless, though—Amaterasu consumed a lot of chakra. 

The sudden surge of Itachi's chakra drew everyone's attention. 

A group of five bounty hunters, huddled together with a makeshift plan, suddenly found themselves engulfed in black flames. 

Coincidentally, the one suffering the worst burns was the same bounty hunter who had earlier sought out Itachi and Jūzō but been turned away. 

The other four were individuals he had just recruited, drawn together by shared ambition. 

Yet their lofty goals never even got off the ground, as the hellish black flames reduced them all to ashes. 

The fire consumed them so quickly that even Itachi was momentarily stunned. 

"Uchiha Itachi... those eyes?" 

Both Yamato and Kakashi turned their attention to the source of the chakra surge. Yamato stared at Itachi's ninja forehead protector, while Kakashi fixed his gaze on Itachi's eyes. 

This kid was... difficult to describe in words. 

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