Life as Uchiha Itachi

The next day, Itachi and Juzo, who had already departed for their mission, were summoned to the true Akatsuki headquarters via Pain's Astral Projection Jutsu. 

Itachi did not enter the room; he already had a rough idea of what had happened. 

"Orochimaru has betrayed the organization. While on your mission, keep an eye out for him. If you find him, eliminate him and retrieve his ring." 

Pain's voice, echoing through the projection, carried a somber tone. Clearly, he hadn't expected Orochimaru to pull such a stunt right under his nose. 

The silhouettes of the others remained silent, their expressions unreadable. 

Most of them were similar to Orochimaru—rogue ninja who had left their villages out of boredom or dissatisfaction. Joining the Akatsuki was more about finding something to do rather than loyalty to a cause. 

"If you come across suitable candidates during your missions, consider recruiting them into the organization," Pain added, seeing their half-hearted reactions. 

Internally, Pain couldn't help but feel frustrated. Orochimaru's departure had been a wake-up call—it was time to recruit more members, including potential substitutes, to ensure the organization's continuity. If someone died, got injured, or betrayed them, they couldn't afford delays in their plans. 

---

"Kid, do you know something about this? Yesterday, you met with Orochimaru, and today he's defected from the organization," Juzo remarked, casting a peculiar glance at Itachi as they exited the headquarters. 

"I don't know anything. Maybe he's searching for his truth," Itachi replied calmly. "If I found something meaningful to do, I'd probably leave too." 

Juzo paused, his expression complex. "I see... I guess we're all just lost souls." 

The Akatsuki's ideals were a tangled web of lies—one deceit wrapped around another. Itachi couldn't help but feel detached. 

---

"What's the mission this time? After it's done, I need to return to Konoha," Itachi said, steering the conversation away from Juzo's musings. 

Half a year ago, Kakashi's words still echoed in Itachi's mind, clear as day. They left him restless. 

If meeting Orochimaru hadn't been an urgent priority, he wouldn't have waited so long to act. But within the Akatsuki, he had to abide by their rules. It had taken six months to finally meet Orochimaru. 

After all, in this world, circumstances often dictated one's actions. His current strength wasn't enough to allow him to disregard the organization's rules. 

---

"You want to return to Konoha, huh? As for the mission..." Juzo trailed off, his tone growing heavier. 

He reached into his pocket, fingers brushing over the unfinished wooden carving he'd been working on, feeling the delicate grooves and contours beneath his fingertips. 

"This time, we're tasked with investigating the whereabouts of the Three-Tails in the Land of Water. The Mist Village has been shrouded in secrecy, operating under the 'Bloody Mist' regime for years. No one knows its current state. Since the Three-Tails is critical to our plans, we need information about its whereabouts," Juzo explained quietly. 

"Why this mission? The Mist Village is in lockdown. The moment we set foot there, we'll be exposed. Facing a major village head-on is practically a death sentence," Itachi responded, his usual calm voice now tinged with alarm. 

"Kid, do you think we can ever go back?" Juzo muttered, seemingly lost in his thoughts, his voice barely above a whisper. 

"Go back? Don't be ridiculous. There's no going back for us," Itachi snapped, his frustration bubbling to the surface. 

Juzo's strange behavior only deepened Itachi's unease. Orochimaru's betrayal had already unsettled him, and now they were assigned such a reckless mission. 

---

"Why are we doing this now? The organization is short on members. And while Juzo may not be the strongest, he's been diligently carrying out missions for years," Pain remarked in his office, addressing the masked man before him. 

"You're aware of what happened six months ago, aren't you? The power my junior possesses," Obito replied, seemingly ignoring Pain's question. 

"So what? Is that power truly so overwhelming? It can be subdued with just one hand," Pain retorted, his tone tinged with disbelief. 

--- 

Regarding Obito's words, Pain felt disdain in his heart but responded flatly.

"So, how strong were you when you were twelve?" Pain's words seemed to fall on deaf ears as Obito, indifferent, posed a seemingly trivial question.

...

Pain fell silent for a moment. He thought back to that time—it seemed it was shortly after the three of them became Jiraiya's disciples.

Back then, they were still eating moldy bread...

Sleeping in damp caves...

"And so what? No matter how talented someone is, they can't surpass my Sage Eyes, the Rinnegan. It's a restriction of the rules!" Pain stubbornly retorted to Obito's statement.

"True, such things are bound by the rules," Obito replied casually. "But it's still better to have someone keep an eye on things. Wouldn't want it to spiral out of control."

Obito felt nothing but contempt for Pain's words.

After all, he was well aware of the origins of Nagato's Rinnegan.

"Juzo has been part of our organization for quite a while now. I could just talk to him and have him keep an eye on Itachi, reporting his status. Why go to such lengths? What's the point?"

Looking at the person before him, who claimed to be Uchiha Madara, Pain couldn't help but feel a sense of disdain for Obito's lack of vision.

"It's simple. I don't trust him," Obito replied lightly, as the image of Itachi and his unpredictable nature crossed his mind.

The main issue was that while Obito could account for every move Pain made, Itachi remained a mystery he couldn't unravel.

Moreover, Itachi's eyes were on par with his own.

His Mangekyō Sharingan was incomplete, with only one eye. This was his weakness. Itachi, on the other hand, possessed a complete pair. If he wasn't careful, even he could suffer defeat.

That's why Obito couldn't relax without monitoring Itachi. Given time, Itachi's power could grow even more formidable.

Compared to Juzo, Obito valued Kisame more—the subordinate he personally recruited.

Kisame wasn't just an operative; he was Obito's loyal ally. His role wasn't limited to keeping tabs on Itachi but also to planting a mole within the Akatsuki organization.

...

After all, the Akatsuki's power had grown significantly. It was no longer the small, ragtag group it used to be.

Obito could no longer afford to underestimate its strength.

"Fine," Pain said, giving Obito a long, thoughtful look.

However, Pain held his tongue, remembering that their plans still required Obito's help. It wasn't time to burn bridges yet.

After all, the theoretical framework and implementation of this plan were all devised by the man hiding behind the mask.

Itachi thought about many things, but he had overlooked one crucial point—himself.

In the original story, Juzo's death was never due to his own weakness. It was merely a calculated move to target both him and the Akatsuki.

The purpose was to monitor him and the Akatsuki.

This was one of Obito's brilliant maneuvers, killing two birds with one stone.

Juzo's mistake lay in being Itachi's teammate, his comrade...

...

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