Life as Uchiha Itachi

With Pain's silence, the matter became a done deal. 

"Jūzō, you should leave. Go live a secluded life in the mountains," Itachi said softly, stopping after taking a few more steps. 

"What do you mean?" Jūzō snapped out of his thoughts, confused by Itachi's words. 

"I mean, hand over your ring and get lost," Itachi said coldly, staring at Jūzō. 

"What are you trying to do? If I give you the ring, doesn't that mean I'm defecting from the organization? No way! I'm never defecting again!" 

Jūzō, though baffled by Itachi's sudden demand, still responded firmly. 

Seeing Jūzō's reaction, Itachi fell silent for a moment. 

The Bloody Mist Village was still under Obito's control and had yet to be liberated. 

This situation placed him in a dilemma. He had no idea how to broach the topic with Jūzō. 

"I heard there's a rebel group in the Hidden Mist Village. Supposedly, they want to bring light back to the village," Itachi said after calming himself down. 

He realized he had been acting rashly because of his concern. 

Without a clear explanation, there was no way Jūzō would listen to him unless he lost his mind. 

"So what? That decaying village is beyond saving," Jūzō scoffed, mocking Itachi's statement. 

"You'll never know unless you try. What if they succeed?" Itachi replied casually, with a faint smile. 

"Why don't you go save your own village, kid? You care about it just as much as I care about mine, right? Isn't the Leaf Village also in a sickly state now?" 

Jūzō found Itachi's unusual behavior intriguing. 

He couldn't figure out what had gotten into Itachi to make him act so strangely. 

Urging him to defect from the organization out of nowhere—Jūzō even began to wonder if Orochimaru's defection was somehow orchestrated by Itachi. 

Given what Itachi had been saying today, it seemed highly possible. 

Could Itachi be some kind of angel of justice, trying to dismantle the Akatsuki organization from the inside? 

Jūzō speculated silently. 

"I've realized you're truly impervious to reason. Tell me, what would it take for you to leave the organization?" 

Itachi gazed seriously at Jūzō, who was scrutinizing him. 

Through the thin veil of his straw hat, Jūzō caught a close look at Itachi's deep and earnest eyes, momentarily stunned. 

"And what if I tell you that I'll never defect from the Akatsuki? What would you do then?" 

Jūzō replied earnestly. 

For someone like him, who had been displaced and had nowhere else to go, the Akatsuki was his second home. How could he leave it so easily? 

If he left, he wouldn't know what to do with himself. 

Besides, if he left the Akatsuki, he'd never see this annoying little brat again. 

"Then the conversation ends here. What else could I do?" 

Not understanding Jūzō's inner thoughts, Itachi simply responded nonchalantly. 

He had already done what he could and said what needed to be said. He had even crossed certain lines. 

The rest would have to be left to fate. 

There were many things in life that couldn't be changed just because one wanted them to. 

Or perhaps Jūzō's life had already been exciting enough. If he continued living, all that awaited him was endless confusion and being manipulated by the Akatsuki. It might be better for him to die gloriously, leaving behind a shining legacy. 

At that moment, Itachi seemed to understand the feelings Orochimaru had when he killed his own mentor... 

"Alright, kid. Did you secretly have a drink or something? Your words are all over the place," Jūzō said, exhaling in relief as Itachi reverted to his usual unserious demeanor. 

"I had a dream recently," Itachi said seriously, locking eyes with Jūzō's unique face. "In the dream, we took on a mission to the Hidden Mist Village, and you died. That's why I've been uneasy about this mission—I wanted to plan a way out for you." 

Looking at him, Jūzō felt a warmth in his heart. 

"Kid, don't you know that dreams are always the opposite of reality?" 

Jūzō burst into laughter at Itachi's words, amused by the childish notion. 

"I used to have a cat. One night, I dreamed it died, and a few days later, it actually did," Itachi said, making up a story on the spot to cover his lie. 

Jūzō, noticing Itachi's sincerity, felt a small warmth in his heart. 

"Kid, I have to admit, I've also had a bad feeling about this mission. People say that before they die, they often get a premonition. And your words have only reinforced that feeling… But even so, as a man, I can't back down." 

Juzo gently touched Itachi's bamboo hat, as if he were stroking his hair through it. 

This was the first time he had any physical contact with Itachi. 

As Juzo gazed at him, lingering as if unwilling to let go, Itachi felt a sudden pang in his chest. 

This was his first friend in this world, the first bond he had formed... 

"Even if it means dying, does it not matter to you?" 

Itachi asked, his voice tinged with confusion as he looked at the man before him. 

"It doesn't matter," Juzo replied softly, his words unusually tender. "Perhaps, on the day I betrayed my village so many years ago, I already died. It's time to bring things to an end..." 

... 

"But isn't life supposed to be the most precious thing?" 

Itachi's heart ached, as if the air was being sucked out of his lungs. 

"For a man, there are many things more important than life itself. If I die this time, don't be sad... Eat less candy, more real food, and grow up healthy. When you're alone, or among unfamiliar people, don't drink so much. Don't fall asleep too deeply in front of people you barely know, even if they're your companions... Do you understand?" 

Juzo spoke softly, as if bidding farewell. 

Every word conjured a vivid picture in his mind. 

Each phrase was a precious memory, fragments of moments with Itachi that played out before his eyes. 

Hearing Juzo's words, Itachi's eyes began to redden. 

"But... I don't want you to die. Can you... not die?" 

To Juzo, it was merely a foreboding feeling, but to Itachi, it was a reality he had witnessed with his own eyes. 

Itachi spoke in a soft voice, with a rare hint of pleading. 

... 

"Kid, don't be so down. You should be happy for me. I can finally leave this filthy world behind..." 

Juzo lifted Itachi's bamboo hat, revealing his tear-filled eyes. 

With a gentle smile, he comforted him. 

"By the way, I have a gift for you. I'm afraid that if I die too quickly, I won't have the chance to give it to you, or say my final words. So I might as well say it all now, to prevent any emergencies that might put you in danger later." 

Juzo gently pinched Itachi's cheek as he spoke. 

"Don't you feel embarrassed? What if you don't end up dying? How would you face living after saying all this?" 

Itachi muttered, his words muffled and slightly annoyed by the pinch. 

"Annoying little brat... Fine, I don't have much of a farewell speech anyway..." 

Hearing Itachi's response, Juzo froze for a moment, then smiled faintly. 

As Itachi looked at the carefree man in front of him, something seemed to shift within him. 

Perhaps it was as Famous Person once said: 

"True warriors are those who dare to face the bleakness of life and the gory reality of bloodshed. What sorrow and joy they must endure! Yet fate often designs a path for the mediocre, using the passage of time to wash away old marks, leaving behind only faint traces of crimson and muted sadness. In that faint crimson and muted sadness, humanity steals moments of survival, sustaining this inhuman world. When will such a world see its end?" 

Juzo may have been weak once, but in Itachi's eyes, he was a warrior.