Life as Uchiha Itachi

Despite their slow pace, the two finally entered the borders of the Hidden Mist Village. 

Jūzō walked quietly in front, leading the way without a word. 

This was a place sacred to him, filled with countless memories. 

As soon as they stepped into the Hidden Mist Village, they sensed numerous figures closing in on them from all directions. 

Fortunately, Jūzō, a former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, was intimately familiar with the Hidden Mist Village. 

He easily evaded the Mist Ninja's encirclement, disappearing as though he were a ghost. 

---

Meanwhile, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, stood in his office. Across from him sat a man wearing a yellow, spiral-patterned mask. 

The masked man was silently reading a document, showing no interest in engaging with Yagura. 

The office was eerily silent, a suffocating tension filling the air. 

Moments later, a vortex resembling a spatial distortion appeared beside the masked man. 

In the blink of an eye, the masked man vanished, leaving behind Yagura, who wore a childlike face, green hair, purple eyes, and a scar beneath his left eye resembling a suture. He carried a staff-like weapon with a hooked end adorned with green flower decorations. 

Yagura stood there dazed for a moment. 

Before long, however, the Mangekyō Sharingan pattern flashed briefly in his eyes. 

Like a machine receiving instructions, Yagura sprang into action. 

He mobilized the elite forces as if preparing for war. 

---

Obito stood atop a rooftop, the space around him distorting as he watched. 

He seemed to revel in his work, murmuring coldly, "How far can your Mangekyō Sharingan see, Itachi Uchiha?" 

His voice was icy, exuding the authority of an emperor in control of everything. 

At this moment, he prepared to set a trap for his trusted subordinate. 

He wanted to test Itachi's limits—if Itachi exceeded his control, Obito thought grimly, it might be time to eliminate him. 

---

"You should go back, kid. A large force is approaching. Let me handle this mission alone," Jūzō said gravely, sensing the influx of ninja from the village. 

"If you want to die, I can't stop you. But I intend to fight with you until the very end," Itachi replied, uncharacteristically bold. 

---

As the massive force conducted a sweeping, carpet-like search, they closed in on the two. 

However, almost half of the ninja began retreating midway. 

The upper echelons of the Hidden Mist Village had long noticed Yagura's unusual behavior. Now, with Yagura attempting another bold move, they immediately recalled their allies who shared their ideals. 

This blatant defiance of the Mizukage's authority created an atmosphere of extreme tension within the village. 

Simultaneously, a faction of rogue ninjas lingered in the shadows, forming a faint three-way deadlock. 

---

"Leader, what should we do? Yagura is up to something again," a man asked in concern, standing in a dimly lit room. 

Across from him, a stunning woman calmly sipped her tea. 

The man had ash-blue hair, complex sealing charms dangling from his ears, and a black eyepatch over his right eye, resembling a pirate. 

"Ao, don't worry. Let's sit back and watch the tigers fight. This might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Just have our people blend into the crowd without taking real action," the woman replied lazily, setting her teacup down. 

Her full figure leaned casually against the back of her chair, revealing her elegant appearance: emerald-green eyes, long auburn curls, one eye obscured by hair, and pink lips. She wore a blue strapless dress with a white belt, her nails painted a deep blue. 

Her beauty was both intellectual and seductive. 

Faced with such charm, Ao quickly averted his gaze, his head turned awkwardly away. 

The woman, Mei Terumī, laughed lightly, her delicate fingers covering her lips in amusement. 

---

"We should retreat. We've already alerted them. If the Three-Tails falls into someone's control, its whereabouts will soon be exposed," Itachi said uneasily, noting the approaching ninja. 

He couldn't explain his foreknowledge too openly—it would only raise suspicion. 

Jūzō's grip on the Executioner's Blade loosened slightly. He studied Itachi intently, etching his face into memory. 

Not remembering his mother's face had always been a regret. 

Neither wore their straw hats this time—they simply wanted to see each other's faces a few more times. 

---

"It's too late. Let's break through. I'll get you out of here," Jūzō said resolutely, his gaze unwavering. 

At that moment, he no longer cared about the mission. All he wanted was to ensure this young man's safety. 

---

To be honest, Jūzō hadn't expected their exposure to happen so quickly or for a large force to come after them this soon. 

He had thought his familiarity with the Hidden Mist Village would prevent such danger. 

Even if he were to die, he had hoped to secure the intel their organization needed, sparing Itachi another failed mission. 

This was the last thing he could do for Itachi. 

But the reality unfolding before him was nothing like his plan. 

---

Itachi gazed at Jūzō, who silently met his eyes. 

Moments later, Itachi nodded faintly. 

He had always known this would be the outcome, yet he still chose to step into this vortex. 

Sometimes, people are just like that—emotion quietly triumphs over reason. 

The two stood there in silence, gazing at each other until the Mist Ninja appeared in their line of sight. 

--- 

"Found it!" 

A loud shout echoed through the foggy, damp forest. 

The two men's gazes sharpened instantly, brimming with killing intent. 

Jūzō drew his Executioner's Blade without hesitation. 

This time, his draw was astonishingly fast—his movements even faster. 

At that moment, his determination was unshakable, as if he were experiencing a final burst of vitality. It felt as though he had regained his lost soul and spirit, the ones he had abandoned when he defected from the village... 

In an instant, the massive blade was at the intruder's neck. 

But upon seeing the blank expression in the man's eyes and the ninja headband on his forehead, Jūzō changed his lethal strike into a blunt blow. The Mist ninja was sent flying and fell unconscious. 

--- 

Itachi's Sharingan spun, the three tomoe rotating rapidly. 

His movements were graceful, almost like a dance, as he reaped the lives of Mist ninjas trapped in his genjutsu. 

"Be careful! This guy has a Sharingan—he's an Uchiha!" 

The front-line ninjas, quickly eliminated by the pair, were soon replaced by reinforcements rushing forward. Someone in the rear began shouting a warning. 

"Jūzō Biwa? You, a defector from the Hidden Mist Village, dare to come back here!" 

Finally, someone recognized Jūzō Biwa and revealed his identity. 

--- 

Itachi ignored the shouts of the Mist ninja. He picked up a long sword from the ground, and his figure vanished in a blur. 

He needed to fight, to vent the oppressive emotions in his heart. 

In just a moment, the two were surrounded by more than thirty enemies, with even more reinforcements approaching from the distance. 

Fortunately, due to the sheer number of Mist ninjas, they refrained from using large-scale jutsu, afraid of harming their comrades. 

"Itachi, enough playing around. It's time to go..." 

For the first time, Jūzō called out Itachi's name, glancing in his direction. Without stopping, he started running toward their escape route, his arm muscles bulging as veins stood out prominently. 

--- 

Two stoic individuals stepped in front of Jūzō, their chakra flowing steadily into their blades. 

Jūzō no longer held back, coating his Executioner's Blade with chakra as well. He swung it in a wide arc toward the two ninjas before him. 

As the massive blade clashed with their weapons, Jūzō felt his heart sink. These two were not ordinary fighters. 

Sensing Itachi's presence drawing nearer, Jūzō didn't hesitate. He swung his massive blade once again. 

Although the two ninjas managed to block the attack, the force sent them stumbling back several steps. 

Still, Jūzō noticed a flash of fear in their eyes as he charged again like a relentless monster. But their hesitation was fleeting, quickly replaced by a fierce resolve. 

As if telepathically connected, the two separated and flanked Jūzō, preparing to launch a coordinated strike. 

--- 

Jūzō, aware of Itachi's swift approach, chose to ignore one of the ninjas and focused all his strength on a heavy strike against the other, as if he were ready to sacrifice himself to create an opening. 

"Use ninjutsu! No matter the cost, kill them both!" 

Enraged by the mounting casualties, Yagura, who had just arrived, shouted the order. 

Itachi, mid-air and poised to intercept the second ninja's attack on Jūzō, suddenly froze. 

The surrounding chakra surged wildly. 

The Mist ninjas had abandoned all restraint, ready to obliterate everyone in the area, comrades included. 

"Jūzō, run!" 

Snapping back to his senses, Itachi shouted urgently. 

Without hesitation, he turned and dashed toward the source of the order. 

--- 

"Damn it... this disgusting village..." 

Jūzō had no choice but to abandon his attack. Activating the Body Flicker Technique, he prepared to leave the targeted zone. 

To his shock, the two ninjas flanking him recklessly charged forward, clearly intent on taking him down with them. 

Though fear and sorrow flickered in their eyes, their resolve was unwavering. They wanted to hold Jūzō in place, trapping him within the blast zone of the ninjutsu. 

Their sacrificial determination left Jūzō speechless. They were like a suicide squad, terrifyingly resolute. 

Itachi raced toward Yagura's position, his senses constantly probing Jūzō's location. 

The Mist ninjas around them completed their hand seals. The air seemed to vibrate as destructive jutsu were unleashed. 

--- 

Itachi stopped mid-step. His Sharingan transformed into the Mangekyō, and black flames erupted, engulfing the ninjas before him. 

The strain of using such a powerful technique overwhelmed him; blood poured from his eyes in crimson streams, heavier than ever before. 

The Mist ninjas, their bodies consumed by the unquenchable flames, remained eerily silent as their jutsu was unleashed. 

A massive torrent of water surged forward—the Great Waterfall Technique, the Water Dragon Bullet Technique... 

Some of the attacks were directed at Itachi; others hurtled toward Jūzō and his two pursuers. 

The ninjas consumed by the black flames perished silently, their unwavering resolve sending shivers down one's spine. It was as if they felt no pain, no fear, no emotions... 

--- 

Itachi's once-bright eyes seemed visibly dimmer. His eyelids drooped, as if it took all his strength just to keep them open. 

--- 

A massive, crimson, semi-transparent figure appeared around him. 

The figure stood firm, blocking all incoming attacks. However, due to the urgency and insufficient chakra, it shattered almost instantly... 

Itachi's figure was exposed to the overwhelming attack surging toward him. 

"Has fate changed? Am I the one to die first?" 

At that moment, strange thoughts flooded Itachi's mind as he stood dazed, watching the torrents of water jutsu approaching slowly. 

Itachi felt a deep sense of confusion. He was a transmigrator, wasn't he? He knew the storyline, didn't he? But what was happening now? 

A mix of unwillingness and anger boiled within him. 

He had never dared to recklessly alter anything, fearing changes in the future storyline. But now, what was this? All he wanted was to change the fate of an ordinary person—why had it come to this? 

"Am I, Uchiha Itachi—no, Li Itachi—really going to die here so carelessly?" 

Countless thoughts raced through his mind in an instant, yet everything outside seemed frozen in time. 

Questions arose from the depths of his heart, only to be shattered in a flash. 

"To hell with this!" 

Itachi cursed as he stared at the colossal water jutsu closing in, his Mangekyō Sharingan reflecting the scene. 

Fueled by his frustration and unwillingness, subtle changes seemed to occur within his Mangekyō. The previously fatigued eyes brimmed once again with a surge of power. 

... 

The crimson aura that had been shattered in midair suddenly reformed in an instant. 

The semi-transparent skeletal figure underwent a startling transformation. Like a Saiyan's power-up, the skeleton was soon overlaid with sinews and tendons. 

A phantom weapon materialized at its waist. 

Instinctively, Itachi reached for the phantom object at his waist. His chakra surged into it, transforming it into a shield... 

"Yata Mirror..." 

He murmured the name under his breath, realizing its nature. 

Information about the Yata Mirror surfaced in his mind. 

**Yata Mirror:** A "spiritual artifact" without a physical form. It possesses the ability to adapt to all types of nature transformations, neutralizing any attack by altering its own properties accordingly. 

... 

The torrents of water jutsu that had been so troublesome moments ago vanished as if absorbed. 

Itachi stared blankly at the scene before him, utterly stunned. 

Even with the second form of Susanoo, he hadn't been confident in blocking the attack. But this companion artifact, the Yata Mirror—where did it come from? 

This was a divine artifact... 

And if the Yata Mirror was an innate characteristic, like Indra's reincarnation, then where was the Totsuka Blade? 

Itachi's emotions fluctuated wildly, his mind filled with questions. 

Seeing his elite subordinates fall one after another, Yagura was enraged. 

A constant stream of dark red chakra erupted from his body, wrapping around him to form the Tailed Beast Cloak. 

Although his body remained humanoid, all traces of humanity were gone. He resembled a ravenous beast. 

Yagura crouched low, lifting his head slightly. Combining Tailed Beast chakra at an 8:2 Yin-Yang ratio, he created a rapidly rotating, high-density black energy sphere. 

"Tailed Beast Ball..." 

Itachi's expression turned grim as he watched Yagura begin with such a devastating move. His current state wasn't great, and his heart sank. 

He saw Yagura, like a feral beast, swallow the highly condensed Tailed Beast Ball. 

The attack was about to be launched... 

"Can the Yata Mirror block a Tailed Beast Ball? Asking for a friend—it's urgent..." 

Sensing that Juzo hadn't foolishly charged in from behind, Itachi let out a sigh of relief. 

"If I can block this one attack, Juzo's fate should change, right?" 

Itachi murmured softly to himself. 

He couldn't dodge. The Tailed Beast Ball could obliterate an entire mountain, and his position was inconvenient. Having just defended against the jutsu, he now stood in a direct line with Juzo. 

Blinding light filled Itachi's vision, and for a moment, he felt foolish. Was it worth risking his life for someone who had already given up on living? 

Memories and scenes of his interactions with Juzo surfaced in his mind, and the answer was clear. 

"It's worth it! The purpose of power is to protect, isn't it?" 

Besides, Itachi's life was already filled with so many regrets. Now that he had power, he wanted to live without adding any more. 

Perhaps that was the reason he had come to this world... 

---