Naruto: Blacksmith

"What you wish to obtain always comes at a price."

"Nothing in this world is free."

Itachi watched Kuro intently as he continued, "This crystal ball can help you achieve things that seem impossible. But as a price, you will lose what is most important to you."

"And the bigger the wish, the more significant the loss."

Itachi fell silent, lost in thought. Finally, he asked, "What happens if the person making the wish doesn't have something equivalent to the value of the wish?"

"Simple," Kuro replied indifferently. "The wish won't come true."

Yes, there were limits.

Over the past two months, Kuro had experimented with the crystal ball several times and had learned its basic rules.

First, the ball doesn't create things out of nothing. Its operation is based on the probability of success within the world it exists in.

If something isn't possible within the laws of this world, the wish won't come true.

For example, if someone wishes for a gold bar, the ball will find ways to obtain it: stealing, trading, or redirecting resources.

But it won't materialize a gold bar out of thin air.

However, if someone wishes for the power to destroy the universe in one strike, the wish will fail because such a power doesn't exist in this world.

Second, all wishes come at a cost.

The cost isn't limited to material goods; it can also include abstract concepts like lifespan, soul, or even luck.

The greater the wish, the higher the price, and it will always be something deeply important to the person making the wish.

Kuro had once wished for three minutes of good fortune.

During those three minutes, everything went perfectly, as if the universe conspired in his favor. But when the three minutes ended, the price came: he experienced severe bleeding from all seven orifices of his body.

Fortunately, he had only wished for three minutes. If he had wished for good fortune for his entire life, he likely wouldn't be alive anymore.

Based on his experiences, combined with the situation between the Uchiha and the village and Itachi's personality, Kuro could probably predict what would happen after Itachi made a wish.

War.

War was the most likely price of a wish to end the conflict between the Uchiha and the village.

Only under such immense external pressure could Konoha avoid an internal conflict. And only a crisis of such magnitude could stop someone like Danzo.

War would force everyone to share a common hatred toward an external enemy.

Kuro knew Itachi was someone who valued peace above all else, even more than the village itself. But that peace only existed because Sasuke, his brother, gave him a reason to fight for it.

If Itachi used the ball, the highest price he would pay would be bringing about a war that would condemn his conscience—but he wouldn't lose anything else.

It was a worthwhile price.

So Kuro explained all this to Itachi, expecting him to choose wisely. But to his surprise, after a long silence, Itachi reached out and took the small red crystal instead of the crystal ball.

Kuro frowned. "Why?"

Clearly, as long as he could make a wish with the ball, he could end the civil war without losing anything significant.

So why choose the red crystal?

Itachi held the red crystal between his fingers, looking at it with a calm expression.

"Because my conscience isn't the only thing at stake."

Kuro stared at him, waiting for him to continue.

"If I use the crystal ball, Konoha might be saved, but at the cost of bringing an external war that will cost countless lives. The peace you want to preserve shouldn't depend on sacrificing innocents."

"Instead, if I use this crystal, I can resolve it directly with my own hands. I don't need to involve the entire village or put more people at risk than necessary."

Kuro remained silent, processing Itachi's logic.

"You know the red crystal doesn't guarantee you an easy solution."

Itachi nodded. "It's not just about that. Even if we achieved temporary reconciliation due to external pressure, as long as the root of the conflict isn't resolved, the problems will resurface as soon as the pressure disappears."

Kuro sighed. "You're right; I hadn't considered it from that perspective. However, even with Shisui's Mangekyō, resolving this issue perfectly is almost impossible."

Kotoamatsukami, despite seeming invincible, had serious limitations.

Since Danzo had already obtained one of Shisui's eyes, the Council also knew of its existence and had likely worked hard to prevent Shisui's remaining eye from falling into the hands of those with ulterior motives.

Even if Itachi managed to use Kotoamatsukami on Council members, the deep-seated distrust toward the Uchiha would remain.

Kuro sighed again, knowing that Itachi was also aware of this.

"Someone has to make concessions," Itachi said. "Over the years, the distrust between the village and my clan has grown to an unsustainable level. But how did we get here?"

Kuro, understanding his words, replied, "It's a historical conflict. The Uchiha and the Senju were enemies for centuries, fighting many battles. That enmity left deep scars that were never fully healed. Mutual distrust is inevitable."

Itachi shook his head. "That might be part of the reason, but the main issue lies within the Uchiha clan itself."

He slowly stood up and walked toward the door. Opening it, he allowed the cold wind and snow to enter the room, making the atmosphere even more uncomfortable.

"The Police Force was an attempt by the village to place trust in the Uchiha, giving them an important role."

"Many in my clan believe that their duty as the Police Force puts them in situations where they offend people. But that doesn't explain why other similar professions, like patrol ninjas or guards, receive respect."

"Why does my clan only receive hostility and rejection but not the corresponding respect and love?"

"...Because they're too arrogant."

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