Sasuke, deep in slumber, was jolted awake by the violent crash of a door being broken open.
He shot up from his dream, his hand instinctively reaching for the Sword of Kusanagi by his bed.
When he opened his eyes, he saw Uchiha Iori standing there.
"Iori-nee, what...?"
Iori's face was as still as a deep pond. She cut Sasuke off without ceremony.
"Get to the hospital!
Itachi is gravely injured!"
"What?!"
Sasuke's mind roared as if struck by lightning.
"Brother!"
He scrambled out of bed, not even bothering to throw on a jacket as he bolted out the door.
Iori did not accompany Sasuke to the hospital. Instead, she copied all the information onto a scroll and placed it in the primary intelligence room.
The room was bare, save for a single table where the intelligence scroll now rested.
After Iori closed the door, a snake slithered down from the ceiling.
It bit down on the scroll and vanished in a puff of smoke.
.....
Uchiha Hospital.
Since Tsunade's arrival, her life had fallen into a comfortable routine.
During the day, she taught medical ninjutsu to the Uchiha clansmen. In the evening, after dinner, she would indulge in a few rounds of gambling. Though she often lost, she never tired of it.
The Uchiha clan paid her generously, and she dedicated herself fully to her duties, strictly managing the time she spent at the gambling dens.
She always returned home late.
Tonight, Tsunade was already asleep, but it wasn't long before a commotion woke her.
As a veteran of the battlefield, Tsunade was instantly alert.
"Tsunade!
Get down here!"
It was Kawasaki, shouting from downstairs.
As the Uchiha Hospital had grown busier, Tsunade had moved her private quarters to the fourth floor.
Hearing the call, she threw on a coat and hurried down.
Most of the Uchiha clansmen in Konoha did not take missions, so at night, the hospital was usually empty aside from Tsunade and Shizune.
The first-floor door was already open. Kawasaki was placing a blood-soaked Itachi onto a bed.
Tsunade's brow furrowed. She quickly pushed Kawasaki aside and began to examine Itachi.
As her hands went to work, she felt a sliver of relief.
It seemed his life was not in immediate danger.
"What happened?" she asked, conducting a more thorough examination.
Kawasaki's voice was grim. "We were ambushed by Obito. His space-time ninjutsu is too bizarre, and Itachi overloaded his Sharingan…"
Before he could finish, Sasuke burst in, barefoot and still in his sleepwear.
"Brother!"
He cried, rushing forward.
Kawasaki grabbed him. "Stay back, Sasuke. Let Lady Tsunade do her work."
Sasuke's face was a mask of panic. Seeing his unconscious, blood-covered brother, his eyes instantly reddened.
Just then, another figure entered the room—Mikoto, who had also received the news.
Seeing Itachi lying on the operating table, she instinctively moved to get closer, but Kawasaki blocked her as well.
"Mikoto-san, please calm down. Let Lady Tsunade treat him first."
Tsunade had already completed a full-body assessment.
She began treatment, speaking to the others without looking up. "Itachi's life is not in danger. You can rest easy."
At that moment, Shizune arrived with a cart full of medical supplies.
Seeing the room crowded with people, Tsunade said, "You can't help here. It's best if you all leave for now."
Just then, Fugaku walked in, led by a clansman.
He heard Tsunade's words as he reached the doorway.
Kawasaki quickly approached and spoke to him in a low voice.
Fugaku nodded and, following Kawasaki's lead, went to Mikoto's side, gently patting her hand.
Mikoto's tense heart eased slightly.
Sasuke, hearing that Itachi was out of danger, fought back his tears.
Kawasaki ushered everyone out of the room.
It was only then that Mikoto and Sasuke noticed that Kawasaki was also spattered with blood, with faint red smudges still on his face.
"Kawasaki, are you injured too?" Mikoto asked with concern.
Sasuke also saw the red on his sensei.
"Sensei…"
Kawasaki had tried to wipe it away, but traces remained. Fortunately, Tsunade hadn't noticed.
Seeing Sasuke's worried gaze, Kawasaki shook his head. "This is nothing. Don't worry about it."
"Mikoto-san, with Lady Tsunade here, Itachi will be fine. You should go home with Fugaku and get some rest."
Fugaku nodded in agreement. "Mikoto, let's go back. We can visit Itachi after Tsunade is finished."
Mikoto still seemed hesitant, but Fugaku gave her hand a gentle tug.
Though a little confused, she left with him.
Now, only Kawasaki and Sasuke remained outside the hospital.
"Sensei, what really happened? Didn't you say brother's mission wasn't dangerous?" Sasuke bit his lip, his voice a mixture of anger and grievance.
His brother had been perfectly fine when he left, promising to check on his taijutsu upon his return.
Now, he was back, gravely wounded.
Kawasaki reached out to ruffle Sasuke's hair, but the boy jerked away.
Kawasaki shook his head. "Your brother's injuries have nothing to do with the mission. We were ambushed by Obito…"
Sasuke gritted his teeth. "Obito again!"
"First, it was Father, and now my brother.
I'll kill him!"
Sasuke's face was contorted with rage, his eyes burning with a fierce light. He had already declared Obito his mortal enemy.
Kawasaki watched him intently, his focus not on the boy's angry expression, but on the growth of his spiritual energy.
He had rushed Itachi to Tsunade without even wiping the blood from his face and had specifically summoned Sasuke here to observe which emotions would best stimulate him.
Kawasaki's own dōjutsu was already incredibly powerful; he was even practicing with the Perfect Susanoo. Dealing with Obito would have been more than easy for him.
But he had intentionally orchestrated this entire scene for several reasons.
Forcing Itachi to overuse his dōjutsu was part of the plan. Itachi's body was now ready to handle the Eternal Mangekyō.
In the future, the clan could not rely on him as its sole powerhouse.
Helping Itachi evolve his eyes to the Eternal Mangekyō would pave the way for the Uchiha's expansion.
Furthermore, overusing a regular Mangekyō Sharingan puts immense strain on the eyes.
Kawasaki had many tricks up his sleeve, so he wasn't afraid of things getting out of hand.
By making Itachi's condition look severe, he hoped to test whether it would trigger an awakening in Sasuke.
But from what Kawasaki could observe, neither the worry for Itachi, nor the anger and hatred for Obito, nor even the self-reproach, had any significant effect on Sasuke's spiritual power.
Since this approach wasn't working, he would have to try something else.
Out loud, he said consolingly, "The power of space-time ninjutsu is beyond what you can imagine."
"Obito was able to grievously wound your brother even while facing both of us. He's not someone you can handle right now."
Sasuke's young face was defiant. "I'll work harder! I'll surpass my brother and kill Obito!"
Kawasaki patted his shoulder. "I'll be waiting."
"You should go home and get some sleep. I'll stay here."
"No!
I'm waiting for my brother to wake up!" Sasuke said stubbornly.
Kawasaki shrugged, making no effort to persuade him.
Instead, he began to ponder how he and Itachi could work together to stimulate Sasuke next time.
.....
Hokage Tower.
The Third Hokage was still at his desk, buried in paperwork.
The special envoy from the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire would be arriving soon, and he needed to prepare for their reception.
He wondered how Orochimaru was progressing with the matter he had mentioned earlier regarding their cooperation with the Feudal Lord.
Just then, the door opened, and Orochimaru walked in. "Old man, I knew I'd find you here."