After the Sandaime settled Tsunade, he busied himself with various matters within the clans before heading to the outskirts.
Uchiha Itachi's figure appeared, standing silently beneath a tree.
A moment later, the faint sound of a wooden staff tapping on gravel drifted over. Sandaime Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi walked alone along an old path nearly swallowed by wild grass.
He walked very slowly, his figure appearing slightly hunched in the dim light, yet every step was as steady as the roots of an old pine.
A few paces separated the two, with the moonlight sparingly illuminating the small patch of ground beneath their feet.
"You've come." The Sandaime stopped, his voice low and steady, betraying little emotion, only a deep weariness.
"Sandaime." Itachi nodded slightly. "Sasuke... he moved faster than I anticipated."
These words were soft, yet they caused the Sandaime's eyes to narrow.
Faster than anticipated... This meant Uchiha Itachi wasn't entirely caught off guard, yet Sasuke's speed and choice of targets had still exceeded his estimates.
"Sasuke killed Utatane Koharu." The Sandaime stated the fact, his gaze locked onto the shadow beneath Itachi's hood. "The execution was clean, and he left a mark. Konoha has initiated maximum alert."
"I know. Orochimaru provided him with intelligence and support. His objective is clear."
"Your plan?" the Sandaime asked directly. He knew Itachi wouldn't risk a late-night contact just to sync information.
A brief silence followed. The night wind swept through the ruins, kicking up fine dust and carrying the faint, indistinct howls of beasts from deep within the distant forest.
"I will handle it," Itachi finally spoke, his voice not loud, yet carrying an unquestionable resolve. "I'll bring him back."
"Bring him back?" The Sandaime mulled over the words, the wrinkles on his aged face deepening.
"In what manner? Sasuke is no longer the boy he once was. His hands are stained with the blood of high-level officials, and his heart burns with the fire of subversion. How do you intend to bring him back?"
Itachi didn't answer immediately. He slightly turned his head, seemingly looking toward Konoha, though nothing could be seen through the dense trees and barriers.
"I will find him," Itachi said, avoiding a specific answer to "how." "Before he causes any more damage. What Konoha needs now is stability, not another public hunt and confrontation."
These words struck a chord with the Sandaime. Maximum alert was like a taut bowstring; it couldn't be maintained indefinitely and incurred massive internal costs.
If Uchiha Itachi, this unique "insider," could handle the "Family scandal" of Uchiha Sasuke in a relatively discreet manner, it would undoubtedly be the least costly option at the moment.
"Are you certain?" The Sandaime stared at him. "Sasuke's strength, combined with Orochimaru..."
"I will handle it," Itachi repeated, his tone unchanged, yet more powerful than any grand speech.
It was a confidence born of absolute strength and some deeper preparation, though he didn't explicitly state what that preparation was.
The Sandaime pondered. He noticed Itachi consistently used words like "handle" and "bring back" rather than "eliminate" or "slay." Did this subtle difference mean Itachi still held some hope for redemption, or did he have other plans?
"How do you need Konoha to cooperate?" the Sandaime asked.
"Help me determine his location," Itachi said succinctly.
"Understood," the Sandaime nodded. "I will do my best to find him."
"Also," Itachi's voice seemed to drop even lower, as if merging with the night wind, "Hyuga Hinata."
The Sandaime's heart stirred. "Is she involved in this?"
"She took something she shouldn't have."
Itachi didn't mention "Shisui's eye" or "Kotoamatsukami," but the Sandaime understood instantly.
"I have already spoken with her," the Sandaime didn't hide it. "She promised to keep an eye out when necessary."
"That's enough." Itachi seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, or perhaps he had just finished confirming something. "Then, I should be going."
He didn't say goodbye. His figure receded slightly, like ink bleeding into a deeper darkness, beginning to blur.
"Itachi." The Sandaime suddenly called out to him.
"Sasuke... is your brother, after all. And Konoha... was once your home."
Uchiha Itachi's nearly vanished figure paused for a moment. No one saw the surge of emotion in his eyes that was instantly suppressed.
He didn't look back, nor did he respond.
In the next instant, countless pitch-black feathers burst silently, then vanished into the night air without a sound, as if no one had ever been there.
The Sandaime stood alone, gazing in the direction where Itachi had disappeared for a long time. The night dew gradually dampened his shoulders.
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