Chapter 6

What might be truth for one can be an illusion for another.

From the memories of Fugaku Uchiha, Takeshi was able to understand the situation that had unfolded. It was not as straightforward as one might initially think, especially when viewed solely from the perspective of the Uchiha clan. The crux of the issue was that the Uchiha were ultimately blamed for the last tragedy involving the release of the Nine-Tails, because the demon fox was controlled by someone evidently using the Sharingan. How was this determined? Quite simply. The demon's pupils were "covered" by their famous dojutsu. As a result, the clan was relocated to the outskirts of the village, which only intensified the feud between the Uchiha clan and the village. It was only a matter of time before the "Top" of Konoha would take their step, and therefore, he decided to act first through... Itachi. Unfortunately, he did not anticipate that his own eldest son would turn against him. He could not fight against his family and could not allow his sons to die, so he offered himself as a sacrifice in exchange for Sasuke's life.

Takeshi understood that even seeing the situation from the perspective of the Uchiha clan head, he could not definitively say that the Uchihas themselves were a threat. Information from the initiator of the idea of the massacre, the "Top" of Konoha, was necessary. In his opinion, the Uchihas were simply feared, and thus there was a desire to destroy them and take control of their famous dojutsu. The man in the orange mask, who used chains, seemed particularly interested in this... "trophy," but due to "Danzo," the Head of Root, he could not act freely. In any war or skirmish, people are always eager to gather trophies to strengthen their positions.

"Despicable and vile people love to achieve their goals through others and can easily take on any sin, calling it 'for the good of the village.'"

The desert remained just as hot and unbearable. The sun was directly overhead, and only an uncharacteristic cold wind blew the boy's hair in a short dark hairstyle. He sat on a small stone, surrounded by a pile of weapons stuck in the sand and scattered armor. Before him stood Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha, in their last home clothes. On both faces was only calmness, but in their eyes, one could discern unease.

"What will happen to us... to everyone?" asked Mikoto.

"And what do you want?"

"The dead cannot influence the lives of the living."

"Possibly," he agreed with them, "But not with me. Here, in this place, you can either 'sleep' for a while and be summoned by me, or, if such a choice does not suit you, you can watch their history." He pointed to the weapons stuck in the sand and the lying armors. "True, although the stories are beautiful—they all have the same, rather sad ending."

"So all this...?"

"Souls. Yes. You are strong and my illusion of a new life will not affect you, so I offered you another alternative."

"I only have one question. Who are you? Some powerful demon, or...?" Fugaku ventured a guess.

"I don't have a name as such, but now I am 'Takeshi.' I came here from another world, significantly different from yours and decided to start all over. It seems life in your world has changed me a bit. Before, I would not have spent my time offering and telling ordinary souls anything."

"I have never heard of anyone being able to keep the souls of the dead within themselves. Only the 'Shinigami' is capable of that."

"Well, then you can consider me such," Takeshi said sarcastically, spreading his arms, "I helped you because I decided to help... and that's all."

"I suppose asking you to let me meet Sasuke would be too foolish a request?" Mikoto asked with a gentle smile, apparently hoping for the mercy of her 'Shinigami.'

"Correct, the boy will be manipulated and used. Until the right moment comes, I will not reveal my abilities or your existence."

Before leaving the mirror of his soul, he heard a single word from Mikoto from behind.

"Thank you."

"I haven't done anything yet. Exist here for now, and I will take care of the future myself."

As Takeshi thought, upon arriving at the meeting place, which was a secret underground bunker of Konoha, the Hokage announced the situation of the previous night. Uchiha Itachi was found guilty in the massacre of the Uchiha clan. The only survivor—Uchiha Sasuke. Itachi was declared a rogue shinobi and a bounty of Ten Million RYO was placed on him, dead or alive, making him one of the top ten most wanted criminals worldwide. The Hokage had already dispatched a pursuit squad, but there had been no reports from them, which led to a simple thought about their failure. Some were angry, some were terrified, and some maintained calm in this situation. Obviously, no one openly showed their emotions, but from the body language of some Anbu, one could easily understand what was on their minds.

"For all of us, this is undoubtedly a tragedy, but we must move forward."

After listening to this meeting, the command was given to return to their duties, which Takeshi did, proceeding to the Hokage's office to provide him with a written report on his mission.

"Hmph... 'gold mine', huh?" the Hokage voiced aloud, holding his written report, "Well, we'll deal with this later. For now, I have no tasks for you. Given the current situation of the village, we cannot display high activity. As a reward for completing the task, you will be given access to a new technique. Your future teacher will explain their specifics. This will enhance your proficiency and effectiveness in carrying out assignments."

"Alright," Takeshi gave a brief confirming nod.

At the closed training ground No. 12, an Anbu in an animal mask provided him with several techniques to choose from. There weren't many options. The Body Flicker Technique, Shadow Shurikens, and Shadow Cloning. The first technique was versatile in that it allowed for movement over great distances. He had often seen many shinobi using it. The shadow shurikens didn't interest him much. But the Shadow Clones represented his exact physical copy made of chakra. The downside was that this technique split the chakra in half; the clone existed for a short time, about 10-15 minutes, and could transmit fatigue and 'phantom' pain to its user. However, the downside was also a plus in that the technique transferred 'memories' of the action it performed or experienced. Thus, it was an ideal technique for reconnaissance of the terrain and identifying the opponent's features, as well as training in ninjutsu. Despite a warning from his teacher that clones with his chakra would be few, he decided to choose it. Teleporting was good, but the versatility of shadow cloning was much better. With it, one could perform several actions simultaneously. It took him about three days to understand and execute the technique. The technique proved more difficult than he initially thought. Despite this, his teacher was extremely impressed by such success, as according to him, this technique has a B-rank due to its complexity of execution. In total, he managed to create five clones.

"So, now that you've learned it, you should come to the Hokage for your next assignment. I was ordered to pass that on to you."

"Alright."

"As they say, you really are quite laconic..." the Anbu voiced his thoughts aloud and disappeared in a familiar movement technique, in a white cloud.

Already in the Hokage's office, dressed in standard Anbu uniform...

"The next task is somewhat different in profile. It requires caution and patience," he pulled out a letter with the assignment and placed it on the table. A calm, quiet nod and, after forming a concentration seal, Takeshi left the Hokage's office using the invisible camouflage technique and exited through the window. The letter contained a small sum of money, which Takeshi didn't quite understand the significance of. When he read the letter with the assignment, it automatically burned in blue flame, and he subsequently left his village and headed to the capital of the Land of Fire. That was where his assignment was to be carried out.

His assignment involved monitoring the political situation of the country, specifically the advisors to the Daimyo. Should any of them show interest in overthrowing the power, the Hokage had authorized intervention and elimination of the threat. He would be on this assignment for a month until another Anbu replaced him. This, apparently, was why the Hokage had provided him with financial resources. He left the boundaries of Konoha not alone, but with a silent partner who, once at the meeting place, also quietly disappeared without leaving a trace. The meeting place was at the ToraDora sweet shop in the capital of Fire. Disguised by a transformation technique, he appeared as an ordinary brunette dressed in a standard blue kimono. The person he was to replace, according to the letter, was to find him...

It only took five minutes before Takeshi was called out.

"Hello! Have you been waiting long?"

"No, you're just in time," he responded with a soft, feigned smile and a standard gesture to sit down at the table. A similarly dressed brunet in gray kimono and wooden sandals asked, "How's the weather?"

"Weather" meant the political situation surrounding the Daimyo.

"Same as always."

"That's good," his companion nodded affirmatively, "What will you have?"

"Well, I wouldn't mind some dango with coffee. They have the best here."

"You're paying for yourself."

The Konoha spy laughed, noticing that his companion's expression wasn't particularly joyful, and he subsided, raising his hands in a conciliatory gesture.

"Of course, of course, do I look like a freeloader?"

Once this game was over, leaving the cafe, they entered a dark alley where they were able to remove their Henge and climb onto the roof of a building, running up its vertical surface. Next to them, equally noiselessly, appeared Takeshi's silent escort.

"I didn't think they'd send a kid on such an important assignment, but if that's the Hokage's order..." he sighed heavily and shrugged, noting his lack of reaction, "But at least you're with Shadow. That's reassuring. Judging by your eyes, they didn't tell you... You see, Shadow doesn't just not talk for no reason. On one of the missions, he was captured. Since we can't say anything because of the seal, Shadow just stalled by keeping quiet during the interrogation. It infuriated his captor so much that he slit his throat. He managed to survive, but damaged his vocal cords. He may have no voice, but in terms of reconnaissance, he's a real expert. You were taught the silent language in Anbu, right?" Takeshi nodded briefly, "Good."

Shadow seemed a bit embarrassed and gestured with his hands, signaling him to return to the assignment.

"Alright, alright, I won't embarrass you further. So, as I said before, things are going quite smoothly and casually. The Daimyo's advisors are just drinking and coming up with silly decrees out of boredom. The Daimyo himself is bored in his position, merely keeping the other advisors from making any final decisions. Here's a small map of the area," he pulled out a small map from behind his back, "In this area, marked with many points, the advisors live. You'll recognize their district by the beautiful view and lots of servants. The Daimyo lives in his palace. In case of an emergency, act cautiously and quietly. The Daimyo, of course, has his own impressive security, but we need to prevent any threats before they arise. Though... it's been almost a year here without anything unusual. Any questions?"

"Is there a specific time the Daimyo or advisors travel through the capital?"

"Hmm, hard to say," he shrugged again, "You see, the advisors and the Daimyo usually stay in their domains until the Daimyo calls them for a council. Listen to their meetings and keep an eye on those who look most suspicious. That's all from me."

With those words, the spy shook his hand and, like everyone else, left him using a movement technique.

Almost all the time spent in the capital was rather monotonous and calm. Only occasionally, alternating once a day, one of them would take on the duty of spying on the advisors and then go for a four-hour sleep, after which the cycle continued. It was indeed a rather easy and light job due to the fact that among the Daimyo's security there was no one who could sense chakra at an extreme level. Yes, almost everywhere there were guards made up of ordinary people or the Daimyo's personal entourage, but they could only feel an approaching threat and bloodlust when someone was relatively close to them. The only way to successfully spy was by concealing his presence and completely detaching from emotions. The question remains… why did the Hokage trust him with this task? Could it be that somehow...?

"So, the old Hokage gave me this task because I once slipped into his office unnoticed?" he thought to himself, focusing on the observation. The advisors and Daimyo seemed to him like children, bored and seemingly just looking for some reason to celebrate. To ensure the mission was successful, he also paid attention to the color of their souls. A negative and black hue could signal a potential threat, but almost all the advisors lacked such coloring. Yes, Envy and Greed clearly dominated their souls, but what advisor wouldn't have that? They were content with the current state of affairs and there was no reason to stage a coup in an attempt to snatch a larger piece. From the shadows, his partner emerged and thumbed towards his back, indicating he was ready to take over. Takeshi nodded quietly and just as unnoticeably disappeared from the Daimyo's palace and headed towards the forest, to their temporary camp. He had time to train alone on this mission. His connection with his Flame had become much stronger and firmer, and now he wanted to explore the possibility of using the power of the Light and Dark Gods. In Konoha, he didn't want to test this feature due to the risk of exposing himself, but now, it was the perfect opportunity to verify this theory. Creating a small flame, he made a Solar Talisman and said a short prayer to the Light God and in reward, a faint light blessed him, slightly strengthening his body.

"So, you can still hear me? Good," he voiced his thought aloud and then fell silent. Is this good? Gods answer prayers by granting their followers power, but he never knew what the Gods themselves wanted. If his world was originally doomed to eternal suffering, then this one was full of... Life. Such an attractive and beautiful world. His palms clenched into fists.

"They better remain just tools, otherwise..."

As strange as it sounds, the entire month of espionage went by quite quietly and peacefully. On the thirtieth day, they received a letter from the Hokage that they would soon be replaced at the designated point. The changeover went smoothly, and on their way back to Konoha, they encountered an unaccounted figure, specifically a swordsman—and quite a famous one.

"Hey!" the unknown figure called out to them, abruptly standing in their path, landing on a tree branch, "I was curious who was in such a hurry. At first, I thought you were hunting me, but it turns out you were just nameless rats."

Plunging his swords into the ground, Raiga caught his own sword and thrust it through the chest of his foe.

"Farewell, unknown shinobi."

The body fell backward to the ground. The dull thud of the body hitting the earth echoed. An empty gaze was fixed on the beautiful blue sky. Sounds faded, and the vision of the sky was shrouded in darkness, eventually plunging into complete darkness. However, the Nameless had forgotten one crucial detail about his soul. If the power of Fire, the gods, and even weapons were still stored in his soul's memories, it meant that the very weapon was still with him.

FireLink—A two-handed sword, more resembling an old, rusted stake, like a faint beacon in the distance, illuminated the darkness of his consciousness.

"The First Flame… The sword that started all this… is still with me. How could I forget? So, it turns out I really can't die in the usual way even here? What a cruel joke of fate..."

Quiet steps in the darkness, and a dark figure sat by the familiar bonfire as if it were his own home. Perhaps it was his home? After all, how many times had he been reborn from the ashes at this fire? He does not remember. Nonetheless… it was time to return to the world of the living. He needed to repay his debt to Raiga. But he had to try to finish everything quickly. This Power… was still too great for this adolescent body.

In reality, no more than ten seconds had passed.

The lifeless body twitched, and the wounds were covered with the flame of his soul. He slowly rose, like a reanimated zombie. His right hand tried to form a weapon from the soul of the Lord of Ash, but the attempt to create it failed due to poor perception and difficulty in connecting with the soul library, and thus he simply created a solid blade of fire. A simple manipulation should suffice. After all, his opponent, although quite strong, was human. Not a Monster from the Abyssal Depths and not even a demi-god. His left hand swiftly pulled the sword blade from the chest.

"What? What have you done?!" Crossing swords above himself, Raiga released a stream of lightning from the sky directly onto him. He stepped aside to dodge the lightning strike while simultaneously making a thrust. The blade of the fiery sword extended in a fraction of a second and pierced through Raiga's chest.

"Just… one… strike?"

That was enough for Raiga to slowly release his blades and fall to his knees. Takeshi slowly approached him. The angry and beastly face turned into a sad smirk, and tears welled up in his eyes again.

"I just… wanted a peaceful life. Do you think I don't know what it's like to be an Anbu? I was one too. Killing, killing… kill-argh… cough-cough! And nothing more. Is that really all we're capable of?"

"You've lost the meaning of your life," a hand gently landed on his shoulder, "If only you had found something worth dying for."

"Did you… find it?"

Silence was his answer. Another smirk. Sarcastic, victorious, as if even in losing, Raiga remained victorious in their last philosophical argument. The body began to lean forward, and Takeshi quietly caught him with his hands and slowly lowered him onto his shoulders.

The fire slowly began to die down, returning to him the full beauty of sensations in his current state of the body. The fire merely covered his wounds like a second skin, removing the pain but not healing them. It was only when he decided to heal his wounds that he remembered an important detail. His paranoia warned him that if he was found without a scratch after a battle with one of the Legendary Swordsmen of the Mist, it would look utterly insane. Therefore, to keep his secret, he had to endure and use whatever means available. Reaching his sword and returning to Raiga's body, he decapitated him and sealed the head and swords in a scroll. The dead swordsman no longer needed them. Besides, there was a decent bounty on his head. As for the swords, they did not appeal to him. When he touched them, he immediately understood that whoever made these swords was a true expert and connoisseur of their craft, as the weapons were "Alive," but their minds were very securely sealed. On one hand, this eliminated the risk of the weapons turning against their bearer, but on the other, no one could unleash their full potential due to the seal. Regarding his partner "Shadow," the way his soul had absorbed into him, he felt nothing, which meant he was still alive. Although, it might soon not matter. A brief glance at the face of his silent partner. A delicate and soft face, short dark hair, and small lips, which could easily be mistaken for a girl's. He placed two fingers on the neck to check the pulse. It was palpable but extremely weak and incredibly slow, as if intentionally kept in such a state.

"Hmph... apparently, this is the 'Feigned Death' technique. I heard that only a few among the Anbu had managed to learn it."

Just in case, Takeshi checked his memories, trying carefully not to touch the Anbu's thoughts and feelings, and breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed nothing unusual. In case of interrogation or a mind probe, they would get nothing from him. First, it was necessary to take care of his partner's wounds, or he might soon die from extensive bleeding. Fortunately, on such assignments, they were provided with a small medical kit, but it wasn't much help for internal injuries. After removing the Anbu uniform, he saw a black T-shirt covered in blood and beneath it, a bandaged chest. After the bandages were removed, Takeshi realized that the one he had been referring to in the masculine gender was actually a girl. Only why was this detail hidden from him? Nevertheless, he was not concerned. Clean the chest with water from a flask, apply ointment, and tightly bandage it up. Once he had finished with her, it was his turn. Despite the external injuries being covered by bandages, there was still unbearable pain in his chest. Considering the condition of his… partner, it seemed he would have to carry her himself. Carefully securing her on his back, he set a moderate pace toward Konoha. He should be able to make it within a day if he made no stops. Takeshi was confident he could reach Konoha solely by his willpower, but his body had other plans. His legs stumbled in place, and his body simply collapsed onto the ground. Only about two hundred meters remained to the gates of Konoha. Tired eyes just made out how the shinobi at the gates of Konoha were approaching him, after which he no longer resisted the feeling of exhaustion and passed out.

Interlude.

After the massacre of the Uchiha clan, Sarutobi Hiruzen and his old friend and assistant Danzo sat at a table discussing the results of the operation.

"So... what do we have?"

"Everything went as planned. The clan is almost entirely destroyed. Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke are the only official survivors. But something unexpected happened. Someone has already taken the eyes from twenty-one corpses."

"Do you think it was Itachi?"

"No, I don't think so. He had no reason to do that. He values his younger brother too much. He wouldn't take the risk."

"Then... someone who helped him?"

"Quite likely."

"And who helped we, of course, don't know."

"The only lead we can consider is that this someone left no traces. No one passed through the barrier and no one came out."

"And what could that mean?"

"You don't understand, Hiruzen. This has happened before, eight years ago."

"The unknown in the Orange Mask?"

"Yes, apparently, Itachi was afraid he wouldn't have the courage to finish the job and asked him for help. Everything went as planned."

"Things could have been different," Hiruzen grumbled darkly, lighting a pipe and puffing some smoke into the office.

"It's either us or them, Hiruzen. You shouldn't let your emotions get the better of you."

"I know. Everything was already decided after the Kyubi attack. What about your project? Still planning to go through with the transplantation?"

"Without power, we cannot survive, Hiruzen. I'm just using all the resources we have."

"Hah... can one remain human after that?"

"Starting these philosophical arguments again?"

"Do what you want."

"And what about your talented boy?"

"I sent him to watch over the Daimyo."

"I've heard from you that he's very interested in the fate of Naruto Uzumaki."

"You. Do. Not. Touch. Him. Am I clear, Danzo?"

"I wasn't planning to. Just make sure, please, that our... your boy never reaches his goal. It's in your best interests."

"I'll do what I consider necessary. Thank you, my old friend," a gentle smile didn't quite fit with the atmosphere of threat.

"What's the point of kindness if all that matters is the village?"

"Maybe it's about staying human?"

"And you're telling me this? I'm surprised, Hiruzen. Nonetheless, you'll be the one to deal with the consequences," then Danzo decided to abruptly change the topic of conversation back to the Uchiha clan, "As we agreed. In the event of your 'retirement,' I won't claim the position of Hokage and will wait for Tsunade. Just don't forget, if Tsunade refuses the position, or something happens to her and she's unable to lead the village, then I will take charge. Honestly... I don't quite understand why you'd want to leave us, old friend."

"The future is unknown, Danzo. The most obvious difference between us is that you convince yourself you're ready to meet the village's threats and eliminate them. I'm already planning for its sad outcome."

"You're just denying and fearing death, Danzo." — Hiruzen wanted to say this to him directly, but decided not to because it would have sounded too offensive and incorrect, considering their long-standing friendship.