Chapter 17

Itachi was still thinking that he was responsible for Shisui being in the Akatsuki for reasons unknown... but he was also glad that at least he was alive and had a chance to get him back, and after Itachi said, "And he has a quadrangular mangekyo-sharingan..." Kisame and the third nodded in agreement, Kisame had just learned from the third that he was his best friend, even sad that his comrade had become a nukenin in a criminal organization, and then the third began:

-You figured it out, Itachi, and even without words or hints?" the third surprised him by removing his hands from the chair, and taking the tobacco in his hands, he continued, "I'm not surprised your intuition has always been good.

-I see... - Itachi said, and after a few seconds he added, "Is that why you called me, or was there another reason?" Itachi asked questioningly.

-Not really, we have a common mission coming up again Itachi-san-" Kisame said with a smile, buttoning up, his pure black cloak.

-I'm listening- replied Itachi folding his arms across his chest, and further listening to the third.

-After our relationship with the Mist Country improved, the Stone Village noticed it too, and they decided to get on good terms with both of us by sending an eagle to help their village, and this is a rank-S mission- -Third finished his speech.

Itachi realized that the third tsuchikage, in the first timeline, did not ask for help from Konoha, because they had a suspicious attitude and over time became neutral, but after Itachi improved the second timeline even better than the first, it influenced Oonoki's decision, and that the stone village also strengthened the good attitude in the near future.... And Itachi didn't let his guard down in case it was a trap, although the other side of him was even a little happy that after the completion of this mission, the village of stone with Konoha will have a more neutral relationship, and if everything goes smoothly, it's likely that a friendly relationship will be established, just like with the village of fog.

-Did they mention what exactly the purpose of this assignment is?", Kisame replied questioningly, looking towards the third man.

-No... But I recognize this handwriting, it was written by Oonoki himself, so it's something serious, and if he doesn't write the details, it means he's worried that we might refuse if we know the details of this dangerous assignment, so I sent word to the village of mist, and they sent the strongest shinobi, Mei-terumi is now a mizukage-tumana, so she can't go on the assignment, But she said that there was a shinobi as strong as her, and even stronger in chakra, and that was you Kisame-Hoshikage," as the third looked at Kisame, he saw his smug smile, and even smiled, for he reminded him of his late son, who had similar hair, and even smiled at his admiration, and he died young, on a rank-S mission, leaving his son Konohomaru an orphan... but he's now being looked after by the third hokage, and his younger brother Asuma, or everyone in Konoha since Ebisu, and the third one then turned his gaze to Itachi and continued - and you Itachi, I chose because I know how strong you are, I'm even sure you've surpassed me already heh, - he said this while exhaling smoke from the tobacco and continued - I could send some more troops, but now is not the best time, they might die in this rank-S mission, so I rely on quality over quantity and on you.

Itachi and Kisame, all the while standing on equal footing and facing the hokage, folded their arms and listened with curiosity to everything the hokage said, and then when the third finished they nodded and walked out, and as they both walked towards the exit, the third appraised their cloaks, and thought they looked something like the Akatsuki, and then allowed the thought that they were even better, in every aspect.

Itachi's POV

When we left the Hokage's residence and were on the street, I thought that the Hokage had chosen me for this task for a reason, because he knew that no matter how critical things were, I wouldn't die, so he could trust me safely, in the first timeline, when he didn't know that I was the chosen one from Gamamaru's prophecy, he trusted me even then, but in the second timeline, things improved a lot, Heh....

-What's on your mind Itachi-san?" asked Kisame with his trademark smile.

-Yes, so about my own-" I replied with a slight smile.

I smiled as we walked down the main street of Konoha, and the people looked at us with smiles and admiration, not like in our previous lives when we were both Akatsuki, and Kisame smiled and waved back at the little kids, he always looked at them like fish, he told me that in the first timeline.... We got to the gates of Konoha, and we were packed, I had everything I needed, and I hadn't forgotten the scrolls either, and you went out the gate, and Izumo and Kotetsu waved to us, this time they weren't playing their poker, I guess Kotetsu knew it was useless to try to match Izumo, because Izumo was always at the top of his game with bluffing and cunning too.

-We're already out of Konoha, so which route do we start taking?" I asked.

-We'll cross the village of hidden grass, and then we'll cross the land of stone, where Tsuchikage will meet us, I'm sure he's heard about us by now," Kisame said, taking a sip of the flag.

-Are you sure you're not tired? You just got to Konoha, and you're already going to the Land of Stone? - I thought I'd ask you a question.

-When I got there alone, I stayed overnight in a beautiful hotel in a village closer to Konoha, and when I woke up I knew that Konoha was only about 15 kilometers away, and when I got there I was awake and warmed up, and the third one met me in person and on the way I told him our news about the village and when I added that there was an uchiha among them, he frowned and decided to call you, and sent some shinobi who was often called Yamato to fetch you, and that's how it all started.

-Okay... - If I'm not mistaken, there's a civil war going on there between the government and the rebels, and we'd better go unnoticed, because there's no point in wasting chakra on their pointless wars that will last for a long time - I knew it would last about six years, and then when the war is over and everyone there is wiped out, Orochimaru will recruit the rest of the rebels and the people there into his ranks, and recruit them into his village of sound as well.

-Who knows why they're howling, maybe it's because they're overworked," Kisame added his own opinion, and continued, "You know... I used to think that to survive in a cruel world you have to be even tougher, and then you can bring real order, and it doesn't matter who will be at stake, even if it's children or women, but the order and peace is the most important - he paused for a couple of seconds and made a serious look and continued, - but after your words on that terrace in the country of rice, when we first bought those cloaks, it made me think about a lot of things, and I realized that by trying to be a weapon, I myself become a threat, and peace can be achieved in such ways, and violence should be used only in extreme situations - he finished with a smile. 

I was even glad that he understood a lot of things, and now I realized that, since the alliance between Konoha and the fog strengthened, it means that they did not have distrustful relations, and therefore they did not have such an assignment to hide information from Konoha, and therefore Kisame did not have to destroy his people, although even if there was such an assignment, it is unlikely that he would kill them again, because my words really changed his understanding of the real world.... and I smiled with my right lip after his last phrase, and after leaving the boundary of Konoha, we started walking towards the grass village, we were jumping from tree to tree, and there was a feeling that someone was watching us, I even told Kisama about it, he confirmed that he didn't feel anything, and if someone was watching us, And when we came out of the forest, we started walking through the open field, there were grasses and trees and paths, and we turned towards the grass village, and suddenly a dot appeared in front of us, and it transformed into a spatial funnel and got bigger, and I realized who it was...

-What the hell is that?" Kisame added in surprise as he looked at the funnel and immediately clenched his teeth and drew his katana from his back as he prepared for the surprise.

-It's more of a spatio-temporal technique, it's similar to the fourth hokage's hiraishin," I pulled out a kunai from my pouch and informed Kisame of the technique's abilities, and he nodded and looked away.

Tobi, or rather Obito in his orange mask and Akatsuki cloak, came out of the vortex, I know he's not hostile to us yet, given that he hasn't gathered the full Akatsuki staff yet, I'm sure he's the one to offer us, but what happens if we refuse? I know all of his abilities, and working together with Kisame, we'll probably get through this faster.

-You have interesting cloaks... - The man in the orange mask, standing in front of Itachi and Kisame, began, "The aluminum-silk that makes them fireproof, and the blue lightning bolt, it looks good on you...

-And who the hell are you, speak up and I advise you to answer honestly- -Kisame finally said with a smile and held out his katana in his direction.

-I am Madara-Uchiha and I am here only to bring peace to this world," he said in a more serious tone and continued, "and to do that I need the full complement of my organization called Akatsuki, and it has already lost many shinobi, but the two of you will fit in perfectly.

-And how are you going to change the world?", I asked, although I knew all his answers in advance, and even those that he himself did not know yet, at least until the fourth war....

-With my technique, infinite tsukuyomi, the whole world will be at peace, and that's why I want to control them, so that everyone will be at peace, and even meet again the ones they loved.... - he said the last phrase a little sadly, and then I thought that Obito had kind of the love of his life, I even got to know him well, and realized that her name was Rin-Nohara, and she was on the team with Obito, and together with Kakashi, and after her death he lost himself, taking the easy way out....

-I'm not one of those who choose the easy way, and this tsukuyomi of yours, which will envelop everyone in their dreams, it won't last forever, so it will only destroy the earth, and now whatever I say you won't understand anything... but I choose my way, in which I was chosen.... - I began my speech in a relaxed voice and truth, and even his for interested him, and Kisame also paid attention to me.

-You know," Kisame began with a serious look and continued, "I was once told that violence only begets violence, and death is the answer," I said to him on that terrace in the rice country, and it was those words that changed his understanding of the world, and I even smiled slightly when I heard him say them, and he continued, "and that's why I'm on my friend's side, and your easy way out is as fragile as your decision, and I doubt you're even sure of yourself now.

-I thought you'd be smarter than that, I even wanted to take off my mask to trust your face," he said disappointed and folded his arms over his chest, "but two of your friends have already joined the Akatsuki, one of them is your friend Shisui Uchiha from Konoha, he knew a lot about us beforehand, and he joined for a personal reason that even I don't know, Kisame gritted his teeth as he knew this Fuguki, he was his leader in the Anbu, in the first timeline he ordered Kisame to kill his comrades, and then as it turned out he was a traitor himself, and Kisame killed him by taking his sword-amehada that could absorb chakra.

-It's not necessary, because I know what your face is - when I said that, I noticed the surprise in his voice when he answered me, "And what is it?" and I answered him - the face of one who has no honor, or pity, especially when you killed my entire team when we were escorting the daimyo.

-So you were the one who escaped when I destroyed Team Two," the masked man asked.

-I am," after saying that, I closed my eyes and activated my sharingan, and noticed his surprise.

-If the third hokage hadn't destroyed those scrolls, then maybe I would have stayed in Konoha and helped out, because I have a personal vendetta against that clan.

-Sorry for disappointing you by not leaving you with anyone, though if you think about it there's still one uchiha left and he's in my field of vision-" Finishing the last sentence I activated the mangekyo sharingan.

-And I like this already- Kisame smiled, due to the feeling of anticipation before the fight.

-I don't have time for you right now, but I'll definitely see you around- -he started to open the funnel, and was about to disappear, but before he did, he said- -You know Itachi... when I meant 'two people you know' I thought you and Shisui knew each other from the same village, but it turns out you're from the same clan, and the fact that you're an uchiha... I think I understand why he joined us.

-What are you talking about? - I removed the mangekyo and asked, Toby.

-If my theory is correct, I guess you'll find out soon enough-" He said the word and disappeared on his spatial funnel.

-You know, I'm sorry... - Kisame started looking at me and continued, "I wish I had killed that traitor Fuguki, I had similar suspicions earlier, and if I had killed him then, his sword Samehada would have belonged to me, and would have been of more use... - he finished with anger.

-I don't think it's your fault.... - I answered, feeling guilty for changing the time line, and added - fate is sometimes unpredictable, and therefore, it is easier to accept it than to regret the past, the negatives also in some way make us stronger, and make us create further positives.

-Your philosophy always cheered me up Itachi-san," he replied with another smile, and continued, "I'm still feeling energized now, heheh, let's get moving.

We continued walking, and on the way he asked who it was, and the only thing he knew was that he was Akatsuki, and I explained that his name was Tobi, and he was good at spatial techniques, as well as the fourth, and even superior to him in some ways.... and I also added that there are rumors that he is the real leader of Akatsuki, and Kisame said that he had a sharingan and he noticed it, and I said that I saw it too, but I added that I couldn't see through his mask, because it's a sealed lead mask with seals, and you can't see through it even for shinobi with a shinobi with a kekkei genkai shakugan, and Kisame clarified that it might be the real Madara...? and I said it couldn't be, because Madara, he had a bigger body and hair of a completely different type, and Kisame believed it.

***

As we chatted we reached a village hidden in the grass, and strangely enough it was quiet and peaceful, but I knew it was just the calm before the storm, and I was pretty sure there would be war on the way back, and then after another three hours we reached the border of the Land of Stone, and there were no threats or obstacles along the way, and we mostly talked about the man in the orange mask, and when we stopped for a rest, he even jokingly said that if this was the real Uchiha Madara, he was a fan, he said with a smile, and also added that Madara had a very popular reputation throughout the shinobi era, he was remembered as the only one who could stand up to the first hokage, and his books became popular as his personal art, which you could just read by reading his handiwork.

The end of Itachi's POV

The two in black cloaks were already quite close to their goal they had already seen the edge of the gate, the land of stone.