Chapter 37: Itachi's Resolve

On the way back through the streets.

"I didn't expect you to attend the dinner," Anko said, breaking the awkward silence.

"Hmm." Ren's response was as flat and indifferent as always.

"The whole thing with Genma and Hayate... I should be the one apologizing," Anko continued.

"No need."

Anko shook her head. "I messed up, and they ended up getting punished for it. I still feel bad about it. When I talked to them, they all said it didn't matter, but..."

Ren suddenly stopped walking and turned to look at her. His gaze, cold and still like a dead lake, sent a shiver through her heart.

"Is there any point in telling me your regrets?"

"...Sorry." Anko lowered her head, biting her lip.

"Do you all just assume that apologizing automatically means being forgiven?" Ren asked, his voice calm but piercing.

"…"

Anko took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "I just want to make amends. Let me treat you to a meal, as an apology."

"No need," Ren replied, turning and walking ahead.

Anko stood in place, watching him walk away. She couldn't help but shout, "So you're never going to move past this, are you?"

"Have I ever brought it up?" Ren stopped briefly to respond. "You're the one who can't move on."

"Then why are you always so cold to me? I was trying to help in the beginning!" Anko argued. "I never meant for things to escalate that way."

"How should I behave? Should I be grateful to you for saving your life after you tried to punish me?" Ren asked with a slight tilt of his head, his eyes cold as ever. "If I were the one in the hospital that day, would you still be apologizing?"

Anko froze, speechless.

What if her plan had worked? What if Genma and the others had beaten Ren into the hospital? Would she still be feeling regret? Or would she have satisfied her anger and felt triumphant? Would there have even been this dinner, or would Ren just be a nobody they barely remembered?

Anko realized with a sinking feeling that if Ren had been the one to suffer, she'd probably never have felt the need to apologize.

"…I'm sorry…" she muttered, her voice barely audible.

Ren said nothing more and walked away.

...

Later that night.

Ren sought out Itachi, meeting in the forest on the edge of the village.

Itachi was surprised that Ren had come to find him. Usually, they didn't meet much, and when they did, it was Itachi who sought Ren out for advice when he didn't know what to do. Most of the time, Ren's advice was the same: listen to your father, don't lose the trust of your clan.

But now, Ren had come to him, and Itachi couldn't help but be curious.

"What brings you here?" Itachi asked, eyeing Ren's casual attire.

"Did Shisui talk to you?" Ren asked directly.

"He... mentioned something," Itachi replied hesitantly, suddenly on edge.

It didn't seem right for Ren to ask such a question.

"So, he told you his plan," Ren said after seeing Itachi's expression.

"…Yes, he's planning to act against the Uchiha."

"Do you know what the outcome will be?" Ren asked.

"The coup will be stopped..." Itachi said slowly.

"That's a nice thought," Ren chuckled coldly.

Itachi frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Even if the coup is stopped, what happens next? Do you think the village leadership will suddenly trust the Uchiha? Even if they prevent the rebellion, will their suspicion disappear?" Ren asked.

"It's possible to find a peaceful solution without resorting to violence. Things can be worked out over time," Itachi responded, clinging to hope.

"Shisui has influenced you too deeply. You've become an idealist," Ren said, shaking his head. "But Shisui won't even make it to the next step."

"Why do you think that?" Itachi asked, growing frustrated.

"Because the village leadership knows that even if this coup is stopped, another will come. Do you think Shisui, knowing he failed, will attempt to use Kotoamatsukami again to change the Uchiha's fate?" Ren asked.

Itachi froze.

"If you were him, would you keep trying the same path?" Ren asked, his tone cutting.

"A new path…" Itachi murmured, his eyes widening as he began to understand what Ren was implying.

"The power of Kotoamatsukami… Who in the village leadership wouldn't fear it?" Ren's voice was chilling, hinting at something darker.

"Shisui… is in danger!" Itachi suddenly realized, panic setting in. "I have to warn him!"

"And what good will that do?" Ren asked. "Even if Shisui knows, what then? He's shown his hand. The leadership won't allow him to live."

"But Shisui… He might willingly sacrifice himself, thinking it's for the greater good. He'd give his life to keep the peace between the village and the Uchiha," Ren said quietly. "He'd offer himself up as a pawn, and leave the rest to us."

"Then what should we do?" Itachi asked, anxiety clear in his voice.

Ren didn't answer immediately, simply staring at Itachi.

"If you want real change, you have to be ready to sacrifice something," Ren said softly. "In a game of chess, there's no place for a third party. If you refuse to take a side, the other players will team up to remove you from the board. When that happens, which side will you choose?"

The forest was eerily silent, the oppressive stillness amplifying the coldness of Ren's gaze.

Itachi felt a chill run through him, as though the very air had turned to ice. Ren's eyes, as dark as the night around them, held an unsettling light.

He lowered his head, his mind racing, struggling with the weight of the decision he was now facing.

"A coup… The Uchiha will protect Shisui!" Itachi said, his voice cold and resolute.

Ren's lips curled into a faint smile. "Aren't you afraid that Shisui will hate you for it?"

"It's better than watching him die," Itachi replied, his expression hardened. "Letting him become another casualty, another pawn, is unacceptable. If the village refuses to forgive the Uchiha's submission, then we will burn together."

Ren watched him carefully. "You realize what you're saying is treason? Are you really prepared to betray the village?"

"The village is still the village, regardless of who's in charge. If the Uchiha seize control, it will still be Konoha. And the people will praise us for our leadership," Itachi said with a new-found clarity, recalling the words his father had once spoken to him. When you stand at the top of the tower of power, you decide who the traitor is.

Ren sighed. "If only Shisui had your resolve."

"Don't blame him. He's never been wrong. If anyone's the traitor here, it's us," Itachi replied, closing his eyes as though accepting his fate.

Ren leaned back against a tree, gazing up at the sky.

The night was thick and heavy, like an inkstone filled with dark ink, its depth impossible to break through. A thin layer of clouds veiled the sky, making the already dim night even more obscure and hazy.

"I have a way," Ren said quietly.

"A way to save Shisui, save the Uchiha, and prevent the Uchiha from having to stage a coup."

Itachi's eyes snapped open, locking intensely on Ren.

"You were testing me?!" he said, his voice low and tense.

"I wanted to see your resolve. But everything I said earlier is also true," Ren replied calmly.

"I wanted to see how you would choose when faced with the village and your clan as a dichotomy. If you're like Shisui, then there's nothing more to discuss."

Ren's calm demeanor revealed no signs of deceit, but Itachi remained on guard, his voice cold as he asked, "And if it's not the result you're claiming?"

"Then the Uchiha can march toward their own destruction with their ambitions intact. I'll use another method to save Shisui, but the result won't be as favorable as the one I'm offering now," Ren said, his tone indifferent.

Itachi continued to stare at Ren, realizing how dangerous and calculating this man truly was. "Someone like you… why have you stayed so hidden?"

"When you don't need attention, too much fame only becomes a burden," Ren replied.

He wasn't wrong. Itachi, with his reputation as a prodigy, had been summoned by Danzo on multiple occasions because of his talent.

"What is your plan?" Itachi refocused, asking directly.

"There is something I need you to do first," Ren said, his voice measured.

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