22.There Is Still a Backup Plan

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"I'll bring these to the dining table." Kaito took the dishes, "Sister, you go wake Sasuke up."

"Thank you."

"No problem."

After setting the table, Kaito freshened up before returning to the dining area.

By then, Sasuke was already sitting at the table.

"Let's eat!"

"Let's eat!"

Thus, they enjoyed the most sumptuous breakfast they had had in days.

"Remember to continue studying after breakfast, Sasuke," Kaito, feeling satisfied, reminded Sasuke.

"Hmph, I know," Sasuke's face darkened instantly, but he grudgingly agreed.

Seeing this, Kaito comforted him, "Don't worry, I won't be going out today, feel free to ask me anything."

After watching Sasuke head back to the study with heavy steps, Kaito stayed in the dining room to help Mikoto with the dishes.

In the kitchen, while washing the dishes, Kaito asked, "Sister, did Sasuke tell you about Itachi?"

"Ah, he told me everything." Mikoto paused, then continued tidying up, "What are you trying to say, Kaito?"

"Itachi's personality really isn't likable compared to Sasuke," Kaito continued, "He was ready to kill me just to get Sasuke to return to Konoha, but of course, I taught him a lesson."

"But Kaito, you didn't kill him," Mikoto said softly.

"After all, he's your child, sister. No matter what happens, you would still love him, right? Besides, his body won't last much longer," Kaito stated confidently.

"Yes, that child has borne too much," Mikoto sighed, "At this rate, he might soon join me and Fugaku."

"I won't interfere on my own; it's all up to Sasuke to decide," Kaito said, looking at Mikoto's pained expression, "But... if Sasuke asks me in the end, considering sister and Sasuke's sake, I might treat him."

"Thank you, Kaito," Mikoto's voice was mixed with complexity, "But as you said, let's leave it to Sasuke to decide. Whether it's me, Fugaku, or Itachi, we all owe him."

"Sasuke might be a bit stubborn, but deep down, he's a kind-hearted good kid," Kaito didn't hesitate to praise.

"Yes," Mikoto nodded in agreement, proud.

At the same time, the Itachi they had just talked about finally returned to the Hidden Rain Village.

After a few days of recovery, his condition had significantly improved.

Although he still couldn't use his Mangekyō Sharingan, he was able to use his normal three-tomoe Sharingan again.

So today, he started trying to break the genjutsu left by Kaito.

And then, he failed.

"It's useless, Itachi."

Suddenly, Kaito's voice sounded in his ear.

Itachi was startled and quickly turned around, but found nothing.

"I'm not there, huh?" Itachi quickly deduced, "You left a technique on me that allows communication?"

"Not just for communication, there shouldn't be anyone to disturb you now, right?"

A faint white light flickered on Itachi's left wrist, and a tiny paper person the size of a little finger emerged from beneath his skin and floated in the air.

"But let's take a precaution." The little paper person's simple lined features moved as it spoke, and its tiny arms began to gesture.

An invisible light centered around the small paper person spread throughout the room, creating a barrier.

"This should be good. If anyone tries to eavesdrop, I'll know."

Then, the paper person quickly grew, becoming three-dimensional and finally taking the form of Kaito Uchiha.

Kaito Uchiha flicked his sleeves, turned to the previously silent Itachi Uchiha, and introduced, "This is a part of my consciousness I've split off; you can think of it as a clone."

"What do you need this clone for?" Itachi asked.

"I've come to share some information with you, in exchange for your cooperation with my instructions afterward," Kaito answered with a smile.

He didn't wait for Itachi's reaction before bluntly divulging everything related to Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and similar matters all at once.

...

Forced to listen to a myriad of myth-like stories, Itachi's worldview shattered, much like Sasuke's did. He rubbed his temples in frustration and asked with some hesitation, "How can you guarantee the truth of your statements?"

"I can't guarantee it," Kaito responded decisively.

He casually spread his hands and explained, "In my youth, I was taken to a hidden yokai realm and inherited knowledge from the predecessors, including these secretive histories."

An imperceptible light spread from the center of the small paper figure, enveloping the room in a barrier.

"This will do. If anyone tries to eavesdrop, I'll know."

Then, the paper figure rapidly expanded, transitioning from two-dimensional to three-dimensional, ultimately taking on the appearance of Kaito Uchiha.

Kaito flicked his sleeves and turned to Itachi Uchiha, who had remained silent until now, and explained, "This is a fragment of my consciousness, consider it a clone."

"What purpose does this clone serve?" Itachi asked.

"I'm here to share some information with you, in exchange for your future cooperation with my instructions," Kaito replied with a smile.

Without waiting for Itachi's response, he bluntly revealed all the details concerning Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and related matters.

...

Thus, Itachi found himself overwhelmed by a barrage of mythical tales, shattering his understanding of reality, much like Sasuke had experienced.

He rubbed his temples in frustration and asked skeptically, "How can you guarantee the truth of your claims?"

"I can't guarantee it," Kaito responded decisively.

With an air of nonchalance, he spread his hands and continued, "In my youth, I was taken to a secret realm inhabited by yokai and received teachings from predecessors, including these hidden histories."

"Honestly, I doubted their veracity at first. But I later realized that whether true or not, I needed to prepare as if they were."

"After all, if everything is true, I cannot predict the eventual fate of this world," he said firmly. "Of course, as my training progressed over time, I became more attuned to the reality of our world, affirming these as genuine historical events. Now, I'm merely passing on what I know to you. Whether you choose to believe it is up to you."

He gave Itachi a meaningful smile and continued confidently, "But like me, you'll find you have no choice but to believe, because we cannot afford to gamble."

"This isn't about an individual, a family, or a village. It's a global threat from outer space that the entire world must confront together."

"What do you want me to do?" Itachi eventually capitulated.

After all, as Kaito said, he couldn't afford to take the risk.

Kaito produced a fingernail-sized glass vial from his sleeve and handed it to Itachi, "Sprinkle this on someone known as Kurotsuchi and another who claims to be Madara."

"Kurotsuchi? The Akatsuki only has someone named Jūzō," Itachi examined the vial, which contained a colorless, semi-transparent powder.

"Then it's Jūzō," Kaito corrected, "Inside is the scale powder from butterfly wings, odorless and tasteless. You should manage to complete the task undetected."

"I can do that," Itachi pocketed the vial, paused for a moment, then asked, "How is Sasuke?"

"Sasuke is well," Kaito assured, "I will take good care of him. Just wait, one day he will stand before you."

As he spoke, his figure began to fade, retracting back into the small paper figure.

"We'll be in touch. Oh, and don't bother trying to undo the jutsu I left on you; it will automatically deactivate in three months."

"After all, you're my sister's child too, and I can't bring myself to be too harsh…"

...

After the paper figure disappeared, Itachi sat motionless for a long time before finally getting up and leaving his room.