The Adventurous Gamer Ninja - Daichi Hekima [Vol. 01]

Chapter 68 - Itachi's Decision

Itachi was in shock. He couldn't believe what his father and his clan were asking him to do.

"Now we have a pipeline connecting our clan to the center of the village. Itachi! The information and advantages you bring us are the key to our clan's future. Don't forget that." Every clan member was looking at him. Their eyes red and the Sharingan blazing in the dark.

The memories of that meeting vanished from the forefront of his mind and were replaced with his meeting with Danzo shortly after joining Anbu.

"So you're part of Team Ro huh. With team leader Kakashi Hatake." Danzo mused as he looked over the papers.

"He is a powerful ninja... Do you know what the most important aspect of an Anbu is?" The root commander asked Itachi. Before even waiting for Itachi's reply he answered.

"It's darkness. The darkness of the heart. Without it you won't survive being Anbu... And when I look at you... I can tell. You have plenty of darkness inside you." Itachi just remained silent as he listened to those words.

Itachi's mind went through the several missions he undertook as an Anbu. Some were assassination missions while others were simple like guarding the Hokage. But there was one mission he wasn't prepared for and it took him by shock. He remembered that day so clearly.

In the basement of the Anbu building several monitors were fixed together. All the screens with pictures of the Uchiha clan compound.

Kakashi stood besides him. "The nine tails attack on our village. The officials suspect an Uchiha involvement. They didn't just isolate the clan compound to the edge of the village. They've decided to monitor the movements of the Uchiha at all times."

Itachi stood still as he watched his Anbu comrades controlling the screens with various buttons.

'There's no way I can tell the clan about this. If they found out that they were being monitored every second of the day it would amplify their rage and it would be the tipping point.'

"Now that you're Anbu, this will be one of your tasks." Kakashi's voice reached his ears.

"You're ordering me to spy on my clan?"

Hearing Itachi's question an Anbu member watching the monitor answered. "A mission is a mission. Your clan summoned the nine tails. So they are now under investigation. Accept it, newbie."

He could never forget that day. 'It was difficult but I did it. And that was also when I found out the existence of the masked man. Ever since he killed Tenma I've tried to find out who he is. I met with all the men in the clan and no one had his chakra aura or voice. I also became sure that there was no one in the clan who could control space time Ninjutsu like that. So I concluded that this masked man was an outsider. An Uchiha who has left the clan... And I was right.'

Itachi investigated the identity of the masked man through several means. He concluded that it was an Uchiha and not someone who stole a Sharingan. After going through several theories and discarding the least likely, he had a suspect in mind. Itachi went through several documents in the archives to confirm his suspicion.

'None of these records verify the death of Madara Uchiha. It only says he died in battle with the first Hokage but there is no other proof. Not the body or the Sharingan was brought back... there's nothing... That masked ninja. I've never encountered a ninja with such an overwhelming chakra and presence... Is it possible... Is he...?'

He kept his suspicion to himself. Weeks passed with his time in the Anbu. It was during this time that Danzo had called him and asked him to report on the clan meetings.