Evil Uchiha Itsuki

"What is this?"

Itsuki lay lazily in his chair, casually asking the question.

"A notice!"

With a strange expression, Itachi replied, "The Leaf Village has invited all the other ninja villages to attend the inauguration ceremony of their Fifth Hokage."

"Inviting others? An inauguration ceremony?"

Itsuki was stunned, asking in surprise, "Have previous Hokage successions ever had such ceremonies? I remember it was just a quick announcement, wasn't it?"

When did it ever make sense to invite other villages to attend?

Most of the time, the leadership changes in the ninja villages were known only to their own people. Outsiders had no clue how many generations had passed, like with the Mist Village's Mizukage.

Who even knows which generation of Mizukage is ruling right now?

And yet now, they're publicly announcing it?

Times are changing!

Itsuki sighed with emotion.

Itachi silently stared at Itsuki.

Is your focus off? Shouldn't you be more concerned about the fact that there's a new Hokage rather than whether there's a ceremony or not?

The important part here is that there's a new Hokage of the Leaf Village!

Even though you've caused plenty of trouble for the Leaf, it's still a formidable power. Even a dying camel is bigger than a horse.

In terms of sheer size, the Leaf Village remains a giant no one can ignore.

After a brief silence, Itachi spoke again, "According to the notice from the Leaf, the Fifth Hokage will tentatively be... Tsunade."

"Huh?"

Itsuki was taken aback. "Wasn't it supposed to be Torifu Akimichi? Sarutobi Hiruzen has been camping outside his door, begging him to take the position."

"Nope!"

Itachi frowned, obviously just as surprised. "We did hear that Sarutobi was indeed trying to persuade Torifu Akimichi to come out of retirement. But after Torifu went to the Hokage's office the next day, he and Sarutobi had a big argument. They almost came to blows. Shortly after, word got out that the Leaf was looking for Tsunade."

"Then the Leaf sent out invitations to the other villages to attend the Fifth Hokage's inauguration ceremony."

Itsuki rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "So, in other words, the Leaf hasn't fully confirmed that Tsunade will be the Fifth Hokage."

"Exactly."

"But," Itachi continued, "they've already sent people to find her and then announced the new Hokage's upcoming inauguration. Their intentions are clear. I think…"

Itsuki interrupted with a grin, "Sarutobi Hiruzen likely does want Tsunade to return and take over as Hokage. But what if they can't find her?"

"Which means, they haven't locked in a candidate. They'll decide when the time comes."

"It could be Tsunade, or Torifu Akimichi, or even Danzō Shimura. One thing's for sure, though: Sarutobi Hiruzen is definitely stepping down."

"What do you plan to do?" Itachi asked.

"Of course, we have to mess things up a bit," Itsuki replied with a sly smile. "Tsunade is quite capable. While she might not bring the Leaf Village back to its peak, she could at least prolong its survival. That wouldn't be in the best interests of the Fire Village. So, we can't let her return."

Having Torifu Akimichi in charge would be much more favorable for the Fire Village's interests.

An aging Torifu might not satisfy Danzō either, and Torifu likely wouldn't last long as Hokage.

Every time a Hokage changes, the village goes through a period of turmoil.

"You know where Tsunade is?" Itachi asked.

"Nope."

Itsuki shrugged, "But I do know where Shizune is."

Itachi was speechless.

Brother, are you really a ninja?

Why does it seem like your personal life is more outrageous than that of any aristocrat?

Itsuki gave a cheeky grin, "Speaking of which, it's been a while since I've seen Shizune. I kinda miss her. She's probably missing me even more."

Itsuki stood up and began searching for the most recent news Shizune had left for him. To his surprise, he discovered that Shizune and Tsunade were currently in the Fire Village's shopping district.

"Damn!" Itsuki was dumbfounded.

What are these two women up to? They actually came here?

He looked up at Itachi with a meaningful gaze.

"What? What's going on?" Itachi asked, feeling a bit creeped out by Itsuki's stare.

Itsuki let out a small humph, "Yamato's busy with matters over at the Sand Village, and even though he hasn't returned yet, he doesn't have the energy to focus on the Fire Village. So, you're handling most of the affairs here, aren't you, Itachi?"

Itachi thought for a moment, then said, "Considering I'm the strongest contender for the next village leader, I don't have any intention of killing you. Don't try to pin any rebellion on me. I won't admit to it."

Itsuki: "…"

"Itachi, you've gotten smarter, but that's not what I was talking about."

Itachi's expression suddenly became dramatic, "Wait, you really did think about that? Damn, what did I ever do to you?"

"…That's not important."

"No, it is important!" Itachi snapped angrily, "I've been nothing but loyal to you and the Fire Village, putting in endless effort, and you actually doubted me? How could you!"

Itsuki smiled at him, "You've learned quite a bit from me, but... Do you want a beating?"

"Please, go on!" Itachi straightened up, his expression becoming clear and humble as he lowered his head slightly, "First Mokage-sama!"

Can't win! No other option!

"Hmm!"

Itsuki nodded. "Who's in charge of security for the Fire Village lately?"

"My father! Uchiha Fugaku!"

"Then go ask your father why Tsunade and Shizune were able to come to the Fire Village without anyone noticing."

Itsuki chuckled, "Shizune I could understand, but Tsunade? With all her... distinct characteristics, how could anyone not notice? What are they even doing?"

Itachi froze, finally understanding why Itsuki's expression had been so strange.

Tsunade came to the Fire Village, and they didn't realize it?

That's just…

Itachi didn't even know what to say.

Like Itsuki had pointed out, Tsunade's presence is so obvious, how could they have missed her?

Not to mention...

Tsunade is a powerful ninja. If she had come with destructive intentions, what would they do then?

Tsunade is known for her immense strength and being a disciple of the Shikkotsu Forest. If she decided to cause trouble, her destructive power would be on par with a Tailed Beast.

Itachi quickly left.

Itsuki closed his eyes, silently reflecting for a moment before disappearing from the Hokage's office in a flash using the Flying Thunder God technique.

...

"Tsunade-sama, Tsunade-sama..." 

Shizune trembled, her eyes full of fear.

Just now, Tsunade-sama had decided to take a big gamble.

So!

All the money they had on them was lost in one go.

Shizune nearly collapsed.

She had worked hard healing so many people to gather that money, and Tsunade-sama just gambled it all away.

But that wasn't even the worst part.

The biggest problem was...

They were now in debt.

According to Tsunade-sama, they would gamble again, this time winning back all the debt in one big go.

Shizune immediately voiced her strong objection.

Unfortunately, facing a titan like Tsunade, the gap was just too big.

Shizune couldn't even last a single round before being defeated by Tsunade.

Tsunade stared at the cards in front of her, speechless.

She had calculated everything, and yet this was the result.

It was like doing a true/false quiz where, no matter how many questions there were, she'd always pick the wrong answer.

It was just unbelievable.

"Shizune, get the money!"

Shizune was stunned. She didn't have the ability to perform the kind of alchemy Itsuki had once mentioned: turning stones into gold.

They were flat broke!

Idiot! Tsunade grumbled internally. When I say get the money, do you really think I meant actual money? I'm talking about…

Suddenly, Tsunade felt a shudder of dread, as if something terrible was about to happen.

Her expression shifted, and she abruptly tore off her necklace, declaring, "I'll put this up as a bet for one more round!"

"Tsunade-sama!" 

Shizune's face paled with shock. The money didn't matter, but...

The necklace was a different story!

"What's the rush?"

A soft voice spoke, "How about I make a bet with you?"

The casino fell silent.

Some people have a natural presence.

When they appear, all eyes are drawn to them.

Uchiha Itsuki was one of those people.

His aura was so overwhelming that when he showed up, people in the casino felt like they could hardly breathe.

It was like a weight had been placed on their chests.

Except for one person.

Shizune.

She looked at Itsuki, her eyes sparkling.

Finally, she saw her beloved.

"Uchiha Itsuki!"

Tsunade's heart sank, "You found us?"

"Tsunade-sensei, you're underestimating yourself," Itsuki sighed. "Have a little more confidence. You come to Fire Shadow Village, and you think I wouldn't notice?"

"I could spot you from a mile away."

Mainly because the target was too big.

Tsunade: "Something about what you're saying feels off."

"Did you win?"

Itsuki glanced at the table and chuckled, "How rare! Tsunade-sama actually won. Looks like something bad is about to happen."

Tsunade looked silently at Itsuki.

She wasn't sure what to say about her former student.

His transformation was too drastic.

It felt like just yesterday they were laughing and joking together.

Now, he had become the village's first Kage, the founder of a new Shinobi village.

In the entire ninja world, he was among the elite.

And even more—

He had built his legacy by stepping over Konoha, earning a reputation like no other.

This made it even harder for Tsunade to know how to face him.

Her feelings toward Konoha were complicated. She felt it wasn't the village she remembered.

The changes in Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others were shocking, too.

But still—

It was her grandfather's legacy.

"Looks like you don't want to gamble, sensei, so let's talk," Itsuki smiled, motioning for Shizune to follow him. "Come, I'll buy you a drink!"

"But..." Shizune glanced at the burly men.

She hadn't collected the money they owed her yet.

After losing so much, this rare moment of victory made her determined to get her winnings.

"Don't worry, my Anbu will collect your debt!" Itsuki laughed. "I promise they'll get it for you."

As soon as those words left his mouth, the burly men turned pale.

They recognized who he was!

Fire Shadow Village wasn't like Konoha. They didn't just carve faces into a mountain—they created something even bigger.

The statue was a spitting image!

Itachi had wanted it to look serious and formal, but Itsuki insisted on designing it himself, claiming he had a brilliant idea.

Many people had a bad feeling when they heard that.

And when they saw the final product, they fell silent.

Why did a man who never wore sunglasses create a statue that was wearing them?

And what was that weird thing wrapped around the statue?

It looked... strange. At least, strange in the Shinobi world.

Itsuki simply said, "This is my tribute to Michael..."

...

At the very least, when you see the real person, you'd find the statue looks a little like him!

The burly men recognized him.

Now, they could only hope that necklace wasn't as expensive as they feared!

"Alright then!" Shizune cheerfully picked up the pig and followed Itsuki out of the casino.

Tsunade: "..."

Did they just ignore my opinion?

You two are something else!

"Sigh!"

Tsunade sighed and followed.

What choice did she have? He had obviously come here for her.

And—

What was he holding? Was that alcohol?

It smelled amazing!

It would be a crime not to drink it!

They found a random place to sit, and the first thing Itsuki said made Tsunade spit out her drink.

"Tsunade-sensei, will you become the Fifth Hokage of Konoha?" 

(End of Chapter)