Mastermind of the Akatsuki

During the mission debriefing, Itachi provided a meticulous and detailed account of the task, though Danzo listened with little interest. 

To Danzo, a rogue Jōnin—regardless of their elite status—was insignificant. Against the vast military power of Konoha, no lone traitor could cause any real upheaval. 

Instead, Danzo's attention remained firmly on Itachi. In his heart, he was determined to mold Itachi into a fine subordinate, a weapon to wield against the Uchiha clan. 

Itachi is the son of Fugaku Uchiha, the clan head, and an unparalleled prodigy. 

In less than half a year, Itachi has graduated from the Ninja Academy, breaking Kakashi's record. His exceptional performance during missions had even earned the envy of his Jōnin leader. 

At the time, that Jōnin refused to nominate Itachi for the Chūnin Exams, citing the team's lack of overall strength. 

Danzo himself intervened to secure Itachi's spot, and Itachi did not disappoint. He dominated the Chūnin Exams with overwhelming skill, securing first place without question. 

From that moment onward, Itachi had been under Danzo's watchful influence. 

It was through the recent mission evaluation that Itachi officially became a member of Root—Danzo's shadowy organization. 

--- 

After the report ended, Danzo looked at Itachi and said, "You did well on this mission. Eliminating a potential threat before he could defect to an enemy nation prevented valuable intelligence from being leaked." 

Danzo then paused deliberately before asking with a pointed tone, "Tell me, Itachi. How did it feel to kill a rogue ninja with your own hands?" 

Itachi was silent for a moment before answering, "Lord Danzo, I'm not sure what to feel. That man was a comrade of our village—why would he choose to betray Konoha? What happened to him? During our time together, I saw someone who was kind and warm—a Jōnin who cared for his comrades and family alike. I believe there must have been some reason, something unavoidable, that led him to betray the village." 

Danzo's expression darkened slightly. He spoke in a grave tone: 

"Every rogue ninja has their reasons… But uncovering those reasons is the Hokage's job. Root exists to protect Konoha in the shadows. We do not need to understand traitors or redeem them. We need only to eliminate threats to the village. That is the mission of Root, and it is what you must learn and practice from now on." 

Itachi fell silent once more, contemplating Danzo's words. To some degree, they made sense to him. A ninja had no obligation to understand why someone turned traitor. From the moment they chose to betray the village, their past—no matter how tragic—ceased to matter. 

Seeing Itachi lost in thought, Danzo allowed a subtle, satisfied smile to appear on his lips. 

Those words were not empty—they were forged from decades of Danzo's experience as a shinobi. Speaking from his heart was the best way to win the trust of a prodigy like Itachi. 

From the first time Danzo had seen Itachi, he had already envisioned his potential. He intended to cultivate this exceptional, independent-minded Uchiha—a child who thought like a seasoned shinobi at the age of six—as his successor. 

Itachi would inherit his will of roots and his vision for the greater good. 

After a long silence, Itachi bowed slightly and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Lord Danzo. Is there another mission for me to undertake?" 

Danzo studied Itachi for a moment before replying, "For now, there's no mission. However, I hope you take the time to study the Will of Fire. Do not follow the same misguided path as the rest of your clan." 

"Tomorrow, report to Root early. Ryoma, one of my senior Jōnin, will assign you your next task." 

"Yes, Lord Danzo," Itachi said, bowing once again. He then turned and disappeared into the dark passageway. 

--- 

Once Itachi was gone, Danzo's face twisted into an inscrutable expression. 

He could tell that Itachi had not yet fully accepted his ideology. Oh well, as long as Itachi remained within Root, Danzo knew it was only a matter of time before he shaped the boy's beliefs. 

Sooner or later, he would mold Itachi into the blade he needed to eradicate the Uchiha. 

The Uchiha were, after all, an inherently evil clan. Their mere existence was a destabilizing factor in the village. 

Since the days of the First Hokage, Uchiha Madara had brought chaos. During the Second Hokage's reign, it was Uchiha Setsuna. Then, during the Fourth Hokage's time, the masked man responsible for the Nine-Tails' attack had wreaked havoc. 

And now, after the Nine-Tails incident, Shisui had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, becoming yet another threat to the village. 

Danzo's eyes glinted coldly in the shadows. 

The Uchiha clan's fate had already been decided. Itachi would simply be the tool to carry out that decision.

Although Shisui is currently close to Hiruzen, who's to say Shisui won't suddenly change his nature one day, take control of the young Jinchuriki, and start another Shinobi World War within the village? 

Rather than living in constant fear, it's better to deal with the Uchiha threat in advance. If I take action and successfully eliminate Uchiha Shisui, obtaining his Mangekyo Sharingan, I would gain the power necessary to claim the title of Hokage. 

However, this is just a thought. Without absolute certainty, I can't make a move against Shisui. 

The crime of harming a fellow villager is severe—even if it involves an Uchiha. That old monkey Sarutobi Hiruzen would seize the opportunity to push me further from the center of power. 

The priority for now is to slowly groom Itachi, guiding him to turn against the Uchiha clan from within. 

---

As Itachi left the Root base, dusk had already fallen. 

Being recognized and officially joining the Root was a good thing for him. Starting today, he could finally move deeper into this organization—getting closer to the ninja most hostile toward the Uchiha—and understand their perspective on the clan. 

This would help immensely in resolving the conflict between the clan and the village. 

However, as he left the Root base, Itachi gradually came to his senses. Danzo's words earlier, which had seemed so reasonable, were actually trying to influence his understanding of what it means to be a shinobi, subtly twisting his values. 

What shocked him more was that, deep down, he found himself somewhat agreeing with Danzo's ideology. 

The idea of "dwelling in darkness to protect the light" had been ingrained in him long before he even attended the Ninja Academy. 

---

Unconsciously, Itachi had already returned to the Uchiha clan grounds. 

At that moment, a female Uchiha ninja wearing the village uniform approached him. She smiled brightly and said, "Itachi, there you are! The clan meeting is about to start—do you want to head over now? Oh, and one more thing. I've also passed my graduation exam and officially become a ninja! We might get the chance to go on missions together someday." 

Looking at the lively girl in front of him, Itachi gave a slight nod, "Let's go together, Izumi."