Chapter 65, Chapter Sixty-Three

"You know, Yuki. The reason I sent you on this mission is because I have your every move under my control. I know what you're thinking and what you want to do. Remember this: you are a rogue ninja of Konoha, a member of Akatsuki—"

"Don't even think about going back to Konoha, understand?"

Obito rested his chin on his hand, feeling extremely displeased that Yuki had been placed under Itachi's nose, even if it was for a transaction or to achieve some other purpose.

After three years, Xue finally wore proper clothes. She wore a long black robe with red clouds, but the neckline couldn't hide the marks the two men had left on her. She lifted her long hair, which had been pressed down, to cover most of the marks on her neck.

The leaves of Konoha are vibrant; where the leaves dance, the Will of Fire lives on.

Yet there exists light and darkness, and all the Uchiha clan members are like withered flowers in the darkness, becoming nutrients absorbed by Konoha.

Since the order to exterminate the Uchiha clan was issued, the Konoha leadership has turned a blind eye, and she has completely lost trust in the village. In her eyes, everyone involved is an accomplice to this massacre. If anything could still give her the strong urge to return to Konoha, it would be—

Kill all the high-ranking members of Konoha who participated in this extermination operation.

However, Xue lowered her eyes slightly, as she still needed to find a way to break the seal on her body, which was currently sealed by Obito.

She needs the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan's eye technique and a sufficient amount of chakra.

She didn't respond, and Obito chuckled softly.

Obito threw the katana, but Yuki didn't reach out to catch it.

Her brows furrowed. This knife was stained with the blood of so many of her people; no wonder she found it nauseating to use it after losing her memory.

With a clang, the knife fell to the ground, making a crisp sound.

"It's time to go."

The weasel standing at the door spoke up to remind them.

Ultimately, Uchiha Yuki left the room, ending with Itachi monitoring her and ceasing the transmission of information about the Akatsuki back to Konoha. Uchiha Yuki was temporarily assigned to Itachi and Kisame's team, forming a temporary trio.

She still couldn't use large amounts of chakra, only basic ninjutsu, relying solely on taijutsu and her passive ability to nullify any mental genjutsu. This forced her to remain under Itachi and Obito's control. The Akatsuki's next step was to gather substantial funds and then capture the nine tailed beasts.

-

Naruto Uzumaki left Konoha with Jiraiya and began a three-year training journey. Sakura Haruno became Tsunade's disciple. As for Sasuke… three years ago, he defected from Konoha and joined Orochimaru. Konoha's elite Jonin searched everywhere but have yet to find him.

After completing his mission as usual, Kakashi spent some time at the cemetery. Then, he walked along his usual route home, the dim streetlights flickering in the night. The day Naruto would return was drawing near.

He lowered the eye that was exposed and shifted his gaze from the streetlight to the book "Intimate Paradise" in his hand.

I heard that Jiraiya-sama is going to have a new work coming out.

As for news of Uchiha Yuki, after a brief appearance three years ago, there have been no further leads.

"I'm back."

Kakashi shouted into the empty room, where there was no response.

Since his father's passing, this house had briefly become lively. At first, it was Obito and Rin who enjoyed grilled fish together in the house; later, Yuki moved in. Even though he knew about the relationship between Minato-sensei and Yuki, for him, it was enough as long as Yuki was by his side.

Inside the wardrobe, Yuki's clan robe and a spare ninja uniform were still hanging.

The wind chimes hanging under the eaves are the same style as the ones in her house.

There's always an extra set of bowls and chopsticks in the cupboard, and occasionally you can see items with the Uchiha clan's fan symbol in the room.

Even though he had gotten used to the emptiness of the house, and even though everything seemed the same as before, he still felt it was too quiet.

Kakashi changed into his indoor shoes in the entryway and went into the Japanese-style room. He opened the refrigerator, only to find it empty, and couldn't help but sigh.

He sat in the kitchen chair, waiting for the water to boil. He often told Naruto not to eat junk food, but he himself often made do with it.

Kakashi's thoughts drifted. If Yuki were still alive, he would often cook for her, and even if she didn't like fish, he would still give her a piece or two of the fish he had grilled.

He misses snow, he really misses it.

-

Yuki returned to the Akatsuki organization, and Kisame was not surprised that the team had an extra person.

However, after the three of them spent the night at the inn, when they set off on their mission the next day, Kisame would always inadvertently see the marks left on the young man's neck.

Mr. Itachi... seems to be in pretty good health.

Kisame thought to himself, after all, ninjas have extremely keen hearing, and besides, most inns in rural villages have very poor soundproofing. Even though the two were deliberately suppressing their voices, Kisame, who was staying next door, could still faintly hear some noises.

Itachi noticed Kisame's gaze directed at Yuki and followed it. Yuki, sensing Itachi's gaze, slightly raised her eyes, her black pupils meeting Itachi's gaze. After a moment, Itachi looked away first. Kisame was somewhat confused. These two lived in the same house, their bodies intertwined with each other's aura, yet in his presence, they acted like enemies.

Is this a unique kind of fun between husband and wife? Kisame, born in the City of Blood Mist, really didn't understand. However, when they stayed at an inn together on a mission later, Kisame could no longer hear the two of them making any noise. He investigated a little and found that Itachi had used chakra to create a soundproofing effect.

Mr. Itachi...you're really possessive.

A gentle breeze swept by, and they arrived in a country filled with cherry blossoms—the Land of Cherry Blossoms, where spring was in full bloom.

Before they can collect the Nine-Tailed Fox, they have a mountain of tasks to complete, such as daily murder and robbery missions like assassinating daimyo and stirring up national turmoil to collect funds.

They encountered Deidara and Sasori. Yuki recognized Sasori; he was the puppeteer who had killed the Third Kazekage. Although he should be in his thirties, he looked exactly the same as when they first met—sixteen or seventeen, about the same age as Yuki. He had soft, fluffy red hair, and his striking features were like a beautiful oil painting. Beside this handsome young man stood a similarly tall young man with a high golden ponytail.

Deidara was quite surprised to see Yuki, but he quickly smiled. However, when he saw Itachi beside her, he couldn't help but click his tongue.

"Xue, where have you been all this time? I haven't seen you at all," Deidara asked.

Xue replied simply, "It's a personal matter."

"We haven't gone on a date in ages, why don't you join my and Mr. Dana's group!"

Xue's gaze swept over the thumb ring engraved with the character "Qing" on his fingertip, and she shook her head.

Deidara seemed a little unhappy and tried to take Yuki's hand, but Itachi stopped him.

Itachi, who had been silent, now revealed crimson Sharingan with three tomoe in his eyes. Combined with the marks Deidara saw through Xue's wide collar, Deidara's expression darkened. Sasori, on the other hand, remained expressionless.

With a deafening explosion behind them, the small country that had been nestled in the valley vanished under Deidara's blast. The pink world, filled with blooming cherry blossoms, was instantly illuminated by the sudden explosion, presenting a breathtakingly beautiful spectacle—a masterpiece of explosive art.

"Art is an explosion!"

Xue looked over and saw that the blond boy's face was filled with a fanatical smile.

Itachi turned slightly to the side, blocking her view. Deidara was very young, compared to him, Itachi thought.

At the very least, Shonde and Sasuke worked together to revitalize the Uchiha clan and had children from the Uchiha clan.

Itachi made this decision on his own, which was extremely selfish.

-

"Do you want me to help you break the seal on your body?"

Sasori possessed striking beauty, with a pair of amber-colored, upturned phoenix eyes that gazed at her casually. The mission was to capture the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, and Itachi Uchiha hadn't taken her along. She was left alone in a small town on the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Birds. The air in the secluded tea room was filled with the scent of incense, a fragrance that Yuki didn't dislike.

A handsome young man sat beside her, very close to her.

Do you have a solution?

Xue didn't avoid his actions. She could sense that his limbs had been transformed into puppets. She could clearly feel that Scorpion's limbs had also been modified into puppets. The black-painted fingertips touched her skin, sending a chill down her spine. Scorpion chuckled softly. He had finally managed to shake off his adventurous and prematurely dying partner, and had specifically requested this temporary leave from Konan.

Furthermore, the next task is to capture the One-Tailed Jinchuriki.

"Although I don't have a direct solution, I made a deal with Orochimaru. That guy must know how to break this seal."

As her slender fingertips slowly traced the corner of her eye, Xue finally remembered Orochimaru's existence.

It's been so long since I've seen him. I wonder if Sasuke has become stronger under his tutelage, since he was once called her teacher.

"I have a way to connect you under Itachi's surveillance," the handsome young man said, gently cupping her face in his hands.

Xue slightly turned her head, dodging Scorpion's attempted kiss. She asked, "What's the price?"

Scorpion wasn't angry; a smile played on his thin lips.

"After you've finished everything, stay by my side, forever."

Xue frowned slightly; she didn't care about such things.

She looked at Scorpion, as long as it could help her.

"Weren't you planning to turn me into a puppet after I die?"

Scorpion gently kissed her cheek, his eyes full of anticipation, his words laced with teasing.

"In that case, you won't be able to feel anything. I want to see that kind of happiness on your face too."

"If you want to see a different expression on Xue's face, you can do it under my control. If Xue wants to try doing that kind of thing with the puppet I control, that's fine too."

"Don't keep me waiting too long, I don't like waiting. Uchiha Yuki."