Ryousuke felt a bit of regret at Itachi's answer.
Even when it came to Izumi's life, the guy couldn't say he'd protect the clan?
Yeah, this dude was totally brainwashed—beyond saving.
For any normal person, if it came down to choosing between your childhood sweetheart and a bunch of strangers with no blood ties, the answer should be obvious.
Like, not even a question.
But Itachi thought he was some saint or something.
This whole exchange left Ryousuke super disappointed.
He wasn't Naruto. He didn't have god-tier talk-no-jutsu powers.
Still, he had one last thing to say.
"Itachi, just remember one thing."
"If there's no Uchiha, is Konoha still Konoha?"
"Think hard about that."
"I'm heading out."
Ryousuke was already exhausted from training and had been planning to go home, clean up, and get some rest.
When he saw Itachi, he figured he'd try to set the guy straight.
Try to save a fellow clansman from being fully corrupted by Konoha's higher-up propaganda.
If Itachi remained this stubborn, then when the massacre night came, Ryousuke wouldn't hesitate to kill him.
After all, he was Uchiha too. If Itachi dared pull the same move as in the original story...
Then he'd be on Ryousuke's hit list.
Itachi watched Ryousuke's back as he walked away, his face gradually turning cold.
Konoha without the Uchiha... was still Konoha.
Konoha didn't belong to the Uchiha.
Ryousuke's thinking was arrogant. Too narrow-minded.
Konoha belonged to all clans.
"Where the leaves dance, so too shall the fire... The fire's shadow will illuminate the village, and allow new leaves to grow."
That was what the First Hokage, the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju, had said—who gave his life for the village.
Itachi aspired to be that kind of man.
Soon, Izumi returned, holding her recovered kunai. She looked around and saw only Itachi standing there.
"Ryousuke-kun already left?"
Itachi nodded. "Yeah, he's gone."
"Izumi, you should keep your distance from Ryousuke. He's dangerous—I don't want him to lead you astray."
To Itachi, Ryousuke was even more extreme than the radical faction—he actually dreamed of war between the clan and the village.
Izumi looked puzzled. She didn't get Itachi's point.
"But I think Ryousuke-kun's a good person."
He used to be cold and aloof, just barely looked out for her.
Now, he was much warmer—he even smiled genuinely at her.
Aside from having some strange ideas, she didn't dislike this version of Ryousuke at all.
If Itachi weren't around, she might've even fallen for him. But a guy as good-looking as Ryousuke probably had no shortage of admirers, so she didn't need to worry.
Itachi looked at her, hesitated, then finally spoke.
"Ryousuke is too self-centered. He only thinks about the clan."
He remembered what Ryousuke said: "Is Konoha still Konoha without the Uchiha?"
What did that prove?
That Ryousuke believed the Uchiha should stand above the village.
He didn't want Izumi to be influenced by that.
Izumi's face filled with confusion. What was wrong with caring about the clan?
It was because Ryousuke cared that he looked out for a little clan girl like her.
Otherwise, why would he even bother?
If he didn't care about the clan, he probably wouldn't give a damn whether she lived or died.
Then both she and her mother would've been screwed.
So she couldn't bring herself to blame Ryousuke for that.
Itachi immediately sensed her thinking didn't align with his.
Had Ryousuke already started influencing her?
He said seriously, "As shinobi, we shouldn't prioritize the clan—we should put the village first."
"You understand?"
Izumi nodded, but she didn't actually get it at all.
Put the village first? She wasn't blind—she could feel the hostility from the villagers, both ninja and civilians, toward the Uchiha.
Even a kid like her could sense it.
So putting the clan second and the village first? That made no sense to her.
But since Itachi said it, she didn't want to argue.
Itachi saw her nod with a confused look. He knew she hadn't truly grasped what he meant.
He felt a little disappointed—not many people could understand his ideals. Everyone was just too shallow.
Only Shisui could really get him.
He sighed inwardly and said nothing more.
The two of them resumed training, but it wasn't as lively as before. Izumi could feel a new distance between them, and Itachi's attention seemed elsewhere.
In fact, Itachi kept thinking about what Ryousuke said.
If the clan continued showing hostility to Konoha's leadership, the situation really might break down—and civil war could happen.
If that happened, he might side with the higher-ups to suppress the rebellion.
Because the Uchiha were too extreme, too obsessed with their own interests.
He was ANBU now. Protecting Konoha was his duty.
He wasn't narrow-minded enough to blindly side with the clan.
Even though his mind was spiraling, he still thought it was unlikely.
After all, the Third Hokage was a kind leader. He'd definitely handle things between Konoha and the Uchiha properly.
(TL/N): He is beyond saving 😳