- In Marvel: I Start by Marrying Scarlett Witch [Complete]
- MWM Chapter 288
“Heavens…”
At this point, Itachi could no longer afford to hold back. His right Mangekyo Sharingan spun wildly, preparing to unleash the inextinguishable flames of Amaterasu on Leo.
However, in the next second, Leo’s figure disappeared from Itachi’s sight.
Before Itachi could react, a small flying sword hovered right in front of his right Mangekyo Sharingan.
“Uchiha Itachi, you should know that if I wanted to kill you, you would already be dead. So, stop using your right eye’s jutsu.”
Leo appeared behind Itachi, casually patting him on the shoulder with a smile.
Itachi’s pupils shrank, and after a couple of dry coughs, he responded, “I lost.”
“Good. I’m not the kind of person who likes to force others.
So, I’ll give you two options:
First, accept the terms I proposed earlier. It’ll be good for you, good for me, good for everyone.
Second, I’ll kill you right now and take both of your eyes.”
Leo retracted the flying sword and stepped in front of Itachi.
Itachi twitched his mouth and, after a moment, reached up to pluck out his left eye, handing it to Leo. “I choose the first option.”
Fighting was clearly out of the question. While he still had Shisui’s Mangekyo Sharingan and could use the Kotoamatsukami to alter someone’s will, he wouldn’t use it unless Leo really intended to kill him. He had saved that power for his brother, Sasuke.
“A wise choice. I won’t go back on my word.”
Leo snapped his fingers, took the left eye from Itachi’s hand, and immediately injected a vial of liquid into Itachi’s body.
As the Extremis Virus entered his system, Itachi let out a loud roar, and his hollow left eye socket quickly regenerated a brand-new eye under the virus’s incredible restorative powers.
Simultaneously, a surge of intense flames erupted from his body.
“My body… and my eye!”
Itachi clenched his fists, sensing his newly regenerated eye and his rejuvenated body, a look of disbelief crossing his face.
He truly hadn’t expected Leo’s words to be true.
His body, weakened by excessive use of the Mangekyo Sharingan and the toll of emotional suffering, had fully recovered in an instant. Moreover, he could feel the immense strength now coursing through him.
And then there were these instinctual flames, controlled effortlessly—while not a Kekkei Genkai, they were strikingly similar.
“Ah, too bad the eye that grew back isn’t a Mangekyo Sharingan!”
Leo, inspecting Itachi’s newly regenerated left eye, let out a slight sigh of regret.
The new eye was clearly not a Mangekyo Sharingan but just a regular eye.
“It’s simply unawakened. Given a few years, it should return to being a Mangekyo Sharingan,” Itachi replied lightly, hearing Leo’s lament.
At this moment, much of Itachi’s hostility toward Leo had faded. He realized that if Leo truly had ill intentions, given the terrifying power he had just displayed, he could have killed Itachi outright and taken both of his Sharingan.
Instead, Leo had chosen to make a deal and even healed Itachi’s body, enhancing his strength.
Even though he only had one Mangekyo Sharingan for now, the restoration and enhancement of his body, along with the new abilities he gained, meant his overall strength hadn’t actually decreased much.
The key was that he could still feel that his left eye was the same one, just in its original, unawakened state. Over time, with the help of the Mangekyo Sharingan in his right eye, he would be able to guide its progression through the stages—one tomoe, two tomoe, three tomoe, and eventually, back to the Mangekyo Sharingan.
By that point, his overall strength would only increase.
“That’s actually good news!”
Hearing Itachi’s words, Leo’s eyes lit up.
He had been worried about how to stimulate Sasuke into awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan since he needed Sasuke’s eyes to combine into the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. But now, it seemed that wouldn’t be necessary. In a few years, when Itachi’s left eye regained the Mangekyo state, he could simply use both of Itachi’s eyes to achieve the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
The condition to unlock the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan was to transplant a family member’s Mangekyo Sharingan, with a higher success rate for closer blood relations.
And what relation could be closer than his own bloodline?
Of course, whether this method would work was uncertain, as it had never been done before.
But if it didn’t, he could always find a way to stimulate Sasuke. After all, once Sasuke awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, using one of his eyes would guarantee the creation of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
“Are all the things you said true?”
Itachi extinguished the flames on his body, a serious expression crossing his face as he looked at Leo.
Leo immediately understood what Itachi was asking and smiled. “Of course. Isn’t there a member of Akatsuki named Zetsu? You can ask him for Konoha’s intel. You’ll see that everything I’ve said is true.
The Third Hokage is old now. The only candidates to succeed him as Hokage are Jiraiya and Tsunade, but Jiraiya doesn’t want the position, and Tsunade refuses to even return to the village.
Oh, and there’s Danzo, but if Danzo becomes Hokage, do you really think Sasuke could live peacefully in Konoha?
It’s undeniable. With my strength, my identity, and my contributions to Konoha, it’s only a matter of time before I become the Fifth Hokage.”
After pausing for a moment, Leo continued, “So, work with me. The generation of the Third Hokage has always been obsessed with power struggles and has done many things they can’t let see the light of day. If things keep going like this, Konoha is doomed.
When I become Hokage, I’ll reveal the truth about what happened back then. You’ll be able to reunite with Sasuke, rebuild the Uchiha clan, and rid Konoha of Danzo and Root, bringing the village back to the light!”
Is Konoha what Itachi cares about most?
No, what Itachi cares about most is his brother Sasuke, followed by Konoha itself. And Konoha, in his mind, means the entire village, not just the Third Hokage.
So Leo’s attempt to recruit Itachi actually had a high chance of success.
Sure enough, hearing Leo’s words, a conflicted expression appeared on Itachi’s face.
Of course, he wanted to return to Konoha, reunite with Sasuke, clear up the misunderstandings, and live a happy life together.
But he couldn’t. The higher-ups in Konoha would never allow it. To ensure Sasuke’s safety in Konoha, Itachi had to remain as he was.
So, Leo’s offer was indeed tempting.
“I won’t report what happened today to the Third Hokage. As long as your actions don’t threaten Konoha or Sasuke, I’m willing to cooperate with you.”
After a moment of contemplation, Itachi gave his answer.
Leo nodded. He had no intention of harming Konoha or Sasuke anyway.
“Deal. Continue your undercover work in Akatsuki. If you have any intelligence, you can send it to any of the Chuan shops in the villages.”
…