Hearing Itachi's words, Akira also grew serious.
In the original timeline, Itachi's health had started deteriorating around this point, with his eyesight almost on the verge of failing completely.
So, did the butterfly effect caused by his actions fail to change Itachi's condition?
"I hope you can help me," Itachi said to Akira.
"Say it. We've known each other for so long, and this is the first time you've ever asked me for help. If it's something I can do, I'll do my best," Akira nodded sincerely.
Though their ideologies had once clashed, and though Akira had been killed by Itachi countless times in the life simulator, Itachi had played an important role as a spy in the Akatsuki over the past few years.
Now, with Itachi asking for help for the first time—and perhaps for the last—Akira was more than willing to oblige.
"My eyes... they're failing. The more I use the Mangekyo Sharingan, the closer I get to complete blindness. So..."
Itachi began, but suddenly stopped, as if his words were caught in his throat.
This left Akira looking at Itachi with some confusion, not quite understanding why Itachi had paused so abruptly.
"Akira, your eyes are Mangekyo too, right? Aren't you worried about this happening to you?" Itachi asked earnestly.
Yes, using the Mangekyo Sharingan excessively leads to blindness. Akira had awakened his Mangekyo half a year ago, and it seemed like he used it without much restraint. Did he not worry about going blind?
Itachi himself had unlocked his Mangekyo eight years ago, and in the past few years, he'd tried to use it as sparingly as possible.
"If the body can integrate with the First Hokage's cells, it can almost completely negate the Mangekyo Sharingan's side effects," Akira replied frankly, without hiding anything from Itachi.
"Oh? Is that really possible...?" Itachi's face showed a glimmer of hope.
Could it be that Akira had found a way to prevent the Mangekyo from leading to blindness?
"Don't get too excited just yet. Successfully merging with the First Hokage's cells is incredibly difficult, even harder than awakening the Mangekyo," Akira warned, cutting through Itachi's hopeful thoughts.
"Yeah, that makes sense..." Itachi nodded in realization.
Back when he was in Konoha, he had known Yamato—the product of the village's attempts to replicate the First Hokage's Wood Release abilities.
The fact that they had only managed to create one person capable of using Wood Release spoke volumes about how difficult research on the First Hokage's cells was.
"The reason I succeeded is that I completed the Dragon Transformation in Ryuchi Cave's Sage Mode, enhancing my life force significantly. Only then was I able to withstand the cells' invasive nature," Akira explained, making it clear that his case was unique and could not be replicated.
Itachi nodded, understanding that relying on the First Hokage's cells to negate the Mangekyo's side effects was unrealistic for most.
But then, Itachi asked, "Wait, Akira, what about that masked man...?"
"He's also fused with the First Hokage's cells," Akira replied.
"How was he able to merge with the First Hokage's cells, then?" Itachi questioned further.
At this point, Itachi had pretty much started seeing Akira as the all-knowing source of information in the ninja world. If he had a question, he would just ask Akira directly. And so far, there hadn't been anything Akira didn't know.
"His situation is also quite special," Akira said after some thought. He figured there was no harm in explaining Obito's circumstances to Itachi.
"The masked man is actually an Uchiha. However, half of his body was destroyed, and that half was rebuilt using the First Hokage's cells, allowing him to negate the Mangekyo's side effects.
"The key part is that he didn't need to resist the cells because there's a specific organism almost entirely made from the First Hokage's cells.
"The masked man used this organism to replace his damaged body," Akira explained Obito's situation simply.
In the original story, during his fight with the Fourth Hokage, Obito's right arm, made of this cellular substance, was shattered like goo but he still managed to recover. He even severed his own arm when attacked by Amaterasu flames—something that impressed even the Fourth Raikage.
Obito's right side wasn't his original body, so no matter how damaged it got, it didn't seem to matter.
"So that's what happened... No wonder," Itachi said, finally understanding what had puzzled him for so long.
He knew the masked man's eyes were Mangekyo Sharingan and that his Kamui ability was quite special. But what he didn't understand was why his own Mangekyo was leading him to blindness while the masked man seemed unaffected.
Now he knew: half of the man's body was made up of the First Hokage's cells.
"Aren't you curious about the masked man's true identity?" Akira asked. Seeing Itachi's contemplative expression without any further questions, Akira was surprised.
"Wait, you know who he is?" Itachi's eyes widened in shock.
"When did I ever say I didn't?" Akira responded with a small smile.
"Since when have you known?" Itachi asked after a moment of silence.
"Since the very beginning, I suppose," Akira replied.
"The very beginning? You knew even before the Uchiha Massacre?" Itachi was stunned.
"That's right. In fact, I knew about the order for the massacre a year in advance. But back then, I was too weak to change anything.
"I didn't dare speak up because I feared that if I failed, the future I foresaw would take an even darker turn." Akira nodded, revealing another secret.
"Unbelievable. So, you've had the ability to predict the future since then?" Itachi's face was filled with awe.
Had he predicted the Uchiha Massacre a year in advance? If Akira had come to him back then and asked him not to go through with it—or even exposed the plans—it wouldn't have changed anything and might've even escalated tensions between the Uchiha and the village elders.
"So, who is the masked man, really? He's definitely a Uchiha, isn't he?" Itachi asked, piecing things together.
From the fact that the masked man could activate and deactivate his Sharingan, Itachi was certain he had to be an Uchiha. Transplanted eyes couldn't be deactivated, much like Kakashi's Sharingan.
"Correct, he's an Uchiha. His full name is Uchiha Obito," Akira admitted.
"Obito? That can't be..." Itachi was visibly shocked.
"Oh? You know Obito?" Akira looked at Itachi with curiosity.
Obito was considered an average member of the clan, not an extraordinary genius. Why was Itachi familiar with him?
Hadn't the fans speculated that Madara chose Obito precisely because his disappearance would go unnoticed by the Uchiha clan?
"Know him? Back then, there weren't many in the Uchiha clan who didn't know Obito," Itachi replied as if it were obvious.
"He was famous in the Uchiha clan?" Akira asked, puzzled.
"Not just the Uchiha clan. He was famous across the whole village," Itachi said.
"Why?" Akira was genuinely intrigued.
Wasn't Obito supposed to be the "dead last" of his group?
"Obito's fame wasn't due to his talent; it was for two reasons.
"First, despite being a Uchiha, he always declared his dream of becoming Hokage, which naturally drew attention.
"Second, it was his kind heart.
"As an Uchiha, you know this well, Akira. Especially before we took power, our clan members were aloof and distant, and our relationship with the villagers wasn't great.
"But Obito? He was one of the rare optimists, always ready to help out. He was the kind of person who'd help an elderly lady cross the street.
"His unique personality made him a household name—not just in the Uchiha clan, but in all of Konoha," Itachi explained.
"Now that you mention it, that makes sense," Akira nodded in agreement.
Indeed, fame isn't always about talent. Sometimes, standing out in a unique way makes someone memorable.
Obito was that kind of person. Considering the atmosphere in the village back then, an enthusiastic Uchiha was bound to stand out, like a firefly in the darkness—impossible to ignore.
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POWER STONE!!!
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