The air in the wasteland crackled with the lingering embers of Amaterasu, black flames consuming the last remnants of the battlefield. Katerea Leviathan knelt on the scorched earth, her trembling body a stark contrast to the calm, stoic figure of Itachi Uchiha before her. His Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan gleamed with a cold light, yet he made no move to deliver the finishing blow.
"Go," he said finally, his voice sharp and commanding.
Katerea looked up, disbelief etched across her battered face. "You... you're letting me go?"
Itachi's eyes narrowed. "I've made my point. If you value your life, you'll take this opportunity to disappear. Don't make me regret this decision."
Katerea didn't need to be told twice. With a shaky nod, she activated a teleportation circle and vanished, leaving the devastated battlefield behind.
---
[5,500,000 Shock Points Gained]
Itachi sighed, deactivating his Sharingan as the strain of the past days caught up with him. His chakra reserves, though immense, were now dangerously low. He gazed at the burning wasteland one last time before turning away, his black cloak billowing in the wind as he left.
---
Koha City
Itachi stepped off the train at Koha City station, his figure drawing a few curious glances from passersby. His calm demeanor and unassuming presence blended seamlessly into the bustling city.
The first thing he did was seal his power back to its previous state. The system interface appeared before him as he adjusted the settings.
[Seal Activated: Chakra reduced to pre-upgrade levels. EMS locked until manually released.]
"Back to square one," Itachi muttered under his breath. He left the station and disappeared into the crowded streets, his thoughts already focused on his next steps.
---
Kuoh Academy
At Kuoh Academy, the day was as ordinary as ever. Students chatted and laughed, blissfully unaware of the supernatural forces constantly at play around them.
Leaning against a tree near the main building, Itachi observed the school grounds. He kept his presence concealed, ensuring no ordinary human could detect him. Moments later, a familiar figure approached—Rias Gremory, her crimson hair gleaming like a banner of nobility.
"Itachi," she greeted warmly, flashing him a bright smile. "You've been gone for a while."
"I had work to do," he replied simply, his tone as neutral as ever.
Rias tilted her head, curious but unwilling to press further. "Well, it's good to see you back. I was hoping we could spend some time together because after school, we'll be heading to the Underworld."
Itachi raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He noticed the slight blush on her cheeks and the way she lingered before stepping away.
She's still trying to recruit me into her peerage, he thought, a faint smile appearing on his face. At least I can farm more shock points from her persistence.
---
Later, in the library, Itachi found a quiet spot to rest. While the books weren't particularly interesting, the calm atmosphere suited him. Nearby, Koneko Toujou sat silently, munching on a snack.
"Following me?" Itachi asked bluntly, not even looking up.
"Maybe," Koneko replied with her usual calm demeanor, her gaze barely shifting toward him. "How can you use senjutsu?"
"Not senjutsu—chakra," he corrected, smirking faintly.
Her expression remained stoic, but when he noticed he didn't gain any shock points, his smirk faltered.
---
Shortly after, Akeno Himejima entered the library. Her graceful steps and commanding presence drew immediate attention. She smiled slyly as she approached Itachi.
"Itachi-kun," she said with a playful lilt, "where were you? We thought you got scared and ran away."
"Maybe," he replied dryly, though the sarcasm in his tone was unmistakable.
Akeno giggled, clearly enjoying the exchange. She leaned in slightly, her tone softening. "You could've at least sent me a personal message. I was worried, you know."
Itachi didn't respond, instead rising to leave. He had no intention of entertaining Akeno further, especially since her reaction didn't yield him any shock points.
---
The Clubroom
Later that evening, the group gathered in the Occult Research Clubroom. It wasn't long before Rias decided to voice the question on everyone's mind.
"Itachi," she began, her tone curious but firm, "where were you these past days?"
He met her gaze, his expression unreadable. "Work."
"Work?" Akeno echoed, raising an eyebrow. "That's all you're going to say?"
"Yes," he replied curtly.
The room fell silent, the unspoken curiosity hanging in the air. It was clear they wanted answers but knew better than to press him further.
Rias leaned back, studying him carefully. "Well, whatever it was, I'm glad you're back. You always seem to be at the center of something... interesting."
Itachi's gaze shifted to the window, his tone distant. "Interesting? What do you mean by that?"
Rias smirked slightly and pulled several photographs from her desk. "The day you disappeared, strange things started happening in both the human and supernatural worlds."
She spread the photos across the table. The blurry images depicted a humanoid figure in black robes adorned with red clouds.
Itachi sighed and offered a slight bow. "Apologies. That was one of our members. However, he has returned the stolen gold."
The group's eyes widened in shock.
"He sold out his own ally that easily?" they thought, disbelief evident in their expressions.
With a hand seal, Itachi transformed into Kakuzu. Koneko's eyes narrowed in curiosity. "Chakra can be used like this too?"
Itachi nodded and then dispelled the transformation. "He loves money. The only reason he acted was because someone stole 250 billion from him."
Before Itachi could finish, laughter erupted throughout the room.
"250 billion?!" Issei's voice was the loudest as he collapsed to the floor. "There's no one on Earth worth even 50 billion!"
Itachi's calm response silenced the room. "Just like you didn't believe devils and angels existed not long ago, don't dismiss the possibility."
Kiba, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, broke the awkward silence. "It... makes sense."
Before the conversation could continue, a magic circle with the Phenex family's seal appeared in the room. A maid stepped out, bowing politely, and invited the group to accompany her.
As the others prepared to leave, Rias sighed, glancing at a folder labeled Akatsuki before tucking it back into her desk. She had hoped for more time to converse with Itachi, but the chance would have to wait.
Itachi, however, smiled inwardly. Transforming into Kakuzu had been a brilliant way to sow confusion and maintain his advantage.