Itachi looked at Hiroshi with a dark expression.
"So, Hiroshi, you still haven't answered my question. What are you doing in the Uchiha clan territory in the middle of the night?"
This wasn't the first time Itachi and Hiroshi had met. Both were prodigies of their respective clans. While their peers were still in school at their age, they had already begun taking on missions. As a result, the two were somewhat familiar with each other.
Hiroshi casually placed his hands behind his head, feigning nonchalance. "Well, what if I told you I was sleepwalking and have no idea how I ended up here? Would you believe me?"
"Hmph," Itachi responded, his gaze sharp and unmoved.
"Alright, stop looking at me like that. There's no bad blood between us, so there's no need for a fight. How about you quietly leave Konoha, and I'll just go back to sleep, sound good?"
Itachi continued to stare at Hiroshi. "Do you really think I'd let you leave after what you just witnessed?"
Faced with Itachi's relentless questioning, Hiroshi smile faded.
"Itachi, you wouldn't dare to kill me. Your brother still needs to live safely in Konoha. Forget whether you could even kill me - even if you did, do you think the Hyuga clan would let your brother off the hook?"
"You chose loyalty to Konoha over your clan, even if it meant bearing the stigma of annihilating your entire family."
"And just now, it seemed like you were trying to kill your brother, but in reality, you were just trying to provoke him. You had already struck a deal with the village leaders - the extermination of the Uchiha clan in exchange for your brother survival."
"But if you kill me, even if the village elders want to protect your brother, the Hyuga clan will never let him go. So, I bet you won't dare make a move."
Hearing Hiroshi words, Itachi's pupils involuntarily contracted.
"It seems you know quite a lot Hiroshi" Itachi said, though the killing intent around him began to dissipate.
Seeing Itachi murderous aura fade, Hiroshi felt a sense of relief. While Itachi wouldn't find it easy to kill him,Hiroshi wasn't entirely confident he could win if it came to a fight. After all, Itachi had already awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, and Hiroshi knew he wasn't a match for him.
"Honestly, is this all really worth it Itachi," Hiroshi said, his voice tinged with confusion.
Itachi shook his head, a look of resignation on his face. "The Uchiha clan rebellion was destined to fail. If it had come to that, the Uchiha name would have been utterly destroyed, with no chance of redemption. Rather than let that happen, I chose to act myself, at least preserving some of the Uchiha bloodline."
"Hiroshi, I have a favor to ask of you. After I leave Konoha, I hope you can look after my brother a little."
Itachi's request caught Hiroshi off guard. "Oh? You want me to take care of your brother? You trust me that much?"
Itachi gave a faint smile. "Though we're not close, we've known each other for years. Over time, I've kept an eye on you, and I feel you're different from the others in the village."
"Most people in the village are either blindly loyal to Konoha or secretly harbor ulterior motives, scheming behind the scenes."
"But you're different. To be honest, I still haven't figured you out, Hiroshi-kun. You possess exceptional strength, yet you don't seem to care much about the village's affairs. In fact, if it weren't for the incident with the Cloud ninja that brought you to the attention of the Leaf higher-ups, you might have remained hidden until now."
"Although you seem to be trying hard to conceal yourself, I can sense that you don't harbor any ill intentions toward the Leaf. If I had to describe you in one word, I'd say... you're a 'sleeper'."
Hiroshi laughed, his mouth twitching upon hearing Itachi assessment.
'Well, even if that's just my personality, is it really okay to say it to my face like that?'
"So, Hiroshi-kun, I beg of you, please look after Sasuke for me. You don't need to go out of your way to take care of him, just lend a hand if he's in danger or treated unfairly in the village." Itachi bowed slightly to Hiroshi."
Facing Itachi's request, Hiroshi thought for a moment and said, "I can only promise to do my best. After all, I won't always be in the Leaf, but I'll help when I can."
"That's enough. Ultimately, the path ahead is something he'll have to walk on his own," Itachi nodded.
"Then, I suppose it's time for me to go. After tonight, I'll be a rogue ninja of the Leaf. If we meet again, I hope we won't have to cross blades. Also, Hiroshi-kun, be careful of Danzo."
"Alright, safe travels. The Akatsuki is full of dangerous individuals, so you should be careful too."
Hearing this, Itachi was once again taken aback.
"How do you even know about this? This was a secret mission given to me by the Third Hokage. No one else knows except for him and me—"
"Don't worry about how I know. In fact, I know far more than you might imagine. Oh, and since you warned me about that old schemer Danzo today, I'll give you a piece of advice in return for the sake of your own health, it's best to use the Mangekyo Sharingan sparingly." Hiroshi waved his hand dismissively as he spoke to Itachi.
"Use the Mangekyo Sharingan sparingly? You even know about the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan?"
"Though I'm not sure what you mean. It seems you really do know a lot. Old schemer Danzo? It looks like you're familiar with him too. Hiroshi-kun, you're becoming more and more enigmatic. I'm genuinely curious about you," Itachi pondered Hiroshi words thoughtfully.
"Stop it. What's a grown man like you being curious about me? Love often starts with curiosity, and you're not a pretty girl. If you end up falling for me, I wouldn't be able to handle it," Hiroshi joked at Itachi with disdain.
"You... never mind, this conversation is going nowhere. I'm leaving, Hiroshi-kun. Until we meet again."
With that, Itachi vanished in a flash, disappearing from Hiroshi sight after a few leaps.
Watching Itachi's retreating figure and then glancing at the unconscious Sasuke on the ground, Hiroshi couldn't help but shake his head. "What kind of mess is this? I've somehow ended up with a babysitting job, huh..."
Hiroshi looked up at the shadowy corners around him, where one after another, ANBU operatives were hidden.
"The fact that I spoke with Itachi has been witnessed by these Anbu operatives, and it's likely that the information has already reached the Third Hokage. Although they don't know the specifics of our conversation, I'm sure they'll come to question me tomorrow."
"What a hassle. If the Third finds out I now have the strength of a Jonin, he'll probably pile more work on me. So annoying. I just want to laze around," Hiroshi lamented inwardly.