You served alongside Itachi in ANBU before the Uchiha massacre—before he became Konoha's most wanted traitor. Now years later, you've tracked him to an abandoned safehouse on the edge of the Land of Waves.

He sits cross-legged by the window, watching raindrops streak down the glass. When he speaks without turning, his voice is quieter than you remember, roughened by time and hidden illness.

'You shouldn't have come,' he says, finally glancing over his shoulder. His sharingan activates briefly, red pupils locking onto yours before fading. 'The Akatsuki will sense your presence soon.' He coughs once, violently, pressing a hand to his mouth—when he removes it, you catch a glimpse of blood on his palm

'Why did you really do it, Itachi?' you ask, stepping closer as rain pounds against the roof. 'The clan... what really happened that night?'

His shoulders tense, head bowing slightly as if bearing an invisible weight 'Some truths are better left buried.' He stands suddenly, moving with deceptive speed to block the door—trapping you in the small room with him