Konoha was a furnace. Not from flames or war, but from whispers—swirling like smoke, thick with paranoia. One minute, they had no idea who "Yin-Yang" was. The next, this "S-class traitor" had Wood Release, Flying Thunder God, and an entire false backstory that somehow made too much sense.
Beiyuan knew exactly who was to blame.
Himself.
Because yes, it was his prank—an improvisation at best, a necessary misdirection at worst. But Danzo had turned it into policy. Konoha had built an entire intelligence campaign on lies that Beiyuan half-invented while flapping his wings dramatically. And now? Now, they were mobilizing ninja units.
All this from a bird with a flair for storytelling.
He shifted on Itachi's shoulder, wings twitching. Honestly, this was getting out of claw.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had made his decision. He'd allowed the narrative to stand—Jue was now an S-class rogue ninja created by Orochimaru, a being with Flying Thunder God jutsu and latent Wood Release… And for all that's holy, stationed in the Land of Grass.
The irony? Jue hadn't even done anything… yet. He'd joined Kusagakure to stay low, not to start an international incident. And now Danzo, using Konoha's intelligence wing like a bludgeon, had turned the country into a chessboard of converging shinobi cells. Every shadow was under surveillance. Every whisper was treated like gospel.
And somewhere in the chaos, Sarutobi quietly passed Jiraiya a scroll. One that hinted at something even more delicate: the succession of the Hokage.
Inside the Hokage Tower, Itachi had waited obediently while Jiraiya and Hiruzen exchanged increasingly heated words. When Jiraiya finally emerged—with the unmistakable glint of mischief in his eye—it was obvious. The old man had dodged responsibility again.
Itachi simply nodded and accepted it. He had his own mission: return home.
"Let's go," he said to Beiyuan, whose beady eyes sparkled with suppressed commentary.
"Gah~"
Let's go lie to your family next.
On the walk home, Itachi started listing everyone he wanted to visit: Mom, Dad, Sasuke, then Shisui. His voice got softer, more unsure.
"If there's time…"
Beiyuan perked up. Here it comes.
"…I might go see Izumi."
"Gah!" I knew it! You hormonal fledgling—prioritize your teammates!
Still, Beiyuan couldn't deny the charm of this quiet reunion. The crow had always liked the Uchiha girl. Polite, clever, a bit emotional—but earnest.
And right on cue, the moment they turned into the village square, there she was.
"Itachi!" Uchiha Izumi's voice cracked a little as she waved both arms like a signal flag.
"..." Beiyuan's eye twitched. Can't she not scream in public? It's like watching a pigeon court a hawk.
Itachi, ever composed, smiled and walked forward. "Izumi? Shouldn't you be at the academy?"
"We were practicing shuriken today," she said proudly, cradling a small bag, "so I left early. Gotta beat the rush if I want to get the dango before it's sold out!"
That was dangerously cute.
Itachi looked at the bag, then at her. "I haven't seen you in a while… want to sit and talk for a bit?"
"Gah…" Beiyuan made a noise so sharp it could've cut steel. Is this what I trained you for? Sharing snacks and moonlit glances?
But Izumi was already nodding eagerly, her hair swaying like she was in a Genjutsu. "Of course!"
The trio found a quiet bench under a blooming cherry tree. As the leaves fell, Itachi and Izumi shared old stories from school and recent news of the clan. Beiyuan stared at the petals, calculating whether suffocating himself under them would be less painful than hearing about how good the dango is this season.
Izumi's eyes sparkled as she leaned closer. "Everyone at school keeps talking about that rogue ninja… the one from Kusagakure. Flying Thunder God and Wood Release, right? Do you think he's real?"
Beiyuan turned slowly toward Itachi. Don't say my name. I swear if you even blink in my direction…
But Itachi smiled politely. "I'm not sure. There's a lot of misinformation floating around."
Izumi pouted. "You're no fun. Shisui said you've probably already met him."
Beiyuan puffed up. Met him? Girl, I wrote his backstory!
Izumi offered Itachi a piece of dango. He accepted it shyly.
"Gah," Beiyuan muttered. First lies. Now sweets. Next, betrayal. Love is a Genjutsu.
As the sun dipped, a quiet tension returned to the air. The crow turned his gaze to the west—the direction of the Land of Grass.
War drums weren't beating yet. But chakra moved strangely in that region. People were dying in silence. And if Danzo kept pushing, Akatsuki wouldn't be the only faction coming for blood.
The world thought Jue was a ghost.
They were wrong.
He was a fuse.
And Konoha had just lit the match.