"...In short, a shinobi village can only be maintained with the funds and resources provided by the Daimyo."
Because Makoto had helped Sasuke, Itachi's guard was down.
He was actually listening.
Even after hearing Makoto suggest assassinating the Water Daimyo, Itachi didn't get angry. Instead, he tried to explain the geopolitical reality of the world to Makoto.
"Itachi, you've got it backwards." Makoto shook his head, interrupting the lecture.
"I've heard a saying in the Hidden Leaf: 'Becoming Hokage doesn't make you acknowledged by everyone. Being acknowledged by everyone is what makes you Hokage.'"
Itachi's eyes widened slightly.
That was... profound.
"The same logic applies to the title of 'Daimyo,'" Makoto continued, his voice dropping to a serious whisper. "Do you really think the Daimyo sustains us? No. It's the farmers who grow the food, the workers who build the cities, the merchants who move the coin, and the shinobi who keep them all from getting slaughtered."
Makoto gestured vaguely at the world around them.
"If the Daimyo were actually competent administrators, I'd shut up. But look at them. Look into your heart and tell me: do they have any ability?"
Makoto sneered. "They are nothing but hereditary parasites. They cling to the nation's artery and suck it dry just because their great-grandfather had a fancy hat. A Daimyo doesn't bring peace. Only those who create peace are qualified to rule."
He turned to Zabuza. "You're already planning a revolution to end the Bloody Mist. Why stop there? Why not burn the whole rotten system down and start fresh?"
"The problem," Makoto paced back and forth, "is that if the Mist Village officially moves against the Daimyo, it causes a civil war. The sheep have been trained to kneel for too long. They'll panic."
"But," Makoto stopped and pointed a finger at the tall, shark-like man. "If a rogue ninja—a monster with no ties to the village—were to do it... well, that's just a tragedy, isn't it?"
"Kisame," Makoto smiled. "You'd be the villain. You'd bear the hatred and the so-called 'sin' of killing the monarch, all to pave the way for a better future. You wouldn't mind playing the bad guy one more time, would you?"
Everyone's gaze shifted to Kisame.
"I don't mind," Kisame grinned, showing his razor teeth. "Thank you, Strategist. A world without lies... you've shown me a path worth walking. My life has a little meaning again."
He answered decisively, his nihilistic heart actually skipping a beat.
But the person most shaken by this speech wasn't Kisame.
It was Itachi.
Makoto's words had hit him like a physical blow.
First, Makoto used the core of the Will of Fire to dismantle the corrupt feudal system.
Then, he suggested self-sacrifice—bearing the darkness and hatred so others could live in the light.
It was... exactly what Itachi had done.
'I was wrong,' Itachi thought, staring at Makoto's back.
'This man's vision... his magnanimity... it astounds me.'
In the original timeline, Itachi wouldn't realize his mistake until he was reanimated during the War.
He would die believing he had to do everything alone, controlling Sasuke's path from the shadows.
But here, someone was finally correcting him.
The Third Hokage had failed to do this.
Sarutobi had praised a traumatized Itachi for having a "Hokage-like mindset" at age seven, reinforcing his martyr complex.
But Makoto? Makoto was showing him a different way.
He trusts Kisame to handle the burden. He trusts Zabuza to rule.
He trusts others.
Itachi began to believe that Makoto really was the savior the world needed.
'A man with the Will of Fire, but without the shackles of the Leaf's bureaucracy.'
'If it's him... I don't mind being used.'
"Oh, right, Itachi."
Makoto's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "There was one thing I left out when I talked to Sasuke. About the Eternal Mangekyo."
"What?" Itachi blinked, taken aback.
He assumed the "eye issue" would be an unspoken taboo between them. He hadn't expected Makoto to bring it up so casually.
"To unlock the Eternal Mangekyo, you need to transplant the eyes of a close blood relative. I didn't tell Sasuke because... well, he's unstable. I was afraid he'd get weird ideas and go down the wrong path."
"You made the right call," Itachi nodded solemnly.
"But Itachi, listen. You're one of our heavy hitters. We can't have you going blind." Makoto looked at him with genuine concern. "The Sharingan is basically 'hot-swappable' hardware. You can just plug in a new pair. Your combat power might drop a little without the native compatibility, but you'll still be S-rank."
"And regarding Susanoo," Makoto added, "even if you lose your eyes—hell, even if you have no eyes—you can still activate it. It just drains a massive amount of chakra. It's the soul manifesting, not just the optic nerve."
"It doesn't matter. We can discuss my eyes later," Itachi smiled warmly, cutting him off.
He appreciated the concern, but he knew the truth.
His illness was terminal.
He was living on borrowed time. He didn't know if a blind man could use Susanoo, but he knew he couldn't.
His body would give out before his eyes did.
However, Makoto's mention of "hot-swapping" sparked an idea.
Shisui's eye.
Danzo still had the other one.
If Itachi played his cards right, he might be able to use this "search for a cure" as an excuse to hunt Danzo down and reclaim his best friend's eye.
It would stop Danzo from using Kotoamatsukami on anyone else.
"Strategist," Itachi said, raising a hand and pointing a finger at Makoto's chest. "I have something to say to you, too. Your desire to gather everyone's strength is an excellent idea, but don't neglect your own power. A king cannot just be a brain; he must have a sword."
Itachi saw potential in Makoto, but he worried the man was too focused strategy and doesnt have enough power to survive a kunai to the throat.
"My own power?" Makoto laughed. "Don't worry about that. sometimes, taking the long way is the shortcut. It's not that I don't want to train, but the time isn't right yet."
Makoto grabbed Itachi's wrist, and a surge of power was transmitted through it.
Itachi felt his wrist go numb, and his pupils instantly constricted.
'Sage Art Chakra? No... it feels ancient. What is this...'
"I see," Itachi relaxed his stance, a look of relief washing over his face. "You're right. I was worrying for nothing."
"How could a strategist like you leave yourself open?" Itachi chuckled.
"Exactly."
"Alright!" Zabuza slammed his fist into his palm, grinning like a demon.
"Enough talk. Once we secure the bridge, Kisame and I are going to pay a little visit to that damn Daimyo!"