Chapter 146: Resonance and Sorrow

Seeing how solemn Uchiha Ri's tone was, Itachi's expression turned stern.

Undeniably, he had indeed contemplated secretly revealing the matter of Terra to his family.

However, his teacher's explicit warning now caused him a wave of anxiety.

If Terra truly possessed a means to detect such disclosures and he violated this rule, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Now that he possessed a wonderful family and a clan gradually growing harmonious, he absolutely refused to let anything happen that might implicate them.

"My teacher is probably the reason why he didn't dare to actively leak this secret either."

Looking back at Uchiha Ri, Itachi could not help but imagine this scenario in his mind, and a trace of pity involuntarily surfaced in his gaze.

Yet very soon, that trace of pity turned into a wry smile.

Because he was about to become one of those individuals himself, required to enter Terra while keeping it hidden from his family and friends.

To be honest, though, the combat prowess Uchiha Ri had displayed previously on the moon had deeply moved Itachi.

Otherwise, he would not have uttered those words expressing his desperate desire for Uchiha Ri to make him stronger, no matter the cost.

With this thought, Itachi spoke with a serious expression, "I am willing to abide by the rules of Terra and will never actively leak any of its secrets."

He left a clever loophole in his words, specifying that he would not "actively" leak them.

If someone else discovered it through some method or learned about Terra from another source, that would be none of his concern.

Hearing Itachi's words, Uchiha Ri smiled.

"Come with me. The leader is currently occupied with other matters, so I will guide your formal entry into Terra."

Naturally, he caught the hidden implication in Itachi's words, but he did not mind.

In truth, saying those things was merely intended as a mild warning to Itachi, making him understand the importance of confidentiality.

Once an Apostle of Terra was contracted, their soul became bound to it, leaving no need to worry about betrayal.

Moreover, many aspects of Terra were implicit.

He believed that, much like Shisui and Kakashi, once Itachi witnessed the might of the "Leader," he would harbor no thoughts of betrayal whatsoever.

Before long, Uchiha Ri led Itachi to the Hall of Apostles.

Silently gazing at the thirteen towering statues of the Apostles, Itachi recalled the intelligence he had gathered from books.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Ri was contemplating which Apostle would be the most suitable for Itachi to succeed.

Judging by Itachi's areas of expertise, he shared a certain similarity with Shisui.

This could be seen from the Mangekyo Sharingan ability "Tsukuyomi" that Itachi awakened in the original timeline, which leaned heavily toward illusions.

However, Itachi was not limited solely to illusions; his physical combat skills were also quite remarkable.

Thus, Itachi could be considered a relatively well-rounded ninja in various aspects.

This made determining an appropriate Apostle for him rather difficult.

Of course, the simplest option would be for Itachi to succeed "Long-Leg" Lotus, the Apostle skilled in mental manipulation, which could synergize well with Itachi's Tsukuyomi.

Yet, after pondering for a moment, Uchiha Ri decided against it.

He harbored a certain wariness toward specialized abilities like mental control, and bestowing such power upon Itachi felt somewhat unsafe.

"If it's difficult to determine based purely on abilities, we can match him based on personality or experiential traits instead."

Changing his perspective, Uchiha Ri's eyes suddenly lit up.

He knew which Apostle to choose as Itachi's successor.

That particular entity's experiences and plight in the original timeline were once remarkably similar to Itachi's, and their ultimate fates were hardly different—it could be described as an extraordinarily perfect match.

Except for one detail: Itachi might find it somewhat difficult to accept.

With this thought, Uchiha Ri glanced at Itachi, a faint smile playing across his features.

Now that he was already here, what could Itachi do even if he were reluctant? Would he not have to obediently follow instructions?

Noticing Uchiha Ri suddenly looking at him with that expression, Itachi shivered.

For some inexplicable reason, he had a lingering feeling that Uchiha Ri was plotting something unfavorable in his mind.

Feigning composure, Itachi forced himself to calm down and asked, "Teacher, is something wrong?"

"Nothing at all. The Apostle you are destined to succeed has been decided," Uchiha Ri said with an ambiguous smile. "Get ready, we can begin immediately."

"I see." Maintaining his vigilance, Itachi asked again, "What should I do, and which Apostle am I to succeed?"

Having just listened to Uchiha Ri's brief explanation, he now understood that entering Terra meant becoming the successor of an Apostle.

And becoming an Apostle successor required choosing one.

Seeing Itachi's expression, the corners of Uchiha Ri's mouth curled up slightly. "There's no need to be nervous. The succession process is very relaxing; you just need to stand beneath the corresponding Apostle."

Pausing briefly, Uchiha Ri continued, "As for the Apostle you will succeed..."

He trailed off, then pointed a finger toward the fifth Apostle in the clockwise arrangement of the statues.

"It is her—Terra's Fifth Apostle, 'Skulker' Sirocco."

"She is the symbol of light and hope. Within her own domain, she can transform into a formless substance..."

Uchiha Ri recounted some of Sirocco's exploits.

However, Itachi was no longer listening.

Because he had caught onto the pronoun "she" that Uchiha Ri kept emphasizing.

At first, he thought he might have misheard, but when Itachi followed the direction of Uchiha Ri's finger, he realized his hearing was entirely correct.

The unmistakable feminine features before the statue clearly indicated that "Skulker" Sirocco was a female Apostle!

"Teacher, wait a moment, is there some mistake?"

"I am a boy! How could I possibly succeed a female Apostle?!"

Itachi's face was painted with utter bewilderment, unable to maintain his usual composed, adult-like facade any longer, his tone tinged with a hint of grievance.

Looking at Itachi's reaction, Uchiha Ri shook his head and said, "Unfortunately, there is no mistake. She is precisely the one you will succeed."

After a short pause, Uchiha Ri said calmly, "This is the choice of the Will of Terra. It determined that Sirocco is the most compatible with you, so you have no right to refuse."

In truth, Uchiha Ri's final decision to have Itachi succeed Sirocco stemmed from more than just a bit of mischievous amusement.

Rather, he had genuinely and carefully considered the compatibility between Itachi and Sirocco before making this choice.

Sirocco was an entity who required a warm and bright environment to move about freely; once plunged into darkness and cold, she would grow weak and delirious.

Such characteristics ultimately doomed her fate.

And Uchiha Uchiha, his apprentice-in-name, shared a fate chillingly similar to Sirocco's.

Caught between his clan and the village, the ultimate decision of his clan terrified him, plunging him completely into darkness.

Enveloped in such a state, the Itachi of that destiny ultimately raised his blade against everything he held dear.

Though meant to be symbols of light and hope, descending into the cold drove them into madness.

How fitting and tragic the parallel between Sirocco's fate and Itachi's was!

Therefore, having Itachi succeed Sirocco would undoubtedly yield an exceptionally high degree of resonance between them.

Besides, he was quite curious to witness what kind of changes might occur when a male succeeded a female Apostle...