"No matter what you decide from now on… I will love you forever… You don't have to forgive me, Sasuke."

...

He died a second time, but this time his heart was at peace, after finally revealing the truth of his mission to his younger brother. The same mission that forced him to become a criminal, hated by his own people. Yet he had no regrets.

Death was inevitable, and no one knew this better than him… and now he tasted the feeling of being a lost soul, aimlessly traversing an unforgiving world of nothing but void.

...

But not for long.

He didn't know what happened, how it happened, or why it happened, but all of a sudden, he could feel things. He could feel everything, including his own flesh. The breeze passing by the skin on his arms, the sensation of hardwood beneath him—all of it registered in his mind all at once.

His senses slowly awakened. The sound of waves crashing nearby, the smell of fabric, wood and the briny tang of seawater stood out amidst the cacophony of scents his mind could process. His eyes fluttered open, slowly recognizing the warm glow of the morning sun cast upon body. The blue skies greeted him, adorned with wispy clouds scattered all around like scattered thoughts in a dream.

'Where… am I?' he pondered silently, his voice echoing within the confines of his own mind.

His memories were hazy, some completely unrecognizable, almost as if they belonged to a vivid dream. Yet, deep in his heart, he knew the truth—they were all as real as can be. Itachi slowly turned his head to the side, his gaze sweeping across the wooden rim of the boat. To his right lay another person, seemingly lost in slumber. He immediately recognized the distinct shape of the Uchiha clan's fan on the backdrop of their black shirt.

Itachi's eyes widened; another Uchiha was on this boat with him. They looked small, as if they were just a kid. He couldn't get a good look at their face since they were facing the other way. Itachi slowly shuffled up and pushed himself to a seated position, feeling the crevices of the wooden floor push against his palm. As he rose, he took in the sight of his own body, and his hands for the first time. They were much smaller than he could remember. The skin on his arms was fair, missing the numerous battle scars that once marred them.

It looked like he, too, was a kid. Nevertheless, he pushed the thought from his mind momentarily to get a better look at the other Uchiha child on the boat with him. He noticed their short, spiky black hair covering their head. As he drew closer, he finally caught a glimpse of the boy's face... Itachi immediately recognized him.

A whirlwind of emotions. That was the best way to describe his reaction as he saw the face of an old friend. The only one he felt he could ever truly rely on in his entire past life. And now, they are together again. He felt nostalgia mingled with happiness at the reunion with his old childhood best friend, tempered by sorrow for their shared tragic past.

A warm, genuine smile spread across Itachi's face, his eyes reflecting the joy of seeing his friend once more. "...Shisui," he said, his voice tinged with the innocence of childhood.

Almost as if he was summoned to life, Shisui's eyes slowly opened. However, his reaction to waking up in this strange place was… far from calm. Heavy gasps escaped his lips, his hands instinctively grabbing onto his neck as if seeking reassurance of his own existence.

"Shisui...?" Itachi's voice, tinged with concern, broke through the haze of Shisui's panic.

Shisui's eyes snapped open, immediately locking onto Itachi's. In the brief moment their gazes met, he noticed the subtle shift from pitch black to a glowing crimson. Without hesitation, Shisui pushed himself upward, his leg swinging into a spinning kick aimed directly at Itachi's head.

Itachi's instincts kicked in, his arms immediately rising to shield his face from the impending blow. While he managed to deflect the kick, the force of Shisui's attack still struck him with surprising intensity. It felt as though he had been struck by a boulder three times his size. Even though he was only a kid, this is still the infamous Shisui Uchiha he knew very well.

"Calm down, Shisui! It's me, Itachi!"

For a moment, Shisui froze, his wide eyes darting towards Itachi. "I-Itachi...?" he stammered, "Oh... Oh, hey man! Didn't... think I'd see you here."

Shisui seemed to have finally gotten a grip over himself and his emotions. The heavy breathing slowly stopped, and it was clear that he was trying to calm himself down. Shisui began to look around, seeing nothing but the borders of a boat and an endless expanse of azure blue seas twining with the blue skies in the far horizon.

"Where is this place anyway? And why are you small?" Shisui said, his expression showing visible confusion as he tilted his head.

Itachi slowly lowered his arm, his guarded stance easing as he made sure that Shisui had calmed down. An annoyed and unamused expression crossed his face as he responded bluntly, "I don't know," his voice tinged with a hint of annoyance.

"Hey, don't blame me! Times have been... pretty rough, huh?" Shisui's gaze wandered, lost in thought, his expression darkening with a sudden frown. Yet, his attention quickly returned to Itachi, a realization dawning upon him that they were still together, even after death.

"So... you died?"

"... Yeah, but at least I died with no regrets... like you did," Itachi's reply was accompanied by a warm smile directed at his best friend. "By the way, you're also small."

Shisui immediately turned to examine his body, noticing the diminutive size. However, neither of them seemed bothered by this revelation. After all, their days as children, when they had each other, were truly the best days. Yeah, those days were also accompanied by the hardships of war, yet they still cherished it the most.

"It's great to be back together, but maybe we should cut our reunion short," Itachi suggested, his gaze fixated on the far horizon with his Sharingan activated.

"Yeah, you've got a point," Shisui agreed, also peering in the same direction.

Emerging from the far horizon, a fleet of ships came into view, five vessels in total. Four of them were almost identical, adorned with white and blue sails bearing inscriptions in a foreign language. In the midst of these ships was a larger vessel, noticeably fancier than the others, kind of reminding them of a daimyo's escort. Itachi and Shisui could only assume that, whatever was aboard the larger ship, it was of considerable value, with the other four serving as its escort or security. Nevertheless, it was clear that the current would carry their small boat and eventually lead them to cross paths with the fleet.

_

It didn't take long before the boat carrying the two Uchihas was only a few meters away from the fleet of ships. As they drew nearer, they gained a clearer view of the fleet's formation. The four identical ships formed a diamond pattern, with the fancier vessel sailing prominently in the center, a strategic formation they recognized for escorting the larger ship.

Itachi had sent one of his crows to scout the area earlier, and it had identified the figures on the blue ships as soldiers, judging by their weapons and uniforms. However, their attire appeared foreign compared to what the Uchihas were accustomed to. White short-sleeved shirts bearing a blue emblem, dark blue trousers, and predominantly white hats atop their heads, they had no resemblance to the shinobi attire familiar to the Uchihas.

"So, what's the plan?" Shisui asked, turning to Itachi for his opinion.

"For now, we wait and observe," Itachi replied, gesturing towards the deck of the leading escort ship where a dozen or so soldiers were on the lookout, engaged in discussion among themselves. Guessing from their numerous glances aimed towards the two, Itachi made a little assumption. "They're more likely to make contact with us. We'll take it from there."

True to Itachi's prediction, a small rowboat was deployed from the ship, manned by four soldiers, heading directly towards them. Itachi and Shisui were currently unarmed, but their keen senses and a quick scan with their Sharingan allowed them to gauge the approaching soldiers. They seemed benign, nothing indicating they were more powerful than your average civilian. Yet their years of battle experience prevented them from underestimating a potential threat.

As the rowboat draws nearer, the soldiers peer curiously at Itachi and Shisui, noting their youthful appearances. One of the soldiers, a young man with a kind expression, steps forward, lowering his weapon slightly. "Hold your fire," he orders his companions. "We appear to have children on board." Itachi and Shisui exchange uncertain glances.

The soldier addresses them directly, maintaining a gentle yet authoritative tone. "Children, what are your names? Where are your parents?" he asks with concern etched on his face. Itachi takes a step forward, meeting the soldier's gaze with unwavering composure. "My name is Itachi, and this is Shisui," he replies calmly. "Our parents are... no longer with us." The soldier's expression softens with sympathy as he hears Itachi's words.

"We mean you no harm," Itachi continues. "We're just... lost, I suppose. We woke up on this boat with no memory of how we got here." The soldier nods understandingly, gesturing for his companions to lower their weapons completely. "I see. Well, you're safe now. We'll take you aboard our ship and see if we can't figure out what happened," he assures them, offering a reassuring smile.

With the tension defused, the soldiers help Itachi and Shisui onto the rowboat, guiding them towards their ship with care. But, before Itachi could fully disembark, his attention was drawn to a crumpled piece of paper caught between two planks of wood making up the base of the small boat they were in. He quickly retrieves it.

"Is everything alright?" One of the guards asked, waiting for Itachi so he could help him onto the rowboat. Itachi tucked the paper into his shorts pocket. Itachi shakes his head, indicating there's no issue, though his curiosity about the paper still remains. With that, both boys board the marine rowboat, setting off towards the awaiting ship.

Both Itachi and Shisui were relieved that the situation had been peacefully resolved, particularly Itachi, who despised the idea of unnecessary violence... The thought sent him spiraling into introspection once more. He was alive, with his own free will once again. Even though he died before, even though his previous life-... even though he had been robbed of the life he so desperately yearned for... he was granted a second chance.

Maybe this time he could live his life the way he wanted to. Maybe in this life he could... right the wrongs that had driven him to insanity a lifetime ago... The salty tang of the sea air fills Itachi's nostrils as he inhales deeply, the cool breeze brushing past his face. It was as if the world was caressing him, reminding him of the freedom he once had, and that he now regained. He looked up at the sky, lost in thought. Maybe he could-

A firm slap on his back brought him back to reality. It was Shisui, a wide toothy smile plastered on his face. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Itachi replied, smiling back. He realized he got lost in his thoughts again, a habit he probably should break. His past life is filled with memories that he could never dream of forgetting, but they are just that—memories that have no effect on his future. His heart was at peace, and Shisui was by his side… that's more than what he had before, and that was enough.