Fate last epic.

 Meeting the sage of six paths

"I've...always lied to you and asked you to forgive me...Deliberately keeping you at a distance by my own hand.. Because.. I didn't want you to get caught up in any of this.. But now I think...That perhaps YOU could have changed father and mother.. And the rest of the Uchiha.. If I had only come to you from the start... Looked straight into your eyes, and told you the truth.. With me, as a failure, telling you this now from above, It's not going to penetrate and sink in. But I want to impart at least this much truth to you... You don't ever have to forgive me.. And no matter what you do from here on out know this... I will love you always."
Those were Itachi Uchiha's final words to the one person he ever truly loved, as he moves onto the afterlife. Or so he thought.

As Itachi Uchiha transitions into the afterlife, he finds himself adrift in a somber void, questioning if this limbo will be his eternal abode. To fend off the monotony, he decides to walk, imbuing each step with a mundane purpose. This method offers a distraction from the void's dullness and a means to gauge time.

After what feels like an eternity—or perhaps merely a day and a half—Itachi comes across an old man. Seated with legs crossed and seemingly floating in mid-air, the man cradles a black rod in his left hand. He is clad in a white robe, each side of his chest adorned with six Magatama. But it is the man's purple eyes, etched with a six-ripple pattern, that truly capture Itachi, piercing into his soul and unveiling every mistake he has ever committed. The old man speaks, "So, you are Itachi Uchiha. I believe I owe you my thanks."

Surprised and bewildered, Itachi ventures to ask, "Are you the Sage of Six Paths?"

The old man's expression shifts to one of surprise and slight shock at Itachi's inquiry before replying, "Indeed, I am. Many have mistaken me for a demon, King Yemma, or some other deity. You might be the first to correctly identify me upon first encounter. What gave it away?"

Itachi bows respectfully and responds, "The eyes were a significant clue. Their aura is incomparably intense, scrutinizing not just my actions but my very soul. And, as one who was destined to lead the Uchiha clan, how could I not recognize the eyes of my ancestor?"

"Your politeness stands in contrast to your younger brother Sasuke. Forgive my oversight; I have yet to introduce myself properly. I am Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, the Sage of the Six Paths, and the founder of Ninshū, the precursor to the ninja way."

"Lord Sage, why mention my brother Sasuke? To my knowledge, he remains among the living, while we are not. Surely Sasuke hasn't..." Itachi's voice falters, overshadowed by the grim possibility of his brother's demise.

"Fear not, young Itachi. Your brother Sasuke recently emerged victorious from a perilous encounter with Madara Uchiha. He has concluded his conflict with young Naruto and, if I am not mistaken, is presently under confinement within the Hidden Leaf Village."

Hagoromo then unveils history from its dawn, starting with his mother, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the Rabbit Goddess, through to the epic conflict that gave birth to the moon, the rivalry between his sons Indra and Ashura, and the establishment of the five great Shinobi nations. He chronicles through to the era culminating in the fourth great Shinobi war, pivotal in shaping the world's destiny. He emphasizes his significant influence in Sasuke's life, asserting that without his intervention, the Uchiha clan, and consequently the world, could have faced ruin.

In that moment, Itachi wrestled with his emotions. Asked if he regretted the massacre of the Uchiha clan, he would say no; he accepted the consequences of his actions upon dying at Sasuke's hand. Yet, his deepest sorrow was not for his own fate but for the trauma inflicted upon Sasuke that fateful day—a boy too young to comprehend death, returning to a clan compound drenched in blood, surrounded by the lifeless bodies of his kin.

Hagoromo then posed a question to Itachi, "Young Itachi, with all your virtues, humility, and talent, why have you never lived for yourself?"

After a moment of reflection, Itachi replied, "It's not that I haven't lived for myself, but rather I chose to live for the sake of someone else."

"Of all my descendants, you are perhaps the most gifted, yet also the most misguided," Hagoromo said, gazing intently at Itachi. "Love for others should not overshadow love for oneself; balance is key, lest your love morph into something unrecognizable." After a brief pause, he continued, "Itachi, the trials you've faced were unwarranted. Thus, I grant you a second chance at life."

Taken aback, Itachi asked, "Is this a deception, or merely a genjutsu?"

In response, Hagoromo reshaped the essence of Itachi's being, transforming his chakra coils into Magic Circuits and compressing the myriad jutsus of the Shinobi world into a single Magic Crest. A portal then opened, whisking Itachi away to Fuyuki City.

As Itachi vanished, Hagoromo closed his eyes and began to fade into motes of light. "Forgive me, young Itachi, for the abruptness; time was not on our side." With those final words, he disappeared completely, leaving no trace behind.

Stepping through the portal, Itachi found himself in a strange, deserted alley. Bringing his hands together and whispering "Kai" to break any genjutsu, he was startled to see his hands had shrunk. Further examination revealed a startling truth: he had regressed to his seven-year-old self, the age at which he had been proclaimed a shinobi graduate. When he sought out his chakra coils, he discovered they had transformed, no longer residing within his physical form but having shifted deeper, into his soul, entwined with a mysterious new form of energy.

Driven by an innate curiosity, Itachi attempted to engage with this energy, only to find it stubbornly resistant. Settling down with determination, he focused deeply and, after five minutes, managed to connect with the energy, causing a sharp, electrifying pain to shoot through him. This connection revealed an elaborate pattern on his skin that served as a gateway to an extensive database of knowledge. It cataloged every jutsu known and unknown to him, each modified to harmonize with the enigmatic energy within. The realization that this pattern adapted the knowledge to suit the new energy inside him deepened his astonishment.

Immersing himself in this newfound source of power, Itachi sought ways to control and utilize the energy, understanding all too well that vulnerability in this unfamiliar world was akin to being a target in bright, neon colors.

Meanwhile, a pivotal scene unfolded not far from Itachi's location.

"By my third command spell, Saber, destroy the Holy Grail," Kiritsugu ordered with a steely resolve, disillusioned by the realization that the Holy Grail was not the omnipotent wish-grantor he had once hoped for but a cursed chalice that posed too great a risk to remain intact.

At the same time, Gilgamesh unleashed a tirade of curses at Kiritsugu, baffled by his drastic actions. Saber, torn between her duty and her moral compass, struggled against the command spell's absolute power, seeking clarity from Kiritsugu on his extreme directive. Unaware of the unfolding drama, Itachi was on the cusp of being drawn into a maelstrom of events beyond his comprehension.

This convergence of destinies signaled the looming clash of different worlds and wills, preparing Itachi for encounters and challenges that stretched far beyond the confines of the shinobi world he knew.