“That hidden kunai…” Sasuke stared at the specially made kunai hanging from the black-clothed man’s waist.
He raised his Kusanagi Sword, pointing the tip at the man leaning against a stone pillar, and shouted, “Who exactly are you?!” That special kunai, and that familiar lower half of his face… Could it be, this guy is… Sasuke held his Kusanagi Sword, looking at the yellow-handled kunai on the black-clothed man’s waist, deep in thought.
At this moment.
Itachi slowly lowered his hand from Kabuto’s head, turned around, and reached out to block Sasuke’s Kusanagi Sword.
He then turned his head to him and said, “Sasuke, he’s not an enemy.” Sasuke stared at Itachi, who had blocked his Kusanagi Sword with his hand, looking a bit stunned.
Not an enemy?
Then he’s his… accomplice?
He then realized what was happening, turned his head, and loudly questioned Itachi, “… Itachi!
How many things have you been hiding?!” Itachi watched Sasuke sheath the Kusanagi Sword.
He was silent for a moment, saying nothing.
He had indeed hidden many things from Sasuke, and those lies had once made him lose his true self.
He and Sasuke were actually the same, lost in lies, without trust, unable to find companions they could rely on with their backs.
After thinking for a while, Itachi reached out and patted his shoulder, speaking with a brotherly tone, “I used to be like Kabuto, lost in lies and my true self… Their organization brought me back from being lost.” Sasuke frowned.
He knew the “organization” Itachi mentioned wasn’t Nagato’s “Akatsuki,” but another mysterious group.
With some questions, he tentatively asked, “Organization?
A rogue ninja organization?” Itachi sighed, and images of the organization’s members involuntarily flashed through his mind.
He subconsciously glanced towards the black-clothed man: “No, we each love our village and country deeply.” In the era he lived in, there was constant war, and he was caught in the political struggle between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha.
He had experienced many things and was exceptionally mature in his thinking.
He could proactively analyze war, weighing pros and cons, and held his own ideas, yearning for peace and the bigger picture.
This was Itachi’s own firm and unshakeable belief: “No matter what happened, I always remained Uchiha Itachi of Konoha Village…” Sasuke froze.
Looking at Itachi, who mentioned Konoha Village with every sentence, a ball of anger surged within him.
He angrily questioned, “Why?!
Konoha Village harmed you like that!
Yet you remain loyal!” Sasuke couldn’t understand Itachi’s thoughts before; he believed Konoha’s higher-ups were the culprits.
He couldn’t grasp Itachi’s sense of justice and the bigger picture, nor the peace Itachi yearned for.
However, he also admired Itachi’s willingness to bear all the blame and burdens alone, just to achieve his own goals.
But now, he seemed to understand Itachi a little.
And because of this, he hated Konoha even more.
Sasuke looked at Itachi with a look of disappointment, his emotions extremely agitated.
His right hand even clenched into a fist, and he waved it wildly in front of himself, “The one who turned me into this is you, brother!” After speaking, he seemed relieved, placing his sweaty fist on his chest.
He panted and observed Itachi’s reaction.
The black-clothed man stood by, watching the brothers argue, remaining silent.
He touched the kunai at his waist and slowly took it down.
He then held it in his hand, lost in thought.
Itachi’s remaining eye gazed deeply at Sasuke, as if wanting to imprint him in his vision forever.
Then he remembered Naruto, who had a deep bond with Sasuke, and slowly turned away, not looking at Sasuke, and answered in a deep voice, “But I am no longer the one who can change you.” Recalling the promise with Naruto and the organization’s final plan.
He slowly walked closer to Kabuto, whose eyes were tightly shut, gently removed his glasses, and softly said, “So, what I can do now is to stop this Ninjutsu.” “This way, all the resurrected dead will disappear.” Standing behind Itachi, Sasuke, who had been angry just moments ago, felt his pupils constrict slightly upon hearing his words.
His throat felt blocked, and Sasuke looked at Itachi’s retreating back, unable to say a single word.
“The war will also end soon,” Itachi continued.
Sasuke stared blankly at the man’s back, not understanding why a man who strived for “peace” his entire life, dedicating himself to it even after death, could not enjoy true peace.
He watched as Itachi slowly placed his hand on Kabuto’s eyes, slowly casting genjutsu, “Stop Edo Tensei, tell me the seal.” Tsukuyomi!
Kabuto’s eyes were forced open by Itachi’s genjutsu, and his emerald snake-like pupils shrank sharply.
Itachi slowly closed his eyes, as he was now slowly extracting all the Edo Tensei release seals from Kabuto’s mind.
He opened his eyes again and looked at Kabuto, who stood expressionless with dull eyes.
He now understood all the seals.
Itachi harbored a sliver of regret, but being able to protect the village in the end, he had no attachment to this world anymore: “Alright, Bird.” *snap*.
Expressionless, Kabuto followed Itachi’s voice and slowly formed the first hand sign, Bird.
“Rat.” *snap*.
Kabuto then formed another hand sign, Rat.
Sasuke looked at Itachi’s back, who was continuously performing the Edo Tensei release seals, with a complex expression.
He knew perfectly well that as soon as this seal was released, he would surely have to leave here again, and it was highly possible he would never be able to return.
“Monkey.” *snap*.
Sasuke couldn’t bear to watch and closed his eyes.
Every syllable his brother spoke now felt like a needle piercing his heart.
“It seems nothing I say will help.” “Boar.” *snap*.
Itachi appeared unaffected by Sasuke and continued to control Kabuto: “Dragon.” *snap*.
Sasuke opened his eyes again.
He closed his Sharingan, pursed his lips, and looked at his brother: “…Farewell.” “Snake.” *snap*.
“Brother.” “Edo Tensei Jutsu: Release!” Kabuto formed the hand seals, and his head drooped.
Chakra began to disperse from his body, and the souls linked to him through Edo Tensei were gradually being freed.
“Whoosh—” The wind blew through Itachi’s hair.
His body began to glow, and he grew weak.
At this moment, the black-clothed man standing by, who had been motionless, moved.
He straightened up, clenching the special kunai in his hand.
Then he threw it forcefully to the ground.
The sharp kunai embedded itself halfway into the earth.
The black-clothed man looked up at the glowing Itachi and nodded at him.