"Itachi, are you here to entrust Uchiha Sasuke to Sarutobi Hiruzen?"
Uchiha Genya muttered softly, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Heading toward the Uchiha district? Is he here to see his brother one last time, or does he still cling to the idea of wiping out the clan?"
Itachi wasn't wrong to be cautious. Genya had been monitoring him ever since he entered Konoha. With his Dual Pupil, he could now see up to five kilometers away—maybe even farther with amplification!
And now, he had spotted Itachi heading toward the Uchiha district.
Was he coming to visit his brother?
How laughable. Did he want to see Sasuke one last time?
Genya felt a flicker of interest, but his attitude toward Itachi had always been cold. A man who dared to slaughter his own clan had only one fate—death!
But now wasn't the best time to kill him. There was still value in keeping him alive.
He had no desire to engage Itachi in a fight just yet.
Inside the Uchiha District – Fugaku's Residence
Fugaku and the others had already been buried. The remaining clan members were repairing the damaged houses, while those who had lost their entire families were given a proper resting place in the Uchiha's private cemetery.
Sasuke had yet to recover from his sorrow. His face was still clouded with grief.
Staring blankly at the sky, his eyes filled with confusion, he muttered under his breath, "Father… Mother… Brother… he killed our clan… he killed our clan…"
At this moment, he felt utterly lost.
Even though Genya had visited twice in the past two days, Sasuke hadn't spoken a word. He didn't know how to face the remaining Uchiha—especially those who had lost their loved ones.
For the past two days, he had shut himself inside his home, refusing to step out.
Suddenly, a shadow appeared on top of the courtyard wall.
Looking at the small, curled-up figure in the corner, the figure couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.
It was his actions that threw this little guy into the storm of public opinion.
Uchiha Itachi stared at Sasuke for a long time before finally leaping down from the courtyard wall.
"Sasuke…"
His deep voice broke the silence of the night, abrupt and jarring.
Curled up in the corner, Sasuke's head snapped up. That voice… it was familiar. Too familiar. And it belonged to the last person he wanted to see right now.
But still…
His gaze followed the sound, and there he was—Uchiha Itachi, walking toward him from a distance. That face, burned into his memory, impossible to forget.
Sasuke rubbed his eyes, wondering if this was just another illusion.
After all, in these past few days, he had seen this figure countless times in his nightmares.
Once, that face meant trust and warmth. Now, it was nothing but hatred. A deep, burning hatred.
"You… you…"
Confirming it wasn't an illusion, Sasuke shot up to his feet, staring at Itachi.
Anger? Shock? Or maybe something else—he had so much to say, yet the words refused to come out.
The man standing before him wasn't just his beloved older brother.
He was the one who slaughtered their clan.
He was the one who killed their parents.
"Sasuke, are you so shaken you can't even speak? Or do you not know what to say?"
Itachi's tone was calm, but deep down, he felt a hint of helplessness toward his younger brother's emotional state.
Compared to Uchiha Genya, the difference was stark.
Genya had stood against him head-on. But Sasuke…
Itachi only wished for his little brother to grow safely in Konoha—to have just enough strength to protect himself. Nothing more.
"Itachi… was it really you? You killed our parents… and our clan?"
Sasuke had been holding back his emotions for a long time. Only now did he finally voice the question that had haunted him.
"Yes."
Itachi didn't hesitate. He nodded.
"Why?! Dad and Mom—they always loved us! And the clan… they were innocent! Why did you kill them?!"
Hearing the confirmation, Sasuke could no longer hold himself together. His world was crumbling.
He stared at Itachi, his voice filled with rage as he questioned him furiously.
But his voice was still young, too weak to travel far.
"You don't understand!" Itachi shook his head. If he hadn't taken action to eliminate the Uchiha clan, the village would have done it instead—at least, that was how it had been. But now, even he wasn't sure how to explain it.
Even now, Itachi felt lost. Had he done the right thing? Had he simply become a blade in Sarutobi Hiruzen's hands?
But as a proud Uchiha, he couldn't admit he had made a mistake. He couldn't acknowledge that he had betrayed his clan.
Ultimately, the Uchiha had planned a coup, and he had acted to stop it for the sake of Konoha.
No matter what, he had prevented the coup from happening. At the very least, Konoha would remain stable for some time.
"I don't understand? Or is it that you just can't explain yourself?" Sasuke took a step forward, his eyes burning with fury as he glared at Itachi.
"Today, I will avenge my parents and my clan! I will kill you with my own hands!"
As he spoke, he lunged toward Itachi.
A single tomoe appeared in his eyes, and a kunai flashed in his hand as he aimed straight for Itachi's chest!
But with a slight movement, Itachi caught Sasuke's wrist and twisted it effortlessly. The kunai slipped from Sasuke's grip and clattered to the ground.
Sasuke could only stare at Itachi in helpless rage, his teeth clenched tightly.
"Itachi, you're a traitor to the Uchiha! A disgrace! Just kill me too—I don't need a brother like you!"
His voice was filled with hatred, his eyes already bloodshot.
Hearing Sasuke's words, a trace of sadness flickered in Itachi's heart, but he remained composed.
"If you hate me that much, then get stronger. Right now, you can't even touch the hem of my cloak, let alone kill me."
"You XXXXXX!" Sasuke cursed furiously.
"I'll be waiting for you to come kill me… My foolish little brother, you'd better get stronger." Itachi's voice was calm, yet a faint smile curled at the corner of his lips.
As he spoke, he raised his hand and gently tapped two fingers against Sasuke's forehead.
Tsukuyomi unleashed!
At that moment, Uchiha Sasuke seemed frozen in place once again.
Uchiha Itachi began to step back.
"Who's there?!"
The Uchiha clan's patrol team, hearing the commotion, rushed over and stood atop the courtyard walls, shouting in alarm.
Someone suddenly recognized the figure. "It's Itachi! Stay alert!"
"Stay alert!"
In an instant, several clan members activated their Sharingan, watching Itachi cautiously, afraid he might strike again.
But Itachi didn't even glance at them. Instead, he looked at Sasuke and spoke slowly.
"Get stronger. I'll be waiting for you."
As his words fell, his figure dissolved into a flock of crows, scattering into the night.
The patrol members exchanged glances. Finally, one of them jumped down and checked on Sasuke, his eyes filled with sympathy.
The clan leader's youngest son had suffered a devastating blow these past few days. His mind was clearly in turmoil. Even after dispelling Itachi's mild genjutsu, he remained in a daze.
Helpless.
But Genya had given strict orders—no one was to interfere with Sasuke. He was a victim too.
After offering brief reassurance, they left him alone.
Though they followed Genya's instructions not to cause trouble for Sasuke, they still didn't want to see the younger brother of the man who had slaughtered their clan.
Meanwhile...
"He's left the village?"
Genya watched Itachi's movements, murmuring softly.
At the same time, he created a shadow clone and sent it in pursuit.
****
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