Even though Sasuke and Naruto had already analyzed the existence of the masked man, the moment Itachi spoke the name "Uchiha Madara," Sasuke's pupils constricted sharply.
"Uchiha… Madara?!" Sasuke's voice trembled with disbelief. "The legendary figure who co-founded Konoha with the First Hokage, who defected… and could even control the Nine-Tails?!"
"No," Itachi immediately corrected, his tone firm and certain. "That man is not the true Uchiha Madara. The real Madara was long killed in the Valley of the End by the First Hokage."
"He is someone who stole Madara's name, inherited his will, and possesses a powerful Mangekyō Sharingan."
"The abilities he demonstrates, particularly his mysterious space-time ocular powers, do not match the records of Madara's known skills, yet they are equally uncanny. Until I could gather sufficient intelligence, I had no confidence in confronting him directly."
"You and Naruto guessed correctly. He orchestrated the Nine-Tails' attack, controlled it with his Sharingan, killed the Fourth Hokage and his wife, and deepened the village's suspicion toward the Uchiha."
"I agreed to cooperate with him to destroy the Uchiha clan, but on the condition that he would not strike Konoha again. I infiltrated the Akatsuki to monitor him."
"So…" Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan flared, the murderous intent in his eyes almost tangible. "Where is that man now?"
"The true mastermind behind the Akatsuki, codenamed Tobi," Itachi replied, providing a crucial clue. "He is currently hiding within the organization, posing as a new recruit. He is the driving force behind the plan to capture the tailed beasts. That ridiculous mask, that pretended madness it is all a facade to conceal his abyssal darkness."
"And the one who killed Shisui, severing the bridge between the village and the clan?"
"It was Danzo," Itachi said, voice cold and precise, "an elder of Konoha."
Sasuke's eyes widened. He had never imagined that it was a village elder who had personally severed the fragile peace between Konoha and the Uchiha.
"Why… why would he do that? Doesn't the village want to live in peace with the clan?" Sasuke asked, his body trembling slightly.
"Danzo belongs to the militaristic faction of the village leadership. He wants control over everything, including the Uchiha. Anything he cannot control, he fears, and so he destroys."
"Shisui awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan, an ability called Kotoamatsukami the most powerful genjutsu capable of subtly altering a person's thoughts without their awareness. Danzo feared that power. He ambushed Shisui, seized one of his eyes, and hunted him relentlessly."
"Shisui, grievously wounded and near death, entrusted his remaining eye to me. He did so to prevent it from falling into the hands of ambitious, power-hungry individuals like Danzo."
"He hoped that his death would ease the tension between the Uchiha and Konoha. He believed that the village feared the Uchiha because of his unparalleled power."
"Shisui intended to prove through his death that the Uchiha clan also had heirs loyal to Konoha's Will of Fire."
"Unfortunately, his plan failed. His death became the spark that intensified the conflict between the village and the Uchiha."
"I witnessed Shisui's death firsthand, which awakened my Mangekyō Sharingan. Shisui entrusted everything to me. And then, Danzo…"
Itachi's voice darkened, carrying the weight of suppressed hatred. "He approached me, a boy in despair, offering a cruel solution: annihilate the Uchiha. He promised that if I carried it out, your life would be spared."
"At that time, I had no other option. Most of the Uchiha had already acted impulsively, beyond reason or reconciliation."
"If I had not intervened, the Uchiha would have clashed with Konoha, and both sides would have suffered devastating losses, ultimately leading to the total annihilation of the clan."
"Rather than allow the Uchiha to be destroyed and carry the shame of being a traitor, I chose to shoulder it all myself."
Sasuke gazed at Itachi's youthful face, though already weathered by experiences too heavy for his age. A pang of sorrow gripped his chest.
Even after the Uchiha's destruction, he had held onto anger toward Itachi to justify his survival, to give him someone at whom he could vent his fury.
And Naruto's care for him kept him tethered to the light, preventing him from succumbing entirely to darkness.
Itachi bore it all alone, silently shouldering every crime and every death.
To whom could he vent his grievances and sorrow?
He dared not show even the slightest weakness, for he was still embedded as a spy in a dangerous organization.
He could only suppress all negative emotions within his own heart.
Sasuke took a deep breath and said to Itachi, "I need to verify everything you've said for myself."
He followed Naruto's advice: no one else could dictate the pace of discovery. The truth must be confirmed personally, even if it came from Itachi's own mouth.
Hearing Sasuke's words, Itachi did not look sad. Instead, a faint trace of approval flickered in his eyes. "Then, how do you intend to verify the truth of what I've told you?"
"With my eyes," Sasuke said, pointing to his Mangekyō Sharingan.
"With my other ocular technique, the Eternal Bond, I will witness your most genuine memories."
Itachi nodded slowly, a subtle smile touching his lips. "Sasuke, you have truly grown."
Even when facing such grave revelations, Sasuke maintained his rationality and judgment. It was proof that he was no longer a child.
"Hmph!" Sasuke lifted his head, emitting a low snort. "Do not resist. I can tell that you are merely a clone at the moment. Your strength is less than half your true self, incapable of blocking my ocular technique."
Sasuke's left eye bled, leaving a streak of crimson tears the mark of Eternal Bond.
Itachi's windmill-shaped Mangekyō transformed into Sasuke's six-pointed star.
Every fragment of his memory unfolded before Sasuke, unreserved.
Sasuke began entering Itachi's memories from a first-person perspective.
Itachi had accompanied his father, Fugaku, to the battlefield from a young age, witnessing the brutal reality of war firsthand.
He gradually began to think beyond the limits of the clan, reflecting on the deeper meaning of a shinobi's life.
The memory shifted to the moment of Sasuke's birth. Itachi held his newborn brother carefully, eyes closed, a tiny mouth sucking in the world, cheeks flushed with life.
A pure, unprecedented joy and immense sense of responsibility washed over him.
He gently touched Sasuke's cheek with a fingertip and silently vowed, "Sasuke, your brother will never let you smell smoke or blood again. I will protect you, and I will protect this village that gives you smiles."
Downstream of the Naka River, the water rippled gently.
Young Itachi sat side by side with a slightly older Shisui, observing the flow of life, unaware of the heavy burdens the future would bring.