Chapter 62: Tough Love
"Enough."
As Itachi Uchiha's voice echoed, the illusion Sasuke had constructed shattered.
"Your so-called 'salvation' is nothing but another form of destruction."
"If I didn't want to see what my adorable little brother was planning, your amateurish genjutsu..."
"Now, it's my turn."
Sasuke's vision suddenly twisted. He saw his own hands gripping a bloody kunai. At his feet lay the cold corpses of his parents.
Blood seeped from the gaps in the tatami mats to his feet, the sticky sensation terrifyingly real.
"This is what you need to see," Itachi's voice came from everywhere at once. "Look closely, Sasuke. This blood, these bodies... this is reality."
Sasuke's pupils contracted violently. He knew this was the Tsukuyomi world, but every detail of the massacre night was perfectly recreated.
The trembling of his mother's eyelashes before she died, the calm in his father's eyes as he awaited death, even the smell of spilled miso soup from the entryway.
"You think knowing the truth changes anything?" Itachi appeared in the middle of the pool of blood, holding an elder's severed head. "That night, Danzo's Root was ambushing us right outside the compound. If I had hesitated for a second, it wouldn't have been just these people who died."
The illusion suddenly shifted to the Konoha Hospital.
In the nursery, seven newborn Uchiha babies were sleeping.
Sasuke saw thirteen-year-old Itachi standing in the shadows of the hallway, the cold glint of a kunai visible in his sleeve.
"When these children grow up, someone will ask about the truth of their parents' deaths." The current Itachi appeared behind Sasuke, his breath hot on his ear. "And when a new rebellion breaks out, the entire village will die."
Sasuke suddenly laughed.
He turned to look Itachi in the eye. "So you became the executioner for the Konoha higher-ups? How laughable. They're looking at you like a joke right now."
Cracks appeared in the Tsukuyomi space. The blood-red sky outside the window split open, revealing the night sky of the real world.
Sasuke smirked. "You're wrong, Brother. There was no dilemma."
His hands suddenly formed the Tiger seal. "You were just too weak!"
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive fireball erupted from Sasuke's mouth, lighting up half the sky.
Itachi hadn't expected Sasuke to launch such a fierce attack immediately after breaking Tsukuyomi.
This Fireball Jutsu was different. The chakra was mixed with the power of the Mangekyo, and faint black lines traced the edges of the flames. It was clearly enhanced by Sasuke's ocular jutsu, its power far exceeding a standard Fire Style.
Itachi pushed off the ground, retreating rapidly while forming seals. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
Several small fireballs shot from Itachi's mouth, precisely impacting the side of the Great Fireball.
The moment the flames collided, a wave of intense heat exploded outward. Sparks flew, igniting fallen leaves on the ground.
But Sasuke's fireball was too powerful. The Phoenix Flower Jutsu didn't cancel it out; instead, it was swallowed whole. The fireball continued to bear down on Itachi, mere inches from his cloak.
"Water Style: Water Wall!"
A wall of water rose from the ground, intercepting the incoming fireball.
When the fireball hit the water wall, it instantly vaporized into a massive cloud of steam, enveloping both brothers.
Kisame stood firmly in the mist, Samehada resting on his shoulder. "You look quite pathetic, Mr. Itachi."
Kisame had appeared between the brothers, blocking the fireball for Itachi.
"That kid looks a bit like you."
"Same Sharingan, same Fire Style... is he your..."
"Did you finish the investigation?" Itachi cut him off. His gaze shifted toward the streets of Konoha. His ears had already picked up the faint barking of ninja hounds.
Sasuke's Fireball Jutsu had been too loud. It had alerted the patrols. Staying any longer would only mean getting bogged down by patrol ninja or ANBU.
"Just grabbed someone and asked. Easy," Kisame shrugged nonchalantly.
The mist slowly cleared. The sound of hurried footsteps and barking dogs grew louder from the street corner. Konoha's ninja were definitely drawn by Sasuke's Fire Style and were closing in fast.
"Good. We retreat." Itachi made a snap decision, turning toward the wall at the back of the alley. "Konoha's reinforcements are coming. No need to waste time here."
"Next time we meet, I hope you can entertain me a bit more," Itachi's voice faded into the night wind along with his figure. "My foolish little brother."
Kisame whistled. As he passed the mouth of the alley, he even waved at the approaching patrol squad before vanishing into the darkness like a shadow. "Guess the evening stroll is over. Hope we get a decent fight next time."
By the time the patrol arrived, the scene was a mess.
Kakashi led the group. He crouched down to examine the marks on the ground. There were still-hot scorch marks in front of Naruto's apartment—the remnants of a Fire Style jutsu.
The ninja hounds sniffed around, finally stopping at the spot where Itachi and Sasuke had faced off, barking wildly at the air.
Kakashi looked where the dogs were pointing. Besides the scorch marks, there was a faint trace of water on the ground.
"The Fire Style was powerful. Not a standard Great Fireball," Kakashi stood up, his gaze sweeping over the soot-stained wall. "The opponent blocked it... either with mastery of Water Style or a special ninja tool. Combined with the water trace... it's likely the Akatsuki."
There were only a handful of Water Style users that powerful in Kakashi's memory.
And ruling out those uninterested in the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki... that left Kisame Hoshigaki, the Mist rogue-nin.
Since Akatsuki members operated in two-man cells, that meant Itachi Uchiha was also in Konoha.
"Could it be..."
Countless thoughts flashed through Kakashi's mind. Why was the Akatsuki moving so early? And who was the mysterious person who fought them?
"Notify the Hokage immediately. Traces of Akatsuki members found. Suspected to be Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki."
"Yes, sir!" A patrol ninja vanished into the night.
While Kakashi was still thinking, the door to Naruto's apartment slowly opened.
Naruto rubbed his eyes, wearing wrinkled pajamas, clearly woken by the commotion outside.
He yawned, his gaze sweeping over the messy scorch marks and water puddles, finally landing on Kakashi. He barely managed to wake up a little. "So loud... Kakashi-sensei, what are you doing here? And all this... did something happen?"
"Nothing major."
"We just spotted some suspicious individuals on patrol. They ran off. We're cleaning up."
"Suspicious individuals?" Naruto woke up instantly, his eyes wide and sleepiness gone. "Bad guys? Do you need help?" He started to roll up his sleeves but was gently stopped by Kakashi's hand on his shoulder.
"No need."
"They're already long gone."