88: Chapter 88 Brothers' GatheringNaruto looked at the intelligence that Hibari had just delivered.
Itachi Uchiha's whereabouts eventually disappeared in the upper reaches of the Naka River within the Land of Fire, an area that was the ancestral home of the Uchiha clan.
Almost at the same time, Sasuke also appeared in the area.
"A belated brotherhood gathering."
Naruto sighed, tossed the intelligence scroll onto the table, and stood up.
"Tiezhou, pack your things, we're going on a business trip."
Tsunade emerged from the inner room carrying a cup of tea."Are you going to interfere in the Uchiha's affairs?"
"I am going to maintain regional peace and prevent members of certain terrorist organizations and dangerous rogue ninjas from causing damage within the Land of Fire."
He walked to the window and looked down at the bustling port."Besides, our manager Ah Fei has been acting suspiciously lately, so I have to go check on him."
"Be careful, Itachi Uchiha is no ordinary character."
"Okay."
The upper reaches of the Namaka River are the former territory of the Uchiha clan.
Broken walls and overgrown weeds—the once illustrious and powerful family is now nothing but ruin.
The air still seemed to be filled with the lingering stench of blood and resentment.
"Bang!"
"Sizzle sizzle sizzle—"
The Chidori spear and the shuriken collided violently, producing a piercing sound and sparks flying everywhere.
Uchiha Sasuke was covered in black cursed seal stripes, and his Sharingan was crimson, burning with a madness that almost consumed him.
Opposite him stood Uchiha Itachi, dressed in a black robe with red cloud patterns, his face pale and his eyes devoid of emotion.
The two exchanged moves continuously, their pace increasing as the fight progressed.
"My foolish brother, is this all the hatred you have?"
Itachi's voice carried a deliberate sharpness, each word like a knife stabbing into Sasuke's heart.
"Shut up!" Sasuke roared, his attacks becoming even more ferocious, lightning flashing as the Kusanagi sword drew arc after arc.
The two brothers clashed with their ninjutsu, the scorching fire releases distorting the air.
Two figures were reduced to blurry outlines in the firelight, and the pitch-black Amaterasu leaped out of the flames as if it were alive.
Iron Boat remained hidden in the shadows not far away, his mission being to ensure that the chairman was not disturbed by irrelevant personnel and to deal with any other potential threats.
Naruto crouched on a gnarled branch of a large tree, gazing silently.
Just as Itachi used the red skeleton of Susanoo to withstand Sasuke's Kirin, the battle was temporarily at a stalemate, and both of them were panting heavily.
"Pfft."
From the damp mud by the river, a pitcher plant-like plant quietly emerged, its leaves parting to reveal Jue's face peeking out from the pitcher's opening, a strange smile spreading across its lips.
"What a touching reunion."
Before they could even fully grasp the situation, they hadn't even figured it out.
A huge foot, carrying a force that seemed capable of crushing the earth, descended from the sky and stomped precisely on its head that had just emerged!
"Snap!"
A crisp, teeth-grinding cracking sound.
The White Zetsu didn't even have time to scream before its entire head was crushed by the immense force!
It turned into a blurry, lifeless white substance that stuck to the ground.
Holy crap!
Black Zetsu reacted extremely quickly, immediately trying to retreat back underground, but a cold, hateful chakra swiftly coiled around it, pulling it out of the soil like a radish.
Naruto rubbed the white residue on the soles of his feet, watching the black shadow trying to escape.
"Naruto Uzumaki?How could you."
"How would I know you were here?" Naruto continued for it, his eyes mocking."Because I've been watching you longer than you've been watching the Uchiha, you idiots."
He flicked his finger, and a highly compressed wisp of chakra containing the Nine-Tails' essence pierced through the dark shadow.
"Ugh—!"
The Black Zetsu split off with a shrill scream, then exploded on the ground with a loud bang.
The Uchiha brothers on the other side were startled and turned to look at the uninvited guest.
"who?"
Sasuke snapped, his eyes filled with vigilance.
Itachi's gaze fell on the dissipating white substance at Naruto's feet, then swept over the empty ground beside him.
That is.absolute?
Naruto clapped his hands and slowly walked towards the two brothers.
"You two, are you tired of fighting?"
"How about we take a break and I, a kind passerby, tell you some.truths?"
"The truth?" Sasuke glared fiercely at Naruto."Get out of my way!This is none of your business!"
Naruto ignored him and continued, "Uchiha Itachi, Konoha's S-rank rogue ninja, a member of the Akatsuki organization."
"The mission is to monitor the Akatsuki organization, and at the same time.take the blame for the massacre of the entire clan on behalf of the Konoha leadership, paving the way for this younger brother of yours to become a hero of Konoha.Am I right?"
"What?"
Like a bolt from the blue, Sasuke froze on the spot, and the Kusanagi sword clattered to the ground.
He turned to look at Itachi, only to find that Uchiha Itachi.was silent.
Itachi's face grew even paler as he stared intently at Naruto: "How much.exactly do you know?"
"For example, it wasn't him who ordered the extermination of the clan, but Danzo and the Konoha leadership, as well as the Third Hokage and two advisors who tacitly approved of it."
"For example, Sasuke, you."
"Impossible.you're talking nonsense!"
Sasuke staggered backward, shaking his head, unable to accept it all.
His reason for living, all his hatred and goals, all became absurd and distorted at this moment.
"Why.why are you telling me all this."
He looked helplessly at Naruto, his eyes vacant.
"Why?" Naruto laughed."Maybe it's because I don't want anyone to be kept in the dark and made a fool of, and also.to give you a chance to choose again?"
Naruto continued speaking slowly.
"Of course, if you two still want to settle things once and for all, I won't interfere."
"I.I."
Sasuke opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a complete sound.
He stared intently at Itachi, then looked blankly around at the place that bore witness to countless bloody memories.The place of memories.
Finally, it let out a desperate, wounded roar like a wild beast, staggered, turned, and rushed into the depths of the dense forest, disappearing from sight.
Only Naruto and Itachi Uchiha, whose face was as pale as paper and who was coughing violently while covering his mouth, remained.
After coughing for a while, Itachi slowly straightened up and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"What.what exactly is your purpose?"
Naruto sighed softly.
"Just a businessman from Konoha."
"Judging from your appearance, you probably don't have many days left to live, do you?Following the Akatsuki, if you die, no one will even collect your body."
"How about you consider joining our Tianqi Chamber of Commerce first?"
Itachi was stunned; he hadn't expected the other party to extend an invitation so directly.
"Our chamber of commerce offers pretty good benefits, including meals and accommodation, top medical experts to treat you and prolong your life, and the work is easier than capturing tailed beasts every day in Akatsuki.We are mainly responsible for.well, strategic deterrence and some technical guidance."
Naruto raised an eyebrow slightly."How about it?It's more promising than being a double agent for Konoha and a lackey for Akatsuki, isn't it?"
Itachi remained silent.
The Naruto Uzumaki before me is powerful, mysterious, unpredictable, and seems to know countless secrets.
Go with him, and perhaps.you'll see a different future?
After a long silence, he nodded slightly: ".I'll go with you for now."
"A wise choice."
Naruto clapped his hands in satisfaction, turned around and shouted, "Tetsuzuru, let's go, take our new employees back to headquarters for medical checkups."
"yes."
Shortly after Naruto and his two companions left, the space distorted in the shadow of a large tree by the river, and Tobi, wearing a vortex mask, slowly appeared.
He looked down at the almost unrecognizable white residue on the ground.
"Naruto Uzumaki.you really are the biggest obstacle to my plan!"
He glanced deeply in the direction Naruto and the others had left, then his figure once again merged into the distorted space and disappeared.
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