Chapter 196

Between people, many emotions exist. The most representative are undeniably the bonds between mother and child, father and son, and romantic love between men and women. The bond between brothers, however, often pales in comparison to these.

But for the Uchiha clan, it was different.

And for Itachi, it was an exception among exceptions.

For the sake of his younger brother Sasuke's survival, he killed his parents, his relatives, his friends, and even his entire clan. Such a brotherly bond is unprecedented and unparalleled.

Gensou revealed the truth he knew to Sasuke.

This included both his memories from his past life and the information he had extracted through ocular techniques from Danzo's mind during the many times he had killed him.

He neither exaggerated nor inserted his own subjective thoughts.

After listening to the full story, Sasuke was left stunned, his mind swirling with chaotic emotions.

It took a long while.

Finally, Sasuke's eyes moved, and he looked at Gensou, speaking with difficulty, his voice hoarse and strained: "So, Uchiha Itachi... killed the entire clan for my sake?"

The truth was too shocking, completely overturning everything Sasuke had believed.

Yet Sasuke didn't doubt Gensou. To him, Gensou was now the elder he trusted most in this world.

Gensou didn't need to lie or conceal anything from him.

Thus, he didn't ask whether what Gensou said was true. Instead, he focused on the most critical aspect of this truth: "Itachi killed the entire clan... for me."

If this were true, how could he face Zanki, Izumi, and the others who had lost their families?

In response, Gensou's tone remained calm as he explained, "To be more precise, it was for Konoha and for you."

Sasuke clenched his fists. "Konoha?"

"Yes. Itachi was an anomaly within the Uchiha clan, someone who loved Konoha more than his own family. I have to admit, Konoha's indoctrination was impressively effective, even I have to respect that."

Gensou sighed slightly.

He continued, "At the time, the Uchiha clan was on the verge of a coup, and Konoha's higher-ups had already decided to wipe out the Uchiha. Itachi, for your sake and his ideals, chose to side with Konoha. In fact, he had another choice."

"Since he could turn the blade against the Uchiha, he could have done the same to Konoha's leaders. With his strength, if he had teamed up with the Uchiha clan and struck first, they stood a decent chance of eliminating Konoha's leadership. With a decisive blow, he could have become the Fifth Hokage, protecting both the Uchiha clan and you while continuing to serve Konoha as its guiding force."

"As for the minor chaos and bloodshed caused by a coup, it would have been insignificant compared to the complete annihilation of the powerful Uchiha clan, which severely weakened Konoha's strength and reputation."

"But he didn't choose that option," Sasuke took a deep breath, his tone steady.

In his mind, images of Itachi tapping his forehead before dying flashed, mingling with childhood memories of their time together. Slowly, Sasuke's heart began to accept the truth Gensou had laid out.

Gensou nodded. "If it were you, Sasuke, you would have made that choice. But Itachi... he was a devout follower of the Will of Fire. Just like your friend, Uzumaki Naruto."

"Naruto... and Itachi."

Gensou's comparison caught Sasuke off guard. He had never thought to link these two individuals together.

After all, their personalities, words, and actions were worlds apart.

The only similarity...

As Gensou said...

"The Will of Fire's successor... heh."

Sasuke let out a cold laugh.

"Lord Gensou," Sasuke asked, his voice filled with doubt, "Why? Why did Itachi come back this time?"

"Because he had no choice," Gensou replied coolly.

Once Sasuke had been taken under Gensou's wing, and once Gensou had taken Shisui's Mangekyou Sharingan from Itachi, Itachi's original plan—to keep Sasuke in the dark about the truth and have him return to Konoha—was no longer viable.

"Knowing that, in the final moments of his life, when faced with the choice between the village and you, he ultimately chose you. He hoped to use his life to help you awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan and offer his own eyes to you. With the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, you would no longer have anything to fear in the shinobi world."

Gensou's gaze fell on the sealing scroll tied to Sasuke's waist.

"This is Itachi's final wish. When you return, prepare for the surgery. Let your eyes evolve into the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan. This was the level Madara himself once reached."

Sasuke grasped the scroll containing Itachi's body. After a long pause, as the weight of the new revelations sank in, he nodded resolutely: "Itachi, I understand now."

Then, in a cold, firm voice, he asked, "So, the root of it all was the Konoha higher-ups deciding to wipe out the Uchiha Clan, right, Lord Gensou?"

"To be fair, the Uchiha started the coup first," Gensou stated honestly. "But yes, the Konoha leadership, in deciding to wipe out even those Uchiha who were unaware or opposed to the coup, was indeed ruthlessly extreme. In the end, it was their fear of the Uchiha's power that led them to such lengths."

"Fear of the Uchiha's power? Ha! Weren't the Uchiha's powers also Konoha's power?" Sasuke laughed bitterly, almost losing his composure.

Gensou waited for him to finish laughing before speaking again: "Sasuke, you have to understand—average leaders don't want their subordinates to outshine them. But exceptional leaders value excellence in their ranks."

Sasuke fell silent.

In that moment, he felt fortunate that he and the surviving Uchiha had been able to take refuge under Gensou's leadership.

If it had been any other faction, upon learning that the Uchiha now possessed three pairs of Mangekyou Sharingan, they would have been anxious, thinking of ways to suppress them or even wipe them out completely, just like Konoha had done.

Sasuke glanced deeply at Gensou.

He wasn't someone who expressed his emotions easily, like Naruto.

But in his heart, he held immense respect for Gensou, the man who had given him light and hope in the darkness.

Though he wouldn't say it out loud, he had already come to see Gensou as a family figure, someone akin to a parent.

His future Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan would forever serve this man.

However, there was still one matter that he had to clarify.

"Lord Gensou, who were the Konoha higher-ups involved back then?" Sasuke's eyes gleamed with cold determination.

"Hiruzen, the Third Hokage; Danzo, Konoha's advisor; Mitokado Homura; and Utatane Koharu," Gensou explained.

"Hiruzen is already dead. Danzo was killed by me. The only ones left are Homura and Koharu—two old relics who are remarkably good at surviving."

(End of Chapter)

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