Under the constant indoctrination of the Third Hokage and others—who repeatedly preached that sacrificing the few for the so-called "greater good of the Village" was necessary for the survival of one's own family—Itachi was thoroughly shaped into a tool.
The distrust of his clan, the Third Hokage's relentless persuasion, and Shisui's endorsement all combined to convince the young Itachi that his path was righteous.
Perhaps even Shisui himself failed to recognize how extreme Itachi's ideology had become. Or perhaps there was simply one factor no one had properly accounted for.
Sasuke.
As someone utterly obsessed with his younger brother, Itachi would often make irrational decisions whenever Sasuke was involved. That obsession became the final straw—the spark that ultimately led to the Uchiha Clan's tragedy.
If Naruto had not intervened and preserved a portion of the Uchiha Clan, then within a hundred years the name "Uchiha" would likely have vanished entirely from the Ninja World.
And that would not have been unusual.
Even the Senju—founders of Konoha—had already faded into near obscurity during the Third Hokage's reign, and that was only decades ago. By the era of Boruto, the Uchiha had declined so severely that even Uchiha Sarada, a direct descendant, barely knew the history of her own clan.
Given Sasuke's personality, it was unrealistic to expect him to have many children. He had only one daughter—Sarada—and once she married, she would naturally take her husband's surname.
Unless she belonged to a major clan.
This was the harsh reality of the Ninja World.
Izumi's mother had lost her Uchiha surname after marrying outside the clan. Only after awakening the Sharingan was she granted the name again—and even then, she was merely acknowledged as a peripheral member.
Such practices were common. To preserve the purity of Bloodline Limits, most clans favored endogamy.
Inside the laboratory, Naruto brought Yakumo Kurama to Sasuke's side.
Nearly an entire day had passed. The timing was perfect.
Now was the best moment to place Sasuke under Genjutsu.
Time passed quietly.
Eventually, Sasuke's eyelids trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes. Still groggy, he heard a voice exclaim excitedly that Lord Sasuke had awakened.
Once his consciousness fully returned, Sasuke saw Naruto standing nearby, asking about his condition.
Warmth welled up in Sasuke's chest.
"I'm fine," he said slowly. "I actually feel… really good."
He spoke with genuine happiness.
His chakra volume had clearly doubled. The sensation was unmistakable. Even more astonishing was the surge in his ocular power—it felt sharper, deeper, more intense than ever before.
Ecstasy flickered across Sasuke's expression.
After confirming his condition, Naruto pulled him aside and spoke in a low voice.
Without wasting time, Naruto explained the key condition for awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Battle.
True battle.
Sasuke frowned slightly. A vague sense of unease surfaced in his mind, as though he had forgotten something important—but he couldn't grasp it.
Before he could dwell on it, Naruto delivered the next piece of news.
Uchiha Itachi was already on his way to the Land of Rain.
And his target was Sasuke.
This was not only a threat—it was an opportunity.
An opportunity to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Hatred stirred violently in Sasuke's heart. Without hesitation, he agreed and immediately set out to intercept Itachi.
As he traveled, Sasuke assessed his strength.
The chakra within his body surged powerfully, far exceeding his past limits. Combined with the countless Ninjutsu he had trained for over the years, his confidence soared.
He felt invincible.
Yet, one question lingered faintly in his mind.
Why had his chakra increased so rapidly?
But now was not the time to think about that.
Uchiha Itachi had already entered his field of vision.
Sasuke slowly drew his chokutō and charged forward.
Anger flooded his consciousness.
Again and again, his blade slashed toward Itachi as he shouted:
"Why?! Tell me why!"
"Why did you betray the clan?!"
"Is the so-called Village really that important?!"
In stark contrast to Sasuke's rage, Uchiha Itachi remained calm—eerily so.
"My foolish little brother," he said slowly, his voice cold and disdainful. "Is this all you're capable of?"
"A foolish clan. Foolish clan members."
"There was no need for them to exist. Their only value was to serve as stepping stones—to measure my own capacity."
The words struck like knives.
Sasuke's mind snapped.
His attack rhythm collapsed, rage completely overtaking reason. He slashed wildly, his movements growing increasingly reckless.
When brute force failed, lightning chakra erupted across his body.
Bolts of lightning tore through the air toward Itachi—but each one was effortlessly dodged or blocked.
Sasuke's eyes spun.
His Three-Tomoe Sharingan locked firmly onto Itachi.
At that moment, Itachi looked at him with open mockery.
"My foolish little brother," he said softly, "do you truly not understand?"
"A Three-Tomoe Sharingan facing the Mangekyō… is nothing but a joke."
The words echoed.
Instead of enraging him further, they had the opposite effect.
Sasuke suddenly calmed down.
His grip on the sword tightened.
Cold intent replaced blind fury.
"If your only reliance," Sasuke said flatly, "is the Mangekyō Sharingan…"
"Then today—"
"You will lose to me."
Sasuke's voice suddenly rose as he roared,
"My foolish older brother—you know nothing about power!"
"Lightning Release: Railgun!!"
At some point, a coin had appeared between Sasuke's fingers.
With a violent surge of Lightning Release chakra, Sasuke flicked the coin forward.
The Railgun technique relied on extreme velocity—the faster the projectile, the greater its destructive force. In an instant, the coin vanished from sight, tearing through the air with a deafening shriek.
The next moment—
A giant rose from the ground.
A towering, crimson humanoid manifested before Itachi.
Susanoo.
Boom!!!
The Railgun slammed directly into Susanoo's chest. A violent explosion erupted, shockwaves rippling outward as smoke and debris filled the battlefield.
When the smoke finally dispersed, a hole could be seen in Susanoo's chest.
But it still stood.
Sasuke's heart sank.
No—
It wasn't completely blocked.
His eyes sharpened.
At the corner of Itachi's mouth, a thin trail of blood had appeared.
Sasuke suddenly smiled.
In contrast, Itachi's expression remained cold and indifferent—an expression that only fueled Sasuke's hatred further.
"My foolish little brother," Itachi's voice echoed calmly. "Is this the extent of your strength?"
His voice came from afar.
On a nearby tree, Itachi's figure dissolved into a flock of crows, scattering into the air—only to regroup and reform into his human shape.
"Oh?" Itachi's gaze shifted slightly. "Is that your companion?"
"If I kill him, will you awaken the same eyes as me?"
"Only then will you be worthy of becoming my nourishment."
Sasuke glanced toward Naruto, who was watching from a distance, then looked back at Itachi with a sneer.
Did he really think Naruto was some weakling?
In the next instant, Itachi transformed into countless crows once more and shot toward Naruto at terrifying speed.
Naruto's expression sharpened.
"Wind Release: Rasenshuriken!"
A deafening roar erupted as the spinning mass of wind chakra was unleashed. The violent Wind Release collided with the flock of crows, instantly tearing them apart.
Chakra exploded outward.
The attack sent Uchiha Itachi flying.
Sasuke sneered.
Just as he expected.
Suddenly—
"Be careful!!"
The shout rang out.
Sasuke's pupils shrank.
He spun around—
Too late.
Uchiha Itachi was already in front of him.
Kunai in hand.
There was no time to dodge.
Sasuke could only watch as Itachi thrust forward.
In that fleeting moment, a single thought crossed his mind.
Then… who was the one just sent flying?
He closed his eyes instinctively.
But no pain came.
Instead, there was warmth.
A wet, heavy warmth that splashed onto his hand.
Sasuke's eyes flew open.
Naruto stood in front of him.
A kunai was embedded deep in Naruto's chest—straight through his heart.
Blood spilled down relentlessly, dripping onto Sasuke's hand, still warm.
Naruto coughed violently, blood spilling from his mouth.
Sasuke froze.
Disbelief consumed his face.
His pupils trembled violently as his Three-Tomoe Sharingan began to spin uncontrollably.
The tomoe blurred—
Merged—
And slowly transformed into a six-pointed star.
The Mangekyō Sharingan awakened.
Naruto's body collapsed.
Sasuke caught him desperately, cradling him in his arms. Tears burst forth without restraint, his mind completely blank.
Then—
A roar tore from his throat.
"NO——!!!"
He pressed his hand against Naruto's chest, frantically trying to stop the bleeding.
He didn't notice—
That Uchiha Itachi's figure had already begun to blur.
"If you die," Sasuke screamed hoarsely, his voice breaking, "what use is this Mangekyō to me?!"
"Wake up!"
"I won't seek revenge anymore—I swear it!"
Tears streamed down his face, falling endlessly.
...
TN:
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