Chapter 43: A Choice Beyond Fate
The void still trembled with the weight of Sasuke's words.
Itachi stood motionless, his gaze fixed on his brother, disbelief etched across his usually unshakable expression. Sasuke's breathing was uneven, his fists still clenched as if he feared the truth itself might slip away.
Then, soft footsteps echoed against the emptiness.
Naruto stepped forward from the shadows of the dimension. His golden Byakugan opened, glowing with a divine radiance that lit up the void like the first light of dawn.
"Itachi," Naruto's voice was calm, but heavy. "What Sasuke told you… it isn't a lie. I was there too. I lived through it all—the Fourth War, Kaguya, the Sage of Six Paths himself. We died together, fighting until the very end."
Itachi turned his head slowly, eyes narrowing as the golden glow reflected in his Sharingan. "…Uzumaki Naruto."
Naruto met his gaze with steady determination. "I know it's hard to believe. If I were in your place, I'd call us liars too. But… I have proof."
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The light of Naruto's dojutsu flared brighter, and threads of ethereal energy rippled around him, weaving into the form of Seishin's golden chains. They stretched outward, pulsing with power not of this world.
Naruto's expression grew solemn.
"This eye… and the Seishin it carries… it's not just sight. It's life itself. If I want, I can bring back the dead. I can restore what was lost."
He turned his gaze toward both brothers, voice trembling slightly with the weight of his own words.
"If you wish it… I can bring back the Uchiha clan. Every single one of them."
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The silence that followed was deafening.
Sasuke's eyes widened, breath caught in his throat. "Naruto…"
Itachi's composure shattered completely, his calm mask slipping as his lips parted in genuine shock.
"…Bring back… the Uchiha clan?"
Naruto nodded once. "Yes. With Seishin, I can call back their souls and return them to this world. Your father, your mother, the elders, the children… everyone."
The weight of those names hung between them. Fugaku. Mikoto. The clan that once thrived in Konoha. The family that was erased in one bloody night.
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Sasuke's fists trembled violently. His chest tightened with a storm of emotions—hope, fear, rage, longing. The image of his parents smiling at him flashed before his eyes, followed by the blood-soaked memory of their bodies lying lifeless.
"…Naruto… do you even understand what you're saying?" Sasuke's voice cracked. "To see them again… to undo everything…"
Itachi's hand twitched at his side. For once, his voice was not calm, but unsteady, broken.
"Do you have any idea what you offer? To reverse the weight of death itself… to bring back what fate already took…"
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Naruto looked at them both, unwavering.
"I understand better than anyone. I lost my parents the night I was born. I never got to feel what a family was like until Iruka-sensei… until Jiraiya. If I had the chance to bring back Dad and Mom… I'd take it, no matter what anyone said."
His golden eyes glimmered with emotion.
"But this isn't about me. It's about you two. About the Uchiha. I can do it—but only if you want me to."
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The void trembled again, but this time with the storm inside the brothers.
Sasuke's throat burned with words he couldn't say. He wanted it—more than anything. To see his family again, to erase the nightmarish burden that defined his life. Yet a voice inside whispered of the danger. Of the cost.
Itachi, however, stood rooted, his mind racing. His clan—the same clan whose arrogance nearly tore Konoha apart. The same clan he chose to sacrifice for the sake of peace. To bring them back now… would it undo everything? Would it spark the same cycle of hatred again?
"…Naruto," Itachi finally said, his voice strained, "…you carry a god's temptation. To play with life and death… it is not something any shinobi should hold."
Naruto looked at him, calm but firm. "Maybe. But the truth is—I can. And the question isn't whether I should. It's whether you want me to."
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Sasuke's breath grew heavier, his Sharingan trembling.
"…Brother. You… what do you say?"
Itachi closed his eyes for a long moment, the silence stretching unbearably. When he opened them again, they were filled with something Sasuke had never seen before—hesitation.
"…I…"
His voice faltered.
For the first time, Itachi Uchiha had no answer.
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