The people of the shinobi world had only just been released from the illusion by Sasuke Uchiha. Still groggy, they could barely tell what year it even was.
"Were those scenes from the future just now?!"
"Hey, at least let us see the ending! Did the Allied Shinobi Forces win the Fourth Shinobi World War or not?!!"
"A war where even the Hokage of every era were summoned back from the afterlife…"
"The Fourth Shinobi World War… it doesn't feel that far away."
All it took was comparing the ages and appearances of people from their own villages to realize it. The Fourth Shinobi World War had happened only around ten years in the future..
Against that kind of power, their odds of surviving would be terrifyingly slim.
A Five Kage Summit… felt like it was right around the corner.
Just as the Kage started turning their attention squarely toward Konoha, Konoha and its Uchiha—barely out of one illusion—were shoved straight into another.
But a few people didn't get pulled in…
Like Fourth Shinobi War Sasuke, Fourth Hokage Minato, Team Kakashi, Team Minato, and others from parallel worlds, including Adult Obito and Itachi.
Adult Kakashi looked over the villagers who still hadn't snapped out of the genjutsu.
"What happened?"
Then he turned to Fourth Shinobi War Sasuke.
"Did you show them something else too? More memories?"
Fourth Shinobi War Sasuke frowned. "Not me!"
As soon as he said it, his eyes narrowed suspiciously at Adult Obito. In his mind, only he and Madara Uchiha should have been capable of something like this.
Adult Obito raised both hands in surrender. "It's not me either."
Not him… then who?
"The mission scrolls." Both Minato Namikaze spoke at the same time. "Obito and Naruto's mission is complete."
Young Obito and Naruto opened their mission scrolls.
[Mission Level: SS-Rank]
[Mission Content: Eliminate mutual prejudice between Uchiha and Konoha (∞/99).]
[[Mission Status: Completed.]]
"This is… an 8?"
Naruto turned the scroll sideways, squinting at the symbol before the "∞/99" like it was supposed to make sense.
Minato Namikaze broke into a cold sweat and explained to his son, "That probably means infinity… or that it's gone past the limit."
Young Sasuke flicked a glance at Naruto's scroll.
"Either way, it's done."
Fourth Shinobi War Sasuke's voice sharpened, a dangerous edge creeping in.
"Then why haven't I gone back?"
Just hearing his tone, seeing the tight furrow in his brow, made it obvious. He was pissed.
"We haven't gone back either," Young Sasuke shot back, sounding like the last person in the world who'd coddle him. "If you're that impatient, figure it out."
Minato Namikaze hurried to stand between the older and younger Sasukes, trying to calm Fourth Shinobi War Sasuke down.
"I think the mission may be completed, but this world's regret still hasn't been resolved. Once that's dealt with, we might be able to return to our respective worlds."
Fourth Shinobi War Sasuke glanced at the Konoha villagers and Uchiha shinobi whose eyes still looked like spiraling swirls. Then he snapped his Sharingan open, forcing his way into the illusion the mission scroll had dragged them into.
The moment shock flashed across Fourth Shinobi War Sasuke's face, Young Sasuke Uchiha, Young Obito Uchiha, and everyone else with a three-tomoe Sharingan, including Itachi, immediately started observing what they were seeing.
What Young Sasuke Uchiha saw was the inner world of the Konoha villagers…
"Does Itachi want a little brother or a little sister?"
"A little brother!"
"Honestly… he's not even born yet. How do you know it's a brother or a sister?"
"Because I'm the big brother!"
In a pitch-black void, Young Sasuke heard his mother speaking with Itachi.
It was just a few lines of conversation, but he already couldn't pull himself away from the illusion. He wanted to know more. He needed to know what happened after that.
"Thank you, Sasuke…"
In front of him was Itachi's face from when he was still young. It was the moment Sasuke was born, a memory he could never possibly remember himself.
"Thank you for being born. From today on, no matter what it costs… your big brother will protect you."
That one sentence nearly broke Young Sasuke on the spot.
"Life will fight. Life will die."
Young Sasuke could see it clearly. When Itachi said those words, his expression was full of sorrow.
But then Itachi looked down at the swaddled baby in his arms and smiled, gentle and warm.
"But your birth taught me something else, too. Life isn't only struggle, and it isn't only death. Life can also give birth to new life. It carries on."
Young Sasuke's eyes went wide. He remembered what Naruto Uzumaki had once said to Sasuke Uchiha when they'd traveled to the Valley of the End: because you exist, I was able to climb out of that lonely abyss.
Fourth Shinobi War Sasuke, meanwhile, remembered what the Naruto from his own world had told him: because you're my one and only friend.
Ever since the Uchiha clan had been wiped out, their lives had been twisted onto a completely different path. To the point where they'd never been able to imagine that someone like them, simply existing in the world, could already be salvation for two people…
And yet those two, in their own ways, had also saved others.
Itachi saved the Fourth Shinobi World War and Kabuto Yakushi. Naruto redeemed and changed the people around him, even the entire shinobi world.
And me…
I'm the one who saved both of them?
A rough, strangled feeling gathered in his throat. He couldn't tell whether it was his chest that hurt, or his throat.
"Three years have passed since Konoha's higher-ups forced the Uchiha to the edge of the village. Even now, plenty of clan members are still unhappy with that decision. Sooner or later, we'll take back what belongs to us and step out of the darkness…"
"Father, look! Everyone respects you so much. I'm proud to walk with you."
"Quit buttering me up. If there's something you want, I'll buy it for you."
Sasuke watched as the younger Itachi and their father walked down the familiar streets of the Uchiha district. His brother had once looked up to their father like that too…
"An elite like Itachi probably wouldn't even like sweets like this."
Want it. Want it. Want it.
"Uh… don't tell me…"
"..."
Watching his brother practically fold in half over a single skewer of dango, both Fourth Shinobi War Sasuke and Young Sasuke couldn't help the smile that tugged at their lips.
They never would've imagined Itachi had a side like this. His big-brother dignity was completely gone.
All of a sudden, the Second Hokage became Young Sasuke's role model. Just thinking about scolding your own brother into shutting down on the spot sounded unbelievably satisfying.
Tobirama, catching blame for absolutely nothing: Evil Uchiha… and somehow it's my fault again!
"What do you want to be when you grow up, Itachi?"
"Like Father, I want to join the Police Force, protect the Uchiha's honor, and keep the village safe!"
"And what about you, Sasuke? What's your dream? What kind of person do you want to become?"
"A great member of the Police Force! I'll protect everyone!!"
Fourth Shinobi War Sasuke:!!!
Young Sasuke: …
Those things they didn't even remember… the familiar Uchiha streets, the familiar faces… it left them with a mess of emotions, their hearts aching all over again.
Even the errand from Nekobaa, Itachi could carry out without a second thought, wearing that silly thing on his head like it meant nothing.
Compared to that… if he put something like that on now, it would just be ridiculous.
Itachi's comrade died. He awakened the Sharingan. And yet his father only cared that his power had increased, not sparing even a shred of sympathy for the death of that boy named Tenma, the pillar of his household.
'My comrade… he died, Father.'
'Why, at a time like this, are you still only talking about my strength and the Sharingan?'
Hearing Itachi's thoughts, and then seeing their father ask what was wrong, he answered with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"...Father, I'll keep trying."
"Brother, you promised you'd play with me!"
"Sorry, Sasuke. Next time."
"Sasuke, sorry, but I'm borrowing your brother for a bit."
"Shisui?"
"I just didn't want to stay at home, so I used a mission as an excuse to slip out. Hahaha. Sasuke-chan even glared at me before I left."
"I'm sorry..."
"You're too good at hiding yourself. So good you can't even feel your own true heart anymore. Next time you're unhappy, come find me, Itachi. I really do think of you as my own brother."
"In this ninja world, I still can't tell whether true justice even exists. When we fight, we're convinced we're the righteous side, but the enemy believes the same thing. Right and wrong are nothing more than a relativity seen from different perspectives."
"A relativity... seen from different perspectives?"
"At least one thing is beyond doubt: I will never betray you, Itachi."
"Shisui..."
...
The Konoha ninja trapped in the genjutsu—and Sasuke, both the Fourth Shinobi War Sasuke and the teenage Sasuke, who had forced their way into the Konoha ninja's inner world through the Sharingan—had already realized what was happening.
They were being led through the future lives of the two brothers, Sasuke and Itachi...
"I am Itachi Uchiha, joining ANBU effective today."
From the viewpoint of Itachi's memories, Sasuke recognized Captain Kakashi and Captain Yamato.
"It's true that assigning you this mission is a bit unreasonable. Do you want me to switch you with someone else?"
Teenage Sasuke had never imagined that after Itachi joined ANBU, he'd be given a mission to monitor the Uchiha Clan.
Ever since the Nine-Tails incident, Konoha had never truly trusted the Uchiha.
"No need, Kakashi-senpai. It's not that difficult a mission."
Through Itachi Uchiha's eyes, Sasuke watched him raise surveillance binoculars and secretly track his own growth from afar.
When his shurikenjutsu improved, Itachi felt a quiet, genuine happiness.
And because their consciousness was anchored inside Itachi's body, the teenage Sasuke, the Fourth Shinobi War Sasuke, and even the villagers of Konoha could all sense it clearly—
This boy named Itachi Uchiha loved his younger brother more than anything.
...Silence...
…
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