After listening quietly, Sasuke Uchiha fixed his gaze on Itachi Uchiha and spoke softly.
"So back then, our clan was actually planning to rebel against the Hidden Leaf Village? Then why didn't Shimura Danzō wait until we truly rebelled before making a move? Wouldn't that have made it justified? You wouldn't have needed to become the scapegoat either."
Itachi Uchiha gave a slight nod and replied,
"Because Shimura Danzō had ulterior motives in dealing with our clan—things he couldn't bring into the open. If everything were exposed, his plans would fall apart."
Sasuke frowned slightly, thinking it over before speaking again. "Could it be…?"
Itachi met Sasuke's eyes and said quietly,
"That's right. What he coveted was our clan's Sharingan!"
Sasuke thought, just as expected, and then asked again,
"Why didn't you tell me all of this back then? Do you think I'll just believe you now?"
A trace of guilt flickered in Itachi's eyes. "Forgive me, Sasuke. Back then, I didn't want you dragged into this mess."
He lifted his head slightly and continued calmly, "At the time, I had no choice but to leave the Hidden Leaf Village and leave you behind. Although Danzō promised he wouldn't harm you, what matters most is one's own strength. So the only method I could think of was to force you to grow stronger—strong enough to protect yourself."
Sasuke fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
"Then this time—why are you so eager to help me awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Itachi's gaze grew serious. "Because someone has set their sights on you."
Sasuke frowned, confused.
"Do you remember the third person I mentioned? Uchiha Madara. He's the one watching you. For your safety, I had no choice but to stimulate you into awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan early."
Sasuke asked doubtfully, "Isn't that Uchiha Madara your companion?"
Itachi shook his head slightly.
"We're not close. He always wears a spiral mask and calls himself Uchiha Madara. I only met him that night."
"After that, he invited me to join the Akatsuki. At the time, I had nowhere else to go after leaving the Hidden Leaf Village, so I joined."
"Recently, I learned that he may take action against you. That's why I had to meet you. And now that you're no longer the naive boy you once were, I believe it's time you knew the truth."
"Why would he target me? Is it also for my eyes?" Sasuke asked quietly.
Itachi shook his head. "I don't know the specifics. I only know he has people tracking your movements. So I had to find you before he did."
"And you? You said the Mangekyō Sharingan ultimately leads to darkness. Then what about you?" Sasuke asked warily.
Itachi slowly shook his head. "I will no longer fall into darkness… because I've already obtained eternal light."
As his words fell, Itachi activated his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan once more.
This time, Sasuke examined Itachi's eyes carefully and noticed the pattern was indeed different from before. During their earlier battle, he hadn't looked closely.
"So that's the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan? How did you obtain it? You said both parties must be close relatives and both must have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"I transplanted our father's eyes. He had also awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. He entrusted them to me in his final moments," Itachi replied softly.
After speaking, Itachi looked at Sasuke again.
"You can transplant my eyes and awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan."
Sasuke frowned slightly. "We'll talk about that later. I'm not sure yet whether what you're saying is true."
Itachi nodded. "That's fine. I can accompany you to verify everything."
Sasuke waved his hand. "No need. I'll confirm the truth with my own eyes."
Itachi smiled faintly and said nothing more.
Sasuke then glanced at Rorin, who had been quietly watching from the side, and asked,
"I've had a question this whole time. Why is this guy here? Do you know him? Why is he helping you?"
The question made both Itachi and Rorin feel slightly awkward. Their earlier discussion had focused entirely on the brothers, completely overlooking the need to explain Rorin's presence.
Rorin paused for a moment, then suddenly had an idea. He let out a long sigh, raised his head, and his eyes filled with nostalgia.
Then he lowered his head slowly, looked at Sasuke with a hint of emotion, and began:
"This all starts with my background. To be honest, it's very similar to yours, Sasuke."
Sasuke looked at him calmly, puzzled, waiting for him to continue.
"I was originally the young clan heir of the Kaguya clan from the Village Hidden in the Mist. Back then, the village leadership feared our clan's power, believing we might turn against the village. So they made their move. Just like you, I witnessed the massacre of my entire clan with my own eyes."
Sasuke's expression softened slightly as he listened.
"After that, I escaped the Village Hidden in the Mist alone and survived on my own in the ninja world. But I was still just a boy, weak and vulnerable. Once, while searching for food, I ran into danger. Luckily, I met your brother—he saved me."
"Later, as I spent time with him, he learned about my past. He saw your shadow in me, so he took care of me for a while and taught me how to fight. I'm deeply grateful to him. If not for him back then, I wouldn't have lived to this day."
"And this time, when I ran into your brother again and heard he needed help, I volunteered myself," Rorin said, looking sincerely at Itachi.
Itachi seemed to catch on immediately and nodded. "Yes, when I met you again not long ago, I was quite surprised. I never expected the boy I once protected to become so strong. Thank you for helping me this time."
Sasuke slowly nodded. That explanation did make sense—so they had known each other for a long time.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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