Gazing upon the unified entrance of the Konoha Sannin, Sasuke then heard Orochimaru's pronouncement – the revelation of the Uchiha clan's true annihilation.
The frantic energy that had gripped Sasuke slowly receded, replaced by a chilling stillness. He fixed Orochimaru with a cold stare. "What… is the truth?"
Orochimaru's voice, slow and deliberate, slithered through the air. "The truth, Sasuke, is that Uchiha Itachi… loved you."
Before the final word even left Orochimaru's lips, Sasuke erupted, his voice thick with vehement denial. "No! That's impossible! He only ever wanted to kill me!"
"Sasuke," Jiraiya interjected, his gaze surprisingly gentle, "sometimes those caught in the storm are blinded, while those observing from afar see with greater clarity. Through Uchiha Itachi's future battle with you and the prior exposure of the Uchiha clan's genocide, I can say with absolute certainty… Itachi's love for you ran incredibly deep."
Sasuke's brow furrowed in confusion and suspicion. "What do you mean? The truth about the Uchiha clan's extermination… that was shown before?"
Tsunade nodded, her expression grave. "Yes, Sasuke. You were on your way to Orochimaru at the time, so you missed the broadcast. But the entire Ninja World now knows the true reason."
"If you doubt my words," Orochimaru continued, a rare sincerity coloring his tone, "ask the two beside me. They have no reason to deceive you."
At this moment, Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged solemn nods, their silent affirmation carrying the weight of truth.
A fragile calm settled over Sasuke as he ceased his vehement denials, his intense gaze now fixed on Orochimaru, a desperate yearning for understanding in his eyes.
"The real catalyst for the Uchiha Itachi's horrific act wasn't some twisted measure of his own abilities," Orochimaru explained, his voice losing some of its characteristic theatricality, "but the dangerously escalating tension between the Uchiha clan and Konoha, that had reached a breaking point, a precarious state."
"Civil war was imminent. Itachi, torn between his loyalty to Konoha and his profound love for you, chose what he believed was the only path to prevent utter destruction and ensure your survival. He accepted Danzō's vile terms, slaughtering his entire clan to spare your life."
As the weight of these words crashed down upon him, Sasuke's hands began to tremble uncontrollably, his knuckles turning white as he clenched them into fists.
"I once wondered why he agreed to Danzō's conditions with such apparent ease," Orochimaru mused, a hint of morbid fascination in his voice, "but now… it seems his love for you bordered on the pathological. He willingly embraced the role of the hated villain, staining his hands with the blood of his family, all to ensure your continued existence… and to push you down a path of strength."
"And the lies he spun for you, the cruel charade… they were likely nothing more than a desperate attempt to force your rapid growth, to grant you the power to protect yourself, because… his own time was rapidly running out."
Sasuke's eyes widened in stunned disbelief. "What… what do you mean by that?"
Orochimaru's tone was surprisingly matter-of-fact. "Haven't you seen it, Sasuke? In his future confrontation with you, his own failing health will be his undoing. Otherwise… how could you have possibly survived against such a formidable opponent?"
Sasuke wasn't a fool. He had vaguely registered the subtle signs of Itachi's deteriorating condition on the screen – the faint pallor, the suppressed coughs, the beads of sweat that weren't solely from exertion.
It turns out… he was already gravely ill…
Yet, despite Orochimaru's seemingly irrefutable explanation, a deep-seated resistance warred within him.
This revelation clashed so violently with his perceived reality.
Suddenly, a fragment of Uchiha Itachi's cryptic words from the screen echoed in his mind:
"People will rely on their own limited knowledge and perception, forever bound by these self-imposed constraints, which they then mistakenly label as absolute reality."
"However, knowledge and perception are ambiguous, ever-shifting. The reality they construct may be nothing more than a fragile illusion. Do you not, in your own lives, find yourselves dwelling within the confines of your own interpretations?"
Did those words… did they represent Itachi's own awakening, a subtle hint at the devastating truth he carried? Or were they yet another layer of deception, an insidious attempt to manipulate Sasuke's understanding?
Sasuke lowered his head, his mind reeling as the fragmented images of the clan's massacre, the lifeless bodies of his parents, flashed behind his eyelids. Those visceral memories made it agonizingly difficult to accept that Uchiha Itachi's actions were ultimately for his sake.
"Damn it!" he finally choked out, his voice thick with anguish and a burgeoning rage.
"Why did he make such a decision without my consent! Why did he presume to know what was best for me!"
Sasuke felt a profound sense of his own agency being stripped away.
He realized, with a sickening lurch in his gut, that all his relentless efforts, his desperate pursuit of power, might have been… futile. Uchiha Itachi, the brother he had sworn to kill, had inadvertently become his savior.
What a twisted, cruel irony. What a devastatingly sad truth.
He would have preferred any other outcome, even his own death in a successful act of vengeance against Itachi, over accepting this absurd, unwanted sacrifice.
But… why? Why would Uchiha Itachi go to such extreme lengths to protect him?
He was so selfish!
So selfish in his desire to control Sasuke's destiny, to dictate the very trajectory of his life.
Even…
He had even meticulously planned the manner of his own death!
At this moment, a new, potent wave of anger surged through Sasuke. He wanted to find Uchiha Itachi, to scream at him that he didn't need his self-sacrificing, suffocating love.
All he had ever truly wanted was a home, a family: a kind mother, a stern but loving father, and an older brother who cherished him.
Instead of this agonizing existence, this solitary path paved with revenge.
And in that moment of raw, untamed emotion, a new target for his burning rage solidified in his mind:
Shimura Danzō!_____________________________
Within the Akatsuki organization's shadowy base, the initial reaction to Uchiha Itachi's death at Sasuke's hands was one of bewildered absurdity. But upon deeper reflection, a chilling realization dawned.
That Uchiha Itachi… had deliberately orchestrated his own demise at Sasuke's hands!
To ensure Sasuke's twisted growth, he had willingly buried the truth beneath his own corpse.
Hidan, never one for subtlety, exclaimed, "What a guy! Uchiha Itachi, you're one hell of a Brocon!"
Deidara, a hint of morbid humor in his voice, added, "And a seriously intense Brocon at that! I wouldn't be surprised if his last words were, 'I will always love you… my dear little brother'!"
Having watched the unfolding tragedy, the Deva Path of Pain released a subtle sigh of relief.
He had noted that Uchiha Itachi had meticulously avoided divulging any sensitive information about Akatsuki's organization until his final breath. This suggested that while not a truly loyal member, Itachi was not an outright traitor either.
Obito, his thoughts swirling with calculated intent, mused in the shadows, "Uchiha Itachi is dead. Sasuke, consumed by hatred and now perhaps a twisted sense of obligation, will undoubtedly be drawn to attack Konoha. No wonder Sasuke and I will intercept Danzō on that fateful bridge."
"The truth… it seems to be unraveling, piece by agonizing piece. My only remaining concern is whether my own carefully constructed facade will ultimately crumble."
As the central figure in this devastating revelation, Itachi, even in death, had irrevocably altered Sasuke's world, planting the seeds of a new, uncertain path.
.......
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