I founded the "Bragging Cult" in Naruto.

Chapter 644 I often wonder how I, at such a young age, developed high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar.

"The fourth generation"

Even though it was only their first meeting, Itachi felt as if he had been completely seen through, something no one had ever given him before—no, it was his father's last glance before he died.

After a brief hesitation, Itachi leaped down from the tree and walked to Tatsuma. Another stool had already been generated. This time, Itachi looked more closely; it was Wood Release.

The Fourth Hokage had given him far too much shock. Itachi took a deep breath, sat down, and accepted Tatsuma's scrutinizing gaze.

"I initially thought it was just a primary hematologic disorder, but it's much more serious than I imagined. How old are you?"

Turning his gaze away, Tatsuma asked, and Itachi answered truthfully, "Seventeen years old."

"Tsk tsk, seventeen years old, such a good age, but you... severe primary Sharingan bloodline disease, secondary lung disease, physical weakness caused by excessive chakra consumption, you should be in your senior year of high school but you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar."

The neurasthenia is clearly severe, not to mention the accompanying symptoms like anxiety, depression, and insomnia. You've probably never seen a proper doctor, have you? Reach out your hand.

Upon hearing this, Itachi hesitated for a moment, then reached out his hand. Tatsuma grasped his cold, damp, and even trembling hand, gathering wind jutsu at his fingertips to peel off the purple nail polish. After examining it for a moment, he asked:

"Drug dependence? That's like a tiger fighting a wolf! You used such a low-grade hallucinogenic drug, which caused your lung disease, and then switched to oral injections?"

Itachi fell silent. This feeling of being peeled back bit by bit was truly unbearable. Tatsuma loosened his grip, frowned, and asked, "Why didn't you go see a doctor?"

"I don't need to. I never thought I'd live that long."

Itachi said with some difficulty, and Tatsuma nodded, then suddenly changed the subject, asking, "What do you think is the biggest difference between committing suicide out of guilt and turning oneself in?"

Hearing this, Itachi paused for a moment, then shook his head and asked, "Is there a difference?"

"Of course there are. Surrendering oneself often leads to a reduced sentence, while suicide out of fear of punishment can even be considered an aggravated offense. The difference lies in who carries it out. As an individual, even a criminal, one has no right to decide one's own life or death."

"Even though it's the same death penalty, it should be carried out by a competent authority, dispatching a unit with the necessary powers. An individual doesn't have that right; that's the rule of law. Therefore, I do not permit your idea of ​​suicide out of guilt, in the name of the Hokage."

"Perhaps I wasn't killed out of guilt, but rather murdered?"

Itachi continued to ask questions, and Tatsuma shrugged and said, "Sin is sometimes a contagious disease. If the person who kills you does not have the right to take your life, then the sin will infect him."

You should understand that even as a ninja, you cannot easily act heroically. In fact, you could say that ninjas especially cannot do that. Power that is not controlled or restrained is violence.

Ninjas don't accept missions solely for the bounty. If you don't even understand this, then I highly doubt that the rumors about you possessing the mindset of a Hokage are entirely fabricated.

No one had ever told him these things before. Itachi remained silent. Tatsuma shook his head, raised his hand, and gently tapped Itachi's forehead with a finger, saying:

"Think about it slowly. If the day you plan for really comes, you have to crawl back to the village and make your death legal. That's the last thing you can do and should do."

Remember, death is never atonement, but merely a deterrent to more serious offenses. It is the consequence that those who are unworthy of atonement should bear. True atonement, for those who are worthy of redemption, is labor reform.

You won't be the one to judge all of this; your self-imposed death is nothing more than a worthless emotional event for the village.

After saying that, Tatsuma stood up and disappeared in a stream of silver light. Itachi got up and tried to chase after him, but he fell headfirst to the ground as his vigorous life force began to flow through his body.

Samehada on the ground, resembling a caterpillar, took two steps toward Itachi Uchiha, but upon looking at the wooden stool left behind, it hesitated and lay down again.

Back in the Hokage's office, Tatsuma nodded to Tobirama Senju, who also nodded, and asked, "Is it that Uchiha?"

"Yes, a pitiful person whose understanding was distorted before it was even fully formed."

"That's it. I was worried that you might use excessive force because you didn't know what happened, but it seems I underestimated you."

The conversation between the two left Tsunade, who was standing to the side, somewhat bewildered. What were they talking about? She could roughly guess who the Uchiha were, but what did the rest of their conversation mean?

However, neither of them intended to explain to Tsunade. Tatsuma said, "I have other things to do, so I won't stay here any longer."

"Oh, right, if you have time, go see the First Generation."

"Um."

A shimmering light appeared, and Tatsuma vanished once more. Meanwhile, on the edge of Konoha, Sasuke, who had just woken up, was preparing his first meal of the day while reflecting on his conversation with Tobirama Senju the previous day.

Those ninjutsu techniques, like compensation.

It must be said that the Second Hokage was quite different from what he had imagined. He was indeed very dignified and never kind, but he was not indiscriminate in his judgment of right and wrong, and he did not hate all Uchiha.

Although there were no explicit words, Sasuke could sense that Tobirama Senju had indeed expressed his apology in a somewhat hesitant manner yesterday.

Even just now, not long after he woke up, the Second Hokage made a special trip, bringing some ninjutsu scrolls, to express his apology once again, which was not just a lip service.

It was very strange, so strange that Sasuke suspected that something he didn't know had happened in the village, a vicious incident targeting the Uchiha clan.

Good morning.

The sudden sound startled Sasuke so much that he almost dropped the noodles in his hand. Seeing that it was the Fourth Hokage, he felt a little embarrassed, looked down at the bowl of noodles, and said, "Fourth Hokage, I didn't know you would come."

"I'm not hungry, since it's not a regular mealtime."

Even the most mature child can see right through a child's thoughts. Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, put the bowl on the table, and then said, "I accidentally slept in late last night."

"Yesterday was so eventful, it's normal to be tired."

Tatsuma sat down at the table, pointed to the bowl of noodles, and said, "Eat."

"Then I'll start eating."

Although it was somewhat impolite, he was indeed starving. After a moment's hesitation, Sasuke quickly started eating his noodles, as if he was worried that Tatsuma would be waiting too long.

If it were Kakashi, Sasuke wouldn't have taken it this seriously. After all, Sasuke could only imagine the strength of Kakashi and Orochimaru, and he felt he could catch up to them.

But Tatsuma, Tobirama Senju, and others were beyond Sasuke's imagination at this moment, so he unconsciously lowered his stance.

"I've finished eating, Fourth Hokage. May I ask what brings you here?"

Sasuke wiped his mouth, stood up and asked, "Tatsuma pointed to his neck, and Sasuke subconsciously touched his own neck as well, where Orochimaru's cursed seal was located."

If it had been earlier yesterday, Sasuke might not have given up on the cursed seal, because it truly gave him power.

After a whole day of experiences, Sasuke no longer cared about that little bit of power. There was no need to pay such a high price for such a small amount.

He tentatively asked, "Fourth Hokage, can you help me break this cursed seal?"

"Hmm, if you don't mind?"

Tatsuma can break this cursed seal, or at least seal it, but that's not his real purpose. He's here to find Indra, but he can't just knock Sasuke unconscious and then invade his mental world, can he?

"Then I'll go first."

Sasuke pointed to the bowl of noodles on the table. Tatsuma nodded. Sasuke quickly picked up the bowl, went back to the kitchen, quickly washed the dishes and pots, then came out and asked, "Fourth Hokage, what should I do?"

"Just take a nap."

Tatsuma raised his hand and touched the spot where the cursed seal was. In an instant, Sasuke's body went limp, and he fell asleep again after just waking up.

After catching the unconscious Sasuke and placing him on the sofa, Tatsuma sent his chakra into Sasuke's mental world.

Within the spiritual realm, Sasuke's spiritual image is asleep, surrounded by a large white snake. As soon as Tatsuma appears, the snake sets its sights on him and even lunges to bite him.

But the giant serpent missed its bite, and Tatsuma had already appeared above its head. Tatsuma crouched down, placing one hand on the serpent's smooth, cold scales, and said, "As expected, it's just a ball of chakra."

The giant serpent raised its head and swung its body, trying to shake off Tatsuma, but in an instant, its body hardened and then disintegrated, turning into countless points of light and dissipating. A portion of its chakra escaped from Sasuke's body.

The other part remained inside Sasuke's body, slowly absorbed by his cells. Tatsuma narrowed his eyes and murmured, "Sage Chakra? But it doesn't do any harm, so never mind."

Having resolved the issue of the cursed seal, Tatsuma freely roamed within Sasuke's mental world, searching for the Indra chakra hidden there.

But just like when searching for Ashura's chakra, he found nothing. Tatsuma frowned. Was he really going to shout that line? It felt a bit like being cannon fodder.

After thinking for a moment, Tatsuma changed his approach, saying, "I never knew Indra was someone who relied on external forces to win. This time, in his reincarnation, he used Orochimaru's power as a vessel, so he must have done so in the past as well..."

"Swoosh~"

In the depths of space, a streak of azure light flew by. The sudden attack startled even Tatsuma, reminding him of the night he was attacked by Madara Uchiha. It was all too unexpected.

Moreover, the power possessed by Indra is far greater than that of Asura.

Tatsuma quickly dodged, the slash grazing his side. Tatsuma felt as if his consciousness was being pulled away, but he still regained his senses. Although he was hit, he only lost a little bit of chakra, but it was still very embarrassing.

Tatsuma looked toward the source of the slash. Indra, carrying a ninja sword and dressed in white, quickly approached and said, "Try saying what you just said again."

(End of this chapter)