XX-level Hokage

On the way, Kurenai's mind was filled with enormous questions. Why did Izumi have the Sharingan?

While Quan was shielding Heitu from the attack, Hong inadvertently saw that Quan's eyes suddenly turned scarlet.

Izumi, Uchiha, Uchiha Izumi? Thinking about this, Kurenai felt a strange sense of familiarity. Meanwhile, in the dense forest, Itachi and Sasuke continued their chase.

As Sasuke watched Itachi weaving and twisting among the tree trunks ahead, his thoughts were in turmoil.

He recalled the wonderful times he spent with Obito during his childhood, the night of the massacre, the pain and hatred, the great battle, and the truth that Obito had revealed.

At that moment, Itachi instantly increased his speed, and Sasuke, not to be outdone, quickly chased after him.

"Stop! I told you to stop!" Sasuke shouted, instantly activating his Susanoo. A purple skeleton appeared in an instant, and he reached out to grab Itachi. In a flash, Itachi summoned his orange Susanoo to block Sasuke's attack.

"I didn't expect you to know how to use this now." Itachi turned to Sasuke and said, "Why are you here? Aren't you dead?" Sasuke asked, feigning ignorance.

"Because of Orochimaru's technique, I am now in the body of the Reanimation Jutsu. However, now is not the time to talk. I have something I must do," Itachi said.

"Who cares about all that? You're right here in front of me, and I have so many questions to ask you," Sasuke said urgently. "Ask me later, and besides, there are some things you probably won't listen to me about now," Itachi said calmly.

"You told me to go find you with eyes just like yours, so why are you running away now? Is it because you feel guilty for lying to me, or because you don't have the courage to tell the truth? I already know everything about you, and I will judge right and wrong for myself. So now I want to hear you tell me the truth from your own mouth." Sasuke said somewhat angrily.

"When I was fighting you, I said that people are actually living in their own obsessions. The reality you see may just be an illusion. My truth is actually..." But before Itachi could finish speaking, Sasuke interrupted him.

“I have shaken off the illusion and can now see through your genjutsu. What is now in my eye sockets is your eye,” Sasuke said, activating his Mangekyou Sharingan.

"Although your tough tone is still the same, you seem to have changed after seeing you now." Itachi turned to look into Sasuke's eyes and said with some emotion.

"No, you changed everything about me. I should have died. I should have been killed by you along with my parents. But why did I survive? What's the difference between me and my parents? Why was I the only one left?" Sasuke remembered everything Obito had said about Itachi, and everything Mashiro had said about the Uchiha clan. He was still puzzled.

"Because you didn't know anything at the time, whether it was the Uchiha clan's foolish actions or anything else, you were just a child. Besides, it wasn't for your sake. I wanted to be punished by you, a member of the Uchiha clan. For this, I used the hatred in your heart, and that's why I failed. In the end, I gave you hatred, forced you to leave the village, and made you a sinner. I once hoped that you could walk on the right path."

Before I died, to prevent you from going astray, I tried to guide you onto a straight road with no forks, and I rewrote the road signs with lies and my eye power. "Itachi said in a deep voice.

"Should I just walk along that straight road, completely ignorant? I don't want to walk that road at all. Was the Uchiha clan wrong back then? What was the reason for the massacre? I just want to know the truth and then choose the path I want to take," Sasuke said earnestly.

“You’re right. The path one chooses should be decided by oneself. I am already dead and will say nothing more.” With that, Itachi quickened his pace again.

But just then, a woman's voice came.

"Sasuke just wants to know the truth, and not just Sasuke, I want to know too."

Izumi appeared in front of Itachi without him noticing and spoke. Caught between two attackers, Itachi stopped in his tracks.

"Still hesitating? Some things, if left unsaid, will be regrets forever. No one knows the truth of what happened back then better than you. Sasuke has been through so much; he has the right to..."

"Ge knows the truth," Quan said earnestly, looking at Rong.

The two victims of the massacre are standing here, and these two victims were also very close to him.

Itachi knew he could no longer run away. This is a very long story…

In the office of the commander-in-chief at the Allied Forces Headquarters in Yunren Village.

Mashiro was holding Shiro and looking at the intelligence summary since the outbreak of the war.

Just then, an intelligence ninja knocked on the door and said, "Hokage, the special team has reported that they encountered Itachi Uchiha, resurrected through the Reanimation Jutsu, and the rogue ninja Sasuke Uchiha. Izumi has now caught up with them alone. Should we send reinforcements?"

"I understand. I'll handle this. You may leave now," Mashiro said softly.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." The intelligence ninja quickly left. Mashiro continued reviewing the intelligence.

"Master, aren't you going to save Izumi-neechan? As far as I know, Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke are both very strong rogue ninja," Haku said. "Don't worry, Izumi will be alright," Mashiro whispered.

"I see." Upon hearing this, Shiro didn't ask any further questions, quietly looking at the intelligence report in her hand. After a moment, Shiro put down the intelligence report.

Pinching Bai's cheek, he said, "Bai has been to the archives and read the chronicles of Konoha, so he should know about the night the Uchiha clan was massacred, right?" Bai nodded slightly.

"Does Haku know why Itachi Uchiha chose to slaughter the entire clan, leaving only Sasuke Uchiha alive?" Haku asked softly.

Bai pondered for a moment and said, "The files don't contain a detailed account of this matter, but when I visited the Third Hokage before, he mentioned it."

The fact that the Uchiha clan once harbored rebellious intentions is probably due to this reason.

"You actually think that way?" Mashiro looked at Shiro with some surprise.

"Master should remember that I was born in Kirigakure, during the era of the Blood Mist Village, when many bloodline clans were slaughtered on trumped-up charges. I..."

"The Mizuki clan is a prime example. There are many members of their own bloodline who slaughter their own clans for the benefit of the village. If Itachi Uchiha were on Konoha's side, I could understand him helping the village exterminate his clan after learning of their rebellious intentions. But why he spared Sasuke Uchiha is beyond my comprehension," Bai said softly.

Chapter 205: The End of the Uchiha Clan

"Well, what you said is very close to the truth, but it's not quite the same. Itachi was indeed a member of Konoha, but he was also the head of the Uchiha clan."

Their children are basically the next Uchiha clan leader.

Logically, he wouldn't have slaughtered the entire Uchiha clan. The reason he did it is simple: Konoha already knew about it, and they had long wanted to eliminate the Uchiha clan. The Uchiha had no chance of winning, so to preserve their last remaining life, he became an undercover agent, sacrificing the entire clan in exchange for Sasuke's life. "Mashiro said softly.

“That makes more sense,” Bai said.

"If it were you, Shiro, what would you choose to do?" Shiro asked with a smile.

"As for me, I would first try to stop the rebellion within the clan. If I fail, then I don't know what else to do," Shiro said after a moment's thought, shaking his head. "Actually, the Uchiha clan wasn't without a chance of winning at that time," Shiro suddenly said.

"If there was a chance of winning, why choose this method? In that situation, resistance would have been the best outcome," Bai said, somewhat puzzled.

"Because someone who could have given up the chance of victory for the sake of peace." Mashiro said softly. "Peace?" Hyaku asked again, puzzled.

"At that time, there were two people in the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi. Shisui had a special ability, and the two of them working together had a real chance to change the situation, but for the sake of Konoha's peace, they chose to give up, and Shisui even died because of it," Mashiro said, stroking Haku's hair.

"Well, it's a bit strange. When I was wandering around with Lord Zabuza, I saw a lot of chaos. After coming to Konoha with my master, I also witnessed peace and stability. That's why I have a new understanding: resistance is a necessary condition for achieving peace." Haku gently rubbed Mashiro's palm and said.

“There are significant differences between people. People with high IQs often come up with clever ideas when dealing with special events, but intelligence alone isn't enough for many things. Haku, you should have heard about the First Hokage's deeds. He didn't choose to unify the ninja world; instead, he chose to capture the nine tailed beasts and distribute them to the other villages to strengthen them. Do you think unifying the ninja world or balancing the power among the villages is more conducive to peace?” Mashiro said softly.

After thinking for a while, Bai said, "I believe that unifying the ninja world is conducive to peace, and the First Hokage's decision to distribute the nine tailed beasts to other ninja villages was also a mistake."

"Unification does not mean peace. Even after unification by force, when the First Hokage was alive, he might have been able to maintain a superficial peace, but what about after he passed away? Could the Second Hokage maintain the unified situation?"

This Hu Jie Empire, which relies on force to unify the world, will collapse instantly, giving rise to an endless war.

The First Hokage never sought a superficial peace such as "no war." He saw that for ninjas, maintaining a balance between villages was the greatest hope for lasting peace.

The First Hokage generously distributed the Tailed Beasts to other ninja villages as a result of balancing interests in a diversified ninja world, preventing Konoha from becoming a bad Konoha. He originally intended to send all nine Tailed Beasts away, but the Second Hokage kept the Nine-Tails.

"So all you smart people think the same way, using your intelligence to look at problems," Mashiro explained.

“But the balance won’t last long, and war will eventually break out. And if all the remaining units are given away, wouldn’t Konoha be at a disadvantage?” Haku still didn’t quite agree with Mashiro’s point of view.

"Equilibrium certainly cannot last forever, but a new equilibrium will always emerge, and the duration of equilibrium will increase until someone can resolve the issue of peace. If it is unification, then no new ideas will ever arise."

Moreover, even if all the tailed beasts were sent out, Konoha would not be at a disadvantage. Konoha has the Uchiha clan, whose Sharingan can control the tailed beasts. With Konoha possessing the Sharingan, the tailed beasts that are sent out would only be forces that can be restricted.

The First Hokage granted Konoha the right to supervise other ninja villages, and Konoha the right to supervise other ninja villages as well. However, for various reasons, the power and oversight structure established by the First Hokage was ultimately broken. "Mashiro said softly.

She once thought that the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, was a naive and innocent person, but after constantly reflecting on the ninja world and peace, she came to appreciate Hashirama's wisdom more and more.

For the oppressors, pure peace is never possible; success is only possible under supervision and coercion.

In a sense, Hashirama's ideas were the same as Nagato's, except that Hashirama's was about mutual supervision between Konoha and other ninja villages, while Nagato transformed himself into a god to supervise the entire ninja world alone.

Hashirama thought more deeply than Nagato. Nagato never considered what would happen after his death. Even if he cultivated the next god before he died, who could guarantee that the next god wouldn't be a vicious and ruthless individual?

"Therefore, Itachi, being a clever person, became trapped in his own clever view."

He believed he could see everything clearly and that only he could find the best outcome.

Thus, they embarked on a wrong path, leading to the tragic deaths of all the elderly, weak, and women of the Uchiha clan, as well as their own and Sasuke's miserable lives. "Mashiro said with some emotion.

Who benefited from the night of the massacre?

Obito and Danzo obtained the Sharingan, and Sarutobi eliminated the unstable factors and also gave Danzo a warning.

As for Itachi, Sasuke, and all the innocent members of the Uchiha clan who died tragically, no one benefited. "Then, Master, if it were you, what would you have done?" he asked with some curiosity. "I've already tried," Mashiro said with a light laugh.

In his previous life, after obtaining Shisui's Kotoamatsukami, he used it to control Sarutobi and then saved a portion of the Uchiha clan during the massacre.

Then they created a tragic character for the Uchiha clan to gain sympathy from the common people of Miyawaki.

He then used Sarutobi and his own Uchiha power to assassinate Danzo, gradually rising to the position of ruler.

What a nostalgic past. After hearing the truth as it was recounted.

Izumi frowned, while Sasuke lowered his head and remained silent.

“If it were me, I couldn’t do what you did,” Izumi said softly.

"After leaving Konoha, I thought countless times about whether I had done the right thing, and tried every possible way to convince myself," Itachi said calmly.

“But, Itachi, you are too selfish. You have never told your father about these things, and you have not told anyone in the clan except Shisui. You made the decision on your own and decided the death of all the clan members.”

Not every member of the tribe wanted to see a rebellion; most didn't even know what was happening, and yet you sentenced them to death.

"Hey, Nii-san, exchanging the lives of all the humans in the clan for my life is a bit too much." Sasuke raised his head, a tear falling from the corner of his eye, and said. Rong didn't speak; he didn't know how to answer this question.

"The moon was very bright that day. I was reading a book in my room when I suddenly heard my parents scream. Then I was bound by a masked man with chains."

Just as I was about to be killed, Zero saved me.

I followed him to the clan's residence, where many bodies lay on the ground, familiar faces lying in pools of blood.

"After that day, I had a very long dream, and the entire tribe's territory seemed to be filled with the smell of blood," Quan said softly.

“Just like Sasuke said, both you and Shisui are too arrogant. You crave peace, but that’s all you want,” Izumi said calmly.

As Izumi spoke, Itachi's memories began to drift far away.

That night, there was blood, and there were her father and mother in front of her.

Chapter 206: The True Self

Itachi's expression was initially complicated, but then it softened with relief.

"You've changed so much, and Izumi isn't the same person I remember anymore." Itachi looked at the two of them and said softly, "I know, brother." Sasuke's eyes were filled with complex emotions.

"Perhaps, as you all say, Shisui and I were both too arrogant, which is probably why you chose her," Itachi said with a sense of relief.

After that dream, Itachi pondered many times how he could have lost so completely to another person. Now, the answer is clear.

It's not really Itachi's fault. Almost all the strong members of the Uchiha clan are incredibly arrogant, whether it's Madara, Itachi, Shisui, or Sasuke, including Mashiro. This arrogance is almost ingrained in the blood of the Uchiha clan.

Because of the influence of Uchiha Zero, Mashiro has always had an arrogant side to her personality. However, because Mashiro was reborn, her arrogance is hidden in a deeper layer of caution.

“Give up, Itachi. You’ve done enough. Leave the rest to others,” Izumi said softly. Itachi was silent for a moment, and then a black raven appeared out of thin air and entered Sasuke’s body.

Under Sasuke's slightly alarmed gaze, Itachi walked up to him and whispered in his ear, "Use it as your last resort to forge your own path."

Upon hearing Itachi's words, Sasuke understood what the crow was.

Then Itachi laughed, and his body began to emit white light. Orochimaru handed the talisman that controlled Itachi's Reincarnation to Itachi himself, letting him choose when to release the Reincarnation.