Being a rogue ninja is worse than being Hokage.

Naruto's tone was filled with surprise at how unexpected the situation had become.

“Itachi does indeed possess Uchiha Shisui’s left eye, and the Konoha elders did indeed cast a Mangekyou Sharingan technique called ‘Kotoamatsukami’ on me in the past… Itachi used this Mangekyou Sharingan that Uchiha Shisui entrusted to him to corroborate the truth in his statement.”

"But are all of Itachi's words true? The fact that he cannot attack you or use his Sharingan after being resurrected is because I, as the caster, am restricting him. But Uchiha Itachi's will is free. I, as the caster, cannot be sure whether he is lying or not—especially since lies mixed with the truth are even more difficult to detect."

"As for Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke, you should know better than me whether he is someone who is good at using the truth to fabricate lies."

Naruto looked at Sasuke and expressed his surprise.

Sasuke, of course, understood Naruto's surprise.

Itachi, who used every means to try to take away his own eyes during his lifetime.

However, after being resurrected by Naruto using Edo Tensei, he told Sasuke that all he did was to help Sasuke survive and become stronger...

Itachi Uchiha was practically a psychopath with a split mind.

But Sasuke already knew Itachi's reasons for doing so.

"..."

After a long silence, Sasuke finally spoke in response to Naruto's reminder:

"I am clear."

Reincarnation cannot affect the will of the deceased.

This is a fact for Sasuke.

Having followed Orochimaru for so long, he was naturally aware of the drawbacks of the Impure World Reincarnation technique.

But Sasuke, who knew nothing about the past, learned the truth about it from Itachi.

Sasuke decided to trust Itachi.

He believed in the gentle older brother in his heart.

Naruto looked at Sasuke's Mangekyou Sharingan, which now displayed a six-pointed star pattern.

Sasuke's red eyes, with their beautiful markings, showed no sign of confusion.

Having learned the truth of the past, Sasuke's resolute gaze indicated that he had made his decision.

"So, Sasuke, what are your plans next?"

Naruto said, "The stage that Itachi meticulously prepared for you has now come to a perfect close. You can let go of everything from the past and return to Konoha. You have now become a hero of Konoha who successfully avenged the Uchiha clan by killing the rogue ninja Uchiha Itachi."

When Itachi Uchiha died, he took away the darkness that had been surrounding Sasuke.

Upon returning to Konoha, Sasuke will be greeted with flowers and praise from everyone.

His remaining years were spent on the bright and righteous path, embraced by many.

But Sasuke...

"I will not return to Konoha."

This was Sasuke's decision.

"Itachi had already planned everything. After sealing Orochimaru, he was supposed to use Kotoamatsukami on me. The powerful genjutsu of Kotoamatsukami would have ensured my safe return to Konoha and that I would become a hero of Konoha."

"But at the last moment of our battle, Itachi regretted it. He gave up using Kotoamatsukami on me and entrusted me with the choice of the future. This is also why Itachi told me the truth he had kept hidden in his previous life after he was resurrected."

"...That's fine too. Compared to a beautiful but unknown illusion, the cruel reality is what I need now."

Sasuke acknowledged the truth about Itachi and accepted Itachi's twisted and heavy love for him, a love that was difficult for the world to understand.

However, it negated the ninja way that Itachi practiced.

"...Itachi was an evil man. He would ruthlessly kill all his clansmen—even though many of the Uchiha clansmen he killed were not ninjas at all, but just weak and harmless old people and children. For the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan that he was obsessed with, he betrayed Konoha and joined the Akatsuki organization, and even planned to kill me without any mercy."

"Killing this Itachi is my revenge, and it is also the justice in my heart."

Naruto listened silently, knowing that Sasuke had a lot to say, and this was just the beginning.

"But the truth is that Itachi killed the Uchiha clan at the behest of the Konoha higher-ups, and he joined Akatsuki to monitor Akatsuki."

"The truth is that Itachi suffers from an incurable disease and is forcibly prolonging his life with medication, just to die by my hand and forge my heroic name."

"The truth is that he had already seen through Orochimaru's scheme. His ruthlessness towards me was all to force me to exhaust my chakra so that Orochimaru, who was hiding inside me, would appear and be sealed away."

The truth is—

Sasuke spoke faster and faster, and his tone changed from calm to trembling.

Sasuke's words abruptly stopped when his emotions overwhelmed him once again, reaching his emotional threshold.

The emotionally rich Uchiha clan often finds their rationality overriding their emotions when thinking.

"—Naruto."

Sasuke suddenly called out to Naruto, hoping to get a response from him.

"I am here."

Naruto then responded to Sasuke.

Naruto looked at Sasuke's eyes, which had narrowed due to his emotional state.

Even when Sasuke sought revenge against Itachi, all he could see in his eyes was anger.

But now, tears are streaming down Sasuke's crimson Mangekyou Sharingan, and for the first time, resentment has appeared in the eyes of this gentle young man.

He resented Itachi for not consulting him and for presumptuously choosing a future for him.

They resented that there were better ways to resolve the crisis between Konoha and the Uchiha clan, but instead, for their own benefit, they chose to eliminate the Konoha high-ranking members of the Uchiha clan.

They also resented this ninja world, which was devoid of any truth.

Sasuke firmly believed in justice and became an avenger.

But after learning the truth, he understood what Naruto had told him back then.

Behind all the high-sounding reasons lies nothing more than ugly selfishness.

The selfish desires of the powerful will lead to the continuous emergence of people like Naruto and Itachi.

Pain and sorrow will repeat themselves again and again, like a cycle.

"This ninja world is flawed."

Sasuke reached his own conclusion.

Itachi's death did not end Sasuke's hatred.

This, on the contrary, amplified Sasuke's hatred.

His revenge continues.

"Konoha... and this flawed world."

The emotionally rich Uchiha clan is prone to going to extremes.

The Uchiha, possessing immense power, would then manifest this extreme in a tangible form.

Madara Uchiha was like that.

Obito Uchiha was like that.

Uchiha Itachi was like that.

The same applies to Sasuke, who is standing before Naruto.

"But before Konoha and the ninja world, the organization that needs to be destroyed the most is the Akatsuki."

Itachi said that the Akatsuki organization was established by Madara Uchiha.

As an accomplice in the annihilation of the Uchiha clan alongside Itachi, Sasuke could not possibly ignore Madara Uchiha.

“‘Xiao’ is no longer important.”

Naruto suddenly spoke, interrupting Sasuke.

Sasuke looked at him with a puzzled expression, and Naruto explained, "The Akatsuki organization no longer exists."

"As for 'Uchiha Madara'."

Naruto carefully considered his words.

“Those spirits born from the past are nothing but relics of the old era, having no place in the new era.”

"He also perished along with the destruction of 'Akatsuki'."

Chapter 71 The Unending Rain [Interlude: The Demise of Dawn]

(Note: The timeline of the Akatsuki Annihilation arc is after "Chapter 66: The Sealing" and before "Chapter 67: The Other Sharingan")

……

In the past, the turbulent Warring States period was ended by Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, and the ninja village system replaced the clan system of the Warring States period.

Ninjas were no longer simply mercenaries outside the national system, but were incorporated into various countries and became members of those countries.

While this outcome successfully curbed the chaos of the Warring States period, it also prevented smaller states from ever challenging larger ones again.

Small countries can only depend on large countries and sacrifice their own interests for the sake of the large countries.

However, there are occasional exceptions.

The Land of Rain, a small country surrounded by the three great nations of Fire, Wind, and Earth, once dealt a heavy blow to the ninjas of those great nations during the Second Shinobi World War.

The leader of the ninja village Amegakure in the Land of Rain, Hanzo the Salamander, was so powerful that even major powers revered and admired him.

Even the young Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade were defeated by Hanzo of the Salamander. Hanzo, appreciating their talent, spared their lives and bestowed upon them the title of "Sannin," which would later become famous throughout the ninja world.

However, even heroes grow old, and the aging Hanzo of the Salamander abandoned his youthful dreams. Ultimately, the Land of Rain, like other small countries, relied on larger powers for survival.

Fearing retaliation from the ninjas who had offended the great powers during the Second Shinobi World War, the Hanzo regime cultivated good relations with the great powers and actively responded to the joint Chunin Exams, which represented national friendship. At the same time, it implemented a policy of isolationism against Amegakure, blocking the Land of Rain to reduce the infiltration and influence of other countries.

However, the closed policy did not save his life as Hanzo of the Salamander had hoped. Instead, it allowed the Land of Rain to escape the attention of the five great nations and quietly develop a new power.

The force that replaced Hanzo's regime within the Land of Rain, yet maintained the facade of Hanzo's authority externally, was a mercenary organization composed of rogue ninja from various nations, coveting the tailed beasts possessed by the Five Great Nations.

--"dawn".

Rain-Hidden Village, the tall tower.