Naruto: Set a goal, conquer the universe.

"Itachi, now I ask you, who exactly was the mastermind behind the annihilation of the Uchiha clan? Who killed Shisui, and who assisted you in destroying the Uchiha!" Sasuke stared coldly at Itachi, awaiting his answer.

Itachi looked surprised: "You even guessed all that?"

"Naruto helped me analyze it. Shisui's death intensified the conflict between the Uchiha and the village, putting all the pressure on you alone."

"You must have seen Shisui one last time and witnessed his death, which is why you awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan, right?"

"Since you saw Shisui for the last time, you must know who killed him."

"And the wild Uchiha who helped you destroy the Uchiha clan was very likely the same culprit who killed the Fourth Hokage and his wife on the night of the Nine-Tails' death!"

Sasuke responded coldly, "All of this was orchestrated by those behind-the-scenes manipulators."

This is the source of all the misfortunes that led to him and Naruto.

He had to kill them with his own hands.

"Tell me who they are and where they are now?"

"Sasuke, you've really found a great brother, Naruto? I really want to have a good talk with him."

Itachi's Sharingan flickered slightly, as if recalling the masked man: "His name... he never mentioned his real name himself, and his distinguishing feature was the swirling mask he wore, which he called himself."

Itachi paused deliberately for a moment before clearly uttering the name: "Uchiha Madara."

Chapter 14 Itachi's Memories (1)

Despite having already discussed the existence of the masked man with Naruto, Sasuke's pupils still contracted sharply when Itachi uttered the name "Uchiha Madara."

"Uchiha... Madara?!" That legendary figure who founded Konoha with the First Hokage, then defected, and even controlled the Nine-Tails?! Sasuke said in an incredulous tone.

“No,” Itachi added immediately, his tone certain, “that man was definitely not the real Uchiha Madara. Madara was killed by the First Hokage in the battle at the Valley of the End.”

"He is a man who stole Madara's name, inherited Madara's will, and possesses a powerful Mangekyou Sharingan!"

"The power he displayed, especially that mysterious space-time eye technique, does not match Madara's abilities as recorded, but it is quite strange! Before I can find out more about him, I am not confident that I can deal with him!"

"You and Naruto guessed correctly. He did indeed orchestrate the Nine-Tails attack, using his Sharingan to control the Nine-Tails to attack Konoha, killing the Fourth Hokage and his wife, and deepening the village's suspicion of the Uchiha clan!"

"I agreed to cooperate with him and wipe out the Uchiha clan, but the price was that he could not attack Konoha again. As a result, I infiltrated the Akatsuki organization to keep an eye on him."

"So..." Sasuke's Mangekyou Sharingan blazed with an almost tangible killing intent, "Where is that guy right now?!"

"The true mastermind behind Akatsuki is codenamed Tobi." Itachi provided the crucial clue. "He is currently infiltrating this organization called Akatsuki, posing as a newcomer."

"He is the true mastermind behind the plan to capture the Tailed Beasts. He wears that comical mask and feigns madness, but it's all to hide his abyssal, dark intentions."

"As for the person who killed Shisui and severed the bridge of peace between the village and the clan, it was Danzo, an elder of Konoha!"

"What?!" Sasuke's eyes widened. He hadn't expected that it was actually the village elder who had personally severed the bridge of peace between the village and the clan!

"Why, why did he do this? Doesn't the village want to live in peace with the clan?" Sasuke asked, his body swaying slightly.

"Danzo is a militant among the village's high-ranking officials. He wants to control everything, including the Uchiha clan, and those he cannot control will be killed out of fear."

"Shisui awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan, and his ability is called Kotoamatsukami, which is undoubtedly the strongest genjutsu, capable of silently and completely changing a person's mind!"

"Danzo, fearing and coveting Shisui's Mangekyou Sharingan abilities, ambushed Shisui, stole one of his eyes, and then hunted him down."

"When Shisui was seriously injured and on his deathbed, he found me and entrusted his other eye to me in order to protect it from falling into the hands of someone as ambitious and warlike as Danzo."

"And he hoped that his death could ease the conflict between the village and the clan. He probably thought that the conflict arose because his power was too great, causing the village to be wary of the Uchiha."

"Shisui wanted to use his own death to prove that the Uchiha clan also had a successor of the Will of Fire who was wholeheartedly dedicated to protecting Konoha."

"But his idea was not realized. Instead, his death became the fuse that escalated the conflict between the village and the clan."

"I witnessed Shisui's death, which awakened my Mangekyou Sharingan. Shisui entrusted everything to me, and at that time, Danzo..."

Itachi's voice carried a hint of suppressed hatred, "He took the initiative to find me in my despair, offered the cruel solution of eradicating the Uchiha, and promised to spare your life if I carried it out."

"At that time, I had no other choice. Most of the Uchiha clan members were already acting impulsively and were beyond redemption."

"If I don't stop it, the Uchiha clan will only fight the village to the death, and in the end, the entire Uchiha clan will be wiped out."

"Rather than let the Uchiha clan be wiped out and bear the name of a rogue ninja clan, I'd rather bear it all alone."

Sasuke looked at Itachi's young but already weathered face, and a pang of sorrow pressed down on his chest, unspeakable.

Even after the Uchiha clan was wiped out, his resentment towards Itachi kept him alive.

This allowed him to vent his anger on Itachi.

Naruto's care for him kept him in the light.

He bore all of this alone, silently bearing all the blame and killings.

Who can he vent his grievances and sorrows to?

He didn't even dare to show the slightest sign of anything unusual, because he was currently working as a spy for a dangerous organization!

He could only suppress all his negative emotions.

Sasuke took a deep breath and said to Itachi, "I need to find out the truth about what you're saying myself!"

He listened to Naruto's advice: he couldn't let others lead the way; he needed to investigate the truth of everything himself.

Even though these words came from Itachi's mouth.

Hearing Sasuke's words, Itachi wasn't saddened; instead, a hint of relief flashed in his eyes. "So, how do you plan to find out if what I said is true or false?"

“I’ll use my eye technique!” Sasuke pointed to his Mangekyou Sharingan.

"With my other eye technique, Mind Reflection, I will examine your truest memories!"

Itachi nodded slowly, a smile appearing on his lips: "Sasuke, you've really grown up!"

The fact that Sasuke could remain rational and thoughtful even after hearing such important news proves that he is no longer a child.

"Hmph!" Sasuke raised his head and snorted, saying to Itachi, "Don't even think about resisting. I can see that you are just a clone right now, with less than half your own strength. You can't possibly withstand my eye technique!"

Sasuke's left eye was bloodshot, leaving a line of bloody tears, a testament to their shared heart!

Itachi's windmill-shaped kaleidoscope instantly transformed into Sasuke's six-pointed star.

His memories were laid bare before Sasuke.

Sasuke begins to enter Itachi's memories from Itachi's first-person perspective.

Itachi followed Fugaku to the battlefield when he was a child and witnessed the cruelty of war firsthand.

He gradually began to think about the value and meaning of ninjas from a perspective that transcends his own clan.

The memory goes back to when he was just born. Itachi carefully held him in his arms. The baby had a rosy face, closed eyes, and was sucking on his little mouth.

An unprecedented, pure joy and an immense sense of responsibility instantly overwhelmed Itachi.

He touched Sasuke's cheek with his fingertips with utmost gentleness, silently vowing in his heart: "Sasuke, I will never let you smell the smoke and blood again. I will protect you, and protect this village that brings you smiles."

Downstream of the Nanhe River, the water flows gently.

Young Itachi sat side by side with Shisui, who was a few years older.

Chapter 15 Itachi's Memories (2)

The setting sun turned the river surface golden.

Itachi's eyes were filled with a worry beyond his years: "Brother Shisui, the atmosphere at Father's and the clan meeting is becoming more and more oppressive. Why must power be used for fighting? Why do we, as the founders of Konoha, feel like we are being exiled?"

Shisui gazed at the flowing water, his eyes resolute yet gentle: "Itachi, I've been thinking about this too. Hatred only breeds new hatred; the essence of power should be protection, not destruction."

"I believe that as long as there is a bridge of communication, the clan and the village will surely find a way to coexist. Itachi, let's work together to become that bridge!" He stretched out his hand, his palm facing upward, an invitation that seemed to illuminate the fog in Itachi's heart like sunlight.

Itachi smiled and took Shisui's hand.

It is also the Namaka River.

This time the scene is set in the dark of night.

Shisui's eye was now just an empty hole, and his other Mangekyou Sharingan had become dull and lifeless.

"Itachi, I... failed!" Shisui's voice was so weak it sounded like it might break at any moment. "Kotoamatsukami was taken by Danzo! He won't allow peace between the Uchiha clan and the village..." With his last bit of strength, Shisui dug out the only remaining, intact Mangekyou Sharingan and stuffed it into Itachi's trembling palm.

"Protect the village, and I entrust the future and honor of the Uchiha clan to you!" As soon as he finished speaking, Shisui fell backward and into the Naka River.

Itachi clutched the warm eyeball tightly in his hand, and a tremendous surge of grief, anger, fear, and deep-seated hatred for Danzo erupted within him!

He suddenly looked up, and his Sharingan, which originally had three tomoe, spun, deformed, and merged violently under the impact of extreme emotions!

A sharp burning sensation shot through my eyes, and a brand new, windmill-shaped kaleidoscope pattern suddenly appeared!

At that moment, Itachi witnessed pure kindness and ideals being ruthlessly crushed by the desire for power, and he also realized with despair that the bridge of peace built by Shisui had been cut down by Danzo himself!

The road ahead is nothing but suffocating darkness.

He stood there and let out a silent wail.

As the conflict between the Uchiha clan and the village intensified, the pressure on Itachi grew increasingly immense, almost suffocating him.

After meeting with the Konoha leadership and reporting to them on the recent situation within the clan, where a rebellion could occur at any moment,

The Third Hokage stated that he would try to find a way to resolve this conflict peacefully.

Danzo said to Itachi, "Don't listen to the Third Hokage's nice words. In the crucial moment, he will still choose to protect Konoha. I hope you will make a choice!"

"Will you side with the Uchiha and participate in the rebellion, perishing with your family, or will you stand with our Konoha Village, sparing only your younger brother before the rebellion begins, and assist in slaughtering all the Uchiha clan members!"

"Kill all the Uchiha?!" Itachi's eyes widened slightly as he stared at Danzo in shock.

Danzo remained expressionless and continued, "To protect the village, we must suppress the situation before chaos erupts. The only ninja capable of this task are the double agents of the Uchiha clan and Konoha, Itachi. No one but you can accomplish this mission!"

Are you willing to accept this mission?

Itachi knew he had been forced into a corner and had no other choice!

In a dark corner outside the Uchiha clan's territory.

The night was dark and oppressive, making it hard to breathe.

Standing opposite Itachi was a mysterious person wearing an orange swirling mask, revealing only one scarlet Mangekyou Sharingan.

The masked man's voice was deep: "How is it, Itachi? Do you see? Your clansmen are a bunch of madmen blinded by ambition! They can't wait to tear Konoha apart! Danzo only wants your clan wiped out!"

"That indecisive old man, the Third Hokage, can't stop anything! The Konoha you want to protect, and your brother Sasuke, will all be destroyed in this pointless internal strife!"

Itachi's kaleidoscope glowed eerily in the darkness. His face was expressionless, displaying only a chilling despair and a numb resolve.

An inner voice echoed: "There is no other way. Shisui's death sealed this fate. I cannot let Sasuke be dragged into this inevitable defeat, nor can I allow the Uchiha name to become synonymous with traitor!"

He spoke, his voice dry and hoarse: "Your conditions?"

The masked man let out a low laugh: "Simple. I'll help you get rid of these restless Uchiha and give you the result you want: the glory of the Uchiha will be inherited by the survivor Sasuke, and Konoha will be spared from internal strife. The price is that you will bear the name of a rogue ninja and join my organization, Akatsuki."

Itachi's fist clenched so tightly inside his sleeve that his knuckles turned white, and his nails dug deep into his palm.

After a long silence, he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his eyes held only a still, resolute calm: "I agree. But I have one condition: after dealing with the Uchiha, you are never allowed to attack Konoha again, nor are you allowed to reveal any information about me or tonight! Also, Sasuke, you absolutely cannot touch him!"

“I promise you!” the masked man nodded and said.

This was the only chance he could fight for his brother's life.

A deal destined to be bloody and hellish was struck in the dead of night in despair.

At the Uchiha clan head's house, Fugaku and Mikoto sat upright on the tatami mats, with the family crest, a fan symbolizing the clan's honor, behind them.

There were no signs of a struggle in the room.

Fugaku and Mikoto stood with their backs to Itachi, their eyes filled not with anger, but with deep sorrow and relief: "I don't want to kill my own sons. You've chosen to side with them?"

"Dad, Mom, I..."

Mikoto said in her gentle voice, "We understand, Itachi!"

Fugaku said in a deep voice, "Itachi, promise me one last time: protect Sasuke and keep him away from all of this!"

Upon hearing his parents' words, Itachi could no longer hold back. Hot tears streamed down his face, and his hand gripping his ninja sword trembled uncontrollably.

"Don't be afraid, this is the path you chose. Compared to you, our pain is only momentary. Even if we have different ideas, I am still proud of you!"

Itachi let out a suppressed sob, tears dripping onto the back of his hand holding the ninja sword, and finally spreading out on the tatami mat.

After attacking his own parents, Itachi saw Sasuke open the door.

After using Tsukuyomi on Sasuke, Itachi, wearing an Anbu mask, met the masked man again on the rooftop.