For once, Itachi found himself reflecting deeply, an emotional storm surging in his heart that refused to settle.
"Don't judge someone based on appearances and assumptions. True change can't be governed by rules, nor confined by intuition or imagination."
That was something he himself had once said—and now, it had come back to strike him like a boomerang.
He had once felt complete disillusionment with the Uchiha clan, believing them to be shackled by narrow-minded tribalism, their vision was limited.
But after hearing Sasuke's words, he couldn't help but wonder—was that how others saw him, too?
For a moment, Itachi began to doubt himself.
—In truth, everyone is a frog at the bottom of some well when they step into unfamiliar territory. The difference is that some people realize it, while others remain arrogantly blind.
Itachi's greatest strength lay in battle. His combat instincts were second to none. As for everything else...
Heh.
Seeing the shifting, unreadable expression on Itachi's face, Sasuke let out a genuine laugh. This—this—was exactly the reaction he wanted: knocking his opponent off their pedestal with words alone, until their logic crumbled and their thoughts were reshaped to his will. No wonder Naruto loved using Talk no Jutsu so much—it really was addictively satisfying!
"When the truth escapes your control and stretches beyond what you can comprehend, your first instinct is to deny it."
"You can't accept that your little brother has turned into a cold, ruthless butcher. So you convince yourself I must be a demon possessing his body. You grasp for excuses, weaving a web of logic to comfort yourself, and you take those fantasies as fact—all to protect your fragile peace of mind."
"You live in delusion, unable to face reality. That, my dear foolish onii-chan, is the depth of your narrow-mindedness..."
Sasuke's eyes gleamed with disdain as he continued his verbal assault.
"Shut up!" Itachi snapped, his voice seething with fury as he cut Sasuke off.
Only now did Itachi realize: Sasuke's ideology followed a complete and coherent internal logic. And he knew that to dismantle one well-formed belief system, you needed another that was even more solid.
But Itachi's philosophy—vague and hollow—crumbled like paper when pitted against Sasuke's. This wasn't the outcome he wanted. He couldn't accept being invalidated. Nor could he accept the idea that the sacrifices he made for peace had been meaningless.
"Caw!"
A pitch-black crow burst forth as Itachi summoned it. One of its eyes gleamed with a blood-red, spinning pattern—it locked onto Sasuke with a fierce, hypnotic whirl.
Kotoamatsukami.
Sasuke's will was silently altered. But the change was so sudden, so unnatural, that he immediately noticed it—how could someone who loathed Konoha so deeply suddenly feel affection for it?
Luckily, Sasuke had already planned for this.
"My sweet baby sunshine, get over here!" he called out affectionately. Under Itachi's confused gaze, a plump orange cat waddled over, its paws pattering across the ground.
"Starting today, your name is now Konoha. Don't worry, I'll protect you with all I've got." Sasuke gently petted the cat, then shot Itachi a smug grin.
Heh—surprise! Your trump card failed. How does that feel?
Watching the disbelief twist Itachi's face, Sasuke beamed, radiant and triumphant.
"Human thought is unpredictable and full of nuance. But Kotoamatsukami? It's just a rigid command. Sure, it's powerful at first. But over time, the human brain will find loopholes and ways to bend around the order."
"Guess what would happen if you used Kotoamatsukami to command Danzo to 'protect Konoha'? You think he'd suddenly become a selfless, loyal hero?"
"No. He wouldn't change a bit. Because from the very beginning, Danzo already believed everything he did was for the sake of Konoha."
"Deluding yourself until even you believe the lie? Kotoamatsukami can't compete with that level of self-deception."
Even to this day, the true power of Kotoamatsukami remains debatable. In canon, only Mifune fell under Danzo's version of it—and even that result was... well, mediocre at best. Once exposed, the illusion broke down almost instantly.
Besides, isn't it completely possible for a human to do something that goes against their beliefs or instincts?
"You've played all your cards. Got anything left to say?" Sasuke's tone was eerily calm now. The fiery emotions—love, hate—seemed to have dissipated with his last words.
"You... You really are Sasuke, aren't you?" Itachi's voice trembled slightly as he stared into his brother's eyes. "Why have you become like this...?"
Sasuke replied coolly, "You used to like apples. Now you like grapes. One day, you might even like watermelon. You can't stop yourself from changing—so why would you expect me to stay frozen in time?"
Itachi opened his mouth, speechless. After thinking carefully, he finally said,
"Sasuke, your revenge has been devastating. You've destroyed hearts as well as lives. You've grown far beyond my expectations. Konoha and I are already paying the price—can that satisfy your grudge? The shinobi world is on the brink of disaster. We need someone strong like you to turn the tide..."
Sasuke looked at him seriously. "Being an idiot is a disease—you should get help. What does the chaos in the ninja world have to do with me? Don't tell me... you're not seriously thinking my revenge ends here?"
Itachi's face fell in horror. "What more do you want?!"
"Oh, I'll let you live," Sasuke said with a wicked grin. "And I'll make sure you do everything you don't want to do. You'll watch—helplessly—as your name is dragged through the mud and Konoha's legacy turns to rot."
"Remember the name Shimura Sayuri? I'll write your sordid little tales into novels, adapt them into films, and cast Konoha as the loathsome villain. I'll use mass entertainment to brainwash the world—permanently nailing your 'great sacrifice' to the pillar of shame!"
Three voices repeated become a tiger; a thousand lies make a truth. Shimura Sayuri might be fictional, but if her story spreads wide enough, historical fiction could replace real history.
—To be precise, Itachi had guessed part of the truth earlier. Sasuke... wasn't entirely Sasuke anymore.
That parasitic shadow soul—Demon Fragment #1—hadn't disappeared. It had fused with Sasuke. In the beginning, Sasuke's own will was still in control...
Sasuke pulled out a kunai engraved with sealing tags and thrust it into Itachi's Edo Tensei body.
"Go. Deal with the last dregs of Konoha. That'll be your first step toward atonement."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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