Konoha Village.
Uchiha Sasuke returned here with a group of people.
However, Uchiha Itachi did not come to greet them, as the second-generation leader of Root and two Hokage advisors were in the Hokage Building, discussing the true succession of Tsunade as the Fifth Hokage. This was because Tsunade, Shizune, and Jiraiya had returned to Konoha with Uzumaki Naruto.
It must be said:
Uchiha Itachi was truly not suited for political struggles.
During this time, the only thing this man managed to accomplish was to follow Uchiha Sasuke's orders, dispersing all the Root ninjas and integrating them into the Anbu. The rest of his time was spent echoing the two Hokage advisors, following all their arrangements...
"What are you doing?"
When Uchiha Sasuke saw his brother, he did not hide his mocking tone: "Have you really become a loyal servant to the Hokage? What's the deal? Do you truly think of yourself as a loyal subject?"
"..."
Uchiha Itachi was unable to answer.
His expertise was in killing from the shadows. Engaging in these petty discussions with the upper echelons of Konoha made him feel a bit weary during this time.
Moreover...
He was also a rogue ninja who shouldn't be alive.
Being suddenly thrust into the higher-ups of Konoha was something he wasn't used to, especially since he was inherently loyal to Konoha and never intended to oppose the higher-ups...
"I..."
"What should I do?"
Uchiha Itachi glanced at the group of people standing behind Uchiha Sasuke, his eyes betraying a slight hint of surprise, as those people all seemed to be adults.
When did this younger brother Sasuke...
gather such a formidable force?
Moreover, the one leading them...
"Sasuke..."
Uchiha Itachi instinctively frowned, staring intently at a masked man among them, and softly inquired, "Who are they?"
"They are the new members of Root."
Uchiha Sasuke had the reanimated Uchiha members don the uniforms of Root and casually remarked, "The only thing Root needs to do now is kill."
Uchiha Sasuke handed a list directly to the leader of the group, instructing them to go and openly massacre the casino owners within the Ninja World: "Anyone involved with the current Fifth Hokage Tsunade, whether they are casino owners or lenders, should be killed without exception..."
"I understand."
The leader slowly nodded.
"Wait..."
Uchiha Itachi instinctively felt that this voice was strangely familiar, making him immediately recall when he last heard it!
This voice...
Is it Father's voice?
Uchiha Itachi's mind began to analyze instinctively!
When the leader responded to Sasuke's orders, he did not act like a subordinate at all; it was as if he and Uchiha Sasuke were equals. Perhaps this man even considered himself superior to Sasuke...
"Go and do it."
Uchiha Sasuke waved his hand, showing no intention of allowing Uchiha Itachi to interact with them, and coldly looked at Uchiha Itachi: "Alright, now go report to the higher-ups. You discovered Shimura Danzo's experimental base and found a batch of experimental products made from Uchiha clan Sharingan..."
"Is that...Father?"
Uchiha Itachi stared intently at his younger brother, his mind quickly unraveling the entire truth, and his voice trembled slightly as he spoke: "I heard that Orochimaru used the Edo Tensei technique to kill the Third Hokage. You have a connection with Orochimaru, did you use the Edo Tensei to revive our deceased clansmen?"
Obviously.
The information was easy to deduce.
Uchiha Itachi only needed to hear a familiar voice to instantly understand who Sasuke had brought back—those were the dead Uchiha souls!
"This is not something you should concern yourself with."
Uchiha Sasuke coldly looked at his brother, turning away without mercy: "Just complete the tasks I've given you..."
"Right now, that's all you're good for..."
"Sasuke!"
Uchiha Itachi placed his hand on his brother's shoulder, his eyes darkening, and his voice lowered: "We need to talk..."
"Talk about what?"
Uchiha Sasuke looked up at his impeccably dressed elder brother and chuckled lightly, asking: "I'm more curious about something else. Seeing the kind of brother I've become, would you still give me your Mangekyo Sharingan now?"
"!!!"
Uchiha Itachi's heart sank.
"Would you still give me your Mangekyo Sharingan now..."
"To grant me the power of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan?"
Uchiha Sasuke spread his hands and carelessly proposed another scenario: "Or, would you now take my eyes, to gain the power of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan for yourself?"
"It seems that the masked man has told you quite a lot..."
Uchiha Itachi took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions. Given his own terminal illness, what good would it do to gain his brother's eyes?
However...
Uchiha Itachi could not answer his brother's question.
If he handed over his Mangekyo Sharingan to Sasuke now, it would undoubtedly give his brother even more terrifying power. What would Sasuke do then?
Now, with just the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan, Sasuke had already begun extending his dark influence over Konoha. What would he do if he attained the power of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan?
Seeing the darkening expression on Itachi's face, Uchiha Sasuke couldn't help but sneer and lost interest in further conversing with his brother, returning to his office.
In the ensuing time...
The situation in Konoha suddenly became bizarre.
After Tsunade returned to the village as the Fifth Hokage, she initially thought that the state of Konoha was acceptable. Though the two Hokage advisors were long-winded, they did not oppose her policies. After Shimura Danzo's death, the new Root leader, Uchiha Itachi, also posed no problems, aside from needing to keep his identity a secret. He carried out all her orders without objection.
However...
Within just a few days...
The political climate of the Land of Fire sharply shifted.
The nobles of the Land of Fire opposed Tsunade's succession and even began accusing her of indiscriminate killing. Just as Tsunade was still trying to figure out where things had gone wrong, the nobles accusing her were systematically eliminated...
By the time Tsunade managed to trace the source of the problem back to Root's actions, Uchiha Itachi, the leader of Root, simply feigned ignorance when confronted by the Fifth Hokage. He had no idea why Uchiha Sasuke was doing all of this…
There was no doubt about it...
This situation was causing the newly appointed Fifth Hokage enormous trouble, even though Root was simultaneously creating problems and helping Tsunade clean them up...
Of course.
A bigger problem soon arose.
Orochimaru had destroyed Konoha's ally, the Grass Village.
Whether for revenge on the Third Hokage or to eliminate the potential threat of Orochimaru, Tsunade had no choice but to rely on Anbu and Root to address the issue…
Coincidentally...
A comparison was also made.
Root pursued Orochimaru with considerable dedication.
At the very least, they consistently destroyed Orochimaru's bases faster than Anbu could, leaving Tsunade unable to dissolve Root and even having to rely on them to deal with Orochimaru, especially since both Uchiha brothers in Root wielded the Mangekyo Sharingan.
However...
Uchiha Itachi knew all the truths.
He knew that all the troubles faced by the Fifth Hokage were orchestrated by his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke. The issues Konoha encountered were also all manufactured by Sasuke, even though it was also Sasuke who resolved them.
Unfortunately...
Uchiha Itachi couldn't find a solution.
Perhaps the only small consolation for Itachi was that he finally managed to secretly meet his reanimated father, Uchiha Fugaku, without Sasuke's knowledge.
Through his father, Itachi learned more about Sasuke's plans, including his scheme to resurrect the entire Uchiha clan.
"Sasuke..."
"Has embarked on a dangerous path."
"This is all due to the mistake I made in the past."
Itachi deeply felt the trouble that his brother posed but realized that he could not turn Sasuke back: "And now, Sasuke's power has grown too overwhelming. He ignores anyone's will, and Konoha is gradually falling under his control..."
"Itachi..."
Fugaku looked at his eldest son with a complex expression: "This time, will you still stand with Konoha...and kill your own brother?"
"..."
Itachi remained silent, unable to answer.
He held a notebook in his hand, which contained Sasuke's new plans. Sasuke was drafting a plan to reanimate the other Hokages and politically eliminate the two Hokage advisors, placing the Fifth Hokage Tsunade entirely under his control.
"I cannot allow Sasuke to continue on this path..."
Itachi closed the notebook, his expression solemn: "I won't kill him, but I must thwart all his schemes..."
"Is it for Konoha again?"
Fugaku looked at his eldest son and sighed softly: "Back then, when you stood with Konoha, your mother and I were still proud of you... But this time, it's Sasuke... Can you really go through with it?"
"I will bring him back to the right path."
Itachi's gaze gradually grew resolute. He looked at his father, revealing a rare vulnerability: "Father, I need your support..."
At the very least...
This situation could not continue as it was.
If he had his father's support, Itachi believed that he would not be powerless within Root, and could even subtly undermine Sasuke's orders.
"I understand."
Fugaku felt sorrowful about the internal strife between his two sons. He did not want to see his sons turn against each other, but he knew that if Sasuke's actions were exposed, he would inevitably be attacked and condemned by everyone.
Not to mention anything else, just pulling their deceased clansmen back from the afterlife for his own use had already stirred resentment among many in the clan…
However, Uchiha Sasuke had no interest in the secret plots between his brother and father, nor did he have time to address the growing undercurrents within Root.
During this period, Uchiha Sasuke was extremely busy, constantly checking with Kabuto on the progress of the Uchiha clan's reanimation, while also engaging in verbal duels with Black Zetsu.
After all...
Black Zetsu had its own agenda.
This creature, which had hidden in the shadows for thousands of years, could no longer extract more information from Sasuke, and finally had to hand over Uchiha Madara's body to Kabuto. Kabuto was tasked with reanimating Madara, hoping to glean from him the secrets hidden in the Indra Chakra reincarnations.
Coincidentally...
The Uchiha clan's reanimation was almost complete.
Kabuto never imagined that he would have the chance to resurrect a legendary figure with his own hands. His first thought was to report everything to Uchiha Sasuke.
"Agree to it."
Uchiha Sasuke was unconcerned and even openly expressed his trust in Uchiha Madara: "It would be best if we could resurrect Madara in his prime. That man would be a valuable ally for us, and he'd be more vigilant about Black Zetsu than we are..."
"Agreed," replied Yakushi Kabuto, who was also eager to revive Madara at his peak.
"There is one more thing..." Kabuto then began to speak seriously about the trouble he had encountered, detailing changes within Root: "Sasuke, the last time a group of Root ninjas came to destroy Orochimaru-sama's base, it seemed like they truly intended to capture both me and Orochimaru-sama..."
"Then there's no need to provide them with any more information," Sasuke responded indifferently, as if he were a god overlooking the struggles of mere ants. "It doesn't matter if Root goes out of control. I never really expected them to follow my orders seriously. It was just a way to get them used to the world of the living..."
"Hmph... we'll see..."
"Maybe one day I'll become the so-called enemy of the ninja world," Sasuke scoffed, his face full of mockery. "In that case, let's fan the flames and let them see that I truly am the enemy of the ninja world..."
"Is it really necessary to go that far?" Kabuto looked uneasy, hoping Sasuke would reconsider. "Sasuke, in truth, this world..."
"I have no attachment to this world," Sasuke said firmly, dismissing Kabuto's attempt to persuade him. "Ever since I learned the truth about this world, I no longer care about it..."
"For me... it doesn't matter whether I'm alive or dead..."
"All I want now is to return to the world that belongs to me, not to continue living here, burdened by the so-called love and expectations of others..."
In the Konoha Village, Uchiha Itachi, the second leader of Root, and his father, Uchiha Fugaku, also learned that Root's ninjas had failed in their attempt to capture Orochimaru and Kabuto.
Had they succeeded, they could have disrupted Sasuke's plan to resurrect the entire Uchiha clan with the Edo Tensei technique, and possibly even undo the reincarnation itself...
But...
This plan had failed.
Now, Sasuke would likely realize that Root was opposing him. If his younger brother truly came to cause trouble, Itachi was prepared to take full responsibility, even if it meant risking his life in a battle against Sasuke.
Of course, he wouldn't kill his brother. Itachi hoped instead that his death could awaken Sasuke, preventing him from straying further down the wrong path.
However...
Sasuke truly didn't care at all.
When the dark-haired youth returned to the village, it was as if nothing had happened. Perhaps he knew his own reputation wasn't enough to command respect.
"Oh, by the way."
"Investigate the recent instances of Uchiha bodies being discovered outside the village..."
"Because that masked man isn't Uchiha Madara."
Sasuke showed no displeasure at Root's defiance, continuing to speak coldly to his brother: "Kabuto and I found Madara's body. We're planning to revive him using the Edo Tensei and use his power to conquer this world..."
"..."
Itachi suddenly felt that the situation had become even more troublesome.
This brother of his...
Does he really have to cause so many problems? Just the name Uchiha Madara is enough to make ninjas across the world tremble! Other than the legendary God of Ninja, Hashirama, who could possibly defeat Madara?
And besides...
Can they really control Madara?
"Sasuke, Madara is extremely dangerous..." Itachi couldn't help but warn his brother, feeling increasingly uneasy. "That man, who once dominated the Warring States period, possessed the power of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, at the very least..."
"Just a pawn," Sasuke replied emotionlessly as he drank his pear juice, not taking his brother's warning to heart at all. "Madara was like me, just a puppet whose fate was controlled by someone else..."
"..." Itachi felt a pang of sorrow in his heart.
"That's enough."
Sasuke slammed his cup on the table, maintaining his cold and heartless demeanor: "That masked man is likely Kakashi-sensei's former teammate, Uchiha Obito, because his abilities resemble the space-time jutsu Kakashi once demonstrated. Relay this information to the Fifth Hokage and Kakashi-sensei. Have them pursue him during this time..."
"Perhaps... it's his destiny as well."
"And... What about you?" Itachi's gaze darkened.
"Me?" Sasuke sneered as he glanced at his brother, coldly mocking him: "Do you think I had any other choice after that night? Didn't you already arrange my destiny?"
"I'll just wait quietly for your death..."
"And then I'll take your eyes..."
"Naturally, I'll awaken the power of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan..."
"I'll make good use of that power..." Sasuke touched his eyes, a slight smile on his lips. "To change the world's perception of ninjas, to reshape this world's past, and let them understand what the future of the ninja world should really be like..."
"..." Itachi felt a deep unease, worried that his brother would become even more powerful in the future.
He didn't care what the future of the ninja world would look like...
But...
This brother of his...
Definitely shouldn't turn out like this!
Meanwhile, the negotiation between Black Zetsu and Kabuto went smoothly.
Kabuto, wanting to strengthen his control over the resurrected Madara, even tampered with Madara's corpse, adding more cells from the First Hokage.
"Are you sure..."
"Madara won't escape your control?" Black Zetsu asked, feeling uneasy, knowing the extent of Madara's power.
"He won't," Kabuto replied confidently, adjusting his glasses.
"That's good..."
"As long as we can extract the secret of Sasuke's power from Madara..."
Black Zetsu's sinister voice echoed in Kabuto's ears: "Kabuto, you want to uncover those ancient secrets as well, don't you?"
"Of course," Kabuto replied with a sly smile, quickly forming hand seals and slamming his hands onto the ground!
As Kabuto completed the seals, Madara's corpse turned to dust and merged with a White Zetsu, reconstituting into a man clad in red armor, with his eyes tightly shut, standing before them!
"Madara!"
Without waiting for Madara to open his eyes, Black Zetsu immediately asked: "When you awakened the Rinnegan, how much of Indra's memories did you receive?"
In any case...
Black Zetsu no longer intended to use Madara!
Black Zetsu had already devised its future plans, intending to completely abandon Madara. After extracting enough information from Madara, it would proceed to deceive Sasuke!
"..."
Madara's disheveled hair swayed slowly.
"Hm?"
Madara's eyes opened slowly, revealing a pair of crimson eyes. Frowning, he asked the first question after his resurrection: "Indra... who is that?"
"Hehehehe..."
"Stop pretending, Madara..."
"When you awakened the Rinnegan, you received the residual memories of Indra..."
"I already know, Madara..."
Black Zetsu sneered as it stared at Madara, mocking both Madara and itself for pretending to be Madara's will: "When you awakened the Rinnegan, you already knew who I was, but you still pretended to acknowledge me as your will when I appeared..."
"My... will?" Madara's eyes narrowed dangerously, and a terrifying killing intent began to emanate from him: "Black Zetsu, aren't you my will?"
"Madara..."
"We both know the truth..."
Black Zetsu's lips curled into a sneer, as if mocking Madara and itself: "There's no need to keep pretending. When you awakened the Rinnegan, didn't you already know my identity?"
"!!!"
Madara's eyes narrowed further, and a tangible chakra began to surge from his body.
Black Zetsu...
Had another identity?
Wasn't it his will?
This thing had been deceiving him all along?
"..."
Sensing the ominous chakra emanating from Madara, Black Zetsu suddenly felt a sense of unease. It instinctively looked back at Kabuto: "Kabuto, are you sure this isn't Madara at his peak?"
"I'm not so sure..." Kabuto's face showed a mix of confusion and regret, smiling at Black Zetsu.
"After all..."
"I wasn't born in that era..."
"So I've never seen Madara-sama in his peak…"