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"Uncle, I didn't expect you to still be alive."
Itachi responded flatly to Kaito, then turned to Sasuke and said sternly, "Foolish little brother, your hatred is dwindling. Following this man has indeed made you weaker."
"Hmph, nonsense."
Sasuke coldly retorted, now no longer easily provoked by Itachi.
Kaito, however, suddenly showed a kindly smile and remained silent.
Itachi continued, "This weak man once fled the village because he couldn't become a ninja, lacking the courage to live in a world of ninjas. Even now, despite seeming to have gained some power, it changes nothing."
Kaito had no response, just smiling more kindly.
After all, he had used such an excuse to leave the village back then.
Annoying, indeed.
Wasn't Itachi supposed to be the silent type from a young age? Why so talkative in front of Sasuke now?
As Itachi's Sharingan evolved into the Mangekyō, spinning rapidly like a shuriken, he said, "With your hatred so diminished, when will you possess these eyes? Since your hatred has weakened, let me help you remember."
But Kaito had already made his move by then.
As Itachi revealed his Mangekyō, Kaito stepped forward.
When Itachi activated his dōjutsu, Kaito was already shielding Sasuke.
Gurē, too, conscientiously closed his eyes without being told.
In an instant, Kaito felt a chilling chakra invade, pulling at his spirit.
Without resisting instinctively, everything went dark around him, and he found himself in a space created by a genjutsu.
Under a dark red sky hung a blood moon, beneath which stood many copies of Itachi.
Kaito, firmly bound in the middle, remained calm, smiling at the nearest Itachi, "Is this the Tsukuyomi of the Mangekyō Sharingan? What will you do to me now, Itachi?"
Itachi, for the moment, made no further move but said, "Uncle, I've always known you to be too smart and perceptive. So, I'm not surprised you've guessed some truths. But you shouldn't influence Sasuke."
His tone grew increasingly angry.
"Sasuke must follow the path I've laid out for him. That's what's best for him."
Hearing Itachi's words, Kaito burst into laughter, laughing so hard he hiccuped.
Itachi simply watched him silently.
After a while, Kaito stopped laughing and coldly said to Itachi, "How ridiculous, Itachi. Who gave you the right to arbitrarily decide Sasuke's life? And who gave you the right to trade the lives of the Uchiha clan, men, women, elderly, and children, for peace?"
"Thinking selfishly always puts oneself in a position higher than others, acting solely on one's own ideas without caring about others' feelings. This is the arrogance that power brings. You are too arrogant, Itachi!"
"Arrogance from power? Perhaps."
Itachi's gaze didn't waver but retorted, "Then, where does your arrogance come from? Even when you were powerless, you looked down on those in the clan."
"You noticed that, huh? How old were you then?" Kaito didn't deny it, "At that time, I saw the clan's situation in the village, but because I had no power, no one listened to me. It was quite troubling."
In fact, at that time, he was in his adolescence, always acting superior as if he was the only sober person in a world of drunks. He hadn't expected Itachi to have noticed.
A truly dark history.
"So in the end, you just fled weakly," Itachi concluded, "Since you had already fled, you shouldn't have come back."
Simultaneously, all of his clones brandished a katana.
Then, the Itachi closest to Kaito raised his sword towards him.
"Coming back is just giving away your life. Although I'm reluctant to take action, to ensure Sasuke returns to the right path, I must eliminate you completely here."
"The right path? Don't make me laugh!"
Kaito's aura suddenly erupted, his form shifting from solid to ethereal, breaking free from the crucifix binding him.
"Sacrificing others for someone? A familiar argument indeed. Weighing lives on a scale to achieve goals by sacrificing some, you're too influenced by the Third Hokage, Itachi!"
His form shifted back to solid, hands forming seals.
"The so-called Will of Fire, what a boring concept. For the future of the Uchiha, I can't let you influence Sasuke anymore!"
His eyes turned red, three tomoe appeared, spinning into a pentagram.
"Bind!"
Chains formed of incantations from the void appeared beneath Itachi's numerous clones, binding them all in place.
Simultaneously, the Tsukuyomi's constructed space underwent a significant change.
The blood moon sank, the sky turned dark blue, countless stars lit up one by one, slowly moving along predetermined paths.
"This is the Stellar Path."
Kaito lowered his hands and approached Itachi.
"The stars' paths herald the world's fate, and here I can deduce the answers I seek."
"Your organization is dangerous. So, what's the ultimate goal of collecting Tailed Beasts, Itachi?"
"And what's your purpose in suddenly taking Sasuke away?" Despite being overturned by Kaito in an instant, Itachi remained composed.
"Ah, I intended to visit relatives but encountered the runaway Sasuke on the way. With the clan gone, I had no choice but to take the boy back with me," Kaito shrugged, "It seems you don't believe me."
To someone as smart as Itachi, a simple truth is that unbelievable.
But this encounter also revealed Black Zetsu's leftover pieces, indicating his time is running short.
"Sasuke must eventually return to the Leaf," Itachi suddenly said.
Kaito shook his head, "I'll only teach him enough to protect himself. As for what he decides to do afterward, Sasuke should determine that himself."