In the Hokage Residence, Danzo had just received the news that the intruder had been captured, but the only one brought back by the Anbu was Kisame Hoshigaki.
"Where is Uchiha Itachi?" he asked.
"Kazuki-sama said he was sent to the Root."
"The Root?" Danzo's brows furrowed slightly, then relaxed.
As long as Itachi was controlled within Konoha, his whereabouts didn't matter much to Danzo. What mattered was that Itachi couldn't expose Konoha's secrets, his life or death was inconsequential.
Casting a sidelong glance at the restrained Kisame, Danzo said coldly, "Take him away for interrogation. Find out about his accomplices and their motives!"
"Yes, Fifth Hokage!"
...
One month later,
Ding!
Host's bound target has activated the Mangekyō Sharingan. The host receives a hundredfold return!
Congratulations! Host has activated the Mangekyō Sharingan and gained a hundredfold increase in ocular power!
"So, the Mangekyō has finally been awakened," Kazuki muttered as he lay on a park bench in Konoha, basking in the sunlight.
Over the past month, many things had happened in Konoha, the most significant being the annihilation of the Sarutobi Clan and the Shimura Clan.
One was the clan of the Third Hokage, and the other belonged to the Fifth Hokage!
Two powerful clans wiped out overnight, and the one responsible was none other than Uchiha Sasuke!
The village officially put out a wanted notice for Sasuke, labeling him as an SSS-class threat with a bounty exceeding hundreds of millions!
Such an enormous bounty attracted the attention of many bounty hunters, yet no one had managed to locate Sasuke. Little did they know, the one who decimated so many of Konoha's clans was hiding right in the village, within its highest ranks!
In the Roots secret underground base, Kazuki activated the Mangekyō Sharingan, intending to check on Sasuke.
With a swift use of the Flying Thunder God Technique, Kazuki bypassed countless barriers and appeared instantly beside Sasuke.
Sasuke was alone in a cell, covered in blood—some his own, some from others. Kazuki surveyed the grim scene, noting the scattered corpses around the room.
"Is this the thrill of killing?" Kazuki wondered, looking at the disheveled Sasuke, his hands stained with the blood of countless victims.
"Sasuke?" Kazuki called out softly.
Hearing his name, Sasuke's head snapped up, his eyes cold and filled with malice, ready to attack. But upon seeing Kazuki, he quickly restrained his bloodlust.
"Killing too much isn't good for you. It leads to darkness," Kazuki said in a calm voice.
Sasuke gave no response, though he seemed to understand the truth in Kazuki's words. He knew that killing wasn't a good thing, but he couldn't shake the pleasure he found in it. He didn't know how to replace that sensation.
Kazuki could see Sasuke's struggle. If he continued down this path, it might lead to chaos in Konoha once more.
"What do you want?" Sasuke asked, his voice still laced with coldness.
"Nothing much, just checking on what you've been up to lately," Kazuki replied casually.
Kazuki's eyes then landed on a familiar face among the bodies. A man was tied to a cross, his arms severed, his body riddled with wounds, yet a faint smile lingered on his face even in death.
"Uchiha Itachi?"
"Yes," Sasuke said, his voice filled with a mix of emotions. "I just killed him."
"You tortured him for a month?" Kazuki asked with a hint of curiosity.
"Revenge for the clan! Simply killing him would have been too easy!" Sasuke's voice hardened, returning to its cold demeanor.
"Ah, I see." Kazuki nodded in agreement. "If someone destroyed my clan, a month of torment would be just the beginning. I'd make sure they wished for death but couldn't attain it."
Kazuki looked at Sasuke, noticing his troubled expression. "You don't seem satisfied," he said.
After a moment of silence, Sasuke asked, "Tell me, Kazuki, what does it mean to be a ninja?"
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The fanfic is finished on p@treon/tambeerg