Aoba unrolled the scroll in his hand. It contained detailed information on all the Akatsuki members. Clearly, Itachi hadn't been idle over the years.
In the original story, while Itachi was technically loyal to Konoha, he did very little for the village apart from protecting Sasuke. His return to Konoha was mostly to check on Sasuke's condition and to warn the higher-ups not to harm his younger brother.
This time, however, his actions were different. He had delivered substantial intelligence, while not particularly useful to Aoba personally, it was of immense value to Konoha.
It seemed that with Tsunade's earlier ascension as Hokage and Aoba's reforms, Itachi's outlook had shifted. He was uncertain of the new leadership's attitude toward Sasuke. With Tsunade and Aoba being particularly strong-willed leaders, Itachi was worried Sasuke might face unfair treatment.
Thus, he returned not only to observe but also to offer this information as a token of goodwill, ensuring some form of protection for Sasuke.
With this gesture, letting Itachi leave was an easy decision for Aoba, even one Tsunade couldn't object to.
After all, Itachi's intelligence revealed just how dangerous the Akatsuki truly was.
"This organization... Jiraiya has already shared some information about it with me, but Itachi's report is far more comprehensive. It's valuable intelligence," Tsunade remarked. "That said, his crimes cannot be overlooked. Konoha can cooperate with him to a limited extent, but he must never be fully trusted."
"I understand."
Tsunade's orders were reasonable. No sane leadership could trust someone like Itachi after what he had done, no matter how valuable his offering.
"By the way, how are Sasuke and Naruto?"
"Naruto's fine. He's tough, he just needs some rest. Sasuke, however, is in a more serious condition. He's still unconscious."
"Did he fall victim to Itachi's genjutsu?"
"Yes. It likely forced him to relive something incredibly traumatic."
Tsunade fell silent for a moment after hearing Aoba's reply.
"Was it to awaken his Sharingan?"
"Probably."
"Regardless, it's far too cruel for Sasuke. You'll need to pay extra attention to guiding him. Carrying such a heavy burden, coupled with this kind of mental trauma, I'm afraid he might take a dark path."
"I understand. I've already made some preparations, but ultimately, this will depend on Sasuke himself."
After leaving the Hokage's office, Aoba made his way to Konoha Hospital.
Inside, Karin, Sakura, Ino, and other classmates were visiting Sasuke.
When Aoba entered, the group of young ninja quickly stepped aside. As one of the most respected figures in Konoha, Aoba's presence made the newly graduated shinobi nervous, except for Karin and Sakura, who were slightly more at ease.
"Aoba-sensei, will Sasuke be okay?" Ino asked. Despite the competitive dynamics within their group, their concern for Sasuke was evident.
"You're all shinobi now, so I won't lie to you. Sasuke has suffered severe psychological trauma. His condition is still uncertain."
"But how could it be this bad? That guy just looked at him for a few seconds! How could it cause such serious harm?" Naruto exclaimed in disbelief. He had fought alongside Sasuke against Itachi and Kisame, and while they lost, it was clear their opponents were strong. Still, Naruto couldn't understand how such a brief encounter could leave Sasuke in this state.
As someone with zero aptitude for genjutsu, Naruto couldn't fathom the level of Itachi's skill.
"It wasn't ordinary genjutsu. To put it simply: for us, it may have lasted only a few seconds, but for Sasuke, it could have felt like an eternity in a mental world," Aoba explained.
As he spoke, Aoba's expression sharpened. Sasuke's chakra had begun to shift.
"All of you, leave immediately. Sakura, assist me. Shikamaru, go inform the Hokage."
"...Understood."
The group hesitated for a moment before obediently leaving the room. As they departed, they could see a dark, eerie chakra emanating from Sasuke.
"What's happening, sensei?" Sakura asked.
"It's the curse mark. Orochimaru's mark on Sasuke has broken through its seal. The intense fluctuations in Sasuke's mental state likely triggered the curse mark, shattering the Sealing Jutsu. Prepare to reapply the seal."
"Understood."
Though Sasuke remained unconscious, Aoba could feel the chakra within him growing stronger, tainted with traces of Senjutsu chakra, a hallmark of Orochimaru's curse mark.
This degraded form of Senjutsu chakra was a manifestation of the curse mark's power. Sasuke's chaotic mental state, exacerbated by Itachi's genjutsu, had caused the curse mark to spiral out of control.
Aoba lifted Sasuke's eyelids and wasn't surprised to see that his eyes had awakened into the three-tomoe Sharingan. Sasuke's chakra was in a state of violent turmoil.
Aoba removed the forehead protector covering his own right eye, revealing his Sharingan. As their gazes met, Aoba's consciousness was pulled into a familiar yet alien place.
Familiar because it was the Uchiha clan compound; alien because it was not quite the same as in reality.
Most of the buildings were new and appeared inhabited, starkly different from the desolation Aoba remembered.
But the area was drenched in death and blood, it was the night of the Uchiha massacre.
Whether due to the intensity of Itachi's actions, Sasuke was still trapped in this nightmare, unable to escape.
Aoba stepped into the compound. Corpses littered the streets, doorways, and courtyards.
Some wore ninja headbands; others were civilians, women in casual clothes and young children, all sprawled across the clan grounds.
Aoba could barely fathom what kind of madness would drive someone to slaughter their own kin. Nor could he imagine the emotional toll this had on Sasuke.
Navigating through the blood and carnage, Aoba approached the largest house in the compound.
In the courtyard, a young Sasuke was clutching the lifeless bodies of his parents, crying. In a corner, an older version of Sasuke sat curled up, his eyes vacant, filled with despair...