Several people had gathered in Sasuke's room—Yang Tao, Naruto, Orochimaru, and Kurama Yakumo.
They were all staring at Sasuke, who lay on the bed, trapped in a Genjutsu.
Naruto asked worriedly, "Big bro, is he going to be okay? Oh, right! What kind of Genjutsu did you have Yakumo use on Sasuke?"
Yang Tao replied confidently, "Of course, he'll be fine! And even if something goes wrong, I have my Immortal Totem! Don't worry!"
"Hmm… Don't worry about the Genjutsu."
But Naruto couldn't ignore Yakumo, whose face had turned red like she was about to overheat. His curiosity exploded, and he kept begging Yang Tao, "Big bro! Just tell me! I really want to know!"
Yang Tao gave him a pitying look. "No, you don't want to know."
But Naruto didn't give up and kept pressing him for answers.
"Alright, alright! In the Genjutsu, Itachi kills you right in front of Sasuke! That way, it would trigger him to awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan."
After the explanation, Sasuke finally opened his eyes. His Sharingan had evolved into the Mangekyou Sharingan.
But instead of excitement, his face showed nothing but confusion as he stared blankly at the ceiling.
Before, when he learned the truth about Itachi's sacrifice and was forced to kill him, Sasuke had lost his sense of purpose. But now, the confusion in his eyes was different—it was the kind that made him question everything about the world itself.
After sitting there for a long time, he finally gathered his thoughts and looked at Yang Tao. "I don't want to continue anymore. I don't want any more power."
He had already relived the Uchiha Massacre countless times, watched Itachi die in front of him, and now, in this Genjutsu, he had to see Naruto die at Itachi's hands. No matter how much power he gained, none of it mattered anymore. If this continued, he was sure he would lose his mind.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke spotted Naruto standing there. His body jolted like he had been electrocuted. "Big…!" He suddenly snapped out of it and quickly corrected himself, "Naruto, you're here too?"
He forced a smile, but it only made him look even more miserable.
Seeing Sasuke like this, Naruto grew even more worried. "Big bro, are you sure he's okay? I feel like something's really wrong here!" He started walking toward Sasuke.
But as soon as Sasuke saw Naruto approaching, he reacted like he had seen a ghost. "Naruto, stay back!!"
Naruto froze in place, completely stunned. He turned his head toward Yang Tao with a questioning look. "Big bro, what the hell is going on here?"
Something was definitely off. His big bro had tricked him!
Yang Tao looked at Naruto with a serious expression. "I told you, it's fine! Maybe in the illusion, Itachi killed you too brutally, and Sasuke just can't process it yet." He widened his eyes innocently. "You have to believe me!"
Yeah, right! Like hell I'd believe you! You lying old man!
Since Yang Tao clearly wasn't going to explain any further, Naruto stopped asking. Instead, he turned his worried gaze back to Sasuke.
Sasuke, on the other hand, was still embarrassed by his earlier reaction and couldn't bring himself to look at Naruto.
Meanwhile, at the Hokage building, the village's Jonin were gathered in a meeting room, discussing an important matter—whether to elect a new Fifth Hokage or have the recently revived Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, take over again.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had already announced his retirement. He also declared that he would no longer be part of the village's elder council.
Minato had already undergone a thorough check by the Hyuga clan to confirm that he wasn't being controlled by anyone. Now, he sat in the room, silently listening to the discussion.
Finally, the Third Hokage knocked on the table and said, "Alright! Let's take a vote. Those in favor of reinstating the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, raise your hand!"
About 85% of the people raised their hands. The Hyuga clan's Jonin all raised their hands under the clan leader's lead.
Seeing the overwhelming support, the Third Hokage nodded in satisfaction and looked at Minato. "Step forward, Minato."
"I hereby declare that Namikaze Minato will once again be the Fourth Hokage! The Hokage succession ceremony will be held in one week!"
The Jonin in the room all stood up and shouted in unison, "Greetings, Lord Fourth!"
…
Meanwhile, Uchiha Itachi was still on his way, riding toward the village.
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