Konoha Village, Hokage Plaza,
Sasuke's classmates watched the screen, refusing to believe Sasuke would treat Naruto this way just for power.
Ino: "If Sasuke were here right now, I'd punch him so hard!"
Tenten: "No matter the reason, he shouldn't have attacked Naruto!"
Sakura: "Naruto... I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have let you go..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "It seems Sasuke's hatred for Itachi runs deeper than I imagined."
...
Sunagakure,
Gaara watched Naruto on the screen, his large eyes filled with confusion.
He couldn't understand why Naruto, a 'monster' like himself, would desperately try to bring Sasuke back.
As 'monsters', they weren't accepted by others.
People feared them, hated them, even wanted to kill them.
Why form bonds with anyone else?
"Naruto, you truly are strange."
…
Iwagakure,
Akatsuchi: "Naruto has gone to such lengths for Sasuke. If only I could have brought back my junior, Deidara..."
Kurotsuchi: "Brother Akatsuchi, Brother Deidara had his own ambitions. It's not your fault!"
Iwagakure Villager/Ninja: "I'm becoming a fan of this yellow-haired kid. Even though he's from another village, his dedication to his comrades is something we should all learn from!"
…
Akatsuki Organization Base,
The other members had been sent out on missions, leaving only Itachi silently watching the screen.
Suddenly,
Pain (Tendo Path) approached him from behind and asked flatly, "Do you want to go back and tell Sasuke the truth?"
Itachi turned his head, replying cautiously, "No. His growth serves my purpose."
"I don't intend to restrict you excessively. As long as you do nothing detrimental to the organization, I will not interfere with Sasuke." Pain said.
"Understood, leader" Itachi whispered,
Then Pain (Tendo Path) slowly departed.
Uchiha Itachi understood; his attachment was exposed.
Even though he maintained the facade of indifference towards Sasuke, some could still perceive his underlying protection and love for his brother.
Clenching his fist, he pondered how to ensure Sasuke would hate him forever.
Since the screen has revealed the truth to the entire Shinobi World, I must prevent Sasuke from ever learning it.
Knowing Sasuke's temperament, if he learned the truth, he would undoubtedly turn against Konoha to avenge our clan, just as the screen showed him hunting Danzo.
I know.
Get Sasuke to Orochimaru.
In his desire for Sasuke's body, Orochimaru will train him in secret, isolating him from the outside world.
This way,
Sasuke can continue to hate me and grow stronger, never knowing the true reason behind the clan's annihilation.
Once he develops the ability to discern truth for himself, perhaps he can face the matter of the massacre with a calmer mind.
...
[The Screen Continues—]
[Naruto, having fallen into the water, surfaced again. Wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, his expression turned serious.]
["So, I'm not your comrade anymore? Was everything we went through meaningless?!"]
[Sasuke closed his eyes and replied earnestly, "It's not meaningless. To me... you are my best friend!"]
[Hearing this, Naruto's eyes widened slightly. He murmured, "Best friend..." before demanding angrily, "Then why are you doing this?!"]
["Precisely because of that, you are worthy of being defeated by me!" Sasuke declared.]
[Sasuke then yelled, "Chidori!" His left hand surged with crackling lightning-style chakra as he charged towards Naruto.]
["Then I'll just have to beat you senseless! I'll drag you back if I have to!" Naruto yelled furiously, a swirling sphere of pure chakra forming in his right hand. "Rasengan!"]
[BOOM! The clash between Chidori and Rasengan erupted with a deafening roar. The terrifying shockwave sent columns of water surging dozens of meters into the air.]
''Such power... from Genin!'' Everybody watching this was shocked.
[In the next instant, both were thrown back over ten meters.]
[Sasuke crawled out of the water, gritting his teeth and thinking, "He actually blocked my full-power Chidori... Naruto, just how strong have you become?"]
[Nearby, Naruto also emerged from the water, tears welling in his blue eyes. He now knew for certain... Sasuke was serious about tryingto kill him...]
[At that moment, fueled by anger, Sasuke's curse mark activated, spreading across his body. He stated almost mockingly, "Naruto, you don't understand anything about me!"]
[With that, Sasuke instantly closed the distance and kicked Naruto back into the water.]
[Then, drawing on the power of the curse mark, Sasuke began to overwhelm Naruto, relentlessly attacking him.]
[T/N: Everyone be ready for Naruto's style brainwashing...WARNING!!]
At this moment, Naruto's innermost thoughts were displayed on the screen:
["Sasuke... I always knew you were alone. When I first realized there was someone else like me... I was so relieved, and so happy."]
["Honestly, I always wanted to talk to you, right from the start. But... I just couldn't bring myself to do it."]
["You were always good at everything, and everyone always looked up to you."]
["You were so different from me. It was frustrating, so I decided you were my rival. I never wanted to lose to you."]
["Especially since everyone called me the dead-last... I absolutely refused to lose to you."]
["Even after we became Team 7, things didn't really change."]
["I acted tough because I wanted to bestrong, I couldn't show how I really felt. The truth is... I always admired you. I wanted to be like you."]
["You were everything I wanted to be. So... when you said you wanted to fight me back then... I was genuinely happy."]
["Because those were the first words you said that really acknowledged me."]
["But we both knew we didn't really want to fight each other, right? From that point on, even though we never said it out loud... we were already friends."]
["But none of that seems to matter anymore... does it?"]
[At that moment, as if sensing Naruto's thoughts, Sasuke whispered, "It's not meaningless... For me, you are my best friend."]
["But you still genuinely want to defeat me... I can't even tell if what I'm thinking is true anymore." Maybe thinking we were friends was just wishful thinking on my part, Naruto thought self-deprecatingly.]
[Then Sasuke noticed the red chakra beginning to envelop Naruto, recognizing it as the potential power of the Tailed Beast erupting.]
["It's too late," Sasuke murmured, unleashing Chidori once more.]
[Schlick! Chidori pierced straight through Naruto's shoulder, sending blood spraying.]
[Naruto gritted his teeth, crying out, "If you kill me just like that... wouldn't that be pathetic?!"]
["Sasuke! I don't know why you're doing this, but... I... I won't let... I won't let someone like Orochimaru take you away!"]
...TO BE CONTINUED