Young Naruto: "Uh…"
No matter how you look at it, the phrase "super idiot" is obviously talking about me.
Am I seriously scolding myself even in my dreams?
What kind of illusion did that mission scroll show the Uchiha and Konoha anyway?!
"U… Uchiha…"
When Sasuke Uchiha woke up from the illusion, several Konoha villagers approached him, as if wanting to say something.
Fourth Shinobi War Sasuke immediately noticed that something was off about their expressions. After thinking it over for a while, he finally remembered that before entering the Uchiha clan's illusion, he had briefly experienced the Konoha villagers' illusion first.
What they had gone through…was the life of Sasuke Uchiha.
He turned his head and looked at the Uchiha clan members who still hadn't woken up.
And what they had experienced…was the life of Naruto Uzumaki.
He relayed this situation to Minato Namikaze and the Adult Kakashi.
The two who were better at thinking things through both frowned slightly. The reward for this S-rank mission was for Konoha's ninja to experience Sasuke Uchiha's entire life, while the Uchiha clan experienced Naruto Uzumaki's life in return.
The importance of Sasuke and Naruto to the entire shinobi world was far greater than they had imagined, to an almost unbelievable degree.
It even gave the impression that the entire world revolved around the two of them.
Especially the two Minato Namikazes. Due to certain special circumstances in the past, they had already noticed some subtle clues long ago.
Fourth Shinobi War Sasuke calmly looked at the Konoha villagers standing before him, clearly hesitant to speak.
After a long silence, what he heard was…
"I'm sorry."
His expression didn't change, but inside, Fourth Shinobi War Sasuke felt a storm of mixed emotions.
"I'm sorry, Uchiha…"
"I'm sorry."
To him, Konoha's apologies no longer held any real meaning.
And yet, those guilt-filled gazes and helpless apologies made him feel as though he were reliving the moment when Naruto returned to the village after defeating Pain.
This world was destined to be different from theirs.
Squish—
Something small suddenly flopped onto his leg.
He looked down and saw the Naruto Uzumaki of this world.
"Sa–Sasuke! You've really had it rough, dattebayo!! If you go back, make sure the me from the other world treats you better! Tell him I said so, dattebayo!"
Fourth Shinobi War Sasuke almost laughed.
He had lived through sixteen years of Naruto's life. Just because he had saved him twice, vouched for him, taken beatings for him, knelt down for him, even hyperventilated for him, Naruto's entire Hokage career might end up stained simply because he once stood guarantee for a missing-nin like him.
"So who's really worse off here, you super idiot?"
Kakashi, already bored out of his mind, had pulled out Icha Icha Paradise and glanced over at Fourth Shinobi War Sasuke with his usual dead-fish eyes.
"Alright, Sasuke, stop acting all clingy like the main couple in that book," he said, pointing toward the adult Obito. "Did that guy get addicted to the experience or something? Why hasn't he come out of the illusion like you did?"
Ignoring Kakashi's pointless teasing, Sasuke glanced at the adult Obito.
"Want me to stab him for you?" he said calmly. "Might snap him out of it."
"…" Kakashi immediately raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. Pretend I didn't say anything."
At that moment, ANBU Kakashi approached Fourth Shinobi War Sasuke.
"Can you help me get in as well?" he asked. "I want to see what kind of life Obito is experiencing as Naruto."
The young Kakashi expressed the same intention.
Fourth Shinobi War Sasuke glanced at the Adult Kakashi.
"What about you?"
"I'll pass."
With ANBU Kakashi and the young Kakashi in tow, they once again entered the illusion the Uchiha clan was experiencing.
The progression had already reached the point where Naruto joined the Fourth Shinobi World War.
It's Itachi Uchiha and Nagato!
Both of them were living corpses revived through Edo Tensei Reincarnation!!
"You've already learned to control the Nine-Tails' chakra?! That rate of growth is incredible!"
The moment he saw Naruto, Itachi began praising him nonstop. Fourth Shinobi War Sasuke remembered seeing fragments of this very scene during his final battle with Naruto at the Valley of the End.
Perfect.
This was a good chance to take a closer look.
Itachi…
His brother…
What exactly happened between him and Naruto back then?
"How is Sasuke?"
"He joined Akatsuki to take revenge on Konoha!"
"Why didn't Sasuke return to the village?!"
"Because he found out that Konoha's higher-ups ordered the extermination of your clan. He hates Konoha for what they did to you, so he chose to avenge you instead."
From the shocked look in Nagato's eyes, it was obvious that even Akatsuki's leader in name hadn't known about this.
"Naruto, does anyone else know about this?"
As the conversation went back and forth, Fourth Shinobi War Sasuke noticed something strange.
Whenever he wasn't around, his brother suddenly talked a lot more.
For some reason, that irritated him.
Naruto Uzumaki said, "Kakashi-sensei and Captain Yamato were there too, but Kakashi-sensei said that without solid evidence, it shouldn't be made public."
"That's good." Itachi Uchiha looked visibly relieved. "Don't mention this to the village, or to anyone else."
Naruto said, "???"
Itachi Uchiha continued, "At the very least, this way, in everyone else's eyes, the Uchiha will still be Konoha's pride, still a part of Konoha. That was a promise I once made to a friend."
A promise to a friend?
...
Deep within Naruto's subconscious—
Shisui Uchiha shrank back slightly, wondering if Fugaku-sama would kill him once they left the illusion.
Fugaku Uchiha probably wouldn't.
But Shisui had overlooked one thing.
Outside, there were three Sasuke Uchiha from different eras.
Because Kabuto Yakushi was controlling Edo Tensei Reincarnation, all of those Sasukes were currently fighting alongside Naruto, Itachi, and Nagato.
Itachi Uchiha said, "Naruto, I'm leaving Sasuke in your care."
"Yeah! I'll definitely bring him back to our side!"
So that was how it was. His brother had entrusted him to Naruto…
Fourth Shinobi War Sasuke let out a heavy sigh in his heart. That idiot had better live properly. Otherwise, he didn't know what he might end up doing.
Child Sasuke felt indignant. How could his brother talk as if he were handing him over to the class dead last? No matter how you looked at it, he should be the one taking care of him instead. Then again… who would ever take care of that super idiot?!
"Entrusting him to you really was the right choice."
Uchiha: Why does this feel like…
Uchiha: …getting parental approval?
Uchiha: I kind of want to know how dark Fugaku Uchiha's face looks right now.
Uchiha: Please, don't make me remember that kiss. I haven't even had a girlfriend yet!!!
Uchiha: After living through Naruto's life for so many years, it feels like the comedy gene in me has been forcibly awakened. It's honestly kind of ridiculous.
The main issue was Itachi Uchiha and that Nagato. While launching their fiercest attacks, they were also verbally instructing them on how to defeat themselves.
"Mangekyō Sharingan!"
"Ugh—!"
This was the second time since the incident where "Him/They" had been force-fed a crow by Itachi Uchiha that Shisui Uchiha swore he never wanted to raise crows again.
Because at this very moment, every Uchiha was experiencing the same nauseating sensation of having to vomit such a huge crow out of their mouth.
Especially from Naruto's perspective, or rather, his own. From that angle, he could clearly see that the crow's eyes were still Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan.
Eek!!
Wait!
The Uchiha, who understood the Sharingan and genjutsu far better than Naruto did, immediately realized something was wrong.
Fugaku Uchiha and Shisui Uchiha, both of whom possessed the Mangekyō, realized that the "power" Itachi had given Naruto earlier had to be a Mangekyō Sharingan. More than that, Itachi had clearly set some kind of precondition in advance, one that would automatically activate the Sharingan's effect.
Shisui: It's Kotoamatsukami!
Itachi used my Kotoamatsukami to break free from the control of the Edo Tensei Reincarnation caster!!
That's great! In the end, that eye was finally able to help Itachi!
Imagining Itachi in their own world, still only thirteen years old, puffing out his cheeks whenever he got angry, Shisui felt glad that his power could help him. At the same time, after piecing together the meaning behind Itachi's words about "keeping a promise to a friend," he couldn't help but feel guilty.
Young Obito still hadn't quite figured out what was happening when Itachi Uchiha suddenly used Amaterasu on Nagato, who should have been fighting on the same side as him.
Itachi Uchiha said, "The control of Edo Tensei Reincarnation has already been overwritten by the Mangekyō Sharingan that possesses the strongest genjutsu, replaced with an entirely new command. That's why I'm standing on your side now."
The strongest genjutsu?!
Unlike the people of Konoha, who had experienced the lives of Sasuke Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha and learned the true stories of the Uchiha, Shisui Uchiha, and Itachi Uchiha…
The Uchiha clan members here had never even heard of something called the strongest genjutsu.
But there was one thing they all knew.
The patterns of a person's left and right Mangekyō Sharingan should be identical. Yet when Itachi used Amaterasu, the pattern was different from the Mangekyō Sharingan inside the crow.
Amaterasu was the dōjutsu Itachi had once used when capturing Naruto right after the Chūnin Exams. Logically speaking, it should have come from his own Mangekyō Sharingan.
So there was only one explanation that made sense.
The Mangekyō Sharingan that carried the strongest genjutsu belonged to someone else.
But who?!
Was there really anyone else in the clan who possessed a Mangekyō Sharingan?!
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