"Hm?"
Sasuke suddenly realized that the scenery before his eyes had changed once again.
The ground beneath his feet had become a bizarre, kaleidoscopic space. Naruto stood less than three steps away from him, and beside Naruto was a red-haired woman. Behind Naruto, towering like mountains, stood four enormous beasts.
Sasuke recognized the red-haired woman's appearance—Naruto had used that face in the Forest of Death.
What unsettled him was the gaze of the four monstrous creatures, especially the fox-like one. Its lips were split into a mocking grin, eyes filled with blatant ridicule, as if laughing directly at him.
What confused Sasuke even more was that Naruto was frowning—and the red-haired woman was also looking at him strangely, her gaze tinged with unmistakable pity.
"So… my reversal failed. But why would Naruto project a woman and four monsters in a genjutsu?"
Sasuke scanned his surroundings, debating whether he should admit defeat. But Naruto had said clearly: only after passing this stage would he reveal the truth of the Uchiha massacre.
What Sasuke did not know was that directly above his head floated a translucent status window. Every thought that crossed his mind appeared within it as plain text.
"Tch—this brat's intelligence isn't even as good as that stupid tanuki's. Indra's reincarnations really are worse with every generation."
"That's not entirely fair. Among the Indra reincarnations we saw at Mount Myōboku, at the same age, he's actually the strongest."
"Then what about Hashirama Senju and Naruto?"
"I feel like Uchiha Madara might—"
"Enough."
"…."
"…This isn't a genjutsu?"
Hearing the beasts converse, Sasuke's expression shifted to shock.
Weren't these monsters supposed to be Naruto's mental projections within an illusion?
Alarmed, he tried to step back—only to find his body refusing to move. Moments ago he had been able to move freely. He tried to speak, but no sound came out.
Though his face remained calm, a heavy dread began sinking into his chest.
As Sasuke's thoughts raced, Naruto had already walked behind him.
"Neither the Sage of Six Paths, nor Indra, nor Asura has appeared…"
Naruto muttered to himself. He reached up, dragged the floating window above Sasuke's head into his own field of view, selected World Affiliation, and released the restraints on Sasuke.
"What is this place?!"
Sasuke suddenly regained control and immediately spun around, demanding answers from Naruto.
He could instinctively tell—this place was Naruto's greatest secret.
"The truth you want is here."
Naruto looked ahead.
"Mother, I need to review some fragments from you and Father back then."
Kushina, who had been watching silently, nodded gently. She turned and said a few words behind her. In the next moment, she and the four tailed beasts dissolved into light and vanished.
"…Mother?"
Sasuke froze in shock.
Before he could ask anything else, five status windows appeared in front of him. Each displayed a vivid living image.
From left to right:
The first window showed the red-haired woman Naruto had called "Mother."
The second showed the person Sasuke knew better than anyone else.
"Uchiha Itachi!"
Killing intent flared violently in Sasuke's eyes.
The third window showed Uchiha Shisui.
The fourth showed the Third Hokage.
The fifth showed Shimura Danzō—the man Sasuke had seen at the Third's memorial only two days ago.
"There's something you need to understand first," Naruto said calmly.
He pulled Kushina's window to the front.
"Although you're about to see the full cause and effect behind the Uchiha massacre, if we compare the truth to a puzzle—what you're about to see still isn't complete."
"Not complete?"
Sasuke frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"See for yourself."
Naruto tapped the window, opening Kushina's memories of the Nine-Tails Incident.
As the scene began, Sasuke noticed text in the corner:
Name: Uzumaki Kushina
Age: 24
"So… Naruto took his mother's surname—"
The thought had barely formed when Sasuke's pupils dilated violently.
He saw his own mother appear in the memory.
Moments later, Sasuke stared at Naruto in disbelief.
"The Fourth Hokage… is your father?!"
The revelation was absurd—and yet, it suddenly made Naruto's actions toward Konoha disturbingly understandable.
"Watch closely," Naruto said flatly.
"Your first enemy is about to appear."
"My… first enemy?"
Sasuke turned back just in time to see a mysterious man in a black cloak, wearing a single-eyed spiral mask.
The Nine-Tails was torn from Kushina's body.
In its crimson slit pupils—
A three-tomoe Sharingan was reflected.
"…Sharingan?! Who is he?!"
The masked man used a space–time ninjutsu to appear in Konoha, summoned the Nine-Tails, and catastrophe followed.
Then—
The scene froze.
"What are you doing?!" Sasuke demanded.
"Now we move on."
Naruto switched to the Third Hokage's window.
The moment it began, rage ignited in Sasuke's eyes.
The Third Hokage and Danzō… distrusted the Uchiha clan.
Soon after, Naruto switched to Itachi's window. Sasuke saw himself being gently protected and hidden in a shelter.
His expression became unbearably complicated.
Then—
He saw Minato and Kushina die protecting their newborn son, crushed beneath the Nine-Tails' claws.
Naruto paused the scene again.
Silence fell.
Sasuke finally understood why the village had called Naruto a "demon fox."
Why they had feared him.
"This… this is the cause of the Uchiha massacre, isn't it?"
Naruto shook his head.
"This was only one trigger. The true root lies elsewhere."
He pulled Shisui's window forward.
"Next, you'll meet another version of Konoha—and another version of the Uchiha."
As Sasuke watched Shisui fight, spy, and struggle between clan and village, dread slowly crystallized into certainty.
When Shisui—blinded, bleeding—asked in the darkness, 'Who are you?'
Sasuke turned calmly to Naruto.
"You killed him."
"Yes."
"…Good."
The scene continued.
Danzō threatening Itachi with Sasuke's life.
Sasuke's body trembled violently, agony tearing through his expression.
Outside — Training Grounds
Naruto watched Sasuke's vacant stare as an abnormal chakra fluctuation surged within him.
"In this state… Mangekyō should be possible."
Suddenly, the chakra fluctuation stopped.
Naruto frowned and immediately shifted his consciousness fully into the Mirror World.
"…What? Self-blame? What kind of ridiculous mindset is that?"
Sasuke lay there like a broken doll, tears streaming down his pale face. His Sharingan was dull, unfocused.
Naruto checked Sasuke's mental window.
"I'm useless."
"I'm a sinner."
"My entire life was a lie."
"…."
After seeing the truth, this was his conclusion?
Naruto shook his head.
"Indra's chakra really is blind. If you don't want to live anymore, I'll help you."
"Wait!"
Sasuke jolted upright in terror.
"What?" Naruto asked mockingly.
"Changed your mind about dying?"
"How could I want to die?!"
Sasuke snarled.
"I'll kill Danzō and the two elders!
I'll kill the one who framed the Uchiha!
And I'll revive the Uchiha clan!"
"Oh?" Naruto nodded.
"So Konoha itself isn't on your list?"
"And Itachi?" Naruto asked quietly.
Sasuke froze.
Naruto expanded the window.
Itachi and Kisame sat on a hillside, forming the Reverse Ram seal. A map showed they were close to Konoha.
"The Akatsuki finally met again."
Naruto closed the window.
A portal of light opened.
Kabuto Yakushi stepped out and bowed deeply.
"…Kabuto?" Sasuke stared.
"He's yours?!"
Kabuto reported that he had taken over all of Orochimaru's bases.
Naruto reviewed Kabuto's actions—tricking Kimimaro, draining his life force, letting him die without lifting a finger.
Naruto's gaze turned cold.
"I gave you freedom. You mistook it for cleverness."
He reached into Kabuto's mind and tore out a pale sphere of memory.
"Please! Don't take my memories!"
Naruto ignored him.
"A person doesn't have many memories worth keeping."
Kabuto vanished through the portal, screaming.
Naruto turned back to Sasuke.
"Now tell me. Knowing everything—what will you do about Itachi?"
Sasuke recoiled in fear.
"You could do that to me too!"
Naruto smiled regretfully.
"I'm disappointed you're still rational."
Sasuke found himself walking back toward Naruto against his will.
"I just want to run more experiments."
Naruto reached for Sasuke's head.
Rain Village — Akatsuki Hideout
Only Pain remained.
Konan formed beside him.
"The plan to capture the tailed beasts is delayed. Three-Tails hasn't revived. Six-Tails is missing."
Pain spoke coldly.
"God does not need permission."
Mount Myōboku
Naruto stood atop a giant toad statue.
"I have one more question," he said.
"How do I make Asura's chakra completely my own?"
The Great Toad Sage opened his eyes.
"I don't know how you absorbed it. I only see that when you near death… you will obtain both Asura's and Indra's power."
Spring Country — Mirror World
After 397 cycles, Sasuke finally answered differently.
"I will revive the Uchiha."
Naruto smiled.
"Then let's start by showing you your brother's true strength."
He activated a joint battle scenario.
Dawn — Adofu Street
Naruto and Jiraiya sat on a rooftop.
"Can you spare Konoha?" Jiraiya asked.
Naruto shook his head.
"I'm only settling personal debts."
Hours later—
"Itachi and Kisame are coming."
Naruto stood.
"Good."
Inside the Inn
Itachi and Kisame entered.
Shadow clones.
Sealing barriers.
Reverse Summoning.
The corridor turned into living flesh.
Itachi's Mangekyō spun—
"Reverse Summoning Technique?!"
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