133 Candor and Plans

Itachi felt a momentary sense of disorientation.

The boy before him was so familiar. Once, he had poked those soft, bread-bun-like cheeks countless times, watching him sleep face-up like a little piglet, snoring softly. He had taught him to read and write, hand in hand, and had gifted him his very first kunai. He had guided him through his first shuriken throwing practice, and when the boy grew exhausted and weak from training, he had carried him home on his back, step by steady step.

Memories rushed in like a violent tide, catching him off guard, shattering the tightly locked gates deep within his heart, and roaring into his chaotic mind.

Itachi frowned, a flash of vulnerability crossing his eyes. He had never imagined that being "forced" to face Sasuke while unprepared would leave him so shaken and distraught. Even though he had checked on Sasuke every few months under the guise of delivering training plans—observing his safety, growth, and living conditions from afar—he had never come face-to-face with him. Given his five years of monitoring the maturing Sasuke, he truly should not have been this surprised by the boy's uncharacteristic precociousness and clarity.

Yet, reality proved that expectations are never fully realized.

Under the unblinking, steady gaze of those pure black eyes, filled with complex emotions he could not bear to confront, the frozen ice in Itachi’s heart offered almost no resistance. It was as if it had been exposed to the sun at close range; within a few breaths, it melted completely, leaving only a pool of spring water tinged with a faint warmth, washing over a soul he thought had long since fallen into an endless abyss.

The black-haired youth furrowed his brows slightly. This was a truly ominous start. He thought silently, his gaze toward Sasuke calm and unruffled. Even if his heart were in turmoil, he did not want to show even a flicker of it before his brother.

Even though Sasuke had heard much of his conversation with Kurama and Hades, and even though the child had indicated that he had learned from Kurama the truths he had tried so hard to conceal, Itachi lowered his eyelids once more. He thought he was truly a stubborn person. Even after being so fiercely rebuked by Sasuke, who had declared, "Weakness is a sin, but so is arrogance!" even after feeling heartbroken and self-reproachful at the sight of the tear tracks on his brother's face, he remained steadfast in the path and methods he had initially chosen. There was no regret, no retreat.

Regarding the same matter, Sasuke had his own stance and views, and naturally, Itachi had his as well. Sasuke’s pain and sorrow were the things he least wanted to see, yet it was also Itachi who had chosen to inflict the deepest despair and trauma upon his only beloved brother all those years ago to protect him.

This was the path determined at the very beginning for the existence known as Uchiha Itachi, and he walked it alone, step by step, slowly but surely. The attitudes and words of others might make him pause, might make him feel pain or even unbearable anguish, but... to shake his resolve?

A faint, cold smile curled the corner of his lips, a look that sent a shiver through Sasuke. Itachi slowly raised his head.

"That alone is not enough, Sasuke." He said softly. "Even if you know those so-called 'truths,' what can you possibly do?"

"Will you have my status as a rogue ninja revoked, only to return to a Konoha stripped of its reputation because of this revelation, while bearing the title of someone who helped the Third Hokage and Danzo Shimura slaughter his own clan? Or will you reclaim the eyes stolen from our kin?"

"Or perhaps, in a fit of pride, will you recklessly abandon the village, become a 'rogue ninja' like me, and spend your days suffering under the pursuit of the Anbu and bounty hunters, never again able to call any place 'home'?"

"My... foolish little brother."

With every word Itachi spoke, Sasuke’s face grew paler. By the time the black-haired youth finished with that unforgettable parting remark, the end of this painful interrogation was declared. Sasuke’s face had lost all color, his youthful features as white as paper.

Itachi felt no relief. He was questioning Sasuke to dispel his naive and unrealistic fantasies, but in doing so, was he not also cutting off the last path of retreat between them? Today, as he once again pushed away the hand Sasuke had tremblingly but persistently reached out, Itachi could not imagine if he would ever have the chance or the right to hold that hand again.

Yet, even with a heart that felt as if it were being torn apart, bleeding incessantly, Itachi showed not a hint of hesitation. He gazed at Sasuke with a detached, almost icy expression, watching the boy's rosy cheeks drain of color. His eyes remained deep and calm, the pervasive indifference masking the turbulent emotions churning within, leaving only a chilling stillness on the surface.

Sasuke suddenly smiled.

"As expected... just as Kurama said." He spoke in a hoarse voice, his face pale but his eyes bright. "You really are ruthless, Itachi."

As the boy spoke, the corners of his mouth tilted up. The joy in his smile, reflected in Itachi’s eyes, began to blur. Sensing something wrong, Itachi tried to shake his head to clear the sudden dizziness, but the last thing he saw in his field of vision were scarlet eyes with spinning tomoe.

"If... this is the future you desire..." A soft, ethereal whisper drifted into his ears. "Then, what will you choose?"

"..." He opened his mouth to reply, but the next second, darkness consumed his consciousness entirely.

***

"—!!!!"

When Itachi regained consciousness, the first thing he saw was the familiar ceiling, and as he sat up abruptly, the room's furnishings came into view. Realizing he was back in the Uchiha estate, in his old room, Itachi gasped for air, eyes wide, refusing to dwell on what he had seen in his dream—or perhaps, his hallucination.

*Sasuke, you are my new light, my spare eyes. The Uchiha clan has always been a tainted lineage, murdering fellow comrades to obtain the Mangekyō Sharingan, turning father against son and brother against brother to attain eternal ocular power, and taking pride in it. From the moment you were born into this clan, you were destined to be swallowed by this bloody fate. Come, my brother, I will kill you and liberate you from the clan's destiny, and in doing so, achieve true change, breaking free from your own 'capacity.' We are each other's spare eyes; this is the bond between Uchiha brothers.*

No, that wasn't it...

*Do you hate me? It doesn't matter. It is natural for a ninja to live bearing hatred. But you are my only brother in this world. As a barrier you must surpass, I will continue to live with you, even if you hate me—that is what it means to be an older brother...*

No, that wasn't what he wanted to say!

*Forgive me, Sasuke, this is the last time.*

No, he couldn't leave yet! Because... because the expression on that child’s face was not one of relief or peace, but of deep-seated despair and hatred!

Why... why, when everything was developing according to his design, did Sasuke end up like that? Shouldn't he have returned to Konoha after his death, protected by his friend Naruto, by the existence of his older brother—an "unsung hero"—and by his own strength, which rivaled that of the Kage, becoming an Uchiha Sasuke whom even Danzo could not easily erase?

Why did that child turn away to become the rogue ninja Uchiha Sasuke, bent on destroying Konoha?

Itachi clenched his fists so tightly that he inadvertently activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Are you scared now?"

A boy's voice, slightly awkward but laced with hidden concern and worry, came from beside him. Itachi turned stiffly, only to see the Sasuke from his hallucination, the one who had run out of tears, sitting on a chair by the bed, staring at him intently.

"Sasuke..."

The Uchiha brother found it impossible to control the surging emotions in his chest! He lunged forward, grabbed the unsuspecting boy, and pulled him into his arms, pressing their bodies together until there was no space left between them. He let out a low, long sigh, as if in satisfaction, or perhaps, surrender.

"I'm sorry." Itachi whispered into the ear of the slightly stiff Sasuke. "I'm sorry..."

*I'm sorry for being so arrogant and self-righteous. I'm sorry for leaving you all alone. I'm sorry for causing you such painful memories. I'm sorry for never asking what you wanted...*

I'm sorry.

"..." Sasuke’s stiff body gradually softened under Itachi's continuous, whispered apologies.

"It... it's nothing, really." The boy said softly, his ears turning red, his tone awkward. "That was just a simulation Kurama created—a version of the future where I never met him, never knew the truth, and everything went exactly according to your expectations."

"Though it looked cruel, it... it hasn't happened yet."

*So, don't blame yourself. Don't apologize.*

*As long as... you are still by my side...*

Burying his flushed eyes into his brother’s chest, Sasuke tried to keep the sob out of his voice. "So you saw it, didn't you? If you ever dare to abandon me, that is what I will become." He tried to make his tone sound fierce. "This isn't a hallucination where you can just go back to the start if you make a mistake and try a different path. This is reality, Itachi. Our... reality. Now, do you still want to... push me away?"

The boy looked up, his expression full of "ferocity." The black-haired youth shook his head slowly under the gaze that seemed threatening but was actually filled with insecurity.

"No." He said softly. "Never again."

Tightening his arms around the boy’s waist, he leaned down, pressing his forehead against his brother's. "Sasuke, are you willing... to face all the dangers that may come with me?"

The boy stared at him for two seconds, his face tight. "...If you insist on my help."

Finally, he kept his face stern, feigning a sense of superiority. Itachi, however, looked at him with utmost seriousness and nodded. The brothers looked at each other for a few seconds, then broke into a mutual smile.

In a nearby living room, Kurama, who was leisurely drinking tea with Hades, suddenly looked up and exchanged a silent glance with the dark-haired King of the Underworld.

Those troublesome brothers... it seems they have finally been honest with each other.

Shall they now discuss the next plan?

"The Fate-Weaving Project."