The two spoke, but their conversation was completely disjointed.
One sentence followed another, giving the illusion of a dialogue, yet their words bore no relation to one another.
"Kid, have you rested enough? It's time for us to leave."
A brief pause between them made the atmosphere slightly awkward. Obito stood up, mimicking Itachi by patting off the dew and dust on his pants.
"Alright," Itachi responded coolly, as reserved as ever.
From then on, the two lost interest in conversation and focused solely on their journey.
...
Their travel was not particularly swift. It took them nearly two days to reach the Land of Rain.
Once there, Obito simply escorted Itachi to Pain and promptly left, resuming his role as the manipulative figure behind the scenes.
Itachi, having been brought here by Obito—who claimed to be Uchiha Madara—was now in a partnership with him.
Pain, aware of this alliance, did not dwell on it.
He handed Itachi two uniforms and a ring before ordering someone to escort him to a room to rest.
Itachi followed his guide to the assigned room and briefly examined his surroundings.
His attention then shifted to the ring in his palm with mild interest.
The ring, adorned with crimson inscriptions, was the same as before.
Itachi carefully tried it on each finger, eventually settling on one that fit.
He then changed into the uniform.
It must be said—the black cloak with red clouds was undeniably stylish.
It suited Itachi's taste perfectly.
The uniform was brand-new and fit as though it had been tailored specifically for him, as if they had anticipated his arrival.
As for the ring, it appeared to have been crafted some time ago.
At this point, Itachi could only wear the ring on his thumb, which was thicker than his other fingers.
...
"You're awake, Sasuke."
Upon hearing the report, Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived at the hospital immediately, displaying a profound sense of concern.
"Lord Hokage…"
Sasuke opened his eyes, still somewhat dazed, feeling as though he were in a dream.
He attempted to get out of bed and head to the Uchiha clan compound to investigate.
But Hiruzen intercepted him, making the young, reserved boy feel unsure of how to respond.
"The tragedy that befell the Uchiha clan is something we are well aware of. Rest assured, we will punish the perpetrator severely and nurture you into an outstanding ninja!"
Looking at the helpless Sasuke, who had lost his entire clan, including his parents, and hadn't even awakened the Sharingan, Hiruzen felt a tinge of disdain in his heart. But outwardly, he maintained an air of sympathy and care.
Sasuke, as the last representative of the Uchiha clan, still held significant value.
At the very least, having a surviving Uchiha in the village meant the possibility of rebuilding the clan—perhaps one entirely loyal to Konoha.
Unlike before, when the Uchiha were arrogant, proud of their role in co-founding the village alongside the Senju, and looked down on others.
This thought left Hiruzen feeling slightly melancholic.
Though Konoha had effectively become his personal domain, the Senju and Uchiha clans had been reduced to mere shadows of their former selves.
Whether this outcome was right or wrong, he couldn't say.
But one thing was certain: the village's overall strength had been severely diminished.
...
Hearing Hiruzen's words, Sasuke's heart sank.
His eyes reddened as grief overwhelmed him.
Images of his stoic father, gentle mother, and his unreliable but beloved older brother filled his mind.
"Lord Hokage, please tell me—who is the perpetrator?"
Sasuke knelt on the bed, pleading earnestly.
Even if vengeance was not immediately possible, he needed to know the culprit's identity.
He would devote the rest of his life to avenging his family.
...
"The perpetrator is…"
Hiruzen hesitated as he looked at the furious and tearful Sasuke.
If he revealed the identity of the killer, would Sasuke—weak as he was—be able to handle it? What if he collapsed under the weight of the truth and succumbed to despair?
That would be a terrible tragedy.
However, upon realizing that most of the village already knew who the culprit was, he decided it was better for Sasuke to hear it directly from him.
At least this way, he could gauge Sasuke's reaction and act accordingly.
With that thought, Hiruzen's mind cleared.
"Sigh, my poor child. The one who massacred your clan… is none other than your brother, Uchiha Itachi."
"That child, consumed by the pursuit of power, ended up committing such inhumane acts..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi displayed an expression of deep sorrow, but his words remained vague.
He spoke as if he were an outsider, detached from the situation.
...
"No! How could this happen..."
Upon hearing Hiruzen's words, Itachi stared at him intently, desperately hoping Hiruzen would tell him it wasn't true.
But when he saw Hiruzen shake his head and sigh, Sasuke's heart sank to the depths.
Memories of his once-gentle older brother flashed through his mind. He couldn't reconcile the image of his kind brother with one who would wield a blade to kill their parents and massacre their entire clan.
"This has to be fake... This must be a nightmare. Wake me up already, damn it..."
Sasuke murmured to himself, as if caught in a dreamlike trance.
"Poor child, if you're in pain, just cry it out. Grandpa will take good care of you and treat you like my own grandson..."
Hiruzen approached, sat on the bed, and gently stroked Sasuke's head. He then pulled Sasuke into his arms, softly patting his back.
He exuded the warmth of a kind, grandfatherly figure.
...
In Hiruzen's embrace, Sasuke was startled awake by the heavy smell of tobacco clinging to him. A surge of grievance overcame him, and tears began to stream down his cheeks.
His body trembled uncontrollably, almost as if he were convulsing.
"My poor child..."
Hiruzen softly patted Sasuke's back, murmuring words of comfort.
Eventually, Sasuke, already weak from grief, succumbed to exhaustion and fell into a fitful sleep.
Only then did Hiruzen gently lay Sasuke back on the hospital bed.
"Take good care of him. When he wakes up, have him move into my home and live with me. He needs to leave this place of sorrow and start healing as soon as possible."
Hiruzen carefully tucked Sasuke in, lightly stroking his head.
He spoke softly, almost as if to himself.
With that, Hiruzen disappeared from the hospital room.
Sasuke opened his eyes. He had woken up the moment Hiruzen laid him back on the bed.
But he didn't want to open his eyes...
Once Hiruzen left, Sasuke sat up and quickly put on his shoes.
He needed to return to the clan's grounds.
...
In his office, Hiruzen quietly smoked, observing Sasuke through the crystal ball.
The boy, frail and shaky on his feet, stubbornly pressed forward toward home.
The kindness Hiruzen displayed earlier was nowhere to be found now.
His brows were furrowed as he replayed the earlier events in his mind.
Only after confirming there were no flaws in his words did the tension in his expression slightly ease.
He turned his attention back to Sasuke.
"Head to the Uchiha clan grounds. Once Sasuke collapses, bring him to my home."
Hiruzen took a long drag from his pipe, issuing the same order again, seemingly to the empty room.
---