Chapter 400: Believe in Your Comrades
"Uchiha Itachi, you bastard!"
A low roar, like that of a wounded beast, erupted from the depths of Sasuke's throat.
He could no longer suppress the tumultuous emotions within him; his sanity had been on the verge of collapse the moment he saw that face.
Years of hatred, confusion, pain, as well as his father's earnest entrustment when they met.
The ninja sword in his hand, flickering due to his volatile emotions, followed his violent movement, carving a shrill blue arc through the air with a piercing whistle as he slashed fiercely at the "Uchiha Itachi" in front of him.
This strike had no technique to speak of; it was a pure, instinctual venting driven by emotion, leaving him wide open.
However—facing this strike that moved like a thunderbolt, Uchiha Itachi's reaction was exceptionally calm.
He didn't even show a hint of surprise or gravity.
Just as the sword light was about to reach him, his feet seemed to glide as if on wheels. With an incredibly strange and nimble footwork, he tilted his body slightly, dodging the lethal blade with perfect precision, like a weightless feather.
The lightning-infused sword grazed the edge of his black robe, and the lightning struck the ground.
The ground was blasted into a charred crater, with gravel and soil scattering in every direction.
But Uchiha Itachi remained completely unscathed.
Not even the hem of his robe had been touched by the sword energy. He stood steadily in place, watching calmly as Sasuke, who was panting slightly from the missed strike, glared at him with even greater fury in his eyes.
"Do you want to know the truth?"
Uchiha Itachi spoke again.
"If you want to know, then come with me."
With those words, he stopped lingering. He leapt backward gracefully, like a large black bird, instantly putting distance between himself and Sasuke.
Then, he turned and sped off in the direction of the forest.
His figure flickered a few times among the shadows of the trees before becoming blurred, seemingly about to disappear at the edge of his vision at any moment.
This was clearly a lure.
It was a naked trap set by exploiting Sasuke's longing for the "truth" and his intense obsession with the existence of "Uchiha Itachi" himself.
Indeed, the moment "Uchiha Itachi" turned to leave, Sasuke instinctively lifted his leg, wanting to give chase.
But just at the moment his foot was about to step forward...
A voice, a voice very familiar to Sasuke, rang in his mind.
"Sasuke, you have to believe in your comrades more!"
"If there's something you're unsure about, just ask for Shikamaru's opinion!"
"His brain is much more useful than ours!"
It was Naruto.
Back when the two of them were still in the Ninja Academy, Sasuke had retaliated against a few classmates who were verbally bullying Naruto and was called into the office by Iruka for a lecture.
That was exactly what Naruto had said to him after Sasuke left the office.
And it was true; that guy Shikamaru really had plenty of bad ideas, and he wasn't easily implicated.
This thought, like a bucket of ice-cold water, was suddenly poured over Sasuke's brain, which had been boiling to the extreme from seeing "Itachi".
His step, already halfway out, came to an abrupt halt.
His body froze in place.
Believe in comrades, huh...
Sasuke's eyes struggled violently.
"Sasuke, I'm entrusting my Mangekyo Sharingan to you. Use the power of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan to bring Itachi back."
His father's words also echoed in his ears.
Sasuke was incredibly conflicted right now; if he didn't give chase, he might miss this opportunity.
However, based on Uchiha Itachi's style of doing things, it shouldn't be like this.
If he were as lonely and helpless as before, Sasuke would have chased after him, but his mother was still waiting for him to come home.
He couldn't take that risk.
The hesitation only lasted for a moment.
The frantic scarlet glow in Sasuke's eyes began to gradually recede and subside.
Although his heart was still in turmoil, his sanity finally regained the upper hand.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
Then, under the gaze of "Uchiha Itachi's" retreating figure about to vanish into the forest...
Sasuke turned abruptly.
He sped off in the direction of Hoshigakure at top speed.
He chose to go back and find Shikamaru.
To tell his comrades about this strange situation, listen to Shikamaru's analysis and advice, and then make a decision.
After entering the forest, Uchiha Itachi deliberately slowed his pace to wait for Sasuke. After waiting for a while without Sasuke arriving, a White Zetsu crawled out from a tree nearby instead.
White Zetsu told Uchiha Itachi about Sasuke's actions.
Deep within the shadows of the hood, two bean-sized, eerie eyes emitting a faint green light, like gems embedded in the darkness, were revealed.
It was Black Zetsu!
It was currently controlling Itachi's body.
At this moment, those bean-sized eyes were filled with undisguised shock and bewilderment, as if it completely couldn't comprehend everything happening before it.
This script... is wrong!
Uchiha Sasuke, facing his own brother, could actually stay calm?
Could actually resist not chasing after him?
What kind of move is this!
Black Zetsu felt that the knowledge and experience it had accumulated over thousands of years regarding the Reincarnations of Indra had just suffered a heavy blow.
According to its understanding of the past Reincarnations of Indra, these people were, without exception, paranoid, arrogant, and easily swayed by emotions, especially when it came to matters involving close kin and Family hatred; they had almost no rationality to speak of.
They pursued power, were obsessed with love and hatred, and often made extremely irrational decisions due to momentary impulses.
This was precisely the reason why Black Zetsu had been able to find opportunities to guide generation after generation of Indra's Reincarnations for thousands of years.
But now...
This guy Uchiha Sasuke, facing Uchiha Itachi, facing the "truth" within arm's reach, could actually suppress the hatred and curiosity that were enough to incinerate his sanity, and choose to turn and leave.
Could he be possessed by a ghost?
The green light in Black Zetsu's bean-sized eyes flickered frantically, clearly engaging in intense thought and deduction.
No... impossible.
It could clearly sense the intense emotional fluctuation and out-of-control attack when Sasuke saw "Itachi" just now, which also proved that he was still the same Sasuke.
Where did the problem lie?
Was it because of that Uzumaki Naruto?
Black Zetsu's thoughts couldn't help but drift toward that Sixth Hokage who had recently been stirring up the Ninja World.
Uzumaki Naruto... the Reincarnation of Asura.
Past Reincarnations of Asura were all guys whose core beliefs were "bonds" and "comrades."
Could it be that because of the influence of Uzumaki Naruto, this Family with a hereditary brother complex had actually produced someone capable of resisting the concern for a brother's safety?
Black Zetsu controlled Uchiha Itachi's hand to scratch its head.
No, man.
Is that Uzumaki Naruto a succubus?
It would be one thing if a bunch of little girls were head over heels for him, but how did you, kid, get influenced by him too?
Black Zetsu just couldn't figure it out!
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