Uchiha Itachi stared at Rorin for a long while, then curled his lips slightly and flatly denied it.
"I have to admit, your reasoning just now was impressive. If I weren't the person involved, I might've believed it. Heh!"
Rorin spread his hands helplessly.
"So where did I guess wrong?"
Itachi's smile gradually turned eerie.
"Hahaha! That I dote on my little brother? What a ridiculous joke."
His expression then turned cold as he enunciated each word.
"To me, he's nothing more than a tool—a tool to make me stronger. That's all."
"Oh? So you're dead set on killing your brother?" Rorin said softly.
Itachi replied calmly, "Of course."
Rorin nodded slightly, then looked at Itachi with a hint of amusement.
"How about this—seeing how you're in such a bad state but still so determined, and since I do believe in helping the sick and injured, why don't I handle your brother for you? I'll even bring his eyes back. Saves you the trouble. Sounds perfect, right?"
At that, Itachi froze. A trace of killing intent flickered in his gaze as he looked at Rorin, remaining silent for a long time.
"Well? No need to thank me. I'm just helping out of kindness. I used to be a patient myself—consider it helping a fellow sufferer. Don't worry, I've got the ability," Rorin said casually.
Itachi lowered his head, let out a long breath, and when he raised it again, he had regained his calm.
"Fine. I concede. You win," Itachi said lightly.
Then he looked at Rorin openly and asked, "Can you tell me your real purpose?"
Rorin smiled, tilting his head back slightly as he gazed at the sky.
"I just don't want your brother to end up like I once did."
Itachi looked at him in confusion, waiting quietly for him to continue.
"I heard about your brother's past from a friend. It's very similar to mine—we both witnessed the destruction of our clans at a young age," Rorin said slowly, his eyes filled with stories, as if lost in memory.
As his words fell, the sharpness in Itachi's gaze softened a little.
Rorin turned his head toward Itachi and said softly,
"I don't know what kind of misunderstanding lies between you and your brother. But the key difference between him and me is that I was alone back then… while he still has you."
Itachi spoke indifferently, "That's because the one who slaughtered the entire clan before his eyes… was me."
Hearing this, Rorin looked "shocked." He lowered his head in thought for a moment before speaking again. "
You must have been in a lot of pain back then."
Itachi was slightly taken aback. He never expected that, upon learning he was the culprit behind the massacre, Rorin's reaction would be… this.
"Just like I deduced earlier—you deeply love your brother. So when you played the villain in front of him, when you personally killed the clan members you lived with day and night—especially your own parents—you must have been suffering immensely."
Rorin didn't wait for Itachi's reaction and continued on his own.
"Maybe you had your reasons, things you couldn't help. But no matter what, that will be a burden you carry for the rest of your life."
Itachi gave a self-deprecating smile. "Perhaps. Maybe this illness is my retribution."
Rorin shook his head. "Do you remember what I said earlier? I don't want your brother to walk the same path I did—struggling alone, consumed by revenge. Maybe you think sacrificing your life to complete him is the right choice… but is it really?"
He spread his arms slightly and said calmly,
"I used to be consumed by hatred too. I thought the only reason to keep living was for revenge. But after that serious illness, I came to the Hidden Leaf Village. I found companions here—people who brought me warmth. They made me understand what it means to live in the present."
Itachi said lightly, "Only by defeating me can he gain greater power. Only then can he protect himself better… and live better."
Rorin shook his head firmly.
"You're wrong. Do you really think that's what your brother wants? In my eyes, you're an irresponsible older brother. You've thrown everything onto him, making him bear it all alone. And if one day he learns the truth…"
Itachi lifted his head. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Rorin spoke slowly, "If one day he learns that the person he killed with his own hands… was the older brother who loved him deeply—the most important person in his life—have you ever thought about how he would feel?"
At those words, a trace of doubt appeared in Itachi's heart. Could it be… that everything he had insisted on was wrong?
No. His time was running out. Rather than dying a humiliating death from illness, it was better to use this broken body to complete Sasuke.
As if seeing through his thoughts, Rorin said calmly,
"You're thinking that since you don't have long to live, it's better to do something meaningful with your death rather than die uselessly, aren't you?"
Itachi was startled, then, as if compelled by something, nodded.
"No. As far as I know, there are two ways for you to stay alive," Rorin said, dropping a bombshell.
Itachi looked at him skeptically. To be honest, he didn't quite believe it. He had sought medical help everywhere after falling ill, and now he could only rely on special drugs to prolong his life.
Seeing the doubt in his eyes, Rorin smiled slightly.
"I once heard from another friend about a jutsu that can bring the dead back to life."
Itachi's lips twitched. Your friends sure are well-informed… But he didn't interrupt, quietly listening.
"I won't mention one of them—the process is far too complicated, and not very practical for you. The other one, though… according to my friend, the Hidden Sand Village in the Land of Wind has a forbidden technique called One's Own Life Reincarnation."
Itachi's interest was piqued. Rorin continued,
"This forbidden technique allows the user to convert their chakra into life force and inject it into another person. It can also use chakra as a medium to transfer the user's life entirely to someone else—essentially exchanging one life for another."
At the words "exchange one life for another," Itachi frowned slightly. Rorin watched him quietly, waiting for his answer—would he choose to live and bear everything, or continue with his original plan?
After a long time, Itachi finally raised his head, his expression serious.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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