On the screen, the verbal sparring between Sasuke and Itachi continued. Hearing Itachi's deranged words, Sasuke slowly unwound the bandages from his forehead, expressionless, and raised his hand to pull them off.
Then he shrugged off his gray cloak, revealing a dark short-sleeved shirt beneath. His entire demeanor shifted in an instant, like a drawn blade.
A rare look of gravity appeared on Itachi's face. "It seems… you're finally seeing what's inside my heart."
What he meant was that his earlier manic performance had been him fully laying bare his inner self to Sasuke.
"So it was all for this…?"
"It has finally arrived… The moment to fulfill my goal!" Undoubtedly, Sasuke, as a normal person, found it almost inconceivable that Itachi would slaughter his entire clan and destroy his own family all for the sake of a pair of more powerful eyes.
"You say you can see my death… but you cannot win against my Mangekyō Sharingan. Unfortunately, your goal will end as an illusion, because you do not possess the Mangekyō," Itachi said with seeming patience.
Hearing that, Sasuke ignored him. Instead, he closed his eyes and began unwinding the bandages from his hands layer by layer, preparing to start the true battle ahead.
In his mind, the image of Itachi lifting him up with one hand during their earlier encounter resurfaced.
Once all the bandages were off, Sasuke finally spoke to Itachi:
"You can use your eyes all you like, but my hate will turn my illusion into reality! And your reality… is death!"
[In the Shinobi World, the gap between a three-tomoe Sharingan and a Mangekyō Sharingan is the widest among all evolutionary stages. Even the gap between a single tomoe and three tomoe, or between a Mangekyō and an Eternal Mangekyō, cannot compare to it.]
[It is also at the Mangekyō stage that the Sharingan truly lives up to its power as a precious bloodline limit. So for Sasuke, who only possessed a three-tomoe Sharingan and had no Sage Mode to support him, to dare challenge Itachi directly—that was undoubtedly brave. And we have to thank Orochimaru and Deidara for giving him that courage.]
[Nevertheless, no matter how you look at it, Sasuke's character up to this point is indeed commendable. It is estimated that even if he had known the secret to awakening the Mangekyo in advance, he would never have been willing to sacrifice a friend for the sake of it.]
[In that regard, he is completely different from his ancestor Indra. This also shows that while Indra's chakra may influence their personalities, it is only an influence; ultimately, it still comes down to the character each generation of Indra's reincarnation develops through their own experiences.]
The moment those words were spoken, they sent shockwaves across countless timelines of the Shinobi World.
---
[Konoha, Year One. Outside the Village on the Cliffside]
Madara's pupils contracted into pinpoints. He stood on the cliff, hands clasped behind his back, leaning slightly forward as if struck by something vital.
Wind swept in from afar, lifting his long hair, but he didn't notice.
Only now did he begin to grasp what "each generation of Indra" truly meant!
The physical bearer of Indra's chakra, or rather… Indra's reincarnate!
He slowly turned to look at Hashirama beside him.
If his speculation was correct, if he truly was Indra's reincarnation, then Hashirama was Asura's reincarnation! Which meant Hashirama also harbored Asura's chakra within him.
And their personalities had both been influenced by their respective ancestors? However, judging by what the Sky Screen was implying, it seemed that Indra, in order to awaken his eyes initially, had killed those close to him, just like the false description given by Itachi on the screen.
After careful consideration, Madara felt a chill run down his spine. He felt as though he had just uncovered a secret about his own ancestor.
Itachi deceived Sasuke, claiming he had killed his parents to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan. But what if… this was true in the very beginning?
Had Indra truly killed his own parents to awaken his Mangekyō Sharingan?
After all, the Sky Screen had said that the Sharingan required intense emotional stimuli to awaken, and witnessing the death of a loved one was the most direct path.
Madara felt his scalp tingle.
Who was Indra? The eldest son of the Sage of Six Paths!
That was the Sage of Six Paths himself.
So… was that why Asura and Indra, as brothers, had been locked in conflict for over a thousand years? Even after their deaths, did their chakra continue to choose new hosts and wage battle? Because Indra had killed his own father?
Hashirama noticed Madara's grim expression and assumed he was brooding over how Indra's chakra influenced their personalities. He walked over, patted Madara on the shoulder, and said in a gentle tone:
"Madara… the screen already said that our ancestors' chakra only influences us. In the end, it's still up to us."
Madara shook his head and did not respond.
He didn't explain his speculation to Hashirama, either. After all, it was too startling, and there was no evidence yet—only conjecture. But if that conjecture were true, it meant that he and Hashirama had been guided by some force since birth, destined to fight, destined to oppose each other—just like Indra and Asura a thousand years ago.
"Hashirama," Madara suddenly spoke.
"Mm?"
"If I really do something extreme in the future… will you stop me?"
Hashirama was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "I will. But first, I'll punch some sense into you, and then reason with you."
Madara looked at him without speaking, a faint, unreadable relief in his eyes.
Tobirama stood not far off, listening to their exchange, mentally filing away the information about "Indra's reincarnation." His elder brother was Asura's reincarnation; Madara was Indra's reincarnation… and so were the future Seventh Hokage and that surviving Uchiha orphan.
No wonder the Sky Screen said that Naruto and Sasuke carried on a thousand-year-old fate.
His fingers tapped lightly inside his sleeve, his mind racing. If reincarnation was real, then their personalities were indeed influenced by Chakra, but the final choice was still their own. His brother chose peace. While, Madara… had not yet made his final choice. And what he needed to do was keep Madara from straying down the wrong path.
Young Hiruzen also stood off to the side, watching the grave expressions of these big shots, not even daring to breathe too loudly.
---
[Konoha, Year 60. Akatsuki Hideout]
Deidara sat in his chair with a sour expression, arms crossed.
Why did he have to keep getting mocked just because he would one day die at Sasuke's hands?
Was his art really that worthless?
Meanwhile, Itachi sat in the corner, his mind churning.
Indra's chakra influencing one's personality… then was Sasuke still Sasuke, or was he Indra?
His gaze fell on the screen, on that Sasuke still locked in a standoff with "himself," and he silently repeated in his heart:
'Sasuke, whether you're a reincarnation or not, you are still my little brother.'
Obito's single eye also narrowed slightly beneath his mask, but it was unclear what he was thinking.
---
[Somewhere in the Shinobi World, an underground base]
Orochimaru stared at the screen's description of "Indra's reincarnation," a meaningful smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
"Chakra reincarnation…"
"That seems like one way to achieve immortality. Interesting."
"Even if the physical body dies, as long as the chakra still carries consciousness, memories, and personality, can one be reborn through a new vessel?"
Orochimaru watched Sasuke's figure on the screen, greed flickering in his eyes. The thoughts he had long since buried resurfaced once again.
Uchiha Sasuke—Indra's reincarnation… if he could obtain that body, could he grasp Indra's power?
Even… the power of the Sage of Six Paths?
*****
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