Konoha Ninja Academy
"That is correct Sai, you can have a seat now." Iruka said.
Sai, a new student in class, took his seat, and Iruka returned to the lesson. Chizuru, who was seated next to Hinata in the back of the class like usual, was zoning out and staring at the wall at the front of the classroom. To put it simply, she was bored. They have one month until they become ninja, and Iruka's filling the whole amount of time with boring lessons, rather than practical 'you're going to need this on the field' lessons. Chizuru was getting ready to take a nap, when the bell rang, signalling the end of class.
"Alright everyone, as you all know, the graduation exams are in a week, and then you will have two weeks off before team assignments." Iruka reminded. "Have a great rest of your day, and a good weekend!"
Everyone began to file out of class, while Hinata and Chizuru decided to wait to leave and talk for a bit.
"That Sai kid is really weird." Chizuru began.
"Chizuru!" Hinata chided.
"What? I know you were thinking it too." Chizuru joked.
"What? I would... I mean..." Hinata began, then took a deep breath, "I would never!"
Chizuru began laughing at that, then continued.
"I know, I know, I was just kidding, but it is strange that I've never seen him anywhere when he's so... Distinct." Chizuru said.
"That is a little weird..." Hinata started, "But it could just be that... Maybe you just... Kinda overlooked him..." She finished while tripping over her words.
"Could be." Chizuru agreed, then a wide smile formed on her face and her eyes brightened. "We should go get some ramen! I was so bored today, and this is the only way to remedy that!"
"What happened to your daily fuuinjutsu training?" Hinata asked, while the two got up to head out.
"Huh? Oh right, I decided I would train in taijutsu today, what with twenty clones going through katas at home." Chizuru explained.
"You should at least... That is if you want to... Try to do something here... If you don't want to be bored..." Hinata said.
"I guess I could always read, and answer Iruka-sensei's questions if he calls my name." Chizuru said, "Eh, but then again it's not like we'll be going here much longer."
"That's right..." Hinata muttered.
"Worried we won't be on a team?" Chizuru prodded.
"Kinda..." Hinata said.
"Don't be! You're too awesome to not be top kunoichi!" Chizuru shouted encouragingly.
"But what if someone... Like maybe Shino... Gets rookie of the year?" Hinata muttered.
"You think I'd let someone else steal my thunder?" Chizuru asked.
"No... But-" Hinata began.
"No buts! You said it yourself, I wouldn't let anyone else take rookie of the year." Chizuru said, "So how's about I promise it, and you already know that I never go back on my promises."
"I know, I know." Hinata said, smiling at Chizuru's antics.
"Then here goes! I promise you I will not let anyone else take the rookie of the year spot!" Chizuru shouted.
"Th-thank you, Chizuru-chan..." Hinata muttered, blushing a little.
"Now," Chizuru began, while grabbing Hinata's hand, "There's food waiting for us! We gotta hurry!"
Chizuru began dragging Hinata behind her while she ran at full speed toward Ichiraku Ramen.
Meanwhile, Underground Apartment
Sasuke sat at the dining room table finishing up the worksheet he was given by Inoichi, when suddenly Inoichi stopped him.
"That's time." Inoichi said simply.
"What!?" Sasuke demanded.
"You were too slow, and now we'll delay another session with our prisoner until after supplementary lessons, our favorite guest making another visit, and a retake of this test." Inoichi explained.
"How is this even training!?" Sasuke yelled.
"It's perfecting the mind is how. If you can't remember every aspect you've learned on the spot, how could you possibly interrogate foreign ninja?" Inoichi answered.
"I never asked to be in T&I so why do I have to go through this?" Sasuke yelled.
"Orders from your superiors." Inoichi replied simply.
"I get that, but why did they want me of all people to interrogate him?" Sasuke said, calmer than before.
"He said he would only divulge information to you." Inoichi said.
"And you listened!?" Sasuke screamed.
"Of course. He is an S-rank criminal, who went through advanced ANBU training to become ANBU captain, and is resistant to practically every form of forced coercion. I am merely an A-rank ninja with minor ANBU training, and a skillset perfect for interrogating." Inoichi explained calmly.
"But why listen to him and bring me here to interrogate him?" Sasuke asked.
"It's easier to get information from prisoners if they are interrogated by family members, or people they believe are close to them." Inoichi explained.
"We are not family!" Sasuke hissed.
"Technically you are, and no amount of denial will get rid of that." Inoichi joked.
"Can I please go get some fresh air?" Sasuke asked defeatedly.
"Yes, but be back before midnight, the guards won't let anyone after that, at least until six in the morning." Inoichi said.
"Wait midnight? What time is it?" Sasuke asked, then looked at the clock and saw that it was 4 in the afternoon, before turning back to Inoichi "Do you really think I'd be out for eight hours?"
Inoichi shrugged, and Sasuke sighed, before getting up, and heading out.
Ichiraku Ramen, Ten Minutes Later
"I'll take four large miso ramen and four large chicken fried rice please!" Chizuru shouted as she entered the booth.
"I'll take one large miso ramen please..." Hinata said after catching her breath.
"Five large miso, and four large chicken fried rice orders coming right up!" Teuchi called as they sat down. "How was class today girls?"
"It was so boring!" Chizuru shouted.
"Really? Why's that?" Teuchi asked while preparing the two's food.
"I didn't have anything to do, and Iruka-sensei just kept on going on boring topics." Chizuru explained.
"Sounds rough." Ayame said while coming out of the back of the ramen shop.
"I know right?" Chizuru said.
"What about you Hinata, how was your day?" Ayame asked.
"I... Uh... Well it was just like any other..." Hinata answered.
"Well I guess that's good, at least it wasn't worse than any other." Teuchi said while nodding sagely.
"What about you guys? How were sales today?" Chizuru asked.
"Huh? Oh they were alright, just a normal days' worth." Teuchi began, "But now you're here, and we can double our profits!" He joked, and started laughing.
"Oi!" Chizuru shouted.
Ayame sighed then grabbed her trusty ladle and bopped Teuchi on the head with it.
"That was rude." She said simply.
"Right... Sorry..." Teuchi said, while rubbing the top of his head.
"Serves you right old man." Chizuru said while crossing her arms.
"Oi, don't make me use it on you too." Ayame said while pointing the ladle at Chizuru.
"I'm sorry! Please anything but the ladle!" Chizuru shouted pleadingly.
"That's better." Ayame said.
Hinata was quietly laughing at the antics of the Ichiraku family plus it's honorary member Chizuru, and settled down when the food was delivered. The two thanked the Ichirakus for the meal, then dug in.
With Sasuke Four Minutes Later
Sasuke walked down the street with his hands in his pockets, no destination in mind, just walking until he found something to do. He walked another few yards until a smell caught his attention, and, made his stomach growl. Sasuke turned toward the source of the smell and saw a shop called 'Ichiraku Ramen'. Shrugging, he decided now was as good a time as any to get dinner, so he walked into the booth.
"Welcome!" Teuchi called out from behind the counter.
"I'll take a large a large miso ramen please." Sasuke ordered.
"One large miso ramen coming right up!" Teuchi called.
Sasuke took a seat a few away from the patrons who were already there and sat in silent contemplation, that was until one of them shouted toward him.
"Oi Duckbutt!" Chizuru called out.
"Chizuru!" Hinata chided.
"What do you want?" Sasuke asked, slightly irked by the nickname.
"Come sit over here and stop acting like a teme! I wanna talk!" She called, then got bopped on the head by Ayame's ladle.
"Stop calling him names, or there'll be more where that came from!" Ayame chided.
"I'm sorry! It won't happen again!" Chizuru apologized.
"What do you want to talk about." Sasuke asked, laughing a little inside.
"Well, what've you been doing since you graduated early? What's it like as a genin? That kinda stuff you know, we are allies after all, even if you are a teme." Chizuru joked.
Sasuke sighed, Why do I always get called a teme?, he questioned silently while getting up and moving over to sit beside the two.
"Much better!" Chizuru exclaimed.
"I can't really tell you what I'm doing now that I graduated, as I've been sworn to secrecy until further notice, and as for what it's like, I take occasional D rank missions, but I'm mostly 'training' with my sensei." Sasuke answered.
"That sounds way better than being bored out of your mind at the academy!" Chizuru exclaimed.
At that moment Sasuke got his food, and Chizuru had hers replaced, and the two ate for a minute before conversation picked up again.
"A new student from a year below was brought into our class for some reason, and Iruka's been trying to hammer civilian subjects into our minds practically since you left." Chizuru said.
"Sounds rough." Sasuke said.
"Why does everyone keep saying that!?" Chizuru asked exasperatedly, while Hinata started laughing quietly.
"It hasn't been that long..." Hinata muttered after calming down from the laughter.
"It's felt like that long!" Chizuru shouted, then crossed her arms and pouted.
Sasuke finished his meal, then stood up.
"I should get going." He said.
"Aw c'mon, it was fun hanging out with you just stay for a bit longer." Chizuru whined.
"I can't, I have to return for training." He said simply.
"Boo." Chizuru began, "Fine! Have a good night!"
"Um... Goodnight..." Hinata muttered.
"You too." Sasuke said simply, then turned to leave.
He began heading back in the direction he came, and again lost himself in reflection over the past few days. So much so, he only barely noticed the cloaked ANBU leaping over his head toward the hokage tower.
Hiruzen's Office, Five Minutes Later
Hiruzen sat behind his desk reading the report Inoichi had given him on Sasuke's progress, when suddenly a weasel masked ANBU shunshined in front of his desk.
"Ah, Itachi, I take it you're doing well?" The hokage asked.
"Yes hokage-sama," Itachi began while taking off his mask, "I'm here for the 'interrogation' session with Sasuke."
"Ah, about that. Inoichi just pushed it back about a week." Hiruzen said.
"Why?" Itachi asked.
"Apparently Sasuke failed a test, and was given supplementary lessons as punishment." Hiruzen explained, "It's all in this report."
"When you're finished with it, I'd like to request to take a look at it." Itachi said.
"No need to request, I was going to hand it over anyways, in fact, you can take it now, I had just finished reading it before you got here." Hiruzen said.
"Thank you hokage-sama." Itachi said.
"No problem." Hiruzen stated, "Now, about what we discussed in our letters."
"I understand, but is now really a good time?" Itachi asked.
"Of course it is, we need to set it in stone if we are to be successful." Hiruzen explained.
"Of course..." Itachi said dejectedly, "And Sasuke?"
"He won't be allowed to leave his apartment until the announcement, and you will have plenty of time to reveal it to him yourself." Hiruzen explained.
"What about the clan heads?" Itachi asked.
"Already briefed, same with many top ninja, and some trusted academy instructors, who have been working tirelessly to implement it into the curriculum." Hiruzen explained.
"You work fast..." Itachi began, "Let's just hope you're not working too fast..."
"Hope is a powerful tool." Hiruzen said while nodding sagely.
"But too much of it is dangerous." Itachi shot back, which Hiruzen laughed at.
"That's why I picked you for this job." Hiruzen said.
"I understand hokage-sama." Itachi said.
"Good, you're dismissed." Hiruzen said.
With that, Itachi left in a swirl of leaves, and Hiruzen turned back to his mountain of paperwork.
One Week Later, Konoha Ninja Academy
"As you all know, today is the day of the exams," Iruka began, "So I brought in Mizuki-sensei here to help with judging you all."
The class watched as the two instructors grabbed a large stack of papers off of the top of their desk each.
"We will now be passing out the written portion of the exam. There are a few extra credit questions here and there, and remember the written exam will count for 40% of your overall grade." Mizuki said, while the two passed out the test packets.
Once the instructors finished passing the tests out they returned to the front of the room, and sat behind their desk, before Iruka spoke up.
"You have two hours to complete the test. You may now begin!" He exclaimed.
Chizuru got to work on her test, answering a history question here, or a math question there. Some questions required you to read in between the lines, and take from it that you have to look at a certain point in the room for your answer, while others were scenarios that you had to write a response that explained how you would escape. Needless to say, the test was the most difficult to date, but still doable. Chizuru finished her test with half an hour to spare, so she pulled out one of the yondaime's books, after turning her test in at the front, and began reading up on more advanced fuuinjutsu theory.
"Time's up!" Iruka announced. "We will now move onto shuriken and kunai throwing, then the combined taijutsu bracket, before we finish with the ninjutsu portion."
The class got to their feet, and started heading out the door, where Mizuki stood to grab the rest of the packets. When everyone made it onto the field where a few human shaped targets stood Iruka pulled out a clipboard and began calling students in alphabetical order. Then giving them a grade out of 10. After a minute or two, it was finally Hinata's turn.
Hinata stepped up to Iruka and took the shuriken he pulled out of his pouch for her to use, and she threw them one by one at rapid succession into every bullseye.
"Good job Hinata, now try with these kunai." He said while pulling out five kunai.
She again threw the weapons in quick succession and hit the bullseyes.
"Perfect ten!" Iruka called out, then looked at the next name on the list.
"Alright Ikeda Chizuru please step forward." Iruka instructed, while pulling out five shuriken from his pouch, "Now, we will start with shuriken."
Chizuru grabbed the weapons and in a show of skill threw them all at the same time. They hit their marks, each on the vital parts of the targets.
"Good job!" Iruka praised, then got out five kunai. "Now if you can do the same with these kunai you'll be guaranteed quite a few bonus points."
Chizuru grabbed the kunai and again launched them all at the same time with the same result of each bullseye hit.
"Another ten, and then some!" Iruka called out, "Great job."
The rest of the kids threw theirs and before they all knew it, they were herded off to the taijutsu ring.
"We will be having a mixed tournament this time around, so you could either go up against a girl or a boy." Iruka began, "Now please come forward and pull numbers from this bowl."
Back in the Academy, Two Hours Later
The tournament had finally ended and the victor was Chizuru, who won after another spectacle of a back-and-forward fight with Hinata. The students were now lined up outside the classroom waiting to complete the ninjutsu portion of the test. Hinata and Chizuru were standing one in front of the other, and decided to spend the time they had to wait talking.
"When we're done with this wanna head out and get some ramen to celebrate our graduation?" Chizuru asked.
"Yeah... That sounds like it would be fun..." Hinata muttered.
"Great!" Chizuru exclaimed, "We won't even have to pay for it 'cause Jiji said he'd pay as a graduation gift!"
"That's great..." Hinata began, "Especially with your apatite..." She joked.
"Oi!" Chizuru exclaimed. "Wait! Was that a mean joke? Coming from the ever so sweet Hyuga Hinata? It couldn't have, unless..."
"I-I... I'm sorry..." Hinata muttered.
"What!? You don't need to apologize! It's awesome that you're coming out of your shell!" Chizuru remedied.
"It is?" Hinata asked, before smirking, "Then I guess I'm sorry you eat so much..."
"Oi!" Chizuru exclaimed again, to which both girls laughed at.
"Hyuga Hinata!" Iruka called from inside the classroom.
The girls had been so preoccupied that they hadn't ever realized they reached the front of the line.
"Good luck Hinata-chan!" Chizuru called, as Hinata walked into the classroom.
When the door shut, Chizuru waited with growing boredom for her turn to come, as well as growing anticipation at seeing Hinata's new hitai-ate. A few minutes passed, then finally Hinata left the room with her hitai-ate tied around her neck.
"Yosh!" Chizuru called out in a way that made Iruka freeze in the other room. "Good job Hinata-chan!"
"Th-thank you Chizuru-chan..." Hinata muttered as the white haired girl hugged her.
"Ikeda Chizuru!" Iruka called.
"Oops! Looks like it's my turn to show how awesome I am!" Chizuru exclaimed.
"Good luck!" Hinata squeaked out.
"Thank you!" Chizuru called as she rushed into the room.
"Alright Chizuru, first off, we would like for you to preform the henge no jutsu." Iruka stated.
Chizuru burst into a cloud of smoke and in her place was a perfect copy of Iruka.
"Why does everyone henge into me!?" Iruka questioned loudly, then realized something, "Wait was that a sealess henge?"
"Yeah." Chizuru said while releasing her henge and rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment.
"Good job! Now, can you preform the kawarimi no jutsu?" Iruka asked.
Again Chizuru burst into a cloud of smoke, and what took her place was Mizuki, who unceremoniously fell to the floor.
"Another sealess jutsu! And to use it to replace yourself with another person? Brilliant!" Iruka exclaimed.
"Yeah, good job." Mizuki growled out, ashamed of being embarrassed by an academy student.
"Thank you senseis!" Chizuru called out, then hopped over the desk while Mizuki took his seat again.
"Alright, now for the bunshin no jutsu." Iruka said.
"I don't know how to do that one..." Chizuru said while scratching the back of her neck.
"What? It was one of the three jutsu you should have learned!" Iruka exclaimed.
"Wait, what if I use a different version of the bunshin no jutsu?" Chizuru called out when she thought that Iruka was getting ready to fail her.
"A different version? The only versions I know of that are different are more advanced bunshin, so I guess doing so would give you extra credit." Iruka said.
"Alright then let me show you my kage bunshin no jutsu!" Chizuru shouted, while a bunch of puffs of smoke popped up around the room.
"Wait! Making that many... Will... Huh." Iruka began then stared in amazement as every seat in the class was filled with kage bunshin, and there were five holding Chizuru up by making a five person pyramid for her to stand on.
"What'd'ya think?" Chizuru asked while her arms were crossed over her chest.
"What do I think?" Iruka asked, while looking over at Mizuki's dumbfounded face. "I think that you pass with flying colors!" He finished.
"Hell yeah!" Chizuru exclaimed.
"But first are there any more skills you would like to showcase to earn extra points?" Iruka asked.
"Oh!" She exclaimed after a moment of contemplation, then pulled out a sealing scroll and some ink before quickly drawing a sealing matrix on it, and placing it on the floor. She place her ink jar on the scroll and pulsed a bit of chakra into it, sealing the item, before pulsing another small bit of chakra in and retrieving the item. She then put the scroll away and pulled out a blank tag, and wrote another matrix on it, before pulling out a kunai, and attaching the tag to it. She walked over to the window, opened it, and threw the kunai as far as she could into the air, and the three occupants of the room watched as it exploded in a significant fireball.
"I can continue to display my skills in fuuinjutsu but I think it would be better to just say that I am on the third book of the Prodigy section of the yondaime's intermediate fuuinjutsu series." Chizuru explained, while holding up the book as evidence.
"You're what!?" Iruka exclaimed. "Nobody's gotten that far in forever!"
Chizuru again scratched the back of her neck in embarrassment. Then Iruka continued.
"Unless you have anything even more surprising to show us, then I'll call it here." Iruka began, then continued once he saw Chizuru shake her head "Congratulations Ikeda Chizuru on graduating! You are a shoe-in for rookie of the year! I am so proud of you!" Iruka exclaimed.
"Thank you sensei!" Chizuru called out, then went to the desk to collect her hitai-ate. She tied it around her forehead, and left the room.
She made her way outside and saw that a large crowd of parents had gathered in front of the school. She struggled for a moment to find Hinata, but found her standing next to her own father, her younger sister, and the hokage.
"Jiji! Hinata-chan!" Chizuru called out as she ran toward them.
"Chizuru-chan!" Hinata called out.
"Ah Chizuru, it's good to see you with that hitai-ate. Are you ready to take your next step in becoming a strong kunoichi?" Hiruzen asked.
"Of course!" Chizuru exclaimed. "Iruka even said I was 'a shoe-in for rookie of the year'!"
"Really now?" Hinata's father, Hiashi questioned.
"Yeah! And I know for sure Hinata here is gonna be top kunoichi! She's just that awesome!" Chizuru shouted.
"She really has improved." Hiashi began, "And I believe I have you to thank for that."
"What? No way!" Chizuru exclaimed.
"What do you mean no way?" Hiashi questioned.
"I mean that there's no way you should be thanking me, she got stronger on her own!" Chizuru explained loudly.
"I... Thank you Chizuru-chan..." Hinata muttered.
"I see. Well then, good job Hinata, you've done well to improve yourself." Hiashi praised.
"Thank you father." Hinata said.
"Now then, I said I owed someone ramen once they graduated, and I heard she may have invited a friend of hers to join us." Hiruzen commented, "Hiashi you may join us if you please."
"I think I will, it will allow me to get to know the girl my daughter won't stop talking about better. And plus, I could go for something to eat." Hiashi stated.
"Alright then, let's get going." Hiruzen said, and the group made their way off the academy's grounds.
Meanwhile, With Sasuke
Sasuke was sitting at the dining room table again hurrying through the test he was given, and finishing just as Inoichi called time.
"Good job, you've improved." Inoichi praised, "You just dodged another lesson with Ibiki, and instead get to perform your first interrogation. Depending on your performance, you may get to move on to the next set of lessons instead of repeating these ones."
"Yes sensei." Sasuke said.
"Now, let's get to our prisoner." Inoichi said.
The two got up and headed for the large metal door at the back of the apartment, and began going through the process of entering the prisoner's chambers. Once in, Sasuke and Inoichi took a seat and gazed upon Itachi, who sat on the floor staring at the pair.
"Itachi." Sasuke greeted sternly.
"Sasuke." Itachi greeted, a twinge of sadness in his voice.
"It's time you talk," Sasuke began, then looked at his clipboard, "Why did you massacre the Uchiha?"
"It's a long story." Itachi said.
"I've got nothing but time." Sasuke responded levelly.
"Very well. We'll start from the beginning then. What do you know about the aftermath of the Kyuubi's attack on Konoha?" Itachi asked.
"The yondaime died killing the Kyuubi, and the village took years to recover. What importance does this have to the massacre?" Sasuke questioned.
"Do you know of the backlash the Uchiha received after the attack?" Itachi asked.
"What backlash?" Sasuke asked.
"The very backlash that led them down the path they took, they were shunned and criticized for not battling with the Kyuubi, and instead evacuating civilians." Itachi explained.
"What is the path they took?" Sasuke questioned, while jotting down the information.
"The path they took led them straight to the massacre." Itachi said.
"What specifically was that path?" Sasuke asked with anger edging his voice, causing Itachi to sigh.
"It's time you learned." Itachi said.
"Learn what?" Sasuke asked.
"About the coup." Itachi said.
"The coup?" Sasuke queried.
"The Uchiha Clan planned a coup to overthrow the sandaime hokage, and install in his place our father, Fugaku." Itachi announced.
"How do I know you're not lying?" Sasuke asked, his hand trembling a little in anger.
"Hokage-sama will be releasing this information to the public in the coming week." Itachi said.
"Why was it hidden from me?" Sasuke asked.
"You were, and still are too young to deal with the ramifications of such information." Itachi explained.
"Then why tell me?" Sasuke asked.
"I don't necessarily have a choice in the matter now, do I?" Itachi explained, while gesturing around the room.
Sasuke grunted as he wrote the information down.
"Why a coup?" Sasuke asked.
"They were shunned, and berated by the civilian populous, sometimes even attacked by people who lost family to the Kyuubi. They could handle it, but every person they arrested for assaulting them would gain them more criticism, more backlash, and more distrust." Itachi explained, "Eventually, even ninja joined the civilian's side, members of prominent clans joined the civilian's side, and worst of all, the three elders joined the civilian's side."
"The three elders?" Sasuke questioned.
"Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, who were a part of Senju Tobirama's genin team alongside Sarutobi Hiruzen, and another of that generation of ninja, Shimura Danzo make up the three elders." Itachi answered.
"And these elders, Homura, Koharu, and Danzo hold so much sway that they are considered the worst part of the piling resent toward the Uchiha?" Sasuke asked.
"Of course. They are essentially a shadow council, which can sway the opinions of both the civilian and shinobi councils any which way. If they hold a strong opinion, then the councils hold that strong opinion." Itachi explained.
"So the Uchiha clan responded by planning a coup to overthrow the hokage." Sasuke summarized.
"Not just the hokage, but the three elders, and the civilian and shinobi councils too. All to be replaced by prominent Uchiha, or Uchiha loyal clans." Itachi put in.
"So it wasn't just going to end with a coup, even if the coup succeeded... There would have been a civil war... And maybe even a fourth shinobi world war..." Sasuke put together.
"It would have led to the destruction of Konohagakure." Itachi confirmed.
"Oh." Sasuke said simply. "And if the coup failed?"
"The Uchiha clan would no longer exist. There would be no survivors, or if any, they would be scattered among the remaining clans, in order to preserve the sharingan. The village would potentially be weakened to the point in which the other ninja villages see an opportunity to attack, and a fourth shinobi world war would start." Itachi explained.
"So Konoha loses in the end. No matter what. Unless the party who took out the clan was one of their own. No other clan gets weakened but the one that holed itself up in the village, the one that took missions outside the village only when necessary." Sasuke summarized.
"In the end, only the internal defenses of the village are damaged, but not to a degree that the already weakened ninja villages could take advantage of." Itachi explained.
"So you did it out of loyalty to the village?" Sasuke asked.
"That is only half the reason." Itachi said.
"Why else did you do it?" Sasuke questioned.
"I did it to save you." Itachi clarified.
"How in the fuck did killing our entire clan end up saving me?" Sasuke demanded.
"It was either work against the Uchiha, and destroy the coup when it happened, again, risking a world war, or kill everyone but you." Itachi said.
"Again, how would that have saved me in comparison?" Sasuke asked.
"You would have been killed in the coup, or sold to another clan afterwards. I would have been powerless to do anything until Hiruzen chose to step down and pass the hat over to me, and by then, whatever clan had you could have already exploited the sharingan genes, or convinced you to be loyal to just them." Itachi explained.
"I could have resisted." Sasuke urged.
"No one is immune to propaganda, especially at that age." Itachi said blandly.
"So this is better? Living a life without my parents, without a family? Being the last of the clan, being put on display for every fangirl in the village to gawk and pursuit? What kind of life is this?" Sasuke demanded angrily.
"One I wish you never had to live. One I wish to amend. I just hope it's not too late..." Itachi sighed.
"I'm ready to head back Inoichi." Sasuke said, while rising to his feet.
One Week Later, Outside the Hokage Tower
A massive crowd of people converged to hear the words of their leader, one member of which had heard what was to be announced before, the only others who knew stood behind the hokage as he watched over the gathering crowd. The hokage stood atop his tower with the entirety of the shinobi council behind him, along with two of his students standing at his right and left sides a little ways back. Also stood on the roof were the elite jonin ordered to stay in the village for the time being, and a few academy instructors. The group watched as their hokage cleared his throat, and raised his hands in a manner to silence the crowd below.
"Today I have important news to share!" Hiruzen began, "In regards to a matter that has been silenced for too long!"
The crowd began murmuring amongst itself, occasional mutterings of fox or demon could be heard, but nothing incriminating.
"Five years ago, an event shook our village to the core, and out of it we lost one of our founding clans!" Hiruzen started, "Today I wish to make light of information regarding said event, and to clarify the reasons behind it happening! Today, I wish to tell you the truth of the Uchiha Massacre!"
Sasuke sighed, then turned around, and left the crowd. All the while, Hiruzen explained everything Itachi detailed, only emphasizing more on how Itachi was a hero, and how the clan paid the ultimate price for almost destroying Konoha. Sasuke didn't want to hear it, and sped off toward his 'home', toward Itachi.