(Welcome back, friends. A little break from this, but I'm back and ready to reveal the secrets of the Uchiha clan. Enjoy.)

Squad Seven and Itachi, after being whisked away by Spirit Butterflies found themselves inside a cave lit by lanterns. Naomi looked around, "What happened? Where are we?"

"Those butterflies brought us here." Sakura answered.

"But why us?" Kakashi wondered.

"Because I ordered them to should anything happen that would require a quick get away." Itachi answered, as the squad saw Itachi laying down on his back.

"Itachi?" Sasuke gasped, "Why did you help us?"

Itachi smiled, "Because I couldn't afford to let anything happen to you, little brother."

"Happen to me?" Sasuke asked in confusion.

"What is your game here, Itachi?" Kakashi asked questionably.

"I couldn't let anything happen to Sasuke. He has to live on for the sake of the Uchiha." the older brother said weakly.

"Live on for the sake of the Uchiha?" Naomi asked.

"Why do you suddenly care about the Uchiha?" Sasuke lashed out, "You never cared about them!"

Itachi smiled, "You're right. I don't care about the Uchiha. All I ever cared about was you, Sasuke."

Sasuke was taken aback by what Itachi said, and spoke up, "What are you talking about?"

Itachi sighed, "Sasuke, it's time you knew the truth behind the Uchiha massacre."

"Truth?" Sasuke asked in confusion.

"What truth?" Kakashi inquired.

"The truth is, I murdered our clan to prevent them from waging a rebellion against Konoha." Itachi answered, while trying to keep it together.

"They what?" Sakura asked in disbelief.

"You lie!" Sasuke growled, "Our family would never do such a thing!"

"I can't expect you to understand, Sasuke. You were still very young and naïve about what went on in the clan and what went on deeper in it."

"Why would the Uchiha want to revolt against the village?" Kakashi inquired.

"Because our clan's loyalty was only to themselves. I was tasked with spying on my clan by the Third Hokage and the elders to see where their loyalties resided. And in the end I was ordered to put down my entire clan, but I spared you Sasuke," Itachi explained, "I spared you because I felt you could bring about a new age to Uchiha. Make it better and free from hate and superiority that our clan was fueled by."

"Me?" Sasuke asked in disbelief.

"Yes. It had to be you and only you who could put an end to our family curse of hatred. And here you stand all grown up and ready to take up the head of the Uchiha and bring true honor to it." Itachi coughed from exhaustion.

"Itachi!" Sasuke gasped.

"Forgive me, but I don't have too much time left. But I don't wish to leave you with just a terrible truth. So I will offer you my Sharingan eyes."

"What? Why?" Sasuke asked in confusion.

"When time comes, implant them into you and my power will be yours as well."

"But, Itachi!"

"Brother, there's nothing left for me to tell. But I will say this, mother and father's dying words was for me to look after you. And I have succeeded in my mission." Itachi smiled before his eyes closed for the last time.

When the elder Uchiha fell limp, squad seven looked over him knowing he wasn't getting up, "He's gone." Sakura said in shock.

"Itachi." Sasuke said to himself, as he recalled how close he and his brother were growing up and all the lessons Itachi taught him.

Suddenly tears started filling up his eyes, which didn't go unnoticed by his team, "Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke opened his eyes to reveal his Sharingan had suddenly evolved into his own version of the Mangekyo, "Mangekyo Sharingan." Kakashi gasped.

Sasuke turned to Kakashi, "Sensei, grab Itachi's body. We'll bring him back to Konoha. And then we're going to ask the Third Hokage for the full truth."

Kakashi seeing how important this was for Sasuke, obliged by his request and picked Itachi corpse up to carry it. Squad Seven left the cave and managed to find their way back on the trail towards Konoha.

Upon returning, they entered the Hokage's office where Tsunade and Shizune awaited, "Welcome back. How was..." Tsunade began, until the two ladies saw the body Kakashi was carrying.

"Is that?" Shizune gasped.

Kakashi laid Itachi's body down and nodded, "Yes. It's Itachi."

"Sasuke, did you..." Tsunade began, only to be cut off by said boy.

"Never mind that. Lady Tsunade, I wish for the Third to be present here. I have questions for him regarding my clan." he said seriously.

Tsunade and Shizune could sense the tone in Sasuke's voice and knew something big had to have happened. Tsunade turned to her assistant, "Shizune, fetch sensei, will you?"

"Yes, my lady." Shizune took off and soon enough came back with Hiruzen.

"What is the reason you have requested my presence, Sasuke?" Hiruzen asked, before Sasuke revealed Itachi's body lying on the floor, "Oh, dear."

"Third Hokage, I want to know the truth behind the Uchiha clan massacre. And I mean the full truth." Sasuke requested.

Hiruzen sighed as if perceiving this would happen, "So you know of what happened do you?"

"Only bits. But I want to hear it straight from you. And everyone else should hear too."

"Very well," Hiruzen said, as he took a seat, "As you all know many years ago, Itachi Uchiha wiped out all but Sasuke in his clan and went rogue from the village. But the truth of the matter is, me and my former comrades had ordered Itachi to carry out the massacre."

Sakura spoke up, "Itachi said it was to protect the village from a revolt. Why would the Uchiha want to revolt against Konoha?"

Hiruzen answered, "The answer lies within the past. Back before the village even existed. As you may know, Konoha was founded years ago by two of the most powerful clans the world has known the Senju and the Uchiha. The two leaders at the time were Hashirama of the Senju clan and Madara of the Uchiha clan. Originally the two clans feuded for many years, until they came to a truce and formed this village. However when Hashirama was chosen to be village leader over Madara, the Uchiha leader felt as if he was trying to dominate both him and his clan. Unable to persuade his clan to join him he left the village but would return to fight Hashirama in what you know as the Valley of the End where our First Hokage was victorious."

"Interesting piece of history." Naomi admitted.

The elder man continued, "We hoped after the battle between the two concluded things would be at peace, but they were far from it. My former sensei, Tobirama the Second Hokage was weary of the Uchiha and believed they could not be fully committed to the village's best interests such as Madara. To that end he created the Konoha Military Police Force which he left the Uchiha in charge of. It was meant to serve as a sign of good faith, but many Uchiha treated it as if the village was excluding them from Konoha's affairs."

"Why would they think becoming law enforcers would make them feel inferior?" Naomi asked in confusion.

"There is an old saying 'those who crack down on the law are easily disliked'. The more authority a certain group has, the more conceited it can get." the Third answered.

"But there's more to it than that, isn't there, sensei?" Tsunade inquired.

"Sadly yes. The Uchiha, I'm afraid to admit are a clan cursed by hatred."

"Cursed by hatred?" Shizune wondered.

"Yes," Hiruzen confirmed, "Since the beginning, the members of the Uchiha have been greatly devoted to love and friendship and yet they concealed their affection."

"So full on emotionless soldiers route?" Naomi asked, as the elder man nodded.

"When a member loses the object of their affection from family, friend, or anything, the love is molded into hatred leaving them driven to do everything in their power to achieve their goals and show their own superiority, no matter what the costs or consequences. That is what happens before an Uchiha awakens their Sharingan."

"Then what about the Mangekyo Sharingan?" Sasuke inquired.

"To awaken the Mangekyo is similar to how a normal Sharingan awakens by experiencing trauma after witnessing such atrocities like the death of one close to you. However the Mangekyo is not something every Uchiha is capable of awakening. Only select few have been able to. Some included Madara Uchiha and his brother Izuna. And as you know Itachi."

"Even I possess the Mangekyo." Kakashi admitted.

"You do, sensei?" Sakura gasped.

"Yes. In my days I've experienced my own share of trauma from watching close friends die. That in turn awakened the Mangekyo in my implanted Sharingan eye."

Sasuke looked back at the Third, "So how did it come down to Itachi needing to murder our clan?"

"Rumors spread about the Uchiha's plans to take over the village because they felt they had been suppressed for too long," Hiruzen continued, "We called upon Itachi who was never corrupted by clan names but was a truly devoted shinobi to spy on the Uchiha while pretending to spy on the village for the them. I had tried multiple times to negotiate peace, but my efforts were ineffective. It was clear that peace was no longer an option between the Uchiha and the village. And as a desperate move, Itachi was tasked to put down all in his clan. Except for you Sasuke. He bared the false charge of traitor and left the village to get involved with the Akatsuki organization to spy on them."

"So Itachi was more spy than murderer?" Sasuke asked.

"Correct. He knew eventually he would have to face you for a final showdown and see that you would be victorious."

"I can hardly call this a victory," Sasuke said bitterly, "I didn't even kill Itachi. He wore himself out from over using his Mangekyo."

"Still, Sasuke. This is what Itachi wanted for you. To live on and restore true order and honor to the Uchiha name." the old man replied.

Sasuke was processing everything he was told by Itachi and now Hiruzen, and sighed, "My brother was a hero from the beginning even when others thought he was nothing but a murderer. And yet every day since that tragedy he's carried that burden on his shoulders. To have gone on this long with such a burden means he really was strong. Stranger than any of us could've been. Even more than me. But that was then and this is now. I can't honestly say I'm proud that Itachi killed our family, but if they were cursed by the same kind of hatred that makes anyone into a villain then it is up to me to break that hatred." he said seriously.

"So what will you do, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked.

"I will carry on the name of the Uchiha and not let the world remember it as a clan fueled by hatred and darkness. But by honor and loyalty." Sasuke declared.

Hiruzen and Tsunade smiled seeing Sasuke wasn't about to be consumed by vengeance as most Uchiha have fallen into. Kakshi eye smiled, "Well said, Sasuke."

Sasuke suddenly looked curious, "Though I wonder about something."

"What is it?" Naomi asked.

"Itachi told me he'd offer his eyes to me, and to implant them into me when I need them the most," Itachi turned to Hiruzen, "Do you know anything about that too?"

Hiruzen spoke, "Yes. For you see the Mangekyo Sharingan has a price to it."

"What kind of price?" Sakura asked.

"One's vision. If the Mangekyo Sharingan is used too much the user will lose their eyesight permanently."

"Whoa." Naomi and Sakura gasped.

"And not even healing jutsu of my prowess could correct that." Tsunade admitted.

"The only way to regain one's sight after using Mangekyo for too long would require one Sharingan user to implant another one's Sharingan into themselves," Hiruzen explained, "That in turn will result into a new form of Sharingan. The Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. Wielded only known by Madara Uchiha."

"So how did Madara gain the Eternal Mangekyo?" Sakura wondered.

"Madara's brother Izuna had bequeathed his own Mangekyo to him on his death bed. He did it in hopes Madara would keep the Uchiha clan alive and protect them from extinction."

"Well, that didn't work so well." Naomi replied, only to get shushed by Kakashi.

"Itachi said I should implant his eyes into mine when the time is right." Sasuke recalled.

"Then you have awakened the Mangekyo, I presume?" Hiruzen inquired.

Sasuke nodded, "I have."

"Then you must learn to use the new abilities that come with your eyes before you use them in battle." The Third warned him.

"I understand. In the meantime, keep Itachi's body preserved secretly. I don't want anyone else knowing about him."

"I shall do that." Hiruzen promised.

"Now that this is out of the way tell us what happened when you discovered Itachi." Tsunade spoke.

"Well, it's a long story." Kakashi said, as they all sat down and talked about what happened.

Afterward, Tsunade, Shizune, and Hiruzen were left in shock, "This is very troubling." Hiruzen said in worry.

"If Orochimaru was able to bring back someone as dangerous as Amon then who knows who else he could bring back." Shizune said in worry.

"I have a couple of good ideas." Sasuke admitted.

"Still we should inform Naruto of this as soon as he gets home." Tsunade said.

"Yes, but for now let him continue to focus on his training." Hiruzen replied.

Tsunade nodded and turned to Squad Seven, "Until then, you guys are all dismissed."

"Hai!" the group said before taking their leave.

That night at Sasuke's place, Sasuke was busy practicing with his swords, before stopping in an epic pose. After sheathing his swords he sat down before drinking some water. He sat quietly, until a voice spoke up, "This seat taken?"

Sasuke looked down seeing Gochi the spirit at his side, "Gochi?" he asked.

"Sorry, Sasuke, I hope I'm not intruding. Well, I just had to come when I heard what happened with you guys." the spirit gopher said.

"I see," Sasuke answered, as Gochi sat at his side, "Gochi, answer me honestly. Were you part of Itachi setting me up for this final battle?"

Gochi knowing there's no way to lie out of this one, confessed, "Yes. I've been keeping contact with Itachi for years since that day. The truth was when he was younger than you he could actually see me and all the other spirits while nobody else could."

"Why's that?"

"Because Itachi was pure and innocent, and a believer. We spirits were his closest friends. He'd talk to us about his ninja training and the trials everyone was setting him up for to test his loyalty."

"So that's why he was able to command those spirit butterflies to aid us in escaping Kisame." Sasuke realized.

Gochi nodded in confirmation, "Before he left the village he told me to watch you from the shadows from time to time. And I have. And when I learned Naruto was the next Avatar I had two kids to keep a close eye on. Boy, I had my work cut out for me," he laughed, earning a slight grimace from Sasuke, "All jokes aside, your brother cared deeply for you. Even sacrifice his good name to keep you safe."

"I see that now. And I won't let his sacrifice be in vain," he drew his Space Sword and pointed it upward, "I vow on the sword of Chief Sokka, the Uchiha clan will begin anew and I will see to it no evil taints it." Sasuke promised.

Meanwhile in an underground compound Danzo sat before a table, until one of his Anbu appeared, "What have you to report?" he asked his flunkie.

"Itachi Uchiha is dead. And Sasuke knows the truth."

"I see," Danzo got up, "It appears I will have no choice but to act sooner than I thought. I cannot let the Uchiha exist so their curse of hate can be ignited again."

(And there's the chapter. Sasuke and Squad Seven know about the truth, and when Naruto learns it as well about Amon he's going to be thrown for a loop. Don't miss next time where Naruto makes a come back to find out how much he's missed while he was away training with Bee.)