Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
A/N: Not going to apologize for how long this took, as after uploading the Detentionaire story, a friend and uncle both passed so I took time off to mourn them. Now, for most of my stories, I was ahead except for this one, KP, and the One Piece stories so I'll upload the others a day or two after each other.
REMEMBER TO VOTE IN THE POLL IF YOU HAVEN'T!
Beta: Chaos-PSD.
Chapter LXXI: The Leader And The Truth.
When People Get Hurt, They Learn To Hate When People Hurt Others, They Become Hated.
A Sannin in peril! Jiraiya Infiltrates Amegakure in hopes of finding information on Akatsuki, the group of Nukenin that's going after Jinchūriki for an unknown reason. Wandering around the village, Jiraiya speaks to the inhabitants about their leader, Pain. Unsuccessful in gathering information, he looks to capture the ninja of the village. Can he find the information before it's too late….?
Amegakure.
Using his Hiding in a Toad Technique, Jiraiya successfully infiltrates Amegakure. Pain of the Akatsuki can sense through the rain that an intruder has set foot inside their village, and tasks Konan with locating him, the latter forming tiny origami birds, who fly around the village.
Jiraiya stops at a gentlemen's club, where he attempts to get close to Tezuna, who reminds him of Tsunade. He attempts to ask her the whereabouts of Ame's leader, Hanzō, only for Tezuna to tell Jiraiya that Hanzō is not around anymore and that their village is ruled by Lord Pain. Using his Kuchiyose: Gama Mise no Jutsu (Summoning: Toad Shop Technique), Jiraiya lures Tezuna's husband Ryūsui and his partner Yūdachi into what they believe is a bar, which in actuality is the stomach of a toad.
Trapped within the amphibian, Jiraiya attempts to extract information from them; when Yūdachi refuses, turns him into a frog. Threatening Ryūsui with the same fate, Ryūsui reveals that Hanzō, the previous leader, had been killed by Pain himself. Jiraiya finds this unbelievable, as the three Sannins themselves were unable to defeat Hanzō.
Jiraiya adds that Ame is in a civil war, with Hanzō leading one side, but Ryūsui reveals that their civil war ended long ago and that they were ushered into a world of peace by Pain. The holdovers from Hanzō's reign attempted to take their village back, only for Pain to murder all of Hanzō's friends, associates, relatives, and even the infants of those distantly connected to him. Jiraiya then decides to ask Ryūsui about the Akatsuki, but Ryūsui refuses to talk.
Jiraiya leaves him trapped inside the stomach of a toad while he decides to deal with Pain himself. However, fearing the worst possible outcome, he regurgitates Gerotora, a scroll toad. If he dies, he tells Gerotora to reside with Naruto, which Gerotora refuses to do since he holds the "key" to the Eight Trigrams Seal on Naruto's stomach and claims that the idea of having a key next to a lock is ludicrous but Jiraiya claims that Naruto would need the key someday.
Jiraiya proceeds to exit the belly of the frog while masquerading as Ryūsui, unaware that he is being observed by Konan. Konan reports to Pain that the intruder is none other than their old sensei Jiraiya, and Pain tells her that they must kill him regardless, and asks Konan to deal with him until he can catch up.
Ryūsui is attacked by Konan's Shikigami no Mai (Dance of the Shikigami), while Jiraiya reveals himself to be embedded in Ryūsui's shadow. As the real Ryūsui runs away, Jiraiya asks Konan how she became mixed up with the Akatsuki when he had last heard that the three Ame Orphans had died, and asks about the whereabouts of Nagato and Yahiko.
After realizing that Konan is Ame's "angel" and Pain is their "god", he deduces that either Nagato or Yahiko is Pain; Konan tells Jiraiya that she will kill him as she has devoted herself to her god Pain and his ideology. As Konan attacks him with her shikigami once more, Jiraiya counters with his Katon: Endan (Fire Release: Flame Bullet) while adding his Gamayudan (Toad Oil Bullet) right after, coating Konan with oil and rendering her immobile.
Pain himself arrives at that moment with a new body that has long hair in a ponytail with piercings along each jaw.
Upon seeing the Rinnegan in his eyes, Jiraiya realizes that Pain is Nagato. Summoning his Giant Crustacean, Pain uses its bubbles to remove the oil coating Konan, freeing her. Jiraiya binds the beast with his hair along with Pain himself.
"Nagato, I want to ask you a few things. What happened to Yahiko?"
"Oh yeah There was such a guy, wasn't there? He died a long time ago." Pain replied
"Nagato... You?!" Jiraiya's eyes widened at that. "What happened to you? The old you wouldn't-"
"Nothing Just war. Too many people die here. That pain made me grow up."
"What do you mean?"
"Even a stupid, foolish kid will grow up when he learns what pain is. Knowing pain controls one's words and thoughts." Pain replied to Jiraiya.
"But abandoning one's love for a friend Is that what it means to become an adult?
"Sensei You are still just a man. However, through this never-ending pain, I have matured and become even more than a man.
"What?"
"Yes From a man to a god. When one becomes a god, your words and thoughts become absolute. Sensei, since you are human it can't be helped if you don't understand what I'm saying."
"Have you become that twisted?" Jiraiya asked, looking up.
"Things I couldn't see when I was human are clear to me now that I am a god. And being a god, I realize that there are things I can do that man cannot. To put it simply, evolving beyond man."
"Just what are you planning to do?"
"I am going to put an end to this senseless, war-torn world. That is a god's work." Pain replied.
"If that is your purpose, why are you gathering Tailed Beasts?"
"You are going to die anyway. So I shall tell you the true purpose. I will use the Sealed Tailed Beasts to develop a new Forbidden Jutsu. With just one such jutsu, a large nation can be destroyed instantaneously. It will be the most powerful, the ultimate Forbidden Jutsu weapon."
"How will making such a thing end the fighting? Won't it simply intensify the conflicts?"
"There are disputes throughout the nations." Pain explained. "How would you put a quick end to them all, Jiraiya Sensei?"
"That is my question to you! Answer me!"
"You give each warring nation a Forbidden Jutsu weapon. Once they possess such a power, they are bound to use it."
"What do you mean?" Jiraiya asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Tens of millions will die instantly and people will become scared. People and nations will learn what pain is! That fear will breed a strong aversion to war and the fighting will end. It can be said that this world is still in the process of growing and stabilizing. Pain will make the world mature. In the same way that I matured. For the world to grow up and become wiser a god's hand is necessary. The world is still a child."
"Teach the world pain to make it grow up. Do you believe that is your work?"
Pain nodded before continuing. "Yes, because I am the god of peace."
"You've gotten good at telling jokes, Nagato."
"Joke? I'm not joking." Pain replied before summoning a chameleon. "My ideal is Over here, Sensei."
"Is that you're next summoning?"
"To me, you are a small existence which never matured."
"A kid treating me like a kid! Well, I'm no longer human either!" Jiraiya then summoned a large toad in smoke as he stood on its head. "These tears of blood, overflowing with rage! I went from the Sannin to Sage! The Monstrous Toad of Mount Myōboku! I am Master Jiraiya-!" He stopped as he lost his balance.
"You haven't matured at all. You're just as clumsy as before." Pain sighed as Jiraiya lost his balance.
Jiraiya decides to use Sage Mode in his battle against Pain but needs time to prepare. Clasping his hands together and unable to open them, lest he interrupt his preparation, Jiraiya relies on Gamaken to protect and defend him.
Pain uses camouflage to turn himself invisible, while Jiraiya erects a spherical detection barrier to locate him. Pain summons a Giant Multi-Headed Dog. Gamaken is unable to defeat the dogs because they can multiply when hit; the dogs eventually corner Gamaken and bite into him, wounding him severely.
Jiraiya uses his Summoning: Crushing Toad Stomach to reverse summon himself, Gamaken, and the dogs into the stomach of a toad, where the toad walls begin to absorb the dogs, which dispel themselves. Pain states that the battle is over as Jiraiya has escaped, only for Jiraiya and Gamaken to have located the camouflaged Pain.
Gamaken can strike at Pain's Giant Snake-Tailed Chameleon, although Pain summons a Giant Drill-Beaked Bird to dive bomb itself towards Jiraiya and Gamaken as retribution. Jiraiya begins to run away, his hands still clasped, while being chased by the bird. However, after tricking the bird into coming face-to-face with him.
Jiraiya incinerates the bird with his Katon: Endan Fire Release: Flame Bullet. After utilizing shadow clones to aid him against Pain's Giant Ox and Giant Rhino, Jiraiya is finally able to call upon Fukasaku and Shima, the Two Great Sage Toads of Mount Myōboku. They gathered chakra as Jiraiya gained toad traits while he told them that he had summoned them because his enemy possessed the Rinnegan, the mythical Dōjutsu once wielded by the Sage of Six Paths.
To make matters worse, he believes Pain is the Child of the Prophecy, one whom the Great Toad Sage prophesied would bring either peace or destruction upon the world. As Pain fits into the latter category, Jiraiya and the toads realize that Jiraiya must kill Pain, who summons two more bodies with similar hair and piercings.
Jiraiya is shocked beyond his wits to see three Rinnegan wielders before him; Pain decides to take advantage of the situation by having his Human Path rush towards Jiraiya, only for Jiraiya to give him a roundhouse kick in the face and blind him. Fukasaku uses a smoke bomb while Jiraiya unleashes his senjutsu-influenced Kebari Senbon (Hair Needle Senbon), which Pain can block by summoning a Giant Panda.
Jiraiya attempts to destroy the three Paths using his Senpō: Goemon (Sage Art: Goemon), a cooperation ninjutsu used alongside the Two Great Sage Toads, only for the Paths to be unscathed. Amazed at how they were able to escape its effects, Jiraiya tries to destroy the Preta Path with a Chōōdama Rasengan (Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan) however, the Path proceeds to absorb the technique and render it useless.
Jiraiya, Fukasaku, and Shima decide to escape through the pipes, wondering how to defeat three Rinnegan wielders as neither ninjutsu nor taijutsu would work on them. Since Jiraiya does not use Genjutsu, a fact that Pain is aware of, Jiraiya asks the two toads to use their Genjutsu, which he would not be expecting, while he tries out a gamble of his.
Fukasaku was able to deduce that the three Paths shared the same vision through their Rinnegan eyes, Jiraiya had the toads lure them with their Genjutsu, which involves croaking frog sounds that reveal their location to Pain. As the three Paths rush towards them, Jiraiya hits one of them with his Katon: Dai Endan (Fire Release: Big Flame Bullet.)
After the Path absorbs it, Jiraiya's theory is confirmed, each of the Paths only possesses one ability, hence why the earlier Animal Path had only summoned creatures to fight Jiraiya instead of using actual jutsu. The three Paths are struck by the toads' Demonic Illusion: Toad Confrontation Chant and Jiraiya proceed to use three stone swords to impale them.
As he walks away, believing he has killed them, he is struck from behind by another Path, who manages to destroy Jiraiya's left arm. Pain then brings forth five other bodies, including the three that Jiraiya had just impaled. "Now then. In attendance The Six Paths of Pain."
"Six?! There are six of them?!" Fukasaku asked as Shima looked to see the ones they already killed.
"Hey, look close! The three we just did are there too!"
"The newly summoned ones must have resurrected them with some sort of jutsu!"
"There's even a jutsu that can revive as many as three of them when they were undoubtedly dead?! Are they human?!
"Pain What are you?!" Jiraiya asked, clutching to his stump.
"Pain... That name is an alias that denotes all six of us."
"Why are there six Rinnegan bearers?" Jiraiya asked before his eyes widened at recognizing Yahiko, the orphan who died and is the one who leads Akatsuki. "That face Is that you, Yahiko? What's going on? I thought you said Yahiko died! Plus, those eyes..."
"You see Yahiko's image in me? You are his former Teacher. But Yahiko has been dead for quite some time. All that remains is Pain."
"Quit it with the wordplay! Why do you possess the Rinnegan?!" Jiraiya yelled as Fukasaku looked over.
"What are you talking about, Jiraiya-boy?"
"One of my former students is among them. Except he didn't use to possess those eyes."
"What in tarnation is going on? You say there are two children of prophecy?" Shima asked in shock.
"No, that's not it either. When I saw the Rinnegan, I convinced myself that the first one was Nagato. But he's subtly different from the Nagato I knew of Come to think of it, upon closer inspection, none of those six remind me of Nagato. On the other hand, one of them resembles Yahiko but possesses Nagato's Rinnegan. Are you Yahiko or Nagato? Just what exactly are you?!"
"We are Pain... We are god."
"Retreat, Jiraiya-boy!"
Using his Kekkai: Gama Hyōrō (Barrier: Toad Gourd Prison) technique, Jiraiya can trap the Animal Path and strike it with his Rasengan (Spiraling Sphere), knocking it into gastric acid. Before the Path dies, it manages to stab Jiraiya through the arm and chest.
As the Path's forehead protector falls off, Jiraiya notices a scar and realizes it is a man he fought once before. Wanting to discover more about Pain, Jiraiya attempts to dismiss the Two Great Sage Toads, telling them to take the Animal Path's corpse to Tsunade. Not wanting to leave him alone, Shima agrees to do it alone while Fukasaku stays with Jiraiya.
As Jiraiya reaches the surface, he takes a good look at all of the Paths' faces and recognizes that he has met every single one of them before. He deduces Pain's identity, but before he can tell Fukasaku, one of the Paths crushes his throat and the six Paths proceed to impale him through the back. With his throat crushed and his heart beginning to fail, Jiraiya realizes that he is dying.
He recalls his life, including being rejected by Tsunade, failing to redeem Orochimaru, and how he won't die a glorious death like the Third and Fourth Hokages. In his last moments, he reminisces fondly on memories of Minato and his wife Kushina and how they had asked Jiraiya to be Naruto's godfather and if they could name Naruto after the protagonist of Jiraiya's novel as Minato liked the character, who never gave up.
Remembering that Naruto would never give up as it was his ninja way, and would keep fighting for as long as possible Jiraiya states that as his master, he cannot give up either. Managing to stay alive with his sheer force of will, Jiraiya uses his Finger Carving Seal to write a coded message about Pain's true identity on Fukasaku's back.
The Six Paths of Pain attack the duo, but Fukasaku escapes as Jiraiya drowns. As he passes away, he remarks that Naruto is the true Child of the Prophecy and how the sequel to his novel would be titled "The Tale of Naruto Uzumaki".
Konoha.
Tsunade sits on a ledge watching a river, before noticing a frog that croaked before it jumped in.
Konoha's Squad.
Naruto drove his speeder before glancing back as he felt someone grab his shoulder and then looked back just as he felt something in the Force as well.
Brother Vs. Brother! Sasuke Uchiha and Team Hebi are escaping Konoha's Squad while trying to find his brother to get his revenge. He then finds Itachi in a cave waiting for him. Will Sasuke be able to overcome his hatred and get his revenge or will his hatred consume him….?
Team Hebi.
The members of Hebi wait outside of an Akatsuki hideout while Sasuke ventures inside. He finds Itachi in the middle of the hideout, who asks Sasuke whether he will attack prematurely once more. Sasuke uses his speed to come behind Itachi and impales his brother with his Chidori Sharp Spear. However, Itachi is not the real one; as Itachi splits into various crows, he tells Sasuke to meet him alone at the Uchiha Hideout where they can settle things once and for all.
Sasuke and Hebi head to the hideout when Karin notifies Sasuke that she is sensing various chakra traces. They are suddenly ambushed by a Naruto shadow clone, whom Sasuke easily defeats with his Chidori.
Later, Sasuke's team reaches the Uchiha hideout, where they are greeted by Kisame Hoshigaki. Kisame tells them as per Itachi's orders, only Sasuke may be permitted to enter. Sasuke tells the group to stay put as he ventures into the hideout, ready to finish Itachi off once and for all. Outside the hideout, Suigetsu decides to challenge Kisame as the latter is one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist who possesses the Samehada blade.
To make use of their waiting time, Suigetsu and Kisame engage in combat.
Konoha's Squad.
The clone's memories are absorbed by Naruto, who tells the team that he has found Sasuke's location. However, as they rush to find Sasuke, they find themselves blocked by Tobi.
"Howdy!"
Naruto got off his speeder and looked up as Tobi used his immature voice. "Well, now How's it going there, there, and there? Imagine running into the Hidden Leaf in a place like this. I mean It's two, four, six, eight against one. Such bad timing."
"That robe... You're a member of the Akatsuki!" Yamato said, looking up.
"Though he wasn't on the list that Kabuto left us," Kakashi said as Naruto looked back.
"We killed several members before Orochimaru died, he's probably new."
"Yes, I'm a newbie. Nice to meet you."
"Hah! Think you're funny?! Don't waste our time!"
"Don't be rash." Kakashi spoke to Kiba. "Study the situation first. Right now, we have him outnumbered."
"Oh dear Am I being underestimated? By you guys?" Tobi said before a Naruto clone with a Rasengan (Spiraling Sphere) attacked from behind… Only to phase through him. "Just kidding! Are you guys analyzing my strength right now? Konoha's very shrewd, but for a newbie, I'm pretty good, don't you think?"
"Well, there is one thing I can try."
Naruto raised his hand and made a fist as Alpha flew up and shot at Tobi who jumped back before Fordo came up from behind and shot at the Nukenin with his pistols. Suddenly the other clones rode in on their speeders and started shooting at Tobi who dodged. 'Damn, I didn't count on these ninjas that started showing up in Konoha.' Tobi thought as he saw a grenade land by him.
Boom!
Sasuke.
Sasuke approaches the Uchiha Hideout, Itachi sits on a chair waiting for him, reminiscing on the last days of his clan. Itachi is awoken from his reverie as Sasuke enters the hideout. Itachi asks what Sasuke sees with his Sharingan, to which Sasuke replies that he sees Itachi dead. The two begin fighting as Sasuke attempts to strike with his Chidori Eisō (Chidori Sharp Spear).
Itachi uses his Hayanie (Early Sacrifice) technique to jump on Sasuke's shoulder, evading the attack, and spins Sasuke around before slamming him into a wall. As Sasuke hits the wall, he prepares his Chidori and rushes towards Itachi. Just as Itachi expects Sasuke to thrust him with it, Sasuke disperses the lightning chakra through his Chidori Nagashi (Chidori Current) and uses the opportunity to leap into the air and impale Itachi with his sword.
As Itachi falls to the ground below, he muses that Sasuke has grown strong and disintegrated into a flock of crows. Sasuke realizes that Itachi has been using a Genjutsu, but it turns out that the Sasuke that was fighting is also an illusion; the real Sasuke sneaks up from behind Itachi and runs his sword through him.
As Itachi coughs up blood, Sasuke demands to know who else from the Uchiha clan survived. When Itachi further questions his demand, Sasuke reminds him that he was told he would be the third to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan (Kaleidoscope Copy Wheel Eye) meaning there was someone else out there other than Itachi who possessed it.
Believing that this person aided Itachi in taking out the police force in the clan's massacre, Sasuke pushes the blade further through Itachi's torso he demands to know who it is so that he may kill that person as well. Itachi responds that it is none other than Madara Uchiha, the co-founder of Konohagakure; Sasuke recalls the Nine-Tailed Fox telling him that he reminded the tailed beast of Madara from the elder days.
He then puts Sasuke in a Genjutsu to show how Madara gained his Mangekyō Sharingan and lost his sight from using it before stealing his brother's eyes to gain his sight back. And showed the founding of the village.
Sasuke removes his bandages as he launches a volley of shuriken at Itachi, who fires his own back. Sasuke rushes towards Itachi with his sword, who blocks it. As they remain locked in each other's grip, Itachi's shadow clone comes from above, throwing kunai towards Sasuke. Forcing a snake to burst out of his cursed seal, Sasuke uses the snake to shield himself and leap backward.
Using the Unsealing Technique, Sasuke summons a fūma shuriken and hurls it at Itachi, who blocks it with a kunai. However, Sasuke managed to imbue the fūma shuriken with his Lightning Release, running his Chidori through it; the process destroys the Itachi shadow clone.
Using his Mangekyō, Itachi arrives before Sasuke and kicks him into a wall, trapping his arms and feet. He asks Sasuke to forgive him as he moves to remove Sasuke's Sharingan eyes. Itachi manages to extract Sasuke's right Sharingan eye and attempts to remove his left eye as well, only for Sasuke to enter into the second stage of his cursed seal.
Using his only remaining wing to push Itachi away. Itachi, though, uses a shadow clone to bind Sasuke from behind while he approaches his brother and attempts to pull his left eye out. The entire ordeal, however, is revealed to be Tsukuyomi, a Mangekyō Sharingan Genjutsu that Sasuke can break through, much to the shock and surprise of Itachi and Zetsu, who are discreetly observing the battle.
As Itachi is on his knees, reeling from the pain in his eyes, Sasuke unseals and summons two fūma shuriken, which he hurls at Itachi, hiding the second shuriken in the shadow of the first. Itachi barely manages to avoid being sliced by the two shuriken when Sasuke pulls the shuriken with wire strings, stabbing Itachi.
Zetsu wonders how Itachi could have gotten hit as he should have been able to dodge such an attack; Itachi is revealed to be suffering from blurry vision after having used his Tsukuyomi. Upon seeing his dazed brother, Sasuke mocks his visual prowess before using his Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique at Itachi.
Itachi is barely able to evade it, leaping into the air, only for Sasuke to rush towards him with his Chidori in hand. Sasuke's Chidori manages to hit the ceiling, creating a massive hole; Itachi uses the Great Fireball Technique both offensively and defensively, propelling himself out of the Chidori's range.
As they both land on the rooftop, they both use the Great Fireball Technique, their flames clashing against one another. Itachi unleashes the Amaterasu ability from his right Mangekyō Sharingan to create inextinguishable black flames that smother Sasuke's orange flames and proceeds to burn Sasuke himself.
Sasuke attempts to shield himself with his wing, only for the wing to burn off. As the Amaterasu attempts to consume him in flames, Sasuke reverts to his normal state and uses his Chidori Sharp Spear to create a hole beneath him while shedding his skin to avoid being burned by Itachi's Amaterasu, having gained the ability to do so after absorbing Orochimaru.
Reactivating his cursed seal to its second stage once more, Sasuke uses the last of his chakra to use Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique, creating a dragon-head-shaped fireball that bursts through the roof, narrowly missing Itachi and firing off into the clouds. As Sasuke's cursed seal recedes once more, Itachi, using his Sharingan to gauge Sasuke's chakra levels, claims that Sasuke has lost the battle.
Sasuke, however, gives Itachi a smirk and asks if he would come to a death match unprepared, as storm clouds begin to rumble above them. Sasuke warns Itachi that his next technique is unavoidable, just like the Amaterasu.
Sasuke summons his Lightning jutsu, Kirin, and directs it at Itachi. However, Itachi rises again and reveals his final Mangekyō technique, Susano'o. With Sasuke weakened, Orochimaru can break free from his restrictive chakra and attempt to take Sasuke's body. However, Itachi retaliates by sealing him away into another dimension, ridding Sasuke of the Curse Mark. Out of jutsu, Sasuke is left at Itachi's mercy, but at the last second, Itachi taps Sasuke on his forehead and collapses onto the ground, dead.
Konoha Squad Vs Tobi.
The Squad stared in shock as they saw Tobi's right eye become the Sharingan as Zetsu formed to inform Tobi of the fight with Sasuke before Tobi brought his arm down to disappear.
"There's a black fire at 4 o'clock!" A clone spoke as Naruto sighed.
"Full speed then!"
They got to the fire before Alpha flew up. "There's no one there!"
"Damn!" Naruto cursed before looking at Kakashi. "Should we look around?"
Hideout.
Sasuke woke up in a cave before hearing Madara. "I treated your wounds. You won. But you've sustained quite a bit of damage as well. Try not to force yourself up." He walked out without his cloak and continued. "We've met once before," Sasuke remembers meeting Tobi several days ago. "The last time, it was as enemies."
"Don't worry about Deidara's death, I am not your enemy. I brought you here to tell you something. You're not interested at all, I see. Maybe if I put it another way, you'll want to listen. It is about Itachi Uchiha. Yes, you think you know about your brother, but you know nothing. Oh, all right. Let's start with introductions." He moved his mask to show the right side of his face and his Sharingan.
"Like you, I am a survivor of the Uchiha Clan And the one who knows the truth about Itachi Uchiha." Sasuke's left eye bled as his Sharingan turned into a three-bladed shuriken. "It can't be!"
Black fire shot out of Sasuke's eye and hit Madara before he screamed and went back into the shadows. "What was that just now?"
"The Amaterasu, which Itachi implanted inside you," Madara said, picking his mask up, completely unharmed. "How like Itachi. He surprises you even after he's dead. To think he planned things this far
"What are you talking about?"
"To kill me, he placed a jutsu on you. Or rather should I say; to keep me away from you. He probably set his Amaterasu to self-activate when you look into my Sharingan. Even Itachi didn't know everything about me. Otherwise, I would be dead right now. So this was his fail-safe plan Although it didn't work on me." Madara explained looking down at Sasuke.
"So what's this all about?"
"Before he died, Itachi must've done something to you. At the end for your sake, he transferred his own ocular powers to you."
"What are you saying? Just what are you trying to say? Why would Itachi do something like that?!" Sasuke asked, looking over from his cot.
"Don't you get it? To protect you." Madara replied as Sasuke turned to look at his lap.
"Protect? Did you say protect?! You've got to be kidding!"
"I'll say it once more. You think you know about your brother, but you know nothing."
"If you continue speaking such nonsense, I'll kill you!"
"(Sigh) You're not making this easy, are you?" Madara sighed at that. "I suppose that's natural though Suddenly being told such a story by a stranger like me. But what I tell you is the truth. Itachi did mention it, did he not? About his accomplice that night. I am that Madara Uchiha. I know everything about Itachi. I suppose Itachi died without realizing that."
"Shut up! Such things don't matter anymore! Just get out of my sight!" Sasuke yelled out as Madara looked down.
"No, you will listen. You need to hear this. It's your obligation! For the sake of the ninja world For the sake of the Hidden Leaf Village And for your sake Your brother risked everything. You will know how Itachi Uchiha lived! Do you know why? Why Itachi implanted Amaterasu into your eye? Itachi was determined to make sure that you and I would not meet."
"You will understand why, as well as everything else, when you hear me out. Those who knew the truth about Itachi were Danzo of the Hidden Leaf, the Third Hokage, and his advisors Homura and Koharu. Just those four. The Third Hokage and Danzo died and now, there are only two aging folk. Still, those two will probably never reveal the abominable truth. The truth about Itachi will fade into darkness forever. And that is what Itachi wished."
"However, I know the truth about Itachi too." Madara took a step forward and continued. "As I said earlier Itachi died without realizing that. However, he wanted to make doubly sure. It seems Itachi did not trust me. So just in case I did know the truth, he planned to silence me with the Amaterasu. He probably anticipated I would show my Sharingan to speak to you."
"What is this? Protect me? Protect?! The truth?" Sasuke clenched his fists at that.
"Think back. Think carefully and remember about Itachi. About your kind brother." Madara said as Sasuke remembered his childhood with Itachi up to the massacre before he started to sweat and swing his arms.
Later, Sasuke woke to see he was tied up as Madara was leaning against a wall. "You're awake Sorry, but I took the liberty of tying you up. Since you weren't gonna stay still and listen to me."
"Itachi was my enemy. He killed our parents. He killed everyone in the clan. He was a Nukenin, a member of the Akatsuki. He was despicable. He was my target."
"It's true that he annihilated the Uchiha clan that night." Madara looked over at that. "And he deserted the Hidden Leaf. And that is what he was ordered to do by the Hidden Leaf. That is the beginning of the truth about Itachi." Sasuke looked up at that.
"It was his mission?"
"Yes. That night, Itachi killed his personal feelings and fulfilled his mission. It seems you've calmed down a bit. To talk about Itachi, I must take you back to the early days when Hidden Leaf Village was founded. Itachi sacrificed himself. This is fate that has continued since ages past. He was sacrificed for it."
"Sacrifice?" Sasuke asked, having Madara nod.
"That's correct. A huge problem rooted since the time Hidden Leaf Village was founded. That is what determined Itachi's life. It's a long story, but everything I tell you is the truth."
"On what basis should I believe you? You're untrustworthy." Sasuke interjected.
"There's nothing I can show you as proof. And it's up to you whether you believe me or not. But you will hear me out until I finish."
"Fine So talk," Sasuke said as Madara chuckled and started his tale.
"It all started more than 80 years ago. The world was in turmoil. It was the age of war. Nations battled for power and to increase their territories. During this age of war, ninjas consisted of individual clans serving as armed units. They were hired by various nations to participate in the fighting. And among the many ninja clans, two were feared as the strongest. One was us, the Uchiha clan. And the other was known as the Forest's Senju Clan."
"We of the Uchiha clan possessed exceptional chakra and the Sharingan. Excelling in all types of warfare, we became known as a battle clan. And I was born into the Uchiha clan, possessing especially powerful chakra. Perhaps the fact that I've lived this long is proof of that. Back in those days, all I did was battle. In an age defined by power, I sought to become ever stronger and killed my friends and even my younger brother."
"As a result, I came into possession of the perfect Mangekyō Sharingan and became the leader of the Uchiha. And using that power, I fought the Senju clan countless times. It was inevitable that I faced Hashirama, the leader of the Senju clan. "Wood Style" Hashirama Senju, the future first Hokage. The one who stood at the top of the ninja world And the one I respected most."
"The Senju clan, led by Hashirama who became the First Hokage, was feared and respected by all the other clans. If the Senju moved, so did the Uchiha. Our clan was probably the only clan able to compete with them. If a nation hired the Senju, the opposing nation would hire the Uchiha. We were like rivals. The more I went up against Hashirama, the more my name became known as well." Madara continued as he crossed his arms
"To get close to the top to measure my abilities."
"To heighten your reputation You took your younger brother's eyes just for that?!" Sasuke asked, having Madara nod.
"I did take them. But I needed the power to protect the Uchiha. As the Uchiha name spread, its enemies increased. It was a necessary sacrifice to protect the clan during the fierce fighting with the Senju, and the other clans. It was not for my fame. My younger brother was in total agreement and offered his eyes to me. But one day, the Senju clan offered a truce. And the Uchiha accepted it. Everyone, in both clans, had grown weary of the fighting that had dragged on for so long."
"They had enough. But I, I was the only one who opposed it. Where has all the hate gone?! For what purpose had my brother sacrificed himself?! The Uchiha and Senju are like oil and water. I couldn't help fearing that in time, the Uchiha clan would come to be oppressed by the Senju clan. However, everyone in the Uchiha clan wanted a truce."
"As their leader, I had no choice but to go along with their wishes. Shortly thereafter, the ninja alliance signed a pact with the Land of Fire, which had sought dominion over the territories. The secure one nation, one village system was formed and became the Land of Fire and the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Other countries adopted the one nation, one village system. And subsequently, the fires of war were extinguished... Momentary peace."
"But due to a certain incident, the Hidden Leaf Village quickly descended into turmoil," Madara said as Sasuke glanced at him.
"A certain incident?"
Madara nodded at that. "A fight for the First Hokage's seat. As you know, the first to occupy that seat was Hashirama Senju. The Land of Fire and the entire clan chose Hashirama. It was inevitable that the Uchiha's hold on the reins of power would loosen. I decided that the Uchiha should take leadership and That we should confront Hashirama. But no one, not even from the Uchiha clan, supported me."
"My subordinates, who did not wish to light the fires of war, were unsympathetic and betrayed me. I was accused of acting out of greed and self-interest. Not only that They scorned me as a selfish brother who stole his younger brother's eyes to save his own. What brother would willfully hurt his younger brother?! I just… I just wanted to protect the Uchiha! I left the village. Everyone betrayed me."
"I became an avenger and declared war on the Hidden Leaf Village. And I lost At that place which became known as the Final Valley. I was said to have died there. Even Hashirama believed it. And everyone forgot about me. History forgot about me. Hashirama's younger brother who became the Second Hokage was determined that there would never be a traitor like me again."
"So, as proof of his trust, he granted the Uchiha a special position And he created the Hidden Leaf Police Force. But the truth is This was to further distance the Uchiha from the reins of government. Furthermore, it was a way to keep a close eye on the entire clan. There were Uchiha members who realized this. Members who wanted to carry on my rebellion." Madara continued.
"But it was too late. Time passed. The Senju clan solidified its hold on power and the Uchiha fell to becoming Senju dogs. And what I predicted came to pass. A certain other incident sealed Uchiha's figurative demise. Yes, The attack of the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon."
"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked him.
"The Nine-Tails can only be tamed and controlled by the ocular powers of the Uchiha. The higher-ups of Hidden Leaf Village perceived the Uchiha to be behind this attack. That was a natural occurrence, a natural calamity. The Uchiha had nothing to do with it. Yet suspicion fell on them that the Uchiha had revolted and sought to take power."
"As a result, the Uchiha were put under the strict surveillance of the Anbu Black Ops, and they were forced to relocate to the outskirts of the village. They became totally estranged. The Third Hokage was the only one to voice opposition to our treatment. But Danzo of the Anbu Black Ops and the rest of the councilors would not listen. In the end, the Uchiha clan was not trusted."
"And the discrimination began, their distrust bred hatred, and eventually, their suspicions became reality. The Uchiha clan plotted a coup d'etat to take over the village The higher-ups in Hidden Leaf Village planted a spy within the Uchiha clan. That spy was your older brother Itachi Uchiha. From that moment, Itachi's suffering began."
"Itachi was a spy?" Sasuke asked as he started to shake.
"Despite being a Uchiha, you were kept in the dark. Because you were still young. But it's all true. Your father, Fugaku, was the mastermind behind the plot. And your brother, Itachi, was ordered by your father to spy on the Anbu Black Ops. However, it was actually the opposite. Itachi was working for the village, feeding them information about the Uchiha. He was what they call a double agent. You can't even imagine what a heavy burden that is to bear."
"Why?! Why did Itachi betray the Uchiha?"
Madara looked up at that. "It may be hard for you to understand, not having witnessed the horrors of war. The Third Great Ninja War When Itachi was merely four years old, he witnessed the deaths of many people. He was too young to experience war. War is hell... That trauma made Itachi a pacifist who hated war. He was a man who put the village's safety first, and who strove to preserve peace. Instead of being bound by obligation to his clan, he was a ninja who loved his village."
"And the village higher-ups preyed on that trait. They assigned him to a top-secret mission. An eye for an eye For them to oppose the Uchiha, they would need the Sharingan. Yes. The mission was The total annihilation of the Uchiha clan. I can't even begin to imagine what he went through emotionally. Itachi was forced to make a terrible choice. The impossible choice of killing one's own brethren."
"But a civil war started by the likes of the Uchiha would shake the very foundations of Hidden Leaf Village and the Land of Fire. Other nations would waste no time in seizing the opportunity to attack. It could even trigger a Fourth Great Ninja War. The Uchiha clan's self-interest would involve innocent people who had nothing to do with the ninja world. And countless people would die once again."
"If you were Itachi, what would you have done?" He asked Sasuke before continuing. "So Itachi made up his mind. He would bring the curtain down on his clan. He did not hate the Uchiha nor did he betray them. It was inevitable. The discrimination by the village and the object of their antagonism He shouldered the blame all by himself. No one can ever question Itachi's decision and the sacrifice he made."
"To be truthful, back then, even I anticipated war. I was bitter towards Senju's Hidden Leaf Village as well as the Uchiha. But Itachi was even aware of that. He alone was aware of my existence. Itachi sought to contact me and made certain conditions. In exchange for guiding me in my vendetta against the Uchiha, I was not to lay a hand on the village. He would help me kill our brethren But the Third Hokage tried a different hand."
"He tried to approach the Uchiha for a compromise. But time ran out, and his efforts failed. Leading to that night. It was a mission. To be the sole perpetrator of his clan's slaughter and become a Rogue Ninja with his reputation in tatters. All of that was his mission. And Itachi completely fulfilled his duty with one exception. He could not bring himself to kill his younger brother."
"Truthfully, after that, Itachi appealed to the Third Hokage to protect you from Danzo and the higher-ups. Then he threatened Danzo and left the village. If he laid a hand on Sasuke, he would leak every detail about the village to unallied nations. Above all else, he was concerned about you. And yet he couldn't tell you the full truth. He had no choice but to say the things he did."
"By making revenge your goal, he hoped to make you strong. The Uchiha are a proud clan of the Hidden Leaf. He wanted you to keep believing that. He beseeched the Hokage that you never learn the truth. And from the moment he left the village, he was resolved to fight you and die. So that he could instill in you a new power. That is Itachi's truth."
"No, you're lying. They must be lies." Sasuke said as he looked down. "That's nonsense... He almost killed me several times!"
"If Itachi wished for it, he would have. Without a doubt."
"He even used the Mangekyō Sharingan to try to kill me!"
"That's why! Your battle was part of his plan. Itachi needed to pressure you in that fight. The reason for that, well, you probably realized it too, haven't you? He freed you of the curse mark. And the death of someone closest to you. It was a battle to awaken your Mangekyō. It was a battle that Itachi planned entirely for your sake. He pretended to be after your eyes until the very end. It's starting to sink in, I see."
"You are lying. The one who made the Nine-Tails attack the village was you, Madara! Itachi said so." Sasuke yelled at Madara. "You framed the Uchiha! And you teamed up with Itachi to toy with the clan!"
"Itachi was lying when he told you that. Itachi feared that you would somehow learn the truth. He wanted to make absolutely certain there was no chance of that. He lied to make sure you would not trust me. Not only that, he implanted Amaterasu in your eyes."
"As if I'd believe you!" Sasuke bit back. "Itachi was evil! He's a criminal who killed his clan and joined Akatsuki!
"Itachi took sole responsibility for an unspeakable crime and left the village. Then he found a way to join Akatsuki and watched over an organization that was dangerous to the village from the inside. He was always thinking about Hidden Leaf Village. And he thought of you when the Third Hokage, who had promised to protect you, died Itachi made an appearance in Hidden Leaf Village. It was to tell Danzo and the other superiors that "I am alive." You were foremost in his thoughts-"
"Stop! Lies! They're all lies!"
"You're still alive, aren't you?" Madara spoke, shocking Sasuke before walking over to cut him free with a kunai. "Your eyes did not perceive a single thing about Itachi. You were not able to see through the illusion Itachi created at all. Itachi killed his friends and his superiors He killed his lover, his father, and his mother. But he could not kill his little brother. He cried tears of blood and killed every shred of feeling he had inside him, and then he killed his brethren for the sake of his village. But he just couldn't kill you."
"Do you understand what that means? To him, your life was more precious than the village. Until the moment of his death No, even in death, it was all for you. To pass on a new power... By making you defeat him, he had avenged the Uchiha clan. To raise and make you the hero of Hidden Leaf Village. His body was ravaged by illness and he knew he was near death."
"Even if he had to rely on drugs to prolong his life for the sake of his beloved little brother he had to fight you and die in your presence. For the peace of Hidden Leaf Village, and most of all, for Sasuke Uchiha. He wanted to die as a criminal and a traitor. He accepted disgrace in the place of honor, and hate in the place of love. And despite that, Itachi died with a smile on his face. He entrusted the Uchiha name to you, his younger brother, deceiving you to the very end."
Later, Madara took Sasuke to his team. Sasuke stands on a cliff, noticing a hawk flying around. Tears streaming down his face, he recalls the memories of his brother he had before the clan's massacre and how much he had loved and respected Itachi. He then declares that he is renaming their team from Hebi to Taka and that their new mission is to destroy Konohagakure, awakening his own Mangekyō Sharingan in the process.
To Be Continued.
A/N: Thanks for reading and let me know of any mistakes.
Beta: Chaos-PSD.
Not going to apologize for how long this took, as after uploading the Detentionaire story, a friend and uncle both passed so I took time off to mourn them. Now, for most of my stories, I was ahead except for RWBY, KP, and the One Piece stories so I'll upload the others a day or two after each other.
REMEMBER TO VOTE IN THE POLL IF YOU HAVEN'T!
The next to be updated will be Maelstrom Huntsman tomorrow or the next day.
Nothing else to say.
Talk To You Later,
Lone Wolf Out.🐺