Naruto: In Konoha Village, I awakened Wood Release at the start.

Parallel Ninja World.

Uchiha headquarters.

Uchiha Itachi knelt on one knee in the pile of rubble, his chest heaving violently.

He coughed violently twice, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

How could this happen?

This was not only a complete defeat in terms of strength, but also a crushing defeat in terms of skill.

That brief exchange just now.

Every movement of the opponent was extremely precise, and he even saw through his attack intentions.

"Who goes there!"

"There's movement over there!"

Just then.

A cacophony of footsteps came from all directions.

The light of the torches pierced the darkness.

The previous battle eventually alerted the other Uchiha clan members.

A few breaths later.

A dozen or so Uchiha security guards appeared around the ruins.

"That's... Itachi?"

The leader, Uchiha Tetsuka, stared wide-eyed.

He could hardly believe his eyes.

The eldest son of the clan chief, a recognized genius, was actually kicked into the ruins.

This is utterly absurd.

"There's another person over there!"

Another member of the tribe raised a torch, illuminating the black-clad boy standing in the open space.

Flames leaped.

It illuminated Sasuke's cold and aloof face.

It further illuminated the three scarlet tomoe that were slowly rotating in his eyes.

"Sharingan?"

"Could it be a master from within the clan?"

The group, who were about to draw their swords, paused in their movements.

The boy in front of me looked unfamiliar.

But those genuine three-tomoe Sharingan eyes couldn't be faked in the slightest.

Since it's an internal struggle within the Uchiha clan, they naturally won't interfere rashly.

Everyone cautiously took a half step back, surrounding the two of them.

Uchiha Itachi, supporting himself with one hand on the rubble, shakily stood up.

He gritted his teeth, his gaze sweeping over the growing number of his clansmen.

The tide is gone.

His original plan was to silently wipe out all his clansmen under the cover of night.

But now.

Most of the Uchiha were awakened.

He was facing hundreds of clansmen who had awakened their Sharingan.

Even if he had a kaleidoscope, he still couldn't kill everyone.

To some extent.

Tonight's extermination operation has been a complete failure.

How will they explain this to the Konoha leadership?

How can Sasuke's safety be guaranteed?

Countless thoughts collided in Itachi Uchiha's mind.

He raised his head and stared intently at Sasuke opposite him.

Where did this monster who calls himself Sasuke come from?

Apart from that face.

What puzzled Itachi Uchiha even more was the opponent's fighting style.

The starting stance of martial arts, the subtle habits of exerting force, and even the muscle memory during defense.

They all bear the shadow of Itachi Uchiha!

No.

To be precise.

It is a more refined and perfect version than his.

It's like a super genius who was personally taught by him and eventually surpassed his teacher.

How is that possible?

"No matter who you are..."

"They must all die here tonight!"

Uchiha Itachi clenched his fist tightly, his nails digging deep into his palm.

He suddenly raised his head, a tearing pain shooting through his left eye.

"Tsukuyomi!"

Space distortion.

The surrounding torches, tribesmen, and ruins all turned into black and white.

Instead, a suffocating blood-red sky appeared, with a pitch-black full moon hanging upside down in the dome.

Repressed.

Dead silence.

Sasuke opened his eyes.

He found himself bound to a wooden cross by ropes.

Tsukuyomi Space?

That's ridiculous.

His chakra reserves have long since reached Kage level.

Moreover, he has also made a preliminary grasp of the Sage Mode.

As long as he has a single thought.

He can then enter immortal mode and forcibly break free from the constraints of this space.

But Sasuke did not do that.

He wanted to see what tricks this brainwashed fool was up to.

"Tick-tock".

"Tick-tock".

The sound of water droplets falling echoed in the empty space.

Ripples spread across the blood-red water ahead.

Itachi Uchiha, carrying a long ninja sword, slowly appeared in front of Sasuke.

"In this space."

"Space, time, quality—everything is under my control."

"You have one last chance."

"Tell me your true identity."

"Remember, don't try to fool me with those ridiculous lies."

Itachi Uchiha's voice carried a chilling undertone.

The Sharingan with three tomoe cannot be faked.

This young man is indeed of pure Uchiha blood.

Itachi knew all the registered experts in the clan, and there was absolutely no one like the person in front of him.

Not to mention, this person has a face exactly like Sasuke's.

He was determined to uncover the truth, no matter what.

I'll say it one last time.

Listen carefully.

"I am Uchiha Sasuke!"

"Uchiha Sasuke from a parallel universe!"

Sasuke tilted his head slightly.

His icy gaze met Uchiha Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan.

Itachi Uchiha's hand holding the sword trembled violently.

The tip of the knife left a small, bloody gash on Sasuke's chest.

parallel world?

How could such a concept, which only exists in vague legends, possibly really exist?

but.

Looking into those fearless eyes before me.

Looking at that face that was so familiar to me.

Itachi Uchiha's heart began to pound uncontrollably.

An absurd idea took root in his mind.

in case.

What if what he said is true?

Itachi remained silent.

Under the blood-red sky, only the deathly silence of the wind blowing across the water's surface remained.

He slowly lowered the ninja sword in his hand.

Extremely complex emotions flashed in those kaleidoscope Sharingan eyes.

He was wary, suspicious, and even had an expectation that he himself was unaware of.

"Prove it to me."

"Since you say you come from a parallel world."

"Then let me see what that world is like."

"Show me with your Sharingan."

Itachi Uchiha's voice was somewhat hoarse.

He stared at Sasuke on the cross, his gaze becoming exceptionally complex.

It's a big gamble.

Within the Tsukuyomi space, lower your mental defenses and accept the opponent's illusionary projection.

If you are not careful, you will suffer a serious backlash.

But Itachi Uchiha couldn't care less about that.

He desperately wanted to see a different ending.

Even if it's just a false illusion.

Looking at the man in front of me with bloodshot eyes.

A strange sense of irritation welled up in Sasuke's heart.

This is the person.

For the sake of those hypocritical high-ranking officials, they turned their knives on their own people.

That's absolutely idiotic!

"Want to see?"

"Then open your eyes wide and look carefully!"

"Look at your world, how pathetic it truly is!"

next moment.

Sasuke let out a cold shout.

The three tomoe in his eye sockets burst forth with a dazzling red light.

The surrounding blood-red sky began to distort even faster.

"Snap!"

It was accompanied by a crisp sound.

The Tsukuyomi space was forcibly rewritten.

One incredibly realistic scene after another was directly crammed into Itachi's mind.

Sunlight.

The blinding sunlight poured down.

Uchiha Itachi instinctively raised his hand to cover his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again.

He found himself standing on a wide, bustling street.

Shops lined both sides of the street, and it was bustling with people.

Is this Konoha?

No.

This place is a hundred times larger and a thousand times more prosperous than Konoha!

"The capital city, the province of fire."

Sasuke's voice echoed in the air.

A burst of laughter and cheerful chatter followed.

Several children dressed in Uchiha clan insignia ran past Itachi, carrying candied hawthorns.

Uchiha Itachi was startled.

He turned his head abruptly.

Uchiha clan members can be seen everywhere on the streets.

Some set up stalls on the roadside, while others engaged in lively discussions in taverns.

Other villagers passing by would even greet them with a smile.

"Yo."

"Chief Fugaku, you look quite well today!"

An elderly woman selling vegetables smiled and waved.

In the distance, Fugaku Uchiha, dressed in a casual kimono, held his wife Mikoto's hand.

The two were strolling down the street, smiling broadly.

There was no surveillance.

There was no quarantine.

There was none of that nauseating suspicion and defensiveness.

The Uchiha clan truly integrated into this village—no, into this empire.

Itachi Uchiha stopped breathing.

He reached out, wanting to touch the hem of his father's clothes.

But his fingers went straight through.

This is an illusion.

But the people in this illusion, every micro-expression, every word of conversation, are terrifyingly real.

The image suddenly distorted and changed.

This time, it was in a huge conference room.

The long table was filled with the empire's high-ranking officials.

Hiashi Hyuga, Shikaku Nara, Choza Akimichi...

At the front of the long table.

A man wearing a black trench coat belonging to the Dark Division was bowing his head and reporting his work.

He had short, slightly curly hair and carried a short knife on his back.

"Brother Zhishui..."

Itachi Uchiha's voice trembled uncontrollably.

In the image, Uchiha Shisui exudes a calm and unwavering aura.

He turned around and his eyes snapped open.

It's not a three-tomoe jewel, nor a kaleidoscope, but rather an orange eyeshadow appearing at the corner of the eye.

Sage Mode!

A rich, natural energy surged around him.

A towering, green Susanoo rose from the ground on the outskirts of the capital.

"In the Empire."

"Brother Shisui is the deputy head of the Dark Division."

"He was not forced to his death by the higher-ups."

"On the contrary, it became the empire's strongest shield."

Sasuke's voice was like a series of heavy hammer blows, slamming into Itachi's heart.

The screen flickered again.

Finally, the image freezes on a tall, imposing figure.

It was a young man dressed in Uchiha attire.

"That is..."

Uchiha Itachi stared wide-eyed at the figure's back.

The young man turned around.

That face was mature, composed, and carried the calm of years.

Two distinctive nasolabial folds are etched on both sides of his cheeks.

That's Uchiha Itachi after he grew up!

He is in the picture.

They did not bear the infamy of being traitors.

It was not stained with the blood of its people.

He was not emaciated from the torment of illness.

He stood in the sunlight, a gentle smile on his lips.

He is Uchiha Itachi, a genius ninja of the empire, and the pride of the Uchiha clan.

"This is my brother."

"This is the Empire's Uchiha Itachi."

As Sasuke's voice faded.

All the images shattered, turning into countless specks of light that dissipated into the blood-red sky.

The cross still stands.

The blood was still cold.

But Itachi Uchiha completely lost his original composure.

Clang!

The ninja sword slipped from his hand and crashed heavily onto the water.

He stared intently into the void, his body stiff as a stone.

Those scenes.

Those sounds.

Those radiant smiles under the sunlight.

Everything was like a sharp blade, shattering his psychological defenses.

That's so true.

That was definitely not an illusion, a detail that could be fabricated out of thin air.

That's a real world!

A world where the Uchiha clan did not face destruction.

A world where everyone can live with a smile.

On what grounds?

We are all Uchiha.

Why is itachi Uchiha from that world allowed to stand upright in the sunlight?

And myself.

But he chooses to transform into a demon and slaughter his own people!

Just for that worthless village peace?

Just for those few empty promises from Danzo and the Third Hokage?

If this world also had a great man like His Majesty Chiba.

If someone can stand up and crush those corrupt high-ranking officials with absolute power.

Why was Itachi Uchiha forced into such a despicable situation?

"ah--"

A bloodcurdling scream rolled out from Itachi Uchiha's throat.

His knees buckled, and he knelt heavily in the blood, clutching his head tightly with both hands.

Why...?

Why did this happen...?