Starting as the mastermind behind Naruto

Chapter 249 Sasuke: Why is it that my brother can make such a good friend as Uehara Naraku?

Uchiha Sasuke was very determined.

No, it should be said that Uchiha Sasuke was completely fooled.

Sasuke Uchiha's personality is not easy to understand. Once you arrange a peaceful life for him under the guise of doing what's best for him, the inherent pride of the Uchiha clan will make him resentful, thus leading him to take another path.

Therefore, Uehara Naraku's core reason for persuading Sasuke was for his own good.

A person who keeps persuading Sasuke to stay away from danger is far more trustworthy than those who persuade Sasuke to collect the tailed beasts and destroy Konoha, right?

This is where Uehara Naraku's brilliance lies.

Even Itachi Uchiha couldn't have imagined that someone would try to manipulate Sasuke like this!

This method is really a bit scary.

Who would have thought that someone who claims to be doing what's best for Sasuke is actually taking advantage of Sasuke's rebellious nature?

This is because Sasuke Uchiha is too proud and cannot withstand the slightest provocation; he will explode if provoked even slightly!

After hearing Sasuke's words, Uehara Naraku blinked and gently advised, "Sasuke, don't act rashly. Itachi has already arranged everything for you. He left you with the Mangekyou Sharingan just so that you could protect yourself."

"I've thought it through very clearly."

Sasuke Uchiha gritted his teeth, his face filled with malice, and said, "I will not follow his will and live an ordinary life. I will shoulder his hatred and that of the entire Uchiha clan, and destroy Konoha to avenge them!"

"That's not necessary."

Uehara Naraku patted Sasuke on the shoulder and continued to persuade him softly, "Actually, Itachi has already forgiven Konoha in his heart. He believes that the Konoha leadership did keep their promise and allowed you to grow up safely in Konoha..."

"Who wants to play ninja games with those guys!"

Sasuke Uchiha's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Naraku Uehara, coldly interrupting him: "What I hate most are those years I spent living in Konoha!"

"Itachi should have told me the truth back then, instead of letting me spend that dark time in Konoha. Now, thinking about it, I hate those hypocritical guys in Konoha!"

"no need."

Uehara Naraku sighed, trying to calm Sasuke down: "Konoha is the strongest ninja village in the ninja world. Itachi-sensei believes that only there can you be truly safe..."

"I've never needed protection!"

Sasuke Uchiha slammed his fist against the wall, blood slowly trickling from his eye socket: "What I've always needed is power! Power to sustain my revenge!"

Blood slowly flowed from Uchiha Sasuke's eye sockets onto his face, and his three-tomoe Sharingan spun wildly, gradually transforming into a pair of strange Mangekyou Sharingan!

At this moment, the anger reached its peak!

Uchiha Sasuke finally believed that he had found the path to the future, which also allowed him to awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan, those eyes that were cursed!

Uehara Naraku stared at Sasuke's eyes in surprise. Had he gained something unexpected?

He only exchanged a few words with Sasuke, and he made him awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan?

A look of astonishment gradually appeared on Uehara's face: "Your eyes... the Mangekyou Sharingan... is this your destiny as brothers?"

"What?"

Uchiha Sasuke slowly extended his palm, subconsciously touching his eye socket, only to find his hand covered in blood. His expression instantly changed.

"The Mangekyou Sharingan!"

The next moment, Sasuke Uchiha slowly clenched his fist, looked down at Itachi Uchiha's body on the ground, and knelt down on one knee beside him.

Sasuke Uchiha touched his eye sockets and said, word by word, "I will bear your hatred... and make Konoha pay the price for our Uchiha clan!"

Uehara Naraku shook his head and sighed, "Sasuke, what you're doing doesn't meet Itachi's expectations. He just wants you to live a peaceful life..."

"Uehara!"

Sasuke Uchiha interrupted Naraku Uehara in a deep voice, continuing, "Didn't Kisame-senpai just tell me? Itachi even arranged the first path for me, which is to join you and let me inherit Itachi's position in Akatsuki!"

"This road will be very dangerous."

Uehara Naraku frowned, as if to offer one last piece of advice: "Sasuke, if you return to Konoha or go into seclusion, you can live safely. Perhaps you will never again encounter the fighting between ninjas, and never have to witness the cruelty of war..."

These words were spoken with genuine concern and good intentions.

Uehara Naraku was even moved by his own actions.

Kisame Hoshigaki, standing nearby, had an even more complicated expression. If Kisame hadn't known his superior well, he might have believed that Naraku Uehara was Itachi Uchiha's good friend!

It's even the kind of relationship where you entrust your life to someone!

If they weren't good friends, why would Uehara Naraku advise Sasuke to stay away from danger?

Even someone like Kisame Hoshigaki, who knew Uehara Naraku's true identity, almost believed it, let alone a rookie like Uchiha Sasuke!

"Don't try to persuade me anymore!"

Uchiha Sasuke slowly turned his head, his crimson Mangekyou Sharingan fixed on Uehara Naraku: "Uehara, I know what I'm doing, and I know what I should say. I don't need your nonsense!"

"hehe…"

Uehara Naraku narrowed his eyes, then suddenly kicked out and hooked Uchiha Sasuke's neck, knocking him to the ground. Just as Sasuke stood up again, his face full of anger, Uehara Naraku punched him down again!

Just as Kisame Hoshigaki and Kabuto Yakushi were somewhat surprised, they were a little confused...

Why did Uehara suddenly raise his fist when he was clearly in a very favorable position by enticing Sasuke?

Uehara Naraku slowly wiped the blood from his fist and said coldly, "What an annoying brat! Can't you just listen to your brother's orders?"

"..."

Sasuke, who had been in a bad mood, suddenly calmed down.

The sixteen-year-old Uchiha youth wasn't as angry as one might expect; he simply stared stubbornly at Uehara, his face full of defiance.

Uehara Naraku grabbed Sasuke by the collar, his eyes turning slightly cold: "Uchiha Sasuke, listen to me carefully. Just because we're Itachi's friends doesn't mean we'll spoil you like he does!"

Looking at Uchiha Sasuke's expression, Uehara Naraku said softly, "Actually, we hate you, which is why I want you to get lost! Because Itachi once wanted to fulfill that great dream with us, but for you, he chose to give up his life."

"I know that."

Sasuke Uchiha raised his head, still stubbornly staring at Naraku Uehara, and said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, I will inherit everything Itachi has to offer! His dream is my dream! His hatred is my hatred! His will is my will!"

Even though Uehara Naraku had just beaten him up, Sasuke didn't show any particular anger, and there wasn't even a hint of rage on his face.

Uchiha Sasuke had already concluded that the reason why Uehara Naraku said he hated him was because he had killed Itachi!

On this point, their views were almost identical.

Upon learning the truth, Sasuke Uchiha also hated his own ignorance, because his duel with Itachi Uchiha had indirectly caused the death of his brother!

In this world now, whatever Itachi Uchiha wants to do, Sasuke Uchiha has decided to do it in his place!

"Itachi-san has really left behind a lot of trouble..."

Uehara Naraku frowned, slowly loosened Uchiha Sasuke's collar, waved to Yakushi Kabuto, and said softly, "Kabuto, take out Itachi's eyes. After Sasuke has fully mastered the Mangekyou Sharingan, replace Itachi's eyes with his."

"Yes."

Yakushi Kabuto quickly nodded.

As for Kisame Hoshigaki, who was standing next to Kabuto Yakushi, he no longer knew what kind of expression he had.

Kisame Hoshigaki never expected that Naraku Uehara would get Sasuke Uchiha on their side so quickly. How the hell did he do that?

He still seems quite determined…

I just can't figure it out!

Especially after Uchiha Sasuke was kicked and punched, his will seemed to become even stronger, and there was even a sense of relief and relaxation on his face.

Uehara Naraku glanced at Sasuke, waved his hand to infuse him with chakra and life energy, and whispered, "If you really want to follow us and take Itachi's place, then stop acting like that!"

"Hmph, I know."

Sasuke Uchiha snorted coldly, looking down as Kabuto Yakushi slowly removed Itachi Uchiha's glasses, his eyes gradually filling with tears.

Uehara Naraku glanced at Sasuke and comforted him, saying, "Don't be too sad. Actually, in Itachi's eyes, you have always been his pride. We don't really believe it, but he always likes to say that you have power that surpasses his."

"Yeah?"

Sasuke Uchiha's voice trembled slightly.

Uehara Naraku patted Sasuke on the shoulder and sighed softly, "Actually, according to Momochi Zabuza and Hozuki Mangetsu, when Itachi learned that you had become a ninja and completed a C-rank mission, he was very happy."

"Why didn't he tell me the truth!"

Sasuke gritted his teeth, knelt down again, and began to tidy Itachi's body. A hint of resentment crept into his voice: "If I had known the truth earlier, I definitely wouldn't have hated him so much..."

Does it make sense?

Uehara Naraku shook his head and replied softly, "Itachi-sensei always hoped that you could use your hatred for him to awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan, so that you would have the power to protect yourself and wouldn't have to worry about anyone hurting you."

After saying that, Uehara Naraku lowered his head and sighed, "I never thought that hatred couldn't awaken your Mangekyou Sharingan; in the end, it was his love that awakened it..."

After saying this, Uehara Naraku himself was somewhat moved.

Itachi Uchiha went to great lengths to help his younger brother awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan through hatred, but he never imagined that his brother would awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan instead because he understood the hidden affection between his older brother and his younger brother.

"..."

Uchiha Sasuke silently shed tears.

Everyone present was a ninja, so setting up a grave wasn't particularly difficult for them, and they quickly buried Uchiha Itachi's remains there.

To avoid being found by others, Uehara Naraku even used a water-style ninjutsu to draw out an underground river, turning the area into a large lake.

After finishing all this, Uehara Naraku breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Sasuke, I heard there's a lake near your clan's territory. I think Itachi-san would like it here, right?"

"Um."

Sasuke Uchiha nodded, wiped away his tears, and said softly, "There was a lake near our old clan territory. You used to love going there. Thank you."

"It's nothing."

Uehara Naraku shook his head, then frowned and glanced at Sasuke, saying in a low voice, "Remember, put on a tolerant appearance in front of those Akatsuki members. Don't embarrass Itachi. His manners and behavior have always been the most perfect among the Akatsuki members."

"Yes."

Uchiha Sasuke nodded in a deep voice.

Sasuke has become a bit more obedient now.

Sasuke had almost come to regard Uehara Naraku, Itachi's friend from his previous life, as an elder.

Kabuto looked at this scene, lowered his head, and pushed up his glasses.

Kisame Hoshigaki had a rather sentimental expression on his face.

To be honest, I never expected that in less than a day, Uehara Naraku's position in Uchiha Sasuke's heart would undergo such a dramatic change.

I can't even imagine!

What if... one day Sasuke Uchiha discovers the truth? He'd probably want to tear Uehara Naraku to pieces before he was satisfied!

"I'm sorry, Itachi."

Uehara Naraku gazed at the vast lake before him, a look of nostalgia on his face. "We don't know how to choose to act in accordance with your last wishes, but I believe Sasuke's own choice is the most suitable for him, isn't it?"

The way Uehara Naraku said this made it sound as if he were Uchiha Itachi's sworn brother.

Uchiha Sasuke stood behind Uehara Naraku, gently comforting him, "Uehara-senpai, this is my choice. If you want to blame me in the underworld, let you blame me!"

Uchiha Sasuke is still comforting Uehara Naraku!

Kisame Hoshigaki stood beside them, staring at everything in disbelief!

Is this world an illusion?

What exactly went wrong?

Kisame Hoshigaki couldn't help but doubt his own memories. Between him and Naraku Uehara, who was Itachi Uchiha's teammate who spent every day with him?

Kabuto couldn't help but push up his glasses again.

"let's go!"

After saying that, Uehara Naraku clasped his hands together and made a hand seal, saying softly, "Sasuke, it's a pity that the summoning contract of this dragon is broken. I'll find you a flying ninja beast later so that you can visit Itachi-san more often."

"Yes, Uehara-senpai."

Uchiha Sasuke nodded hastily.

If it's to enhance his strength, Sasuke Uchiha wouldn't be too grateful;

However, while finding a flying ninja beast was to facilitate visiting Itachi Uchiha's final resting place, Sasuke Uchiha was extremely grateful to Naraku Uehara.

This also proves that Itachi Uchiha did indeed make a good friend.

Sasuke Uchiha felt a little envious and disgusted. Why was his brother able to make friends like Naraku Uehara, whom he could entrust with his affairs after his death, while he could only make friends like Naruto Uzumaki?

To be honest, Sasuke was a little envious.

An ancient dragon descended from the sky and landed in front of them.

Uehara Naraku, Uchiha Sasuke, Yakushi Kabuto, and Hoshigaki Kisame boarded the ancient dragon and left the burial place of Uchiha Itachi.

Beneath the lake.

Obito Uchiha dug up a grave, and slowly placed his hand on the coffin, storing it into his Kamui dimension.

Obito Uchiha himself entered the Kamui dimension, and he suddenly opened the coffin, revealing Itachi Uchiha's remains inside.

"How pitiful!"

Looking at the corpse, Obito Uchiha wore a helpless expression: "Itachi, even you didn't see the truth of this world..."

I think Uehara and Itachi had a really good relationship, otherwise he wouldn't have taken such good care of Sasuke. Look how good he is to Sasuke...

Thank you so much for the generous donation, Jiayu!

Thank you to Emperor Dark Star for the generous donation!

Thank you to the person who hasn't thought of a name yet for the donation!

Thank you for the generous donation from One Claw Covering the Sky!

Thank you all for your generous donations, and thank you to all the readers for supporting the official version!

(End of this chapter)