Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

But what is the truth...?

A crazy idea rose from the depths of Sasuke's heart without warning.

He had seen that technique in the Book of Seals.

A forbidden technique that can summon the dead from the Pure Land back to the mortal world—the Impure World Reincarnation.

If we can summon the souls of my father and mother back, will we be able to find out what really happened that night?

Do they know the inside story?

The moment this thought appeared, it gnawed at his reason like a maggot clinging to his bone.

All it takes is a small offering and a single spell...

No.

Sasuke clenched his fist tightly, his fingertips digging deep into his palm, the sharp pain instantly bringing him back to his senses.

A flicker of struggle and pain crossed his eyes.

"...I shouldn't disturb them."

He muttered to himself, as if trying to convince himself, "I shouldn't disturb the rest of the dead."

Let them rest in peace.

Father, Mother...

The path of revenge, the path of seeking the truth, I alone am enough to walk.

Chapter 41 The King and His Mount

Sasuke Uchiha forcibly suppressed that forbidden thought, took a step, and walked out of the shadows to the two side by side tombstones.

Uchiha Fugaku

Mikoto Uchiha

He stared silently at the two cold names, the moonlight casting long shadows on his profile.

Sasuke slowly squatted down, reached out his hand, and gently brushed the dust off the tombstone with his fingertips, his movements so gentle they were unlike his usual self.

"Father, Mother... what should I do?"

Sasuke's voice was very soft, as if he were speaking to a tombstone, or questioning his own heart.

"Should we disregard everything to find that man, plunge a blade into his chest, and use his blood to appease the souls of the Uchiha?"

"Should we stay in this hypocritical village and uncover the so-called truths that have been buried, bit by bit, as we are now?"

His hand unconsciously gripped the hilt of the knife at his waist, trying to calm himself down with the cold touch.

The knife at his waist seemed to respond to him, trembling inexplicably before falling straight to his parents' gravestone.

It wasn't Takemikazuchi, but the Asauchi that had appeared out of nowhere before.

Is this knife calling out to itself?

Or is it trying to tell me something?

He remained silent for a moment, then finally reached out and took the cold, shallow sword back into his hand.

Since we don't know why, we might as well just ask it.

Sasuke sat cross-legged, placed Asaka across his knees, and slowly closed his eyes.

Blade Zen.

Consciousness, as if falling into the deep sea.

When he regained his consciousness, everything before him was exactly the same as the scene that had inexplicably appeared before.

Blood-stained streets, collapsed houses, and the lingering stench of blood in the air.

The sky was still that ominous blood moon.

But this time, Sasuke felt very calm.

Unlike last time, he didn't draw his sword warily; he simply stood quietly in place, waiting.

Sure enough, at the end of the street, that small, thin figure reappeared.

I am still the same seven-year-old me, wearing that blue short-sleeved shirt with the family crest of a round fan printed on it, step by step, walking out of the darkness.

The dark hole in his chest was particularly glaring under the blood moon.

"You're here again."

A cold, emotionless voice came through.

Sasuke looked up and saw "himself".

"Did you send me?"

Sasuke's voice was equally cold as he gripped the hilt of Takemikazuchi's sword with his other hand.

Last time, he was driven out of his own world by this guy in front of him.

"I?"

The "Sasuke" with the hollow chest let out a sneer, the laughter sounding particularly jarring in the deathly silent street.

“I’m not that bored. It’s you who, when feeling lost, subconsciously wanted to find answers, which is why you came here.”

He approached slowly, each step pressing on Sasuke's taut nerves.

“You are not me, you are just a monster residing inside me,” Sasuke coldly corrected.

"is it?"

"Hollow Self" stopped, tilted his head, and his dark eyes held a hint of mockery. "Then tell me, Uchiha Sasuke, whose confusion do you feel right now?"

He spread his arms out as if embracing this blood-red world.

"You ask whether you should seek revenge or uncover the truth?"

A mocking smile curled at the corner of "Void Self's" lips. "What a ridiculous question. Truth? Revenge? Those are just nice-sounding excuses that the weak use to justify their killings."

"There is only one thing you want."

"Shut up!" Sasuke shouted sternly.

"Look, you're scared again."

The smile on "Imaginary Self" widened. "You're afraid to admit that your truest thoughts are exactly the same as mine."

That is—

His figure blurred instantly, and the next second, he appeared in front of Sasuke like a ghost, leaned close to his ear, and whispered in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

"Destroy everything."

"Whether it's that man or this hypocritical village, shatter and erase everything that causes you pain and hatred!"

"That's you, that's me, that's our Uchiha Sasuke, our most primal impulse."

Sasuke's pupils contracted sharply. He took a step back, and the Takemikazuchi sword in his hand was instantly drawn half an inch from its sheath, a sharp flash of lightning disappearing in an instant.

I am not you!

"Of course you are not me."

"Illusory Self" casually retreated to its original position, completely ignoring Sasuke's hostility. "You are too weak, so weak that you don't even dare to face your own heart, so weak that you need to find all sorts of reasons for your actions."

He raised his hand, pointed to himself, and then pointed to Sasuke.

"I am your hatred, the past you cannot face."

"I am your knife."

The moment the words left his mouth, Sasuke felt his entire inner world begin to shake violently, the blood-red street beneath his feet began to collapse, and the red moon in the sky began to shatter.

"Think it through before you come, my king."

The voice of the "virtual self" echoed in the collapsing world.

"Next time, if you still come in with this kind of boring confusion..."

"I won't let you go back so easily again."

With that final threatening word, an irresistible sense of tearing apart engulfed Sasuke's consciousness.

……

"call--!"

Sasuke suddenly opened his eyes, breathing heavily, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

However, what came into view was not the cold graveyard of Konoha.

It was a familiar ceiling, and a faint aroma of tea filled the air.

"here it is......"

He sat up abruptly and looked around.

He was lying on the tatami mat in the guest room where he had rested before, covered with a thin blanket.

Takemikazuchi and that Asauchi sword hung quietly on the wall.

Damn it!

Sasuke cursed under his breath and slammed his fist hard on the tatami mat next to him.

I'm back in this world.

Just then, the wooden door to the room was gently pushed open.

Kisuke Urahara, carrying a tea tray, leaned halfway in and, seeing Sasuke sitting up on the bed, immediately grinned wickedly.

"Oh my, Sasuke-kun, you're awake! Did you sleep well? I thought you'd be lying in bed for another day or two."

He strolled into the room, placed the tea tray on the low table, and poured himself two cups of tea.

Sasuke looked away from the two swords on the wall, took a deep breath, and forced down his inner turmoil before asking, "How long have I been unconscious?"