On the horizon, countless footprints emerged. Sasuke stood alone, staring into the distance.
Bolts of lightning streaked across the sky, their jagged flashes accentuating his crimson Sharingan to the limit. Sasuke turned as a crack of thunder shook the air; the white light illuminated his expressionless face, lending him a sharp, cold elegance.
Dark clouds loomed overhead, casting a heavy, leaden shroud over the world as if the very air had solidified. A fine, silken drizzle began to fall silently, yet it failed to wash away even a fraction of the suffocating tension.
In the long-abandoned village, life had long since withered away. Sasuke's face remained a mask of stone, the rhythmic tapping of the rain against his skin the only sound in the oppressive silence. Distant buildings were swallowed by the mist, their blurred silhouettes resembling a bleak and desolate landscape painting. Leaves drooped under the weight of the water, stripped of their vibrant green luster, fading into the dull hues of the environment.
The air was thick with a damp, frigid chill. Surveying the desolation, Sasuke shook his head slightly; this was the grim harvest of war.
He had not traveled far before a group of White Zetsu caught up to him.
"You caught up already?" Sasuke turned his head, the three tomoe of his Sharingan spinning incessantly.
"What are you doing out here?!" a White Zetsu shouted.
"I see... you're not the one." Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "On my way here, I passed through two towns and a small village. They were all empty. Kanon didn't tell me much. Something is wrong out there. Do you know what's happening?"
"We should be asking you that! How did you get out?!"
"Where is the original body that was with you?!" the White Zetsu bellowed.
A cold smirk tugged at the corner of Sasuke's lips. "If you wanted to keep me in there that badly, then try and take me back. You certainly have the numbers for it."
Hearing his words, the other Zetsu realized the truth instantly.
"Did you kill the original...? No, that shouldn't be possible. Kanon was supposed to be watching you!"
Sasuke's patience had run dry. His smirk vanished, replaced by a surging, palpable killing intent.
"So, there's a whole swarm of you this time. I hope you're sturdier than the last batch."
As if on cue, dozens of White Zetsu lunged toward him.
As they closed in, Sasuke's eyes shifted into the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. The transplant had been a perfect success; his eyes had fused seamlessly with Itachi's. Kanon had played no tricks; she had selflessly gifted him this power.
Now was the time to use it.
Behind Sasuke, a purple Susanoo manifested. In the giant's hands, the purple tomoe turned pitch black, swirling with the flames of Amaterasu. Countless streaks of black fire erupted, cutting down the White Zetsu in droves.
However, he intentionally spared one. Using the Susanoo's skeletal hand to hoist the Zetsu into the air, Sasuke used his Sharingan to rip every shred of information from the creature's mind. As the images flickered by, his lips curled.
"So, it was Kanon and that guy, Madara."
From their memories, Sasuke's thoughts drifted back to Naruto and Kanon. In that moment, his resolve shifted. He had a new path to follow: first, he would slaughter Naruto, then he would execute the Five Kage and destroy Konoha!
With a swift motion, Sasuke drew his Kusanagi Sword and decapitated the Zetsu. His expression was frigid, the Eternal Mangekyō spinning in his sockets.
"I'm coming for you, too. And when I find you, I'll kill you."
Seeing one last White Zetsu attempting to flee, Sasuke simply turned his back. A burst of black flames shot from his gaze, striking the creature's spine.
"Burn to nothing. All of you."
Watching the remaining Zetsu incinerate, Sasuke let out a hollow laugh. "These eyes... they're perfect. I'm getting used to them, nii-san. The scenery reflected in your eyes... everything is becoming wretched, sorrowful, and heavy! Rest easy, nii-san. I'll make the Konoha shinobi pay the price!"
Elsewhere, the reincarnated Itachi was making his way through the forest. This path was the direct route to where Kabuto and Kanon were controlling the Reanimation army.
As Itachi leaped through the trees, Sasuke sensed the movement and gave chase. Suddenly, the silhouette of Itachi came into view.
Sasuke's pupils constricted. The brother before him looked exactly as he did in his childhood, the figure that had always captivated him.
"Forgive me, Kanon, Sasuke. Maybe next time, okay?"
Back then, Itachi was the gentle older brother, kind and devoted to both Kanon and himself.
"Forgive me, Kanon, Sasuke... This is the last time."
Suddenly, the words Itachi spoke just before his death flashed in Sasuke's mind. He pushed forward, closing the gap behind Itachi.
Sensing a presence, Itachi glanced back. In his current state as a Reanimation, he was short on time. Every second delayed meant more deaths for the Allied Shinobi Forces.
"Stop right there!" Sasuke shouted, his voice laced with shock. "Are you... Itachi?!"
Itachi did not respond. He continued his relentless pace.
"I said stop!" From behind Sasuke, a massive purple Susanoo hand reached out to grab him.
Sensing the attack, an orange-red Susanoo manifested around Itachi, intercepting Sasuke's strike.
"Susanoo? You are Itachi!"
Itachi glanced back over his shoulder. Seeing Sasuke's eyes had evolved into the Eternal Mangekyō, a faint, relieved smile touched his face.
"I didn't expect you to be able to use that already. Did Tobi give you those eyes?"
"Kanon gave them to me!"
Itachi faltered for a moment. Kanon... she knew how to perform a transplant?!
"Why are you here?! You're supposed to be dead!"
The Susanoo faded from Itachi's form as he spoke calmly. "Because of Kabuto's jutsu, I am currently a vessel of the Reanimation. I cannot stop now. There is something I must do."
"I don't give a damn about that!" Sasuke roared. "You're standing right in front of me. I have too many things to ask you!"
"Ask me later. Though I doubt you'd listen to me anyway," Itachi said softly.
"You were the one who told me! To come find you once I had the same eyes as you! So why are you running?!" Sasuke screamed as he pursued him through the trees. "Are you running because you're guilty for lying to me? Or because you don't have the courage to tell the truth? Kanon and I know everything about you! I want to know why you treated Kanon that way! Why you let her become what she is now! Because of what you did, she and I have decided to destroy Konoha!"
Itachi turned his head slightly. "I know I failed Kanon. But it is too late now. She has fallen completely into darkness. I am the one who pushed her there, so I will be the one to deal with her personally. Besides, I told you during our battle... people live their lives bound by what they accept as correct and true. What you perceive as reality may only be an illusion. My truth is..."
"My eyes have evolved. I can see through your genjutsu and your 'truth.' These are your eyes!"
Itachi shook his head helplessly. "Your stubborn tone hasn't changed. But I've heard about you and Kanon from others. They said you've both changed completely."
"No! You were the one who changed everything! You abandoned our only sister! Kanon and I weren't even supposed to be alive, she especially was supposed to die with our parents at your hand! Why me? Why was I the only one allowed to live? And why did you do those things to our sister?! What was the difference between us, Kanon, and our parents?! Why did you choose me?!"
"Because you knew nothing back then. Whether it was the foolishness of the Uchiha clan or anything else... you were just a child."
"Then Kanon was also…" Sasuke started, but Itachi cut him off.
"If I had left Kanon behind, she likely would have been reduced to a breeding machine for other clans, kept alive only to produce the Sharingan. That would have been a fate worse than death! Furthermore, it wasn't just for you. I wanted to be judged by a fellow Uchiha. To that end, I fueled the hatred in your heart... and that is why I failed. In the end, I only succeeded in hurting you and Kanon, forcing you both to leave the village. I had hoped you would walk the right path, while I swept away any obstacles that threatened you or the village. Even at the moment of my death, to keep you from straying, I wanted to lead you down a straight path without detours. I tried to rewrite the signposts of your life with lies and visual prowess."
"So you wanted me to walk that straight path alone and oblivious while you enjoyed your peace? And for that, you were willing to strike down your own sister without mercy?!"
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NOTE: This fic has been completely translated. If you want to read the whole story head over to my p-atre-on: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]