"Sasuke, please forgive me one last time."
With these final words, Uchiha Itachi collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
Sasuke stared blankly at Itachi's fallen body. He felt no joy, no satisfaction, only confusion. He didn't know if he had truly defeated Itachi, nor could he comprehend why Itachi had spoken those words.
At that moment, Sasuke felt a profound emptiness, as if he had suddenly lost his reason to live. The next moment, a sharp pain coursed through his body, causing him to faint.
Before losing consciousness, Sasuke's three-tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly, transforming into a peculiar pattern, the Mangekyō Sharingan.
As the two brothers fell, Shishou and Mikoto appeared beside them. Shishou glanced at the seemingly dead Itachi, then placed his hand on Itachi's forehead, using the Kikaichū to restore his life force.
Next, he picked up the unconscious Sasuke and disappeared, leaving Mikoto alone with Itachi.
When Itachi opened his eyes and saw Mikoto, he smiled weakly, "Mother."
Seeing her son one last time before his death, Itachi felt content.
"Itachi," Mikoto said, holding him tightly, tears streaming down her face, falling onto Itachi's cheeks.
"Mother, you don't need to grieve for me. This is my deserved punishment," Itachi said gently, wiping away her tears. "From now on, Sasuke will need your guidance."
Mikoto nodded, her heart heavy with sorrow.
Itachi pulled out a scroll from his robe, saying, "Live happily without worrying about Sasuke and me. Please give these eyes to Sasuke and deliver this scroll to him..."
Before he could finish, Itachi took his last breath and passed away.
"Itachi," Mikoto sobbed, clutching his lifeless body, her cries filled with anguish.
Shishou appeared beside Mikoto, silently offering his support.
Over the next few days, Mikoto buried Itachi and stayed by Sasuke's side as he lay unconscious.
Meanwhile, Shishou removed Itachi's eyes, planning to transplant them into Sasuke when the time was right.
Initially, Shishou intended to offer the eyes to Mikoto, but she insisted they be given to Sasuke.
A few days later, Sasuke awoke, successfully awakening his Mangekyō Sharingan and acquiring Amaterasu.
To prevent Sasuke from discovering the truth, Mikoto handed him over to Shishou.
Shishou, wearing a mask to resemble Mikoto, patiently answered Sasuke's questions and helped him understand the true events behind the Uchiha massacre.
Of course, since the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo were already dead, Shishou didn't mention them to Sasuke. He only spoke of Uchiha Madara, claiming it was he who orchestrated the Nine-Tails' attack on the village and pushed the Uchiha clan to the brink, culminating in the massacre alongside Itachi.
Since Sasuke had learned all his skills from his mentor, he had no reason to doubt Shishou's words.
Holding his new eyes, Sasuke hesitantly asked, "May I see your face under the mask?"
No, that wouldn't be a good idea. You might go mad.
Silently lamenting, Shishou refused.
Whether he showed his face or Mikoto's, it would shock Sasuke immensely. The former would cause surprise; the latter could drive Sasuke insane.
Afterward, Shishou performed the surgery, merging Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan with Sasuke's, granting him the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
Thus, Sasuke successfully entered the ranks of Kage-level shinobi.
Once the surgery was complete, Shishou left, instructing Sasuke to return to the village after completing his mission.
With the knowledge of another enemy, Sasuke found new motivation to grow stronger and began secretly searching for information on Uchiha Madara.
Elsewhere, upon learning that Sasuke had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, Kushina intensified Naruto's training, aiming to help him master the Nine-Tails' power.
However, reconciling with a tailed beast wasn't something that could be rushed.
Though anxious, Kushina patiently worked on breaking down the barriers between Naruto and Kurama.
Having resolved Sasuke's situation, Shishou returned to Konoha to continue training Ino, Hinata, and the others.
Although the Fourth Shinobi War was unlikely to occur, Shishou still wanted them to be strong enough to face any potential threats from the Ōtsutsuki clan.
After setting up a training schedule for Ino, Hinata, and the others, Shishou began visiting the other villages to borrow the chakra of their Jinchūriki.
He had obtained the Gedo Statue and wanted to see if awakening the bloodlines of all the tailed beasts would grant him the power of the God Tree, securing his place among the Six Paths level.
If successful, it would be much more convenient for him. Otherwise, he would need to resurrect the Ten-Tails or consume a God Tree fruit.
The Two-Tails, Eight-Tails, Three-Tails, and Six-Tails were all in the Cloud and Mist Villages, and borrowing their chakra was straightforward.
The Four-Tails and Five-Tails were in Konan's care, making them easy to obtain as well.
Since Shishou already had half of the Nine-Tails, only the One-Tail and Seven-Tails required negotiation with Gaara and Fuu.
Taking on an official mission, Shishou left Konoha once more.
After registering and leaving the village boundaries, Shishou sent a clone to complete the mission while he headed towards Sunagakure.
He was curious to see how Temari, the Princess of the Sand, had fared in his absence and whether she had followed his training regimen.
As he prepared to use the Flying Thunder God technique to travel to Sunagakure, he noticed a figure hurrying towards Konoha.
Looking closer, he saw it was Temari.
Temari had matured significantly, standing taller and looking more refined.
She quickly spotted Shishou and rushed towards him.
"Why are you here?" Shishou asked with a smile.
"I came to find you," Temari replied, jumping into his arms with a bright smile.
During Shishou's absence, Temari had planted a few spies in Konoha, and the moment Shishou reappeared, she received the news.
To see him sooner, she had traveled alone from Sunagakure.
Holding Temari, Shishou twirled her around and laughed, "I was actually on my way to see you. It seems we have a special connection."
Hearing this, Temari's smile grew even brighter, and she clung to Shishou even tighter.
"Let's walk and talk," Shishou said, taking her hand and heading towards Sunagakure.
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POWER STONE!!!!
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This fanfiction is complete on my P@treon. If you want to read it, you can find it at p@treon.com/Betek.
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