Sasuke had grown far beyond Itachi's expectations. No, not just beyond—he had completely surpassed everything Itachi had planned for him.
In Itachi's mind, Sasuke was supposed to live driven by hatred, becoming stronger through his desire for revenge. Eventually, they would fight, Sasuke would kill him, and in doing so, awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.
After his death, his eyes would be passed on to Sasuke, granting him even greater power—power he could then use to protect Konoha.
Itachi had always believed that Sasuke would reach that level with Konoha's support, and even if he learned the truth in the end, he would still stand with the village.
In the original story, Sasuke's actions had always been within Itachi's predictions. Even when he left with Orochimaru, Itachi had never worried—he had Kotoamatsukami prepared as a backup plan.
But then, he met Naruto and chose to believe in him instead of using Kotoamatsukami.
Yet here, Sasuke's growth had gone completely beyond what Itachi had expected. Not just in power, but in mindset. Even when faced with him—the person he should hate the most—Sasuke could suppress his anger and speak to him as an equal.
This Sasuke was nothing like the boy who had once followed behind him.
And yet, this Sasuke made Itachi even prouder.
Sitting at the back of the room, Itachi no longer had the will to continue his act. He leaned back in his chair, completely at ease. His Sharingan had deactivated, and with his eyes closed and a faint smile on his lips, he seemed lost in thought, reminiscing.
Sasuke didn't disturb him. He simply finished his rice ball, packed up the lunchbox, and put it back in his backpack.
Only after he was done did Itachi open his eyes again and look at Sasuke, a hint of regret mixed with sorrow in his gaze. "If back then, I had truly acknowledged you, trusted you as a member of the Uchiha, and seen you as a capable shinobi… maybe none of this would have happened."
Sasuke smiled. "But if I had been that Sasuke back then, I probably would have stood with the Uchiha clan. I wouldn't have agreed with what you did."
Yes, if it had been the old Sasuke, he would have trusted his father, trusted his clan, and believed the Uchiha should rule Konoha—not that they could coexist through Itachi's plan.
"It doesn't matter."
Itachi shook his head. "No matter what choice you make, you will always be the brother I am most proud of."
Just like what their parents had once told him.
No matter what he became, no matter what choices he made, in their eyes, he would always be their beloved son.
Sasuke could hear the sadness in Itachi's voice. He looked up and gazed outside through the only window in the room. The lush green forest, full of life, was a stark contrast to the dark and gloomy atmosphere inside.
Sasuke chuckled. "Funny, isn't it? The sunlight is shining into this room, yet all I can feel is the darkness."
"That's because light is precious in the dark, and in the presence of light, darkness stands out even more." Itachi followed Sasuke's gaze, watching the birds soaring freely in the sky, like spirits riding the wind.
"Is that so?" Sasuke turned to Itachi. "I think it's because the darkness has always been here, while the light only appears occasionally. People who are used to the dark will always see darkness first."
Itachi let out a short laugh. "You've really grown up, Sasuke. You used to just agree with me all the time, saying things like, 'Big brother is right.'"
"Yeah." Sasuke nodded in agreement. "Big brother is right."
Itachi was momentarily speechless.
Sasuke chuckled, took a few steps toward Itachi, then walked past him to grab a chair. Sitting down beside him, his Sharingan quietly faded away. "Tell me, what were you thinking back then? I want to know why."
"You just completely shut me down with one sentence, yet now you sound like someone with doubts," Itachi said, resting his chin on one hand as he looked at Sasuke.
"I've always had them." Sasuke leaned back in his chair. "It's not about what you went through, or why you wiped out the clan—I already know all of that. What I want to ask is, why did you choose Konohagakure over the Uchiha?"
"Before that, how do you know all this? Can you tell me?" Itachi asked.
"Rikudou Sennin." Sasuke looked at Itachi. "You know who he is, right?"
Itachi nodded, signaling for Sasuke to continue.
Sasuke didn't hesitate and explained directly, "In order to gain more power, I killed you and, together with Naruto, traveled back thousands of years and met the Sage of Six Paths."
"Before teaching us how to become stronger, the Sage helped us resolve the doubts in our hearts."
"For Naruto, it was about his origins and the Nine-Tails inside him… or as I mentioned before, Kurama."
"And for me, it was you." Sasuke pointed at Itachi. "With the Sage's help, he unlocked the memories you sealed inside my mind using Tsukuyomi—not just the edited massacre scene you left me with, but the full truth. From the Uchiha's plans for a coup to your decision to defect, I saw everything through your perspective."
"So of course, I now understand why you killed our parents and why you wiped out the Uchiha."
"But there's one thing I still don't get—why did you choose Konohagakure over the Uchiha?" Sasuke looked at Itachi with a serious expression. "I still hate you, and I'm still angry about everything you did. But Naruto told me that before I think about killing you, I need to understand the truth."
"So, Itachi, tell me—why?" Sasuke took a deep breath. "What made you choose Konohagakure…"
Itachi was silent for a moment after hearing everything Sasuke said. Then, after a long pause, he smiled faintly. "Peace."
Sasuke didn't say anything.
"Not what you expected, right?" Itachi smiled at him, as gentle as he had always been. "Just like you said, I loved the Uchiha. Even with their arrogance and pride, I still loved them. Because I, too, believed in the Uchiha's pride and arrogance."
"But my pride told me that the Uchiha should not drag innocent people into their grievances. My arrogance told me that the Uchiha should not start a bloody war just because they felt wronged."
"I never thought what I did was right, Sasuke…" Itachi's smile turned sorrowful. "I am not a hero who saved Konohagakure. I am a traitor—a man who betrayed his clan, his family, and even himself… A disgraceful traitor."
"I have never stopped regretting what I did. But at the same time, I have never stopped feeling proud of it." Itachi still wore that same gentle smile, but tears quietly slipped down his face. "Because… our parents were proud of me."