Chapter 251: I Am Selfish, But Very Real
Although it was a bit reckless, perhaps this kind of courage was enough to keep him alive.
High in the sky, Uchiha Itachi, cloaked in Susanoo, let out a bitter laugh.
"Although this guidance battle isn't over yet… I really can't go any further, Sasuke."
Physical strength—tested.
Taijutsu—pushed to the limit.
Chakra control and elemental changes—displayed.
Three-tomoe Sharingan and the Hatake family's swordsmanship—mastered.
Sasuke's growth had far surpassed his expectations.
It was a shame he couldn't test genjutsu or combat instincts due to his physical condition. But maybe it was enough.
If Sasuke could spot his own flaws—like his lack of perception—in the first clash, then Itachi believed he wouldn't fall behind in genjutsu or tactical combat for long.
"That's it… I've done all I can..."
As the whisper faded, the God of War's massive, orange-red hand began to stir. The three spinning magatama—scorching flames rotating violently—condensed into a black mass of fire. He hurled it down with brutal force.
A massive heatwave descended alongside the burning Yasaka Magatama.
But the target wasn't Sasuke.
It was the shinobi coalition further in the distance.
"Run!"
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"
...
The speed of the Yasaka Magatama was too fast to dodge.
Some turned to flee—too late. They were consumed, bodies reduced to black ash beneath the cursed black flames.
Others tried to resist—jutsu after jutsu, desperate defenses—but nothing could stop the rotating magatama marked by the Sharingan.
Even the coordinated jutsu of multiple squads couldn't slow it.
Everything it touched turned to ash—trees, stones, shinobi. It made no distinction.
This wasn't Fire Style anymore.
It was Flame Style.
---
"Nagato always thought Uchiha Itachi was a traitor," Deidara muttered, riding atop a white clay bird alongside Sasori. They flew quickly toward the location Zetsu had relayed. "But I don't think so. Just look at him. He's practically blind, but he's still using Susanoo to buy us time to capture the Tailed Beasts. Friendly force. Definitely a friendly force."
Right now, most shinobi were focused on Itachi's Susanoo.
As long as they stayed quiet, no one would notice them.
Disguised as part of the Alliance, they flew over the rear of the ninja army, vests flapping in the wind.
"Stop talking," Sasori grunted hoarsely. "Just fly faster. Kakuzu and Hidan are almost there."
"It's already fast! And this isn't even a real bird!" Deidara snapped back.
He was about to continue complaining when a sudden roar behind them cut him off.
They turned—and saw it.
A black flame.
Rushing straight toward them.
"I—!"
They had only a moment to cry out before the flames swallowed them whole.
Their world went dark.
Whether they were from the Allied Forces, Kirigakure rebels, or the Akatsuki—everyone in the path of Uchiha Itachi's attack vanished. Indiscriminately.
Below, Itachi's eyes were filled with sorrow as he looked down at the lives he'd taken.
But he had chosen to prioritize the greater good.
If the Akatsuki seized control of the Tailed Beasts, Nagato's madness would plunge the entire world into chaos.
So yes—he was guilty of sacrificing the few for the peace of the many.
But it was worth it.
This wasn't the solution he wanted.
But the Akatsuki's surveillance had been airtight. Not even a crow had slipped out with intel.
There had been no way to contact Konoha.
The Akatsuki's influence had grown far beyond anyone's imagination.
All he could do now was try to drag down a few more of them in his final moments.
---
Meanwhile, on the battlefield below—
Sasuke charged forward, chakra draining with every breath, oblivious to the devastation behind him.
All he could see was the orange-red figure above—the man within Susanoo.
"Die!"
Lightning sparked beneath his feet, launching Uchiha Sasuke skyward with incredible force.
Dust exploded behind him, but no one was paying attention.
Everyone had scattered, fleeing the path of the Yasaka Magatama.
Sasuke's Sharingan spun wildly—three tomoe whirling. He didn't blink, didn't breathe. He locked onto his brother with unwavering focus.
This time, he wouldn't let Itachi dodge.
He surged forward, faster than ever.
His lightning chakra reached its limit. But he didn't stop. He pushed harder.
And with it came fire—raw, roaring, inherited Uchiha flames wrapping around the short blade in his hand.
Lightning and fire.
Chidori and Flame Style.
Everything he had ever learned, he poured into this final thrust.
Sasuke knew.
This blade wouldn't easily pierce Susanoo.
It was a divine construct—the Uchiha's ultimate defense.
But then—
His eyes widened.
As the burning blade met the surface of Susanoo…
It shattered.
Like glass.
What?!
Sasuke panicked, thinking it was an illusion—some kind of trap.
But his body couldn't stop. Not mid-air.
The momentum was too strong.
And there was no trap.
The short blade pierced flesh.
Itachi's flesh.
The slight resistance of muscle, the sound of blood spurting—Sasuke knew.
He had stabbed Uchiha Itachi.
But why?!
He stared, dazed, at the brother he had just pierced.
Itachi's body—lifeless, drained—began to fall from the sky like a broken puppet.
But his face...
He was smiling.
A smile Sasuke hadn't seen in years—warm, nostalgic.
Thud.
He hit the ground hard.
Instinct took over. Sasuke rushed in, catching the body before it crashed.
He trembled.
Itachi's breathing was shallow—barely there. His pulse faded.
Sasuke's heart raced. His chakra instinctively surged, trying to stop the blood loss. Trying to do something.
But the blood kept flowing.
Too fast.
Too much.
Yet Itachi didn't cry out.
Didn't flinch.
He looked at Sasuke—smiling.
"…You were hiding something from me, weren't you?"
His voice was hoarse. Almost inaudible.
Sasuke had no words.
He didn't know how to face him.
Now, finally—
He understood.
Uchiha Itachi had only been guiding him.
Provoking him.
Shaping him.
Even if the Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan had fatal flaws...
He was never Sasuke's enemy.
But Itachi hadn't kept him alive to correct his own mistakes.
He had done it... to give Sasuke his eyes.
All those years of provocation and pressure were a twisted form of preparation.
And yet—
"Why couldn't you just explain it to me?!"
Sasuke's voice cracked with rage.
"Why do you always act like you're so righteous—arranging everything behind my back?! Do you think I'll just forget the past and be grateful?!"
The character Sasuke had forged over the years wouldn't allow his hardened heart to melt just because the other side had "good intentions."
"Don't waste time. Take my Mangekyō... and go find Uzumaki Naruto."
Itachi's voice was faint but unwavering.
"He's your friend, isn't he? Akatsuki is after him. You need to protect him."
"Stay alive, Sasuke. In time, you'll awaken a Mangekyō far beyond mine. You don't need to fear Nagato. You have the power to change the world... But be wary of two threats: the man pretending to be Uchiha Madara—and Black Zetsu."
But Itachi was too far gone.
He had no intention of living long enough to explain further.
Without giving Sasuke the chance to speak again, he reached out, closed his own eyes—then gently placed them into Sasuke's hands.
After that, he grabbed a stack of explosive tags...
---
"Itachi Uchiha has indeed betrayed us."
White Zetsu's clay-like form emerged at the edge of a mountaintop, gazing down at the two figures casually sipping tea.
"You must have predicted this outcome, Ryosuke."
This version of White Zetsu had been modeled to mimic Obito.
But internally, the one in control was Black Zetsu—operating remotely from the Hidden Mist Village.
"As the mastermind of this entire farce, I'm surprised you're not watching from the shadows," Ryosuke replied lazily, barely glancing in his direction. "Or… did you come to make sure we don't interfere?"
"Master Ryosuke, you jest," Black Zetsu replied, arms outstretched.
"With your power, even if I wanted to stop you, I couldn't. You're of the Otsutsuki bloodline, like my mother. I can't compare to you."
He paused, then looked toward the red-haired man seated nearby.
"…And this? A guest from another world?"
"Shanks," the man answered, calm and collected. His voice carried a subtle authority, but his expression remained kind.
"Shanks…"
Black Zetsu repeated the name.
"I heard Blueno mention you—one of the Four Emperors, right? You must be quite powerful in your world."
He half-squinted, observing the imposing man before him.
But soon, interest faded.
When he first encountered Blueno and tried to lure him in, he had already sifted through the man's memories.
Despite the impressive physical prowess in that world, and the bizarre abilities its people wielded, Black Zetsu had found their top-tier combat power underwhelming.
Perhaps they could destroy an island.
But if his mother, Kaguya, were to return—
Not one of them could stop her.
Not even close.
"Still, my fame has traveled even here," Shanks laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Hah… I'm flattered."
"There really are many hidden talents around Master Ryosuke."
After hesitating, Black Zetsu stepped into the barrier.
It allowed him entry.
He calmly sat beside them.
"You really think you can revive your mother?"
Ryosuke asked casually, not the least bit concerned that the ancient schemer was sitting next to him.
In truth, Ryosuke didn't feel hostility toward Black Zetsu.
If anything, he found him... pitiful.
Black Zetsu was like a machine.
No desires. No dreams.
Only a single command had been etched into his mind since creation:
Revive Kaguya Otsutsuki.
For over a thousand years, he'd lived without friends or empathy.
Everyone else was a pawn.
All for that one goal.
And now, Ryosuke shared the same objective.
They were... on the same side.
"The situation is set. If you don't intervene, my plan will succeed."
Black Zetsu's smile was stiff. Forced. He had never grown used to facial expressions.
Nagato, the fool, had already accepted him.
He had willingly allowed Black Zetsu to attach himself.
The last pawn had played its part.
The final piece was already in motion.
Once that final piece returned to the board—
No one in the current ninja world could stop him.
No one... except for Ryosuke.
In his mind, Ryosuke wasn't even human.
"I look forward to it," Ryosuke replied. "And I hope you'll be able to restrain her once she's unsealed."
"I'm not looking to kill her. Not yet."
His eyes narrowed.
"In a way... she's my kin."
Black Zetsu's expression grew stiffer.
But he nodded.
"I'll help her understand the world we live in now."
---
"So… everything that's happened—is it all because of you two?"
Shanks sat beside Ryosuke, still watching the distant battle unfold through the visual link.
His gaze was filled with disbelief.
"And your goal… is just to fight her?"
"He's the one behind it," Ryosuke said, gesturing lazily at Black Zetsu. "I just knew about it—and chose not to stop it."
"You're insane. You're both insane!"
Shanks' voice rose, unable to hold back the frustration.
The man beside him had always seemed calm, even righteous in his own way. But now...
Now, he wasn't so sure what kind of person he really was.
"You sat there. Watched so many people die. And you did nothing to stop it?"
"I'm a very selfish person," Ryosuke said, voice flat but firm. "Outside of those close to me, the life or death of others means nothing."
He could feel Shanks' revulsion—but he didn't care.
"Even if I didn't exist, they'd still be killing each other—waging wars over power and ideology."
"That's been the rhythm of the ninja world for a thousand years."
"I've never seen myself as a hero. I don't chase peace or justice."
"I won't raise a banner and lead the world into an era of light. I won't give speeches or chant slogans."
"Those ideals are fantasies—excuses to gather more followers. Empty promises made to vilify anyone who won't kneel."
He looked up into the sky.
"I won't waste time chasing that dream. Because I know—unless you erase desire itself—peace will never come."
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