Although Senju Haruto was the Hokage of the Land of Fire—the highest authority—he couldn't possibly manage every single matter personally.
Especially since his system's sign-in tasks often sent him into key moments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If it were just Earth, that might still be manageable. But when it came to stories like Guardians of the Galaxy or Thor, events unfolded across the cosmos.
It wasn't unlikely that, because of such tasks, he might be unable to return to the ninja world in time.
That was why Haruto felt it necessary to raise the Land of Fire's overall strength.
Particularly Naruto and Sasuke.
As the undeniable protagonists of the shinobi world, their growth potential was the greatest. By the end of their story, only an existence like Kaguya Ōtsutsuki could stand against them—and even she was defeated by Naruto and Sasuke together.
With allies this powerful, Haruto had every reason to invest in them.
Having resolved Naruto's problem and restored him to full power as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, Haruto didn't linger in his room. Instead, he went straight to Sasuke's ward.
Partly to give Minato and Naruto some time alone to reunite.
Seeing this, Orochimaru quickly followed Haruto's steps. He wasn't one for family reunions and had no interest in staying behind.
What did intrigue him was how Haruto planned to deal with Itachi and Sasuke.
Of course, the current Orochimaru was far more tactful than before. Seeing Haruto remain silent, he asked no questions. As long as Haruto didn't reject his presence, Orochimaru knew he would witness something worth remembering.
Inside the ward, Sasuke was recovering but sat upright on his bed, eyes fixed on the blue sky and drifting clouds outside his window.
Since the rooms were close, Haruto didn't bother with portals and chose to walk.
The moment he pushed the door open, Sasuke's voice cut sharply through the air:
"I told you—I want to be alone, Sakura."
Haruto immediately understood. No wonder Sakura, who always hovered around Sasuke, had gone to Naruto instead. Sasuke simply didn't want to see her.
Thinking about it, it made sense.
Neither Naruto nor Sasuke, despite their immense strength, had matured mentally or physically to their Shippuden stage yet. And with everything Sasuke had just endured, he naturally had no mood to accept Sakura's concern.
Haruto guessed that ever since regaining consciousness, Sasuke had kept himself shut away, refusing to meet anyone. And if anyone entered, he'd send them out immediately.
"I'm not Sakura."
Whether Haruto's guess was correct or not, he had no intention of leaving. To him, it was time Sasuke learned the truth.
"That voice…"
In truth, Sasuke wasn't unwilling to see everyone.
The moment he realized who it was, he turned his head.
Not only was Senju Haruto there—but so was Orochimaru, whom Sasuke was sure had died.
Sasuke's eyes widened, his gaze sharp with disbelief and wariness.
Back during the Chūnin Exams, Orochimaru had left him with an unforgettable scar on his soul.
That man was dangerous.
But… hadn't Orochimaru died? Why was he standing in Sasuke's doorway, and why alongside Haruto?
Could this be an illusion?
"No need to be so startled. The Fifth Hokage revived me." Orochimaru explained smoothly, "Rest assured, Sasuke—I have no interest in you now, nor any desire to destroy the village."
For once, Orochimaru was telling the truth.
His hunger for Sasuke's body was gone. What fascinated him now was witnessing Haruto's path and his legend.
"Fifth Hokage…" Sasuke immediately understood—Senju Haruto now led the Land of Fire. He could no longer address him as before.
"But why?" Sasuke's brows furrowed. Why would Haruto revive someone like Orochimaru? What possible benefit could there be?
"It's a long story," Haruto began.
Sasuke gave a small nod, ready to listen.
"So I won't tell it."
Sasuke: "???"
Haruto's tone turned serious. "I came here to tell you that I intend to arrange a transplant surgery—for both you and Itachi."
Sasuke blinked. "…What?"
Haruto remembered clearly: after transplanting Itachi's eyes, Sasuke awakened the Eternal Mangekyō. But Sasuke's own eyes hadn't needed to be destroyed.
In other words, if Itachi and Sasuke transplanted eyes with each other, both could attain the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
The reason this never happened in the original course of history was likely because Itachi died too young.
But now, things were different. Haruto was the Fifth Hokage. The days of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzō Shimura's rule were long past.
And with the entire shinobi world soon to be unified, the old paranoia about leaking secrets to enemy nations no longer mattered.
"Itachi…"
The very mention of his brother's name filled Sasuke with conflicted emotions.
"As I thought," Haruto said quietly, "you don't know anything."
To help him understand, Haruto activated his Sharingan on the spot.
Sasuke, on instinct, flared his own eyes, instantly forming the Mangekyō. His chakra hadn't fully recovered, but resisting genjutsu with the Mangekyō's power was still possible.
Unfortunately… Haruto's mastery over the Sharingan far surpassed his. And his eyes weren't just Mangekyō—they were Eternal Mangekyō.
Even with all his resistance, Sasuke only lasted for a single breath before Haruto's power crushed through.
The room dissolved around him—the ceiling, the floor, the walls all vanished.
In their place appeared the events of the Naka Shrine.
From the beginning, it hadn't been Itachi who sought to launch a coup.
It was the Uchiha clan itself—their voices, their will.
Even his father, Uchiha Fugaku, had been swayed by this overwhelming intent.
To preserve stability in the village, for the sake of Konoha's peace, Itachi had no choice but to ally with Senju Haruto. Together, they resolved the Uchiha crisis at its root.
On one side, Itachi spied on the Akatsuki. On the other, he protected his father's honor, shielding him from shame.
And most of all—it was to give Sasuke a childhood free from rejection, to protect him from hatred.
For that, Itachi had shouldered everything. Everything afterwards had been a performance, a façade, to push Sasuke toward growth.
The day Sasuke stood on his own, awakening the Mangekyō—that was the moment Itachi intended to burn out his life and offer up his Sharingan.
When the visions ended, Sasuke's awareness snapped back to the present. Haruto's voice lingered in his ears:
"Sasuke… you have a truly remarkable brother."