"Uchiha Madara"
Sasuke stood beside Itachi's body for a long time, unmoving.
For years, every day of his life had been shaped by a single goal: grow stronger, then kill Itachi. But now that he had actually done it with his own hands, the feeling that remained was anything but simple.
"Heh… haha… hahahaha…"
The laughter slipped out quietly at first, then grew sharper, almost unhinged. It echoed through the ruins before finally dying out. It wasn't joy. It was release. All the pressure he had carried for years spilling out at once.
Then Sasuke's expression sharpened.
In the next instant, he vanished.
A kunai clattered to the ground where he had been standing, and a man wearing a spiral-patterned mask appeared in his place, dressed in a black cloak with red clouds. His hand closed around the kunai Sasuke had left behind.
"So you're the one Itachi called 'Uchiha Madara'?" Sasuke said coldly, now standing a short distance away. "Didn't expect a legendary figure to favor sneak attacks."
"A space-time technique?" the masked man said with surprise. "Impressive. Just like Itachi's brother."
He paused, then chuckled. "Seems he told you quite a lot."
"Enough," Sasuke replied, his body tense. "What do you want?"
The way the man appeared was unmistakable. Space-time ninjutsu. Another one.
"Do you want to know the truth about the Uchiha massacre?" the masked man asked suddenly. "If you do, join us."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "The truth? You triggered the Nine-Tails incident, caused the Fourth Hokage's death, and forced the Uchiha into a corner until rebellion became inevitable. That led to the massacre. Isn't that right?"
Through the mask, a single three-tomoe Sharingan stared back at him.
The killing intent rolling off Sasuke now was far heavier than it had ever been toward Itachi.
If Itachi had chosen the village over the clan and walked a path of no return, then this man was something else entirely. From any angle, he was a criminal to both the Uchiha and Konoha.
Someone who deserved no mercy.
Sasuke wanted to attack immediately.
But reason stopped him.
After his battle with Itachi, his condition was far from ideal. And if this man truly was Uchiha Madara, then even with the Mangekyō awakened, Sasuke wasn't confident he could win.
"So you already know all that?" the masked man said, surprised. "Ever consider that Itachi told you that version to protect Konoha? That the truth is more complicated?"
"When did I ever say I learned this from Itachi?" Sasuke shot back.
The masked man fell silent for a moment, then sighed. "So you knew everything… and still chose to kill him. Cold. Truly Uchiha."
"Because I knew everything," Sasuke replied, voice steady, "I chose to kill him myself. And Itachi wanted it that way. Atonement."
There was nothing left to argue.
The masked man had no opening here.
Still, he hadn't expected much. This had only been a probe.
"Then hand over Itachi's body," he said at last. "As his mentor, I'll see him buried properly."
Sasuke stared at him like he was looking at an idiot.
"…Are you serious?"
The masked man sighed again.
If Sasuke were alone, he would have already moved. But—
Footsteps approached.
Fujimoto Tōma walked in unhurriedly, stopping beside Sasuke. His gaze flicked to Itachi's body, confirming there was no life left.
"Well done," Tōma said simply.
Sasuke nodded, then added quietly, "Be careful. This man also uses space-time ninjutsu."
"'Uchiha Madara'?" Tōma repeated, amused. "Madara wouldn't hide behind a mask."
The masked man snorted. "Uchiha Sasuke. Fujimoto Tōma. We'll meet again."
His body twisted, space folding in on itself, and he vanished.
"He ran?" Sasuke muttered, now more doubtful than ever of the man's claimed identity.
"Running's normal," Tōma said lightly. "He's just a clown pretending to be Madara. Even if the real one showed up, I wouldn't be worried. This guy? Not worth the trouble."
Sasuke nodded without hesitation.
Even with his Mangekyō awakened, he still couldn't see the limits of Tōma's strength.
As for the masked man…
Sasuke had never fully believed Itachi's claim to begin with.
...
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