"I let you escape from me because I didn't want Konoha to harm or suspect you. I belittled you because I wanted you to live an ordinary life, to survive, even if barely, and to pass on the Uchiha Clan's bloodline." Itachi explained, his voice calm yet filled with sorrow.
"But I never expected you to be so bold. You truly are a proud member of the Uchiha Clan, carrying the pride of our bloodline in your very soul."
Itachi continued, "From that time onward, I wanted you to grow stronger… strong enough to surpass me. That way, you could live in this harsh world without needing my protection. To that end, I pushed you relentlessly, all to awaken your Sharingan and eventually your Mangekyo Sharingan."
At this point, he paused, then shifted the topic, "For you, not only me, but Naruto-kun also worked very hard. He even pretended to die by my hand to deceive you, all to make you stronger."
"Naruto? You're talking nonsense again!"
Sasuke snorted coldly, "If Naruto cared for me as you claim, he wouldn't have disappeared after awakening my Mangekyo Sharingan. He would've cleared up the misunderstanding himself! I'm not incapable of understanding his motives, even if it involved a lie. Naruto is always pulling tricks to motivate others… I know that better than anyone!"
"But he's been gone for so long. Do you have any credible explanation for that?"
Sasuke's brow furrowed, his patience wearing thin. He hated the idea of Itachi using Naruto as an excuse to paint himself as some noble brother.
It felt cheap and disgusting, especially since Naruto wasn't around to verify anything.
Itachi sighed but calmly responded, "The original plan was for Naruto-kun to let you train for a few years, stabilize your foundation, and then fake his death to provoke you. But none of us expected to encounter you at the entrance of Otogakure when we went to find Orochimaru. The situation unfolded so suddenly that we couldn't react properly, allowing you to rescue Naruto-kun. If things had gone as planned, do you think I, with my abilities, couldn't have easily subdued you, someone without a Mangekyo Sharingan at the time?"
Sasuke was slightly stunned. He had to admit, Itachi's explanation made some sense.
Itachi continued, "When you saved Naruto-kun, he realizing the celebration plans were ruined, and he's worried you might lose the push you need. So, he improvised by pretending to die. To make it convincing, he even severed the Servant Contract with you, ensuring you fully believed it."
"What, you actually know about the Servant Contract?"
Sasuke's eyes widened in disbelief.
That revelation shocked him to his core. After all, Naruto had always kept the Servant Contract a closely guarded secret, one he wouldn't reveal under any circumstances. Its effects were subtle and imperceptible unless explicitly triggered. No one could have guessed such a binding technique existed.
But then Sasuke's skepticism returned, "No, you must've heard about it from Orochimaru."
Sasuke reacted and realized that he was almost tricked by Itachi.
Itachi shook his head and said, "You thought Orochimaru's poison killed Naruto-kun, but did you ever consider this? As a servant, Orochimaru can't harm Naruto-kun… not even with a single rebellious thought. And knowing how cautious Naruto-kun is, do you think he would make Orochimaru a servant without understanding all of his secrets? Are you accusing Naruto-kun of being careless?"
"That's… not the case."
Sasuke found himself speechless.
Itachi sighed and said, "When Naruto-kun faked his death, he saw you unconscious and wasn't sure how to explain everything. Even though his intentions were for your good, he knew the deception would hurt you deeply. To avoid facing you immediately, he left the village to meet with us instead."
"However, in that short time, you woke up, misunderstood everything, and ran off seeking revenge."
"We searched for you everywhere, fearing something might happen to you. Then Naruto-kun's shadow clone discovered a lead. It reported a mysterious figure with incredible stealth staying close to you. Naruto-kun identified that person as one of his mortal enemies, someone he had to eliminate."
"But Naruto-kun wasn't confident he could win. So, he went to a certain location to train and told us to wait patiently."
"After that, everything that transpired… you know the rest. Or, should I say, you and that mysterious figure together caused most of it to unfold."
Having laid everything bare, in order to gain Sasuke's complete trust, Itachi decided it was time to offer undeniable proof, "This is the Servant Contract's mark. A servant's mark resides in the spiritual body and cannot be detected under normal circumstances. But here, in my Tsukuyomi World, we exist as spiritual entities."
"This imprint, branded onto the soul, should be more than enough to convince you."
As he opened his clothing, the mark glowing on his chest was unmistakably the Servant Contract's mark!
"How is this possible? A Servant Contract's mark? How can you have one as well?"
Sasuke's mind struggled to process the revelation.
Itachi explained, "When I entered the village back then, the first one I encountered wasn't you… it was Naruto-kun. He used the Servant Contract to control me, and then he orchestrated the entire act, letting you witness me 'capturing' him, all to stimulate your Sharingan."
"When he realized that merely seeing this wasn't enough to awaken your power, he planned for me to 'capture' Naruto-kun and arranged for Orochimaru to take you under his wing to assist in your training."
"How could it be... that Naruto had already been planning all of this back in Konoha..."
Sasuke couldn't believe that Naruto had devised such a complex scheme, and all of it was for him.
Itachi sighed and said, "I exterminated the wrongfully accused Uchiha Clan, a crime for which I can never atone. But Naruto-kun is innocent. Every lie he told, every strategy he employed, was out of kindness, so you could grow stronger. If you still cannot forgive me, then when this Tsukuyomi ends, you can kill me. I won't resist. But I beg you, do not harbor resentment toward Naruto-kun. He has always cared deeply for you… and even for me."
"But I still don't believe you! I saw Naruto die with my own eyes… how do you expect me to trust your words?"
Sasuke frowned deeply.
Even if Itachi's explanation made sense, Sasuke couldn't bring himself to trust him entirely. How could he be certain Itachi's claims were genuine?
Itachi seemed somewhat speechless, "My foolish little brother... Before, I did all I could to provoke you. But now I see you are truly dense. If Naruto-kun were dead, how could the Servant Contract still be active on me? This is the simplest and most irrefutable evidence that Naruto-kun is alive!"
"Huh?"
Sasuke's eyes widened in shock.
The nature of the Servant Contract was such that its presence could not be faked by anyone. Sasuke had only seen it once before, which is during the moment he himself signed the contract. This meant that anyone who bore the mark had undoubtedly been bound by Naruto's unique Ninjutsu.
And now, seeing the Servant Contract mark still intact on Itachi proved one thing beyond doubt: Naruto was alive.
"Naruto... He's really alive!"
As the realization dawned, the anger and coldness in Sasuke's eyes transformed into uncontainable joy and excitement.
Naruto was alive… this was the best news he had received in a very long time.
For so many days, he had been driven by a single purpose: to avenge Naruto.
But now that he learned that Naruto was still alive, how could he not be overjoyed? He felt as though a massive weight had been lifted from his chest. This was a happiness even greater than defeating his enemies.
"You finally understand."
Itachi remarked, sensing the unmistakable relief and joy in Sasuke's emotions. He let out a long sigh of relief.
'It seemed bringing Sasuke into the Tsukuyomi World had been the right choice. Only here, where the contract's mark was visible, could the truth be proven.'
With the greatest misunderstanding now resolved, Itachi felt no need to explain further. All he wanted was to die… so he could finally face his wrongfully accused clan in the afterlife and beg for their forgiveness.
Whoosh!
With a wave of his hand, Itachi deactivated the Tsukuyomi.
While it had felt like an eternity within the Tsukuyomi World, in reality, only a brief moment had passed.
Sasuke was now back in the real world, standing directly before Itachi. His Chidori crackled and sparked, its electric tendrils reaching hungrily for a target.
Itachi, however, neither dodged nor resisted. Instead, he closed his eyes slowly, resigned and ready to accept his end at Sasuke's hands.