Chapter 104: The Veil Lifted
Itachi's carefully constructed facade of the power-hungry, fanatical brother shattered under the weight of Ren's knowing gaze. The revelation that his younger brother was not an ignorant pawn, but a player who knew the rules of the game—and the board itself—was a seismic shock to his world.
"That's right," Itachi continued, his voice losing its manic edge and returning to its usual flat, instructive tone, though the lesson was now pointless. "Madara Uchiha sought to reclaim his light by any means. In his desperation... consumed by the very power he coveted, he took his brother's eyes with his own hands. He regained his sight, and those eyes would never dim again... the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. His brother's eyes found eternal light in a new host. Not only that, they changed, birthing unique new ocular techniques. This exchange, however, can only be performed between close kin. It is not a path open to all. This... is the other secret of these eyes."
He paused, studying Ren, searching for any hint of surprise or fear. He found only cold, amused comprehension.
"Madara used that power to subjugate the ninja clans," Itachi pressed on, a final, desperate attempt to control the narrative. "He then allied with his greatest rival, Hashirama Senju, and founded Konoha. Later, he clashed with the First Hokage over the village's leadership. Though defeated in their legendary battle, Madara survived. He founded an organization called Akatsuki and hid within its shadows. The Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha thirteen years ago was his doing, though he was stopped by the Fourth Hokage. Which is to say..." A faint, bitter smile touched Itachi's lips. "Now, Madara is merely a loser. The one who will stand at the pinnacle of the Uchiha is not him. The one who will surpass him... who will approach the true summit... is me!"
His expression hardened into a mask of zealous conviction. "From this moment, I will finally obtain power beyond Madara's. Ren, you and Sasuke are my new light. You are my vessels. The Uchiha clan was always a filthy clan, one that would kill its closest friends to obtain the Mangekyō, and betray its own blood to gain eternal power. We have always been proud of this strength. From the moment you were born into this clan, you were entangled in this bloody fate. My brother, I am going to kill you. I will free you from the clan's destiny and obtain true change. I will cast off all constraints and free myself from my own—*Gah!*"
His grand monologue was cut short as Ren, with a look of utter boredom, casually thrust the psychic katana deep into Itachi's chest.
"Are you quite finished with your little speech?" Ren asked, his voice dripping with disdain. "It's incredibly tedious. Do not mistake me for Sasuke, that simple-minded fool. So spare me the theatrics you use on him. I know everything there is to know about the Mangekyō. Probably more than you."
Itachi gasped, the illusionary pain feeling unnervingly real. The fanatical mask crumbled away completely, leaving behind stark shock. "You... what else do you know? Who told you this?" His mind raced to the worst possibility. "Has a man in a spiral mask... a man who calls himself Madara Uchiha... has he approached you?"
The concern in his voice was real now, raw and urgent. It was the first genuine emotion he had shown.
Ren chuckled, a low, dark sound. "You seem nervous, brother. Worried that Sasuke and I might be led astray by this 'Madara'? How touching." He waved a dismissive hand. "Relax. I know everything I need to know. Your deal with Konoha's elders. The true reason for the massacre. The failing state of your body. Your diminishing eyesight. I know it all. So you can drop the act. And no, no one told me. I figured it out on my own. Don't bother asking how."
Itachi was silent for a long moment, the featureless gray space of the genjutsu stretching around them. The katana in his chest remained, a symbol of Ren's absolute control over this encounter.
"When?" Itachi finally asked, his voice quiet. "When did you learn the truth?"
"A long, long time ago. Earlier than you could possibly imagine."
"I see." Another pause. "And... Sasuke? Does he know?"
"You can rest easy on that count. I haven't told a soul. Especially not him."
A faint sigh of relief escaped Itachi's lips. "Good. Then... tell me. Why the deception? Why hide your true self? And why defect from Konoha?"
"Hmph. If I hadn't played the fool, Danzo would have had me dragged into ROOT and turned into one of his mindless tools. And as for defecting... did you truly believe I would stay in that rotten, hypocritical village after learning what they made you do? After learning what they did to our family?"
"Then why go to Orochimaru?" Itachi's voice was sharp, laced with a brother's concern he could no longer hide. "You know his goal. When Sasuke sought him out, why didn't you stop him?"
"Why should I have?" Ren retorted, his tone cold and pragmatic. "It was the path he chose. He seeks power; he must be willing to pay the price. I see no issue with it. Orochimaru is a... capable teacher. Sasuke will learn more from him about the darkness of this world than he ever would in Konoha."
"But Orochimaru intends to use him as a vessel! He wants to steal Sasuke's body!"
"Tch. Don't trouble yourself. Though we are not close, he is still my twin brother. I will not let that happen. Your concern, while touching, is unnecessary."
Itachi studied him, the last pieces of his understanding of his brother rearranging themselves into a new, uncertain picture. He had one final question, the most important one.
"Then answer me this, Ren." Itachi's gaze was intense, searching. "Do you... hate the village?"
Ren didn't answer immediately. A slow, enigmatic smile spread across his face, a smile that was neither confirmation nor denial, but something far more dangerous. It was the smile of someone who held all the cards and was deciding how to play them.
Itachi could only wait, the silence between them heavier than any blade.
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