That's the exhilarating feeling of being a father, controlling your children, and being above them...

Even his mother, who was always incredibly gentle and tenderly accepted all his ordinariness and comforted his various emotions, treated Uchiha Itachi differently!

Unlike her father, her mother, Uchiha Mikoto, saw her as an adult from a young age, a man who could change the family and decide the future of her clan with her husband.

As for himself? It seems that in the whole family, only his mother treats him as a child who needs to be accepted and comforted, not as a substitute for Uchiha Itachi, but as a real, complete person.

As for my feelings towards Uchiha Itachi? Perhaps ever since he fell into his inner turmoil, I have been carrying on his kindness as an older brother, acting as his younger brother?

A coordinate that prevents Itachi Uchiha from completely descending into madness.

Thinking of all this, and recalling Uchiha Mikoto from his memories, who even when facing death, forced herself to put on a gentle smile just so that her son would feel less guilty, Uchiha Sasuke suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart.

The short blade inserted into Itachi's heart was used with even more force, and the man even straddled Itachi's corpse, beginning to frantically whip the body.

Although I don't know why he harbored such deep resentment towards Itachi Uchiha, this way, it's not bad!

"I am Uchiha Sasuke, and I will bear the consequences of your crimes! But this control in the name of love, this deception in the name of love, this imprisonment in the name of love—all of this is the result of your arrogance and foolishness! I will make you truly taste the bitter fruit of this! Uchiha... Itachi!"

As the final words fell, Itachi Uchiha's mangled body beneath him began to dissipate into light. Just when Sasuke Uchiha thought he was about to fall into a new cycle of reincarnation, the illusion that blurred reality from illusion, making him feel as if he had experienced a hundred lifetimes of reincarnation, completely vanished at that moment!

And where he stood, all that remained was that arrogant, maniacal laugh that was both familiar and utterly foreign to him.

"If you can't figure it out, then don't bother! Embrace your foolishness and struggle in the quagmire of the ninja world! Who knows, you might actually find your true self on this path! Ahahahahaha..."

As if sensing that Sasuke Uchiha had his own ideas and would no longer be imprisoned by evil disguised as love, the shadow finally released its hold on Sasuke, leaving only the crimson Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, deeply engraved in Sasuke's mind.

"Have I... made it out?"

He opened his eyes wearily, and the three tomoe swirled in his pupils, but in an instant, accompanied by a sharp pain, he reverted to the state of a single tomoe.

Meanwhile, Sasuke Uchiha, amidst the excruciating pain that seemed to penetrate his very soul, covered his eyes, which were bleeding and tearing blood, and let out a maniacal laugh, causing a commotion in the already dark Konoha Hospital.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage of the Sarutobi clan, silently poured out two painkillers from his drawer and swallowed them. His head was throbbing from the recent events. As he looked at the report about the three men that the Anbu had just delivered, a glint of something sinister, its true nature unclear, flashed deep within his eyes.

"Itachi, your younger brother has awakened the Sharingan. Under the guidance of Konoha and the Will of Fire, he will become a genius ninja no less than you. I will protect him until he truly grows up! This is my promise to you as the Hokage!"

He seemed to see the figure of a gentle young man in his eyes, but for some reason, when Hiruzen Sarutobi recalled the boy named Uchiha Shisui, his gentle eyes could not hide a deep sense of fear.

However, looking at the report on the comprehensive cleanup of the Uchiha clan that had just been processed, and seeing the ninjutsu scrolls, various ninja tools, and large amounts of cash that had been confiscated, Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, was somewhat relieved.

Even though he made a promise to Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke Uchiha would still prefer to be a wealthy man! After all, a good Uchiha is one that can be controlled, like Shisui Uchiha. It would be even better if he didn't have the Mangekyou Sharingan.

Thinking about these things, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the next report, which showed Naruto Uzumaki, who had awakened and was able to control part of the Nine-Tails' chakra and unleash the One-Tail form. He seemed to see the shadows of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki in the report.

A hint of guilt flashed in his eyes, but he did not hesitate at all, because he knew that only in this way could Naruto Uzumaki be bound to Konoha after he grew up!

Moreover, Konoha is not the only one using this method.

In response, selectively turning a blind eye to how Hiruzen Sarutobi, the perfect Jinchuriki of Kumogakure, was cultivated, and looking at all the information about Naruto Uzumaki over the years, a plan that had lasted for several years began to slowly take shape.

"Only by growing in darkness can one pursue one's own light. For Konoha, for the Will of Fire, you must understand me, right? Minato."

With a soft sigh, he glanced past Naruto Uzumaki, who was arguably the one he had the best grasp of among the three, and then turned his gaze to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was reviewing information from Senju Ryougi, with a somewhat troubled expression.

It can only be said that the Senju clan and the Senju brothers Hashirama and Tobirama left behind a very solid foundation during the Warring States period. So solid that even though it is only a few years away from Konoha's 60th year, there are still some old fogies living in each of the ninja clans.

As for Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage of Konoha, a political collective centered around the Senju clan and many other ninja clans affiliated with the Senju, who had diligently maintained his rule for decades and stepped up in a time of crisis, he was well aware of the power behind the young Senju Ling Nian.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!