Admit it, you-Sasuke Uchiha-have long since become a pursuer
At this point, Naruto quickened his pace and grabbed the shadowy figure's hand.
Those warm memories that belonged to him were instantly transmitted directly to the shadowy figure.
"No, impossible! These are all fake!"
The shadowy figure began to dissipate, emanating a misty aura, and tried to break free from the hand Naruto was holding.
"No, this is the complete me!"
Naruto stared intently at the dark figure before him, his voice calm yet powerful.
"I acknowledge my dark side, but that doesn't mean I'll dwell on these painful memories forever."
"I've grown up, and so should you."
Buzz--
An unidentified wave emanated from the shadowy figure, and the darkness surrounding it began to peel away like fragments.
Two pairs of deep blue eyes met.
The shadowy figure's face, which had been filled with mockery, was now calm.
"I see."
The shadowy figure, or rather, the figure that now looked exactly like Naruto, looked at Naruto and said softly:
"You're finally willing to face the whole of yourself."
"Ah~ I'm sorry, my other self. Thank you for protecting me all this time."
Naruto grinned, revealing a smile, his eyes glistening with tears.
Isn't this version of myself the one who protected him all along when he was a child?
He absorbed all those painful memories alone, while Naruto forgot 'him'.
"Tch—you'll be all alone from now on, so don't cry anymore."
The shadowy figure scoffed in apparent displeasure, then fixed its gaze on Naruto and spoke.
Naruto fell silent, then pulled the dark figure into a tight embrace, murmuring softly, "I'm sorry."
The dark figure being embraced looked bewildered, then a smirk appeared on its lips, its azure eyes surveying its surroundings as if bidding farewell.
"Goodbye forever, Naruto."
As soon as he finished speaking, the shadowy figure in Naruto's arms began to dissipate like a fluorescent glow.
It then merged into Naruto's body.
Naruto remained in that position, tears slowly streaming down his tightly closed eyes.
The entire lake became quiet again, and Naruto, standing in it, seemed to have lifted something heavy off his shoulders.
He clutched his right hand tightly to his chest and whispered, "Baka yarou, we were originally one."
After saying that, Naruto slowly opened his eyes, his gaze revealing a depth he had never shown before.
--
The lake surface churned and surged, with streaks of purple lightning flashing across the surroundings from time to time.
Sasuke slowly walked to the center of the lake, looking around with a furrowed brow.
Before I could observe carefully, everything around me began to distort, and the sound of the churning water on the lake gradually faded away.
From beneath Sasuke's feet, a deathly black void spread outwards.
"You've arrived?"
Upon hearing the voice, Sasuke quickly flipped backward, his gaze fixed on the other 'him' who had suddenly appeared before him.
Seeing Sasuke's alarmed expression, Sasuke, whose entire body was glowing with white light, revealed a mocking smile.
He has the same face and black hair as Sasuke, and even looks more noble than Sasuke.
"I am you, and you are me."
That's what he said, but his voice was filled with coldness and undisguised arrogance.
"So, are you here to find your so-called truth, or to confirm your own weakness?"
Sasuke looked at the 'himself' in front of him and couldn't help but feel puzzled. This seemed to be somewhat different from what his teacher had said.
"I'm just here to see the road ahead and clear away obstacles."
Who is Sasuke Uchiha? So what if the other party is arrogant? Sasuke is no ordinary person either.
Although puzzled, he seized the opportunity to retort sarcastically.
"Obstacle?"
Upon hearing this, 'Sasuke' chuckled and slowly approached Sasuke.
"Isn't your biggest obstacle yourself? Look at you, Sasuke Uchiha, born into a prestigious family, with extraordinary talent."
"Yet you always lose to someone you call Dead Last in training, forever living in their shadow."
Sasuke wasn't particularly concerned about Naruto, but the last sentence made his pupils contract almost imperceptibly.
Since the person opposite him was his own reflection, he naturally understood who the figure he was referring to was.
Only his own brother, Uchiha Itachi, would be described in this way.
"Shut up!"
"Why can't I say it?!"
The voice suddenly rose in pitch, and the person pressed down on Sasuke with a huge surge of Chakra.
"Isn't this the starting point of all your actions? Yet in the end, you abandoned your family, your parents, and yourself."
"He didn't abandon me!" Sasuke roared, glaring angrily at the 'himself' before him. With a flick of his left hand, the Amatsukaku sealed on his wrist was released.
"He made his choice solely for the sake of the Uchiha Clan and Konoha!"
"So grand and dignified!"
A sharp voice interrupted Sasuke's words, and the figure had already stepped in front of Sasuke, the black pupils instantly transforming into Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Moreover, it's both eyes.
The Scarlet Sharingan stared intently at Sasuke, and he spoke, word by word.
"Do you really think that way? Don't you feel even a trace of resentment in your heart, resentment that he chose a more important mission?"
"And for you, is it just a perfunctory 'I'm sorry'?"
"And then he left you far behind again, leaving you in his shadow, only able to look up to him?"
"I don't!"
Sasuke gritted his teeth, his black eyes fixed on the 'himself' before him, and now he finally understood.
Why did his teacher tell him before he entered the school that he himself is the most complete version of himself?
The guy in front of me seems to know almost everything I'm thinking.
If you don't hold this mindset, you could be defeated from within by the 'self' right in front of you at any time.
However, he is Sasuke Uchiha, and even his inner self cannot be so easily swayed!
"I just want to become stronger, strong enough to catch up with him, strong enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with him... no, to surpass him!"
"I want him to see that his brother is worthy of the name Uchiha!"
"See!"
Seeing Sasuke like this, the mirror image spread its arms wide, its tone full of disdain.
"This is your true self, your so-called pride, your persistence, and your almost obsessive desire to catch up."
"No matter how hard you train, master Chidori, develop the Activated Mark, or develop Lightning Release."
"Everything, all of it, is for one person— Uchiha Itachi!"
"You've already accepted that you're inferior to him, and only deserve to look up to him."
The Scarlet Sharingan stared directly into Sasuke's eyes, and said, word by word, "You crave his approval more than you want to defeat Naruto and anyone else."
"This is your greatest weakness, and also the source of your power."
"Admit it, you— Sasuke Uchiha —have long since become a pursuer!"