Watching Sasuke's face twisted with anger, his eyes burning like flames, serious and fierce, Itachi was overwhelmed by complicated emotions.
At this moment, he realized deeply that Sasuke was no longer the little brother who needed to hide beneath his wings for protection.
The trials of time and the flames of revenge had forged Sasuke into a warrior with firm resolve and tremendous strength.
Itachi took a deep breath, as if trying to exhale all the heaviness in his chest. Then he slowly spoke, every word seeming to be squeezed from the depths of his heart: "Sasuke, everything I did had hardships behind it that cannot be put into words. Everything I did was to protect this village, and even more so to protect you, to keep you from being dragged into endless darkness and despair."
Sasuke's eyes widened, filled with disbelief and fury.
His lips trembled, as if he had just heard the most absurd joke in the world. "You... you're talking bullshit!!"
His voice was hoarse with anger. Every word was like a sharp blade, slicing through the air and tearing apart the brotherly bond between them.
"For me??"
Sasuke's face was ablaze with fury, his eyes seemingly ready to spew fire. "You did it for your own Sharingan, didn't you? For me, you slaughtered your own family with your own hands, then left me to live in endless pain and hatred, and you call that for my sake??"
Itachi closed his eyes, and tears quietly slid down his face.
When he opened his eyes again, they were filled with helplessness, pain, and deep sorrow.
"The Uchiha Clan was planning a rebellion. That is an unchangeable fact. The Hidden Leaf Village's higher-ups gave me two choices: one was to personally wipe out the entire clan and spare only