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"Only, these Uchiha did not know that the strongest Uchiha of their generation—the one they relied upon—was a pureblooded turncoat."

"Shisui had completely forgotten the debt he owed to the clan that raised and nurtured him. His heart held only the village that belonged to Sarutobi Hiruzen and the other higher-ups, not to everyone. Without hesitation, he sold the news of their planned coup to the higher-ups."

"Moreover, Shisui intended to use his Kotoamatsukami dojutsu to alter the will of Fugaku Uchiha, the dovish clan head who held little authority within the clan and was completely constrained by its members, in order to quell this conflict."

"In the end, of course, this Uchiha genius—who made his living by killing, had not read much, yet desperately pursued peace—failed. He did not understand the principle that peace survived only when sought through struggle."

"He never imagined that the higher-ups did not trust him at all. They deeply feared those eyes of his, which could silently alter a person's will. In the end, Danzo took the Mangekyō Sharingan he had intended to use for Kotoamatsukami to prevent the coup."

"And even then, he still did not realize that his clan was not the only side at fault in the conflict. The higher-ups he trusted had also been steadily forcing them into a corner."

"Then, using the power of Kotoamatsukami in his remaining eye—whether out of friendship or something else—he passed on the will to protect Konoha to his best friend, Itachi, Sasuke's older brother."

"The young Itachi witnessed the death of Shisui, a friend who had been like an older brother to him. Before he had even turned eleven, he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and began his own path in pursuit of peace."

"Though he was good at thinking, he still failed to see the heart of the problem. The true cause of it all was precisely the aggressive higher-ups, yet he stubbornly believed that the Uchiha alone were at fault, that they were a fallen and corrupt clan. As a double agent, he pursued the peace in his heart in confusion."

"But Itachi, still young, made the same mistake as Shisui. He had read too little and seen too little. He could not understand the essence of seeking peace through struggle, nor could he understand how to ease the conflict between the clan and the village."

"Shisui's death temporarily extinguished the Uchiha's thoughts of rebellion, but the emergence of Itachi's new Mangekyō Sharingan reignited their ambitions."

"The conflict between the Uchiha and the village's higher-ups intensified once more, reaching the point where a single spark could set it off."

"In Itachi's eyes, if the village went to war with the Uchiha, then regardless of who won or lost, Konoha's strength would be diminished. That would invite attacks from other ninja villages and ultimately lead to a Shinobi World War."

"However, Itachi did not know that the village's strength and foundations far exceeded his imagination. Every Shinobi World War had been one against many. Even if the other ninja villages attacked, they would find no opening to exploit."

"Nor was the Uchiha coup likely to succeed. Even if they used a decapitation strategy to kill the higher-ups led by the Third Hokage, they had no popular support and would never be accepted by the rest of the village."

"At that very moment, the village's higher-ups took advantage of Itachi's youth and ignorance. To reduce their own losses, they issued him an ultimatum: in exchange for guaranteeing Sasuke's survival, he was to wipe out the Uchiha clan and preserve the village's peace."

"The Masked Man claiming to be Madara had also become increasingly active, faintly showing signs that he intended to strike at the village."

"Knowing Madara's strength and reputation, Itachi worried about the village's future and Sasuke's safety. After agonizing over the choice, he helplessly demanded that Madara not attack the village, and that the village higher-ups protect Sasuke."

"Then, for the narrow peace in his heart, he raised his blade against his clan and against the parents who had given birth to and raised him."

"He bore the infamy of exterminating his clan and joined the Akatsuki as a rogue ninja, watching the Masked Man who called himself Madara. He endured torment of the mind and illness alike, waiting for Sasuke to become strong enough to stand before him."

"Then he would die by Sasuke's hand, awakening Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan, before using his own Mangekyō Sharingan to grant his younger brother Sasuke the Eternal Mangekyo."

"And with his death, Sasuke could also become a Great Hero who had slain an S-Rank Rogue Ninja."

"Over the rest of his life, as he grew older and gained more experience, Itachi gradually came to understand that he had possessed better ways to handle the conflict between the clan and the village. He could have trusted in the strength of others."

"Unfortunately, there was no going back."

"After being revived through Impure World Reincarnation, his original resolve to protect Konoha remained unchanged. Yet he chose to tell Sasuke everything, trusted in Sasuke's growth, and allowed him to choose his own future."

Naruto did not rush to recall the rest of the memories in his mind. His gaze was complicated.

This conclusion proved that Kurama's Evil Intent Sensing had not been wrong that night. That man truly bore no ill will toward either him or Sasuke. For the peace in his heart, he had shouldered it all alone.

To the Uchiha clan, he was an utter traitor. To the vast majority of the village, he was an unsung hero. From the perspective of Sasuke's older brother, he was worthy of being called a good brother.

Still, no matter how many reasons there were, Naruto believed that Itachi's actions had been wrong.

Murdering one's parents and kin was not something a human child should do.

Respecting teachers and honoring one's parents were among Naruto's fundamental values.

Cultivate oneself, regulate the family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world—this was the teaching the sages had given Naruto.

It meant that one had to first improve one's character, learn more, and gain wisdom. Only then could one manage a family properly, before pursuing the grand ambition of governing the state and bringing peace to the world.

The experiences of Itachi and Shisui, along with the twisted values formed by the collision between those experiences and their pursuit of peace, warned Naruto once again.

Ignorance made people narrow-minded!

He absolutely had to read more, so that he could clearly distinguish what he was truly doing!

So that good intentions would not lead him to commit unforgivable evil in the end.

Because of this, Naruto felt even more disgusted by those Konoha higher-ups who constantly spoke of the Will of Fire.

They kept claiming that they wanted to protect Konoha, kept claiming that they wanted to protect their fellow villagers, that everyone in the village was family. They constantly preached the Will of Fire, yet could not treat everyone equally at all.

On the contrary, they were exceptionally skilled at eliminating dissidents.

The Senju and Uchiha clans that had founded the village disappeared one after another during Sarutobi Hiruzen's rule, while the Sarutobi Clan continued to grow stronger.

They drove Hatake Sakumo, the Konoha White Fang, to suicide, even though he was powerful and qualified to inherit the position of Hokage.

And Naruto, the Hero's Son, had suffered a childhood too painful to look back upon.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had even begun paving the way for his son Asuma to become Hokage.

To win the support of the other clans in the village, he arranged for Asuma to lead the heirs of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans, while his daughter-in-law, Kurenai Yuhi, led the heirs of the Hyuga, Inuzuka, and Aburame clans.

Unfortunately, he had not expected to die so suddenly, nor had he expected his son to die at the hands of the Akatsuki as well.

What these higher-ups protected had never been everyone's Konoha. It was their own Konoha.

And they still expected others to possess some so-called Will of Fire?