The Truth Revealed

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood with his hands behind his back at the courtyard entrance, silently watching Itachi as he "tormented" Sasuke.

When Itachi saw Hiruzen Sarutobi, he froze in a rare moment of distraction. Clearly, Hiruzen Sarutobi's appearance had caught him completely off guard. Sasuke knew nothing about Itachi's circumstances right now, and after finally seizing the chance while Itachi was distracted, there was no way he would let it slip by. With a fierce struggle, he broke free of Itachi's control.

Driven by hatred, Sasuke, whose only thought was to kill Itachi, drew a kunai without hesitation and slashed it toward Itachi's throat.

After a crisp metallic clang, two kunai fell to the ground one after another. Sasuke looked toward Hiruzen Sarutobi not far away in disbelief and snapped angrily, "What the hell?! Why are even you, the Hokage, stopping me from taking revenge? He's a Missing-nin of Konoha!!"

Facing the furious Sasuke, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, shook his head, and said, "Sasuke, some things aren't what you think. Today, I'll tell you the truth."

Sasuke gritted his teeth and said, "I'm not interested in any so-called truth! All I know is that he killed my parents and slaughtered the entire Uchiha clan!"

In an even tone, Hiruzen Sarutobi asked in return, "Then why are you still alive? Why did he leave only you behind?"

"I..."

At this point, Sasuke did not even know about the existence of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. If he had, he could at least have retorted that Itachi's goal was to take his eyes. But without that piece of information, Hiruzen Sarutobi's question truly left him stumped for a moment.

Itachi glanced at Sasuke beside him, then looked toward Hiruzen Sarutobi with a complicated expression.

"Lord Third... Why this all of a sudden? The agreement between