Sasuke's Defection

"My favor?"

Kabuto looked at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru had no idea what Josuke was up to, but he knew he would definitely come out ahead in this deal.

"Well, Kabuto, what do you think?"

Naturally, Kabuto had no objections.

"I shall leave it entirely to Lord Orochimaru."

Orochimaru nodded.

"Fine, then I'll make the decision for Kabuto and accept. Hand it over."

Josuke did not hesitate and handed the scroll to Kabuto.

"Remember this. Kabuto owes me a favor, so when the time comes, don't forget to pay it back."

Kabuto nodded.

Josuke did not linger and left.

After Josuke left, Orochimaru smiled at Kabuto and said, "Quite a strange person, isn't he?"

Kabuto gave a sound of agreement. He did not understand why Josuke had done this either.

(I didn't want to write the Three Sannin showdown either. There was too much content, so I'll gloss over it here. It went the same as the original, except Josuke was there too. Because of Josuke's relationship with Orochimaru, Orochimaru went easy on him.

Afterward, Orochimaru sent word to thank Josuke for the Scroll of Seals, but there was still no way to break the Reaper Death Seal...)

Back in Konoha.

It had been a long time.

Even the air smelled sweet!!!

Sasuke woke up and, as before, got into a conflict with Naruto...

His foolish younger brother had thought the power of his Chidori surpassed Naruto's. Who knew that the gap between their strengths had already become as vast as heaven and earth?

He sank into deep rage. He could not surpass his brother, and even the dead last from before had now become stronger than him. The flames of jealousy and anger burned within him.

Josuke, standing nearby, wanted to complain.

Chidori is for piercing damage, man. Why are you standing there getting all emo?

Fortunately, Kakashi stopped this farce in time.

In the end, the two parted on bad terms and left the hospital.

Night fell, dark and windy.

The Sound Four arrived at the Uchiha Clan Land and immediately gave Sasuke a lesson in love.

As for Josuke~~

He was out having fun with Ino right now. Josuke figured that Uchiha Sasuke was just getting beaten up, so it was no big deal. Besides, his defection was bound to happen sooner or later, so he did not interfere.

So he went shopping with Ino instead~

It definitely wasn't because he was lusting after her beauty. Really.

Why did he go out with Ino? Because she was kind...

Pah.

He had gotten off track.

After taking a vicious beating, Sasuke behaved himself.

So the Sound Four revealed the purpose of their visit.

They invited Sasuke to work under Orochimaru.

Sasuke looked at the four's immense strength, then at himself as he was now, and at Naruto. Revenge.

He resolutely agreed.

As for the only family he had left in this world... Josuke, his good brother—he had wanted to say something to him. But... hardening his heart, he decided not to say goodbye. With his little backpack in hand, he left Konoha beneath the moonlight...

On the way, he also put Sakura to sleep on a bench. It was actually pretty nice.

When Josuke returned home and saw the empty room, he knew that kid had left. Their destiny had begun.

He had no choice but to face it, didn't he?

For some reason, Josuke felt a sense of loss, an indescribable emotion stirring within him.

At some point, his Sharingan had begun spinning at high speed.

The Two Tomoe spun rapidly, and the Three Tomoe appeared!!!

Only after a long while did Josuke calm down. It could be considered a blessing in disguise, couldn't it?

"Aren't you going after him?"

Josuke was nearly scared to death.

Aminos, who was that?

When he turned around, he saw Itachi.

The Three Tomoe now faced the Mangekyo.

Would he win?

Guaranteed.

"It's you... Itachi."

Josuke looked at Itachi with complicated emotions, unsure what to say.

"Aren't you afraid I'll take your eyes right now?"

There was a hint of threat in Itachi's tone.

But Josuke knew it was all an act. He would always be that brother who loved his younger brothers, even in his final moments.

Josuke chuckled softly.

"Would you?"

Itachi said nothing and remained silent for a long time.

"When... did you find out...?"

Clearly, the act he had put on before Sasuke would not work on Josuke. Itachi had failed; his lie had been exposed.

Josuke turned on the lights and drew the curtains.

He sat down on the sofa.

Itachi sat beside him as well, just like back then.

"When did I find out?"

Josuke thought for a moment.

"From the very beginning, I suppose. From back then until now, I never believed it..."

So that was it?

My acting really was terrible. I only managed to fool Sasuke.

"Do you hate me?"

Itachi asked.

As someone who knew the entire story of the Hokage, Josuke naturally could not reveal the whole truth. Even if he did, would Itachi believe him?

Perhaps his brother had long since prepared himself to die.

"Hate?"

Josuke laughed bitterly.

Maybe I'd already gone numb.

"At first, I hated you. I didn't know why you did this, and I didn't want to know. Maybe I'll never forgive you for the rest of my life."

So that was it?

Itachi mocked himself inwardly. He truly did not deserve forgiveness—not after slaughtering his entire clan, after slaughtering his own parents.

"But I think... maybe you had your reasons."

Josuke sighed.

"Does Sasuke know?"

Josuke shook his head. What a joke—what could Sasuke do if he knew? Go awaken his Curse Mark and kill Danzo now? Give him a break.

"Don't let... cough cough... don't let... cough cough cough... Sasuke... find out, okay?"

Itachi coughed violently, covering his mouth with his hand.

Blood appeared in his palm.

Josuke clenched his fists.

"What's wrong?"

Josuke asked.

Itachi took out a worn pink handkerchief and wiped the corners of his mouth and his hand.

"A terminal illness. I probably have... four or five years left..."

Josuke said nothing, merely nodding in silence.

Itachi did not linger. After resting for a while, he got up and left... Before departing, he looked at Josuke and lightly tapped his forehead with two fingers.

Then the Genjutsu activated. Josuke fell unconscious under its control, and two crows with Mangekyo eyes burrowed into his body.

Everything was complete.

Itachi's figure transformed into a crow and vanished into the moonlight.

The next day

Josuke woke from the Genjutsu. Luckily, he had taken a bath already, or he would have had to bathe first thing in the morning, QAQ.

Sakura also woke from her lounge chair. The moment she did, she hurried straight to the Hokage's office.

She told Tsunade about Sasuke's defection.

At the time, all the Konoha jonin happened to be occupied, so the mission to retrieve Sasuke fell to the Konoha 11.

And considering the special circumstances surrounding Sasuke and Josuke, Josuke was not allowed to participate in this mission.

Still, Josuke attended the farewell ceremony as usual.

Sakura cried her eyes out, making Naruto promise that he had to bring Sasuke back and all that.

Just as expected of my Sakura bitch—when something happened, it was Naruto; when nothing did, it was Sasuke.

Naruto felt incomparably miserable. The girl he loved was shouting another man's name at him...