The Uchiha's History

"What?!"

Hearing the name, Sasuke trembled violently, almost stumbling back half a step, his breathing becoming ragged.

He never expected to hear that name from Naruto's mouth.

Even more unexpected, was that all of this was somehow connected to that person?

"Calm down."

Naruto reached out and placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. The pressure wasn't heavy, but it effectively stopped Sasuke's somewhat uncontrolled emotions.

To mention Itachi Uchiha, one had to mention the truth about Itachi, and other matters.

Having experienced countless cycles of Reincarnation, Naruto already knew how to converse with Sasuke at this point.

Naruto didn't need to directly tell Sasuke about the hidden circumstances behind the Uchiha clan's extermination, nor the roles he and Konoha's higher-ups played.

Instead, he should first tell Sasuke about the history of the Uchiha.

And what conflicts had arisen between the Uchiha and Konoha.

Only then could Sasuke consider the matter of Itachi Uchiha from the most reasonable perspective.

Otherwise, if Naruto directly told him about Itachi or Konoha, it would feel like deliberate guidance.

At this moment, Sasuke was like a blank slate, anyone could add a stroke to it. Naruto didn't want to deliberately guide Sasuke's thoughts.

"What exactly do you want to say?"

Sasuke suppressed his turbulent emotions, his voice extremely low, each word seeming to be squeezed from between his teeth.

Hearing Sasuke's question, Naruto slowly walked to a tree nearby and sat down cross-legged.

He patted the empty space beside him, signaling for Sasuke to sit as well.

Sasuke frowned, his face filled with reluctance.

But after a moment of hesitation, he sat down opposite Naruto. His posture was slightly stiff, clearly indicating his inner turmoil had not subsided.

Naruto looked at Sasuke's perpetually furrowed brow and tense expression.

He knew that what he was about to say might touch the deepest wounds in Sasuke's heart, but some things had to be made clear.

Then, Naruto organized his thoughts and began to narrate in the most steady tone possible: "This all started a long time ago... In the Warring States period, the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan were sworn enemies. They fought constantly, with heavy casualties, until the First Hokage Hashirama Senju met Madara Uchiha. They shared the same dream... After various events, they finally joined forces to create Konohagakure."

Naruto noticed Sasuke's eyes flicker slightly, as if he was drawn to this little-known history, but he remained silent.

Naruto continued, "Unfortunately, the good times didn't last. Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha had a falling out due to differences in ideology... Eventually, Madara left Konoha."

"After Hashirama Senju's death, his brother, Tobirama Senju, succeeded him as the Second Hokage. Tobirama established Konoha's Konoha Military Police Force and entrusted this duty to the Uchiha Clan..."

At this point, Naruto paused appropriately, observing Sasuke's reaction.

As expected, Sasuke's frown deepened. His expression shifted from initial curiosity to confusion and impatience.

"What exactly do you want to say?" Sasuke's voice carried suppressed emotion. "What do these old stories have to do with me?"

"I think they have a lot to do with you, Sasuke."

Naruto's voice was gentle yet firm. "We are both people who have deeply experienced loneliness..."

As he spoke, Naruto gently placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder again.

This action made Sasuke's body stiffen slightly, but he didn't push it away.

Naruto looked at the young boy before him, who carried such deep hatred at such a young age, and a complex emotion welled up within him.

Putting aside the heavy past that Sasuke carried for now.

In his first life, at this very time, Sasuke had risked his life to protect him from Haku's Senbon.

This kindness made Naruto know that he was already considered an important friend in Sasuke's heart.

"Loneliness... So what?"

Sasuke's retort carried a hint of imperceptible wavering. His heart had indeed stirred slightly at Naruto's words.

Naruto knew very well that if he told Sasuke all the truths at once, his reaction would be intense, and he might not even believe it.

Therefore, he had to proceed step by step.

"From the graduation exam, I knew you carried something very heavy, so... I took it upon myself to investigate these matters."

Naruto spoke slowly, carefully choosing his words. "The history I just mentioned is all what I've investigated. I believe there might be other hidden circumstances behind the Uchiha clan's extermination, which is why I've been helping you train and become stronger. This way, you'll have enough strength to understand the truth behind it. So, I don't want you to be kept in the dark any longer."

"There might be other truths behind it?"

Sasuke trembled all over, his eyes widening slightly, clearly moved by this possibility.

For years, his life had only had one goal: to kill that man.

Never a second objective.

If... if there were other truths behind all of this...

Sasuke could barely dare to think about it.

"I think it's very likely."

Naruto looked deeply at Sasuke and replied.

Naruto understood one thing very clearly.

Once Sasuke gradually understood the cause and effect of the Uchiha Clan's history, the truth behind Itachi Uchiha's massacre, the role played by Konoha's higher-ups, as well as everything about Obito and his Moon Eye Plan.

Sasuke would completely change.

He would become the Sasuke from the first and second battles at the Valley of the End, the one who advocated for world revolution.

This was consistent with the purpose of Naruto's current reincarnation.

However, at this stage, he had to gradually tell Sasuke the truth, not reveal everything at once, otherwise the situation might spiral out of control.

Hearing Naruto's words, a confused expression appeared on Sasuke's face, "The way you put it, I don't know what to do anymore... I was already working hard to kill Itachi Uchiha and become stronger. Hearing you say there's another hidden story, does that mean..."

Naruto did not utter words or truths that would overturn Sasuke's worldview.

Therefore, Sasuke's immediate choice was to believe.

After all, considering the previous training guidance and the survival exercise where Naruto completely overwhelmed Kakashi in terms of strength and ideology.

Naruto had indeed undergone a significant change in Sasuke's heart, and he trusted Naruto's information-gathering abilities more than ever before.

"Your primary goal now is to become stronger, and then we'll find out the truth behind it together."

Naruto interrupted Sasuke's thoughts, "Don't overthink it. When the time comes, you'll know the whole truth yourself."

"I understand..." Sasuke responded in a low voice.

Fragments of the night of the massacre involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

He eventually pulled himself together and resumed his training.

As for Naruto himself, he quietly slipped away while Sasuke wasn't paying attention.

He only left a Shadow Clone at the scene.

Naruto's main body was already speeding through the forest, covering a great distance from the area where Sasuke was training with a few quick leaps.

Telling Sasuke these things was indeed a step Naruto had planned long ago, but leaving at this moment was also within his calculations.

This was a perfect opportunity.

It allowed him to temporarily disengage and go to meet Zabuza.

Naruto's figure flashed through the dense forest.

He was so familiar with this path that he could accurately find the direction to Zabuza's hideout even with his eyes closed.

The ultimate goal of this reincarnation was very difficult, so the progress of the plan had to be accelerated accordingly.