Sasuke

You really were like a stone at the bottom of a latrine.

Uchiha Itachi had wanted to say that about himself, but in the end, he did not say it aloud. Whether it was himself or the version of himself in an Akatsuki cloak, both were undoubtedly that stone.

After slaughtering his entire clan and leaving the village he had protected, everything in Konoha was still important to Uchiha Itachi—but no longer as important as it had once been.

More precious than anything else, more precious than everything else, Sasuke Uchiha, his beloved little brother, was a treasure far more important than Konoha, the Uchiha name, or even world peace.

Whether Sasuke chose to protect the village and become Konoha's last Uchiha, or ultimately chose to leave the village, he would not stop him. He would always protect him properly. When Sasuke had grown up and could inherit his eyes, he would calmly face death.

The casually dressed Uchiha Itachi had realized this before, but he had still held onto a sliver of hope. Or perhaps he simply did not want the other him to witness Sasuke's tragedy in the world of Tsukuyomi.

Because that would not only torment Sasuke, but torment him as well. The two of them endured the same pain, only to become a spectacle for Uchiha Obito and Lin.

But now, that cowardly version of himself was using Sasuke as an excuse to continue immersing himself in his own world and ignore the sins he had committed. He had no choice but to witness this heartbreaking scene.

Shisui's corpse drifted farther and farther away. Time began to turn once more, and the scenery around them was erased again as though by an eraser. They returned from the riverbank to Konoha, and it was still night, with