Contents of the Note

Returning to his residence, Sasuke suppressed the urgency in his heart, continuing to eat, meditate, and train at his usual scheduled times.

It was not until night fell that Sasuke habitually leaped onto the roof. The sky was dotted with stars, shimmering in the darkness like thousands of diamonds embedded in a deep blue canopy.

He simply watched them in silence, alone, his mind lost in thought—or perhaps, lost in memories.

Time slipped away soundlessly. When the scattered lights on the streets began to extinguish, Sasuke finally snapped out of his daze, stopped his aimless staring, and prepared to head inside to sleep.

Grabbing a book from the shelf at random, Sasuke crawled into his futon, tucking his entire body beneath the covers. He rolled over, leaned down, and clicked on a flashlight to illuminate the pages.

He then pulled out the note Yi Xiang had secretly slipped him. As he unfolded the paper, Sasuke was startled to find both sides densely packed with writing.

He turned to the front and began to read carefully. On the paper, roughly the size of A6, it read:

"Sasuke, there are hidden truths behind the Uchiha Clan massacre."

The very first sentence made Sasuke's pupils constrict. His breathing grew heavy as he continued reading, his mind racing with a flurry of thoughts.

"Due to the deepening conflict between the Uchiha Clan and the village, which had reached an irreconcilable point, the Uchiha Clan planned to launch a coup d'état to take control of Konoha and change the status quo."

"You know the final outcome: the Uchiha were wiped out by Itachi, your older brother."

"Itachi was in the Anbu at the time, serving as a spy sent by your father, the Uchiha Clan head, Uchiha Fugaku. But unexpectedly, Itachi reported all of this to the Konoha high command. The high command then tasked Itachi with monitoring the Uchiha's movements, turning him into a double agent."

"Perhaps it was because he had experienced the Third Shinobi World War and seen too many shinobi die in bloodshed, their lives treated like mere blades of grass. Because of this, he hated war and loved peace. He understood deeply that if the Uchiha launched a coup, it would trigger a civil war in Konoha. He didn't know how many shinobi and civilians would have to die before it ended, and enemy nations might seize the opportunity to attack Konoha."

"In my opinion, there was a better solution at the time: the Uchiha could have left Konoha. Both Itachi and the clan head had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, the stage beyond the Three-Tomoe, and their strength had already reached Kage-level. They could have easily established their own village."

"Regrettably, most of the Uchiha were idiots!!!"

Seeing the heavy scribbling after the word "idiot," with the letter 'B' still faintly visible beneath, it was clear that the person who wrote this note was not in a good mood.

Sasuke's disbelief and sorrow stalled for a moment; he paused for several seconds before continuing to scan the text.

"Your father and mother may not have agreed with Itachi's methods, but they chose to accept them. Had the clan head chosen to resist, the aftermath of their battle alone would have been a catastrophe for Konoha."

"Ultimately, the true mastermind behind the Uchiha massacre was an evil man named Shimura Danzō. He is one of Konoha's high-ranking officials and leads the Root."

"He appeared to be suppressing the Uchiha for the sake of Konoha, but in reality, he coveted our clan's Sharingan. Everything he did was for his own gain. He colluded with Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, to transplant the cells of the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama, and grafted the Sharingan of our fallen clansmen onto his right eye and arm—eleven Sharingan in total. The Uchiha coup was also a result of his constant suppression; he was the one who forced Itachi to carry out the order of extermination."

"At the time, the Third Hokage advocated for peace talks, but because Danzō was his classmate from the same era, and because there were some unsavory tasks that required Danzō to handle, he was very indulgent toward him, even tacitly approving of his actions."

"The situation escalated suddenly, and Danzō exploited Itachi's love for Konoha, for peace, and for you, forcing Itachi to make that choice."

"In the end, the Third Hokage promised to look after you, and Itachi feigned defecting from Konoha, actually going undercover in an organization called 'Akatsuki'."

"As for why I know so much: I should have died on the night of the massacre, but I miraculously revived and awakened a Divine Art."

"Divine Art is a term I coined myself. I possess the ability to know everything from the past and predict the future for the next decade, and I can draw brief but powerful strength from it. This is why I cultivate by sensing nature—because the information is too vast and chaotic."

"I have no reason to lie to you. We are still too weak right now. When we have enough strength, you can ask Itachi for the truth yourself, and together, we can deal with Danzō."

"Also, do not blindly pursue power. Consider carefully: what is your purpose for seeking strength? Because our Uchiha Clan's growth often relies solely on our Kekkei Genkai—the evolution of the Sharingan—this path to strength actually carries significant side effects."

"When an Uchiha loses someone important or suffers from deep despair, special chakra surges in the brain and acts upon the optic nerves, causing the eyes to change. These are the eyes that reflect the heart—the so-called Sharingan. The Sharingan synchronizes with the power of the heart, allowing one to grow rapidly, but it is accompanied by the power of hatred. Most Uchiha who awaken strong emotions are swallowed by darkness and fall into evil; the deeper the darkness, the stronger the ocular power."

"Therefore, most powerful Uchiha have significant mental issues. In my view, they become extreme, foolish, and coldly ruthless, showing contempt for life!"

"For me, I seek power so I won't be bullied and to protect those I care about, which includes you. Of course, I will do my best to avenge any grudges, but I will not harm innocent people who have nothing to do with it. Life must go on, and there are more like-minded friends and bonds waiting for us to forge."

"Through these past few weeks together, I have felt your loneliness, your extreme inner rage and darkness, and your desperate pursuit of power, but the original kindness in your heart has not been extinguished. I understand that you simply lack someone to guide you onto the right path."

"Itachi took all the blame to force you to grow stronger quickly, making you hate him so that your desire for revenge would drive you forward."

"But I want to say he was wrong again. This will only cultivate a cold, vengeful machine. If there are no bonds on your path of growth, your life will be ruined by hatred. He should have respected you, looked you in the eye, and told you that only by growing stronger would you be qualified to know the truth."

"I can only tell you more secrets and truths once you have at least the strength of a Jonin; otherwise, the future might deviate severely from its original course and trigger terrible disasters."

"Also, until you have enough strength to protect yourself, keep this secret buried in your heart. Do not be impatient; Danzō will surely die in agony."

"This is the truth of the Uchiha massacre. Do not let yourself be lost to the power of hatred, Sasuke."

"Burn after reading."

"Drip, drip..."

Two lines of hot tears streaked down his cheeks and fell onto the white paper. Sasuke buried his face in his palms, his choked sobs echoing in the silent room, as if pouring out all his sorrow.

Combining this with the movements within the Uchiha Clan he remembered from before the massacre, Sasuke already believed this note to be eighty or ninety percent true.

"Nii-san, is this... the reason you did it? Is Konoha really worth you sacrificing yourself in the shadows like this?!!"

Suppressing the emotions in his heart—whether they were grief or joy—Sasuke hurriedly climbed out of bed to search for the lighter he had tossed aside.

Finding it in the cabinet, he quickly ignited the note.

The flames burned, hot and vivid. Through the glow of the fire, a deep expression flickered across Sasuke's face in the darkness. His eyes gradually grew profound, revealing an indescribable sense of resolve.

"Danzō..."