Sasuke's sword hand trembled.
"Liuyu gave you power, and he gave you a choice," Itachi continued.
"You can choose to stay in the Pure Soul Court and keep training until you're strong enough.
Or you can choose to kill me now, sever your last bond, and complete your awakening.
But you can't take me away, because that would destroy you, and everyone who cares about you."
"I don't care!" Sasuke growled. "I don't care about anyone else. I only care about you! You're my brother, my only family. I'll never-"
"Then kill me," Itachi said. "While I'm still lucid, while I can still recognize you, give me release.
That's the last kindness you can offer me as my little brother."
The Isolation Room fell deathly silent.
Only the monotonous beeping of medical equipment and Itachi's suppressed, pained gasps remained.
Sasuke looked at Itachi, at those fiery eyes shedding bloody tears, at that face twisted with pain.
He watched the brother who had once stroked his head so gently reduced to this ghastly state, neither human nor ghost.
He suddenly understood Aizen's words.
"There are no perfect options, only painful choices."
Saving Itachi might send the Hōgyoku out of control, endangering all of Konoha, perhaps even the entire shinobi world. And the odds of success were vanishingly small.
Killing Itachi would leave him burdened with the sin of murdering his brother, living in pain for the rest of his life, but at least he could give Itachi release.
Running away would mean losing Itachi forever and spending the rest of his life in regret.
Every option led to hell.
Every choice meant loss.
"I..." Sasuke began, his voice hoarse.
Just then, the Isolation Room's door suddenly opened.
"Who's in there?!"
Three Anbu rushed in, led by someone Sasuke knew-Kakashi Hatake. When