Turmoil and the Breaking Point

Words spilled out slowly.

Naruto's hands clenched slightly, then slowly relaxed.

With every word that fell,

his face was filled with disdain and coldness.

"Rotten." "Dark." "Reeking of decay."

You had to admit that Uchiha Itachi did harbor some degree of dissatisfaction with Konoha.

But it was still as Naruto had said.

In Itachi's heart,

Konoha Village remained an existence that ranked second in importance.

Even in this life, Itachi was still just like in the original story. Even after hearing that Sasuke had defected, he still hoped Sasuke would kill him, become a hero of Konoha, and return to the village.

Now, hearing Naruto speak of Konoha Village with such intense contempt and disgust, Itachi couldn't help but furrow his brow slightly. The expression on his face shifted ever so faintly.

It seemed Naruto had noticed that subtle change in Itachi's expression.

Naruto gave a light chuckle, the corner of his mouth curving into a dangerous smile.

"Looks like you don't agree with me, Itachi. That makes sense. You chose to slaughter your own clan for the sake of the village. Even bearing the name of a rogue ninja, you still remain loyal to it. Why would you believe anything I say?"

"What are you talking about!?"

Those explosive words

rang directly in Itachi's ears.

Unlike his earlier calm,

at this moment,

Itachi's expression turned ice-cold.

His Sharingan opened almost instinctively, and an overwhelming presence crashed over Naruto.

"!!"

As it swept in from every direction,

Naruto,

sitting opposite him, couldn't help but catch his breath. Especially when he saw the black tomoe spinning rapidly in Itachi's eyes, his expression changed as well, turning grave.

He instinctively brought his chakra into motion.

He knew Itachi was renowned for his calm and rational nature.

But under these circumstances,

Naruto couldn't