Body Snatching

Land of Fire, Konoha Village.

"Why! Why! Why!..."

The rain poured down in torrents, accompanied by rolling thunder.

Young Sasuke knelt on both knees, clutching his head and sobbing uncontrollably.

He desperately wanted to lie to himself, to believe that everything he had just witnessed within the Tsukuyomi was merely a delusion.

Yet, the sharp, needle-like pain constantly radiating from the lip he had bitten through at some unknown moment served as a relentless reminder.

This pain, mixed with the metallic tang of blood, seemed to warn him never to forget the moment that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

"Brother, why... why did you..."

"Sasuke, you saw correctly. It was I who wiped out the entire Uchiha clan. This was my way of testing my 'capacity.' I believe you will walk this same path in the future, so there is no need for you to be so surprised..."

"Is it hard to accept? My foolish little brother?"

"In truth, for our Uchiha clan to grow stronger, there is only one path: to kill the person most important to your heart."

"I am not lying to you. Remember! It is the only way. Father, as clan head, was this way; the other Uchiha clansmen you saw were this way; I am this way; and in the future, you will be this way as well..."

"Therefore, we two were destined to be born into this world, yet in the end, only one can exist."

"I see rage and hatred in your eyes, but you are too weak, Sasuke..."

"As a final promise from your brother, when you possess strength equal to mine, you may come to find me. But even then, I will absolutely show you no mercy..."

The words Uchiha Itachi spoke before leaving remained vivid in his mind.

Frame by frame, like a movie, they replayed over and over in Sasuke's head.

"I am such a failure!..."

With a roar of rage, Sasuke slammed his fist into the rain-soaked ground.

The next moment, thin, crimson streams predictably welled up from beneath his knuckles.

Sasuke's knuckles turned white from the force of his grip, yet he seemed unable to feel the pain, his entire body trembling and sobbing like a helpless child.

His heart felt as if it were being churned, filled with an indescribable, bitter agony.

Yet, even with such immense suffering, it still failed to trigger the Uchiha clan's bloodline limit—the Sharingan.

The sky was dim, much like Sasuke's own lost and helpless heart at this moment.

But just then, a voice that sounded somewhat puzzled suddenly reached young Sasuke's ears:

"Huh? This script doesn't seem right, does it?"

"After suffering such a massive trauma, you still haven't awakened your eyes?"

"As the second male lead, you're really lacking in prestige, aren't you?..."

Sasuke had no idea what those words were supposed to mean.

But the mocking tone instantly ignited his unyielding spirit!

"Shut up!"

Sasuke let out a sharp shout and jerked his head up to look toward the source of the voice.

But the next second, he was stunned by the figure that suddenly appeared before him!

Because this person looked eighty percent like him.

The same attire, the same expression.

Even recalling the tone of voice the person had used earlier, Sasuke suddenly realized that the timbre was exactly the same!

It was as if they had been cast from the exact same mold!

"You... are you a younger brother that Mother secretly gave birth to?..."

For some reason, upon seeing the newcomer, young Sasuke subconsciously asked this absurd question.

His tone even softened slightly because of it.

"Mother gave birth to?... No, why does that sound so awkward?..."

"And besides, you're the one who's the younger brother!..."

The figure muttered to himself, then shifted to an expression of anger, leaving young Sasuke completely bewildered.

He had no idea what he could have said to make this boy, who looked so much like him, so angry.

Just as he couldn't understand why his own older brother had changed his nature overnight, slaughtered the entire clan, and killed their parents...

But just as Sasuke stood there in a daze, the figure asked:

"Sasuke, let me ask you: do you want revenge now? Do you want your parents to be resurrected in the future?..."

The voice was seductive, every word earth-shattering.

Although Sasuke was young, his mind worked quickly.

He realized immediately that the person before him was lying.

Yet, he could not help but nod and say:

"I do."

The two simple words were overflowing with monstrous hatred.

The figure seemed very satisfied with Sasuke's answer, nodding with a smile:

"Very good. I can help you, but it will require you to pay a not-insignificant price. I wonder if you can agree to that?..."

"What price?"

Desperate to grasp at any straw, Sasuke asked without a second thought.

"Give your body to me. Perhaps, in the future, once I have grown strong, I will resurrect you. How does that sound?..."

To Sasuke, these words sounded like pure fantasy.

Yet, the figure before him spoke with such nonchalance, his face as calm as an ancient well.

Is he a madman? Or a true expert?

Watching the raindrops hitting the figure's shoulders, they seemed to be blocked by an invisible membrane.

Sasuke hesitated.

Could this be a chakra cloak?

Could this boy, who looked to be about the same age as him, actually be an out-and-out Jonin?

At this thought, Sasuke gritted his teeth:

"I believe in your ability, but how can I trust your promise?..."

"Heh, I imagine you already know how to awaken your Kekkei Genkai, but look at yourself—you've suffered such a great shock, yet there isn't even a flicker of movement, is there?..."

"With your aptitude, revenge is too far off. I'll put it plainly: I ask you now, do you have any other choice?..."

As soon as these words were spoken, Sasuke was suddenly struck speechless.

"I see rage and hatred in your eyes, but you are too weak, Sasuke..."

For some reason, Itachi's words suddenly surfaced in Sasuke's mind.

His expression shifted repeatedly, his fists clenched tight, until at one moment, he suddenly looked up at the figure and said:

"I'll make the deal with you!"

"I only ask that you help me take my revenge! Kill Uchiha Itachi, and I will have no regrets even in death!..."

Compared to the fury etched across Sasuke's face, the figure nodded with unusual calm:

"Rest assured, I will do it better than anyone else. In the future, the name Sasuke will be famous throughout the ninja world."

"If you have the chance to wake up again, you will also see your deceased parents once more. Oh, and your beloved brother, too..."

"Don't you dare mention him to me!"

"Remember! My demand is that you kill him! Kill him!..."

Before the figure could finish, Sasuke roared, cutting him off.

"Fine, fine, fine. Close your eyes, relax your entire body, and leave the rest to me to handle in full..."

As if resigning himself to his fate, Sasuke complied and slowly closed his eyes.

The next moment.

In the dim, rainy night, a streak of golden light suddenly shot into the center of Sasuke's brow as he knelt in the rain.

It flashed once and then vanished, sinking deep inside.

A moment later.

Sasuke, whose expression had been dull, suddenly curled his lips into a smirk, revealing a craftiness that no child his age should possess.

Immediately after, He snapped his eyes open, a crimson glow flashing within them, as he let out a domineering, low roar:

"Sharingan, open!..."