Amid the ruins of the Gobi Desert, Naruto stood atop a broken height, looking down at Orochimaru below.
"You weren't planning to fight me, were you, Orochimaru?"
A smile rested on Orochimaru's face, but his gaze fell upon Naruto's scarlet Eternal Eye.
"Sasuke truly means more to you than I expected. The cleanup after Sunagakure's destruction has only just ended, yet you already rushed here. You were faster than I anticipated."
He raised his head, his tone still relaxed.
"Of course, you're right. I have no intention of fighting you. Still, I'd very much like to know where exactly you intend to take Sasuke."
As he spoke, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.
"And your eyes... they belong to Itachi Uchiha, don't they?"
Sasuke suddenly turned his head and blurted out as though he had misheard, "What did you say?"
Only then did he notice that Naruto's pupils had changed. The Mangekyō Sharingan that had once resembled pinwheels had somehow turned into strange five-pointed stars.
"I have always coveted Itachi Uchiha's eyes. I could never mistake them." Orochimaru stared at Naruto, his eyes brimming with fascination. "Those eyes, one step closer to the truth of ninjutsu, once rested in Itachi's sockets."
Sasuke's face gradually turned pale.
"Itachi Uchiha... is dead?"
Naruto calmly met his gaze.
"Yes, he's dead. I killed him."
The moment those words fell, Sasuke's legs gave out and he collapsed onto the ground. It was as though he had suddenly lost all support; his entire body went hollow, and even his gaze lost focus.
Naruto frowned.
Sure enough, it was just as he had guessed. Sasuke had not awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan because of Itachi's death.
What remained in Sasuke's heart was still his hatred for Itachi Uchiha. Now that his great vengeance had suddenly been fulfilled, he was