The air in the alley had frozen, as though even the festival's clamor had been sealed away by those few words.
"The logic forms a closed loop." Naruto continued, but this time, there was genuine confusion in his voice. It was the first time in more than two years that he had revealed such an emotion before his subordinates. "But what was his motive?"
In his mental world, a new deduction had already begun.
[Assumption: Obito Uchiha survived. What conditions would be required? Hmm, intervention by a third party, one possessing life-support technology beyond conventional medical ninjutsu. Conclusion: this third party was most likely the mastermind who guided Obito toward extremism.] [The records of the Battle of Kannabi Bridge need to be reviewed. We need to see whether there are traces of deliberate manipulation... And the details surrounding Rin's death.] [Someone survived a great disaster, then underwent a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree shift in personality. There had to be a catalyst. Hatred? Despair? Or... had some kind of Thought Seal been implanted?]
"According to Kakashi's description, he had once been sunny and cheerful, someone who treasured his comrades. A typical boy of the Will of Fire." Naruto raised his head and looked toward the false prosperity and noise beyond the alley. "Why would someone willing to sacrifice himself for his comrades become like this?"
"Ha."
A short, scornful sneer interrupted Naruto's thoughts.
Sasuke said impatiently, "Motive? You're wasting time, Naruto."
"There's no point trying to understand what a rabid dog preparing to bite you to death is thinking. Isn't that what you taught me?"
"If you want to be a scholar and investigate the root cause, that's your business. I have only one goal: kill everyone standing in my way."
The pressure in the alley became terrifyingly heavy.
Standing at the