A low voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.
Sasuke whipped his head around, then froze when he saw the figure standing nearby.
He frowned, considered for a moment, then walked over to him.
"What do you want?"
Itachi smiled faintly. "Come with me!"
Sasuke paused, but Itachi had already turned and walked away. With no other choice, he hurried after him.
He followed Itachi all the way to a secluded spot beneath a large tree.
Only then did Itachi stop and turn around.
Sasuke's brows knitted tightly. They were already quite far from the arena.
"What exactly do you want?"
He voiced the question.
"Sasuke, would you be willing to leave Konoha with us?"
Itachi asked with a smile.
Sasuke's pupils instantly contracted.
"W-what kind of joke is this?"
Itachi's tone remained calm. "This isn't a joke!"
"You don't belong here!"
Those two statements sent a drastic change across Sasuke's face.
Abandon everything in Konoha, sever every bond he had here, leave Naruto, Sakura, and everyone else behind. Could he really make that decision?
"Leave Konoha. Come home with me."
Itachi spoke softly.
"Compared to Konoha, the Hidden Rain Village has more comprehensive, more effective ways to grow stronger."
"That place suits you better."
"And most importantly, that's the home of our Uchiha Clan!"
Sasuke's expression shifted. He couldn't make a decision right away.
After a long silence, he finally drew a deep breath. "What about Hikaku?"
"And is the Rain Shadow really our father?"
A smile appeared on Itachi's face. "He's with Teacher Xia Le. Our people have already picked up his family, too. They can leave at any time."
"As for the Rain Shadow..."
He paused, then smiled again.
"He is indeed our father!"
"He came to attend the Chunin Exams precisely to bring you home."
Sasuke suddenly