The exchange between the brothers did not last long.
Neither Sasuke nor Itachi was much of a talker, not to mention that they each had different aims.
For Itachi, even the fact that Sasuke could speak to him so calmly was something he had never imagined.
Still, Itachi noticed that Sasuke's gaze occasionally strayed to their surroundings as he questioned him.
Even under these circumstances, he hasn't forgotten to watch his surroundings. He's grown remarkably well.
Itachi marveled silently.
Is Naruto really not here?
Sasuke frowned slightly.
The scene from back then surfaced before his eyes.
"...Then let's face it together, including what happened with your brother."
"You're my friend. Whatever choice you make, I want to be there to see it and stand beside you."
"Just as I want to help Neji break free of the fate he talks about, as your friend, I'll never let you face things alone!"
Looking back now, the promise Naruto had made in his younger, more innocent days seemed terribly naive.
But Sasuke still wanted to believe in Naruto. Surely he had not forgotten their promise.
"One last question."
Sasuke spoke abruptly.
"As you are now, do your clansmen—or rather, the pride of the Uchiha Clan—still matter to you?"
Itachi froze.
The pride of the Uchiha Clan. The last time he had heard those words, they had come from his father, Uchiha Fugaku.
The first time he had successfully performed the Great Fireball Technique beside his father, the first time he had demonstrated his Shurikenjutsu, the first time he had successfully broken free of his father's genjutsu...
"That's my son! Itachi, you'll be the pride of the Uchiha Clan!"
That was what Fugaku had once hoped for Itachi.
It was also the goal Sasuke had tried to catch up to.
Because their father