After returning to Amegakure, Naruto talked with Itachi by candlelight late into the night, telling him everything that would happen in the future.
After listening, Itachi felt both comforted and saddened.
He was comforted that, despite taking a few wrong turns, Sasuke had ultimately become a ninja who could stand on his own, protecting Konoha and the Shinobi World and restoring the Uchiha name.
What saddened him was that neither Sasuke, Konoha, nor the Shinobi World had escaped such a bleak ending...
Naruto's gaze was somber and serious. "That's why I came back. To keep that ending from happening again, I broke free of the village's shackles and started acting on my own!"
"That's also why I've left Sasuke to his own devices-to turn his hatred into the drive to grow stronger. After all, power itself is neither noble nor base... Do you blame me, Itachi?"
Itachi walked to the window, his back heavy with burden. "As for using the hatred in Sasuke's heart, haven't I done the same? When I resolved to die at his hands, I regretted my original choice for a time. I thought that if I'd trusted his strength and spoken openly with him from the beginning, perhaps things would have ended better. But..."
Itachi clenched his fists. "If enemies who defy all common sense truly exist, that's another matter. When the survival of the entire Shinobi World is at stake, duty and personal feelings must take a back seat. Those abstract ideals amount to nothing more than self-indulgence. Once you're dead, everything is over."
"Given the circumstances, as long as Sasuke eventually returns to the right path, that will be the best outcome..."
"Itachi..."
Looking at Itachi's back, Naruto wore a conflicted expression. He knew how much resolve it took for Itachi, who valued Sasuke