Sasuke abruptly raised his head, his eyes icy as he spat out one word. "Konoha!"
Although the Uchiha Clan had been the first to plan a coup, it was indeed Konoha High Command that had ultimately driven every Uchiha to their deaths.
Even the tragedy that had played out through Itachi had stemmed from a choice between the village and his clan.
Itachi had simply chosen the greater good, choosing to shoulder all the sins himself.
What Sasuke wanted was simpler: an intact family.
Sadly, that could never come true again.
Seeing Sasuke like this, Shinji immediately understood his current state of mind.
He promptly said, "Don't let hatred blind you."
But Sasuke remained unmoved and said coldly, "So that's why Itachi kept refusing to let me know the truth? Even in death, he wanted to protect Konoha and didn't want me taking revenge."
"Yes, you're right. Itachi spent the first half of his life protecting Konoha, so of course he wouldn't want his little brother taking revenge on the village he protected. That was the last thing he wanted to see. Besides, why do you think you survived back then? Almost the entire Uchiha Clan was dead. Why leave you as the sole survivor? Do you think those big shots didn't know that weeds grow back in the spring breeze unless you pull them out by the roots?"
Shinji looked earnestly at Sasuke and continued, "One condition of the deal back then was that your safety had to be guaranteed. Under the enormous pressure Itachi put on them, Konoha High Command had no choice but to agree. But the prerequisite was that the village's last Uchiha survivor knew nothing and wouldn't hate the village."
"Keeping the truth from you was how he protected you. Otherwise, you'd have died long