Sasuke Chapter 83 The Fateful Reunion of Brothers

The hustle and bustle of Konoha seemed forever unable to reach the depths of the Uchiha Clan’s compound.

Now, it was even more deathly silent than before the Memorial Stone.

Row upon row of tightly shut houses stood like silent tombstones, wordlessly recounting that tragedy.

Sasuke sat cross-legged in the central clearing of the compound, two swords resting across his knees.

One was Takemikazuchi with its pale blue blade, the other the pitch-black Indra.

Since the day of the Konoha Crush, the village had entered a period of reconstruction.

And he had returned to this territory that belonged only to him to train.

He was waiting.

A man like Orochimaru kept his word, especially when it came to his desires.

He would definitely send someone for him.

The words ‘I will come for you again’ were not an empty promise.

There was no basis for it, but he was certain of it.

Sasuke, having cleared his mind, slowly closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into the depths of his soul.

He didn't know how much time had passed when an extremely faint rustling sound, like gravel scraping against stone, came from the shadows not far away.

A small, pitch-black snake slid silently out from a gap between the stone slabs.

It paused for a moment, its crimson tongue flicking in and out, as if confirming the scents in the air.

After locking onto Sasuke's location, it slithered directly towards him.

It stopped less than a meter in front of Sasuke, raised its head high, and then opened its mouth.

Inside its mouth was a scroll.

Sasuke finally opened his eyes, calmly examining the scroll before him.

It was still damp with slick saliva, emitting a faint, unpleasant fishy smell.

Yet, Sasuke's face showed no expression as he reached out and took the scroll.

He casually unrolled it.

There were no superfluous words, only a simple map.

It outlined a route from the Land of Fire to the Land of Rice Field, and within the Land of Rice Field, a place called ‘Otogakure’ was marked clearly with a snake symbol.

A blatant invitation.

A wisp of black flame ignited at Sasuke's fingertip, and the scroll instantly turned to ash, dispersing into the air.

The small snake, having completed its mission, silently retreated into the stone crevice.

He slowly stood up, re-sheathing the two Zanpakuto at his waist.

He took one last look back at this compound that held all his childhood memories and nightmares.

The lingering glow of the rising sun cast a final, gentle bloody hue upon the long-faded Uchiha Clan’s fan emblem.

He turned, his figure flickering slightly, and appeared just outside the compound's main gate.

Without further delay, he identified the direction and sped towards the village outskirts.

‘Uchiha Itachi...’

‘I'm coming.’

Soon, Sasuke's figure quietly appeared in the shadows before the main gate.

He raised his foot, preparing to step through this gate that symbolized the boundary.

However, just as he was about to take that step, a presence, without any warning, came from the direction of the village.

That presence was so familiar, yet so repulsive to him.

Like a nightmare branded deep into his soul, even after all these years, it remained as clear as if it were yesterday.

Sasuke's body froze in that instant.

‘He's here.’

‘He actually... came back.’

Sasuke's heart constricted violently. An extreme hatred and a tremor he himself hadn't even noticed instantly spread throughout his entire body.

Subconsciously, his hand gripped the Indra at his waist, his fingertips turning white.

‘Charge forward, kill him!’

This thought spread like wildfire, raging madly in his mind.

…

In a corner of Konoha's commercial street, in an inconspicuous sweets shop.

Two figures utterly out of place sat quietly by the window.

They wore black cloaks embroidered with ominous red clouds, and wide-brimmed hats with wind chimes attached, concealing their faces in shadow.

"Hey, hey, who are those two? Their outfits are so strange."

"Travelers? They don't look like good people..."

Patrons around them occasionally cast curious yet wary glances, whispering amongst themselves, but not daring to get too close.

One of the figures, larger and more burly, devoured a skewer of tri-colored dango in one bite, seemingly completely indifferent to the surrounding stares.

His massive weapon, wrapped in bandages, leaned against the table, emitting an intimidating aura that warned others to keep their distance.

"So, Itachi-san," Hoshigaki Kisame’s voice was hoarse, carrying a trace of impatience, "Are we really going to waste time here? Why not just go capture the Kyubi?"

The figure sitting across from him didn't answer immediately.

Itachi calmly picked up his teacup, gently blowing away the steam from the surface, his movements composed and elegant.

"There's no hurry." His voice was very soft, "The Sandaime Hokage has just fallen. The village's alert level is at its highest right now. Acting rashly will only attract unnecessary trouble."

"Trouble?" Kisame sneered, tossing the skewer onto the plate, "Aside from that Jiraiya who just returned, who here could even be considered trouble?"

His tone was filled with a thirst for battle.

Itachi didn't respond to him, merely casting a faint glance out the window at the familiar streets. Deep within his eyes, a flicker of complex, hard-to-catch emotion passed.

"Our objective is only the Kyubi’s Jinchuriki. Taking him away without alerting anyone else is the most efficient method."

He paused, stating simply, "Moreover, Jiraiya alone could kill us all."

"Hmph, how boring." Kisame curled his lip but didn't refute further.

He understood his partner. Itachi was smarter than him, and what he said always had reason.

A moment later, as if remembering something, a playful smile appeared on his shark-like face.

"Speaking of which, Itachi-san, that little brother of yours is here too, isn't he?"

The hand holding Itachi's teacup paused almost imperceptibly.

Kisame, unaware of this subtle change, continued on his own, his tone full of interest, "Before I came, I heard some very interesting rumors."

"They say that not long ago, in the Land of Waves, your little brother single-handedly captured the 'Demon of the Kirigakure’, Momochi Zabuza."

He grinned, revealing his sharp teeth, "And what's more, it seems even Orochimaru suffered a significant setback at his hands, and ended up escaping right in front of everyone in Konoha."

Kisame looked at Itachi with keen interest.

"A twelve-year-old brat being able to do such things... that's truly remarkable."

Itachi listened quietly. Beneath the shadow of his hat, ripples stirred in those usually placid Sharingan.

‘Sasuke... has he already grown to this extent?’

‘The hatred I left behind that year... did it truly push him onto this thorny path of strength?’

An indescribable emotion, a mixture of relief, pain, and deeper worry, churned quietly within his heart.

Sasuke growing stronger was what he desired.

But him getting involved with Orochimaru... that was something he did not wish to see.

After a long while, Itachi slowly set down his teacup, the slight clink of porcelain sounding as he suppressed all those churning emotions once more.

"He is merely a foolish child, impatiently chasing power."

His voice was as cold as ever, betraying no emotion.