Pain had been defeated.
The battle—the invasion of Konoha—was finally over.
Amidst the ruins, Itachi stood silently, his gaze fixed on Sasuke. His expression was unreadable, as if lost in thought.
Sasuke turned toward him, his emotions surging. He had waited for this moment for so long.
And finally, he spoke the word that had been buried deep in his heart.
"Brother."
But instead of responding, Itachi closed his eyes and turned away.
"Sasuke… don't you hate me?"
Sasuke's breath hitched. He shook his head, his voice filled with urgency.
"Of course not! Brother, I know the truth now! You didn't betray the village—you were protecting it. How could I ever hate you? Come back with me!"
Itachi remained still, his back facing Sasuke.
"You think you understand the truth?"
Sasuke stepped forward, his voice unwavering.
"I do. I know everything now. Brother—"
Itachi sighed.
"Then you should also understand… the sins I carry can never be erased. There's no path for me to return."
Sasuke's heart clenched. His voice rose.
"No! It wasn't your choice! You didn't want any of this! You—"
"Enough, Sasuke!" Itachi's voice cut through the air like a blade.
Sasuke froze.
Itachi turned, his gaze softer now, yet resolute.
"Even if you can forgive me… I can't forgive myself."
Sasuke's hands clenched into fists. "That's not your decision alone!"
He lunged forward, reaching for his brother—
But Itachi had already leaped back, putting distance between them.
"Sasuke."
His voice was steady, carrying the weight of finality.
"I'm glad to see you like this. But my path was set long ago. Three days from now… meet me at the Uchiha clan's old grounds."
Sasuke's eyes widened. "Wait—!"
Before he could move, Itachi's body dissolved into a swarm of crows, scattering into the wind.
Sasuke stood there, fists trembling, watching the last feather drift to the ground.
"Itachi… why?"
A quiet sigh came from nearby.
Sakiya had been watching the exchange but chose not to intervene. She looked at Sasuke, a rare flicker of sympathy in her eyes.
Moments later, the sounds of hurried footsteps approached.
Shikamaru and the others arrived at the battlefield, taking in the scene—the wreckage, the silence, the way Sasuke stood frozen, staring at the empty space where his brother had been.
Shikamaru exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Guess that means… it's over."
----
When Pain was struck down by Sakiya's final blow, far away in a hidden cave beyond Konoha, Nagato's eyes snapped open. His breath came in ragged gasps, and cold sweat dripped from his face.
Konan immediately stepped forward, steadying him with concern in her eyes.
"Nagato! Are you alright?"
Nagato shook his head, still trying to catch his breath. His voice was weak but determined.
"I failed... Yahiko's body… we need to retrieve it."
Konan pressed her hands on his shoulders, keeping him from moving.
"Calm down, Nagato! We need to retreat first. Yahiko's body—we'll get it back. But if you push yourself any further, you won't survive. Yahiko and I would never want that!"
Her words sank in, and Nagato slowly closed his eyes. For a long moment, he was silent. Then, he inhaled deeply, exhaled, and opened his eyes again. They were filled with renewed determination.
"You're right, Konan. We can't let this be the end. We still have Yahiko's dream to carry forward."
Konan sighed in relief, seeing him regain his composure.
"Nagato… but your body—"
"Don't worry." Nagato's voice was steady, his frail frame somehow radiating an unshakable aura. "I won't fall until our vision is realized."
---
Konoha Village
The aftermath of the battle had begun.
Though the village was in ruins, the damage was not as catastrophic as it could have been. Buildings were destroyed, but thanks to the efforts of the defenders, casualties were relatively low. Many were injured, but under Tsunade's leadership, the medical teams managed to save nearly everyone.
The recovery efforts moved swiftly.
Kakashi, who had been away on a mission, arrived back in Konoha just as things were settling. He had rushed the entire way, only to find the battle already over.
His heart pounded as he hurried through the village, searching for familiar faces.
"Where are the injured?" he asked urgently.
As soon as he confirmed that Naruto, Sasuke, and the others were safe, he let out a deep breath of relief. Then, without hesitation, he joined in the post-battle cleanup.
Konoha had survived.
But while the village had managed to repel the attack, not all ninja villages were as fortunate.
---
Elsewhere in the Shinobi World
The Hidden Mist Village had been caught off guard.
Deidara, acting alone, infiltrated the village unnoticed. And when the explosion came, it was devastating. The sky lit up with fire and smoke as Deidara's signature jutsu reduced entire sections of the village to rubble.
And before the Mist could regroup, the rest of the Akatsuki arrived.
The assault was swift. In the chaos, they seized the village's Jinchūriki, taking the Three-Tails right before the eyes of the stunned Mist shinobi.
By the time the enemy retreated, the damage had already been done.
Akatsuki didn't stop after their assault on the Hidden Mist. Without hesitation, they set their sights on the Land of Lightning.
----
Hidden Cloud Village
Deidara took the lead, soaring high above the village on his massive white clay bird, with Tobi riding along.
As soon as they breached the village's barrier, the alarm was raised.
"Intruders detected!"
"Sound the alarm! We're under attack!"
From above, Deidara watched as the Cloud ninja quickly mobilized. He clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Tch, they're fast."
Then, a grin spread across his face as he reached into his clay pouch.
"But that just means I can put on a better show! Let me show you… my art!"
With eager hands, he molded a clay bomb, letting the tiny mouths in his palms chew and shape the material. Within moments, a round explosive was ready.
Below, the Cloud ninja were still preparing their counterattack when they noticed small objects raining from the sky.
Their eyes widened in alarm.
"Get back!"
But it was too late.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A chain of explosions ripped through the battlefield. Smoke and fire filled the air as debris rained down. The once tightly packed formations of Cloud ninja were suddenly full of gaps.
"Spread out! Don't bunch together!" someone shouted in the chaos.
Up above, Deidara peered through his scope, watching the destruction unfold with a satisfied grin.
"Hah! Now that's true art!"
But then, Tobi's voice chimed in from behind him.
"That was amazing, Deidara-senpai! But hey, have you ever wondered… what it feels like to poop?"
Deidara's triumphant expression froze.
"...What?"
The Cloud ninja gritted their teeth as they watched the massive bird circling above.
"Damn it! It's flying too high! Are the anti-air defenses ready?!"
"No! And something's falling again!"
Their eyes locked onto the descending figure.
At first, they braced for another bomb—only to realize… it wasn't an explosive.
It was a person.
The Cloud ninja hesitated for a moment.
Meanwhile, midair, Tobi flailed his arms, shouting, "Senpai! This is too much!"
The realization hit the Cloud ninja.
"The enemy is dropping in! Prepare for combat!"
But Deidara, completely unconcerned with Tobi's fate, simply tossed another clay bomb down toward the battlefield.
Just as Tobi was about to crash, the ground suddenly shifted. From beneath the earth, massive vines erupted, catching him at the last second.
Several Cloud ninja immediately moved to attack, but before they could strike—
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Another wave of explosions rained down, engulfing the battlefield in fire and smoke. The screams of Cloud shinobi filled the air.
Outside the village, the rest of Akatsuki stood waiting.
The sound of rapid explosions echoed across the mountains.
One of them smirked. "Looks like Deidara has started the show."
Another chuckled. "Then it's time for us to join in."
With that, the assault on the Hidden Cloud had officially begun.
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