Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 434 Beginning and End

They hadn't sat together and talked this much in a long time.

Naruto's contingency plan was indeed foolproof; the massive amount of chakra he left behind gave him ample time to tell his story.

It all began with a meticulously planned rescue. He saved Shisui from the brink of death at the foot of the Naka River and, through Shisui, foresaw the impending fate of the Uchiha clan. To lead the Uchiha away from the ninja world, he boldly recalled the former Hokage of Konoha, urging them to set out into the world, no longer focusing solely on ninjas, but to journey through life as human beings, seeking the culprits responsible for the tragedies that plagued ninja history.

They eventually found the answer, but the day of their extermination had already arrived.

Fortunately, things weren't beyond saving. The current ninja world possessed a pair of legendary eyes, eyes with the divine power to reverse life and death. Thus, a plan to revive them using impure bodies was devised. Besides the contemporary Uchiha clan whose genetic material was perfectly preserved, they also recalled many Senju clan members whose remains could still be found. Under the suppression of the two clans' most prestigious patriarchs, they were able to initially obey orders and coexist peacefully. Then, over a long period, they gradually adapted and eventually became true comrades, embarking on a path completely different from their past.

"This must have been incredibly difficult." Naruto described it so casually, emphasizing the achievements of others while glossing over his own efforts. But Sasuke, being a member of the Uchiha clan, knew very well what kind of troublemakers his own family members were. The ability to keep these people in check likely required more than just the efforts of the Hokage and his ancestors.

“During the period of adjustment between the two clans, I was still a child. My main body stayed with you in Konoha. It was the seniors who did a lot of work.” Naruto said dismissively, genuinely feeling that he had been slacking off a lot during that time and wasn’t busy at all. “I almost forgot, after recalling your parents, we reached an agreement in several meetings and decided on the path for the future. 'Hikari' was born from that.”

Although the history of "Hui" seems short, its remarkable achievements are numerous. Sasuke never imagined that ten years could be so extraordinary.

Naruto had visited every inch of land where "Hikari" was based, and his eyes shone with light when he spoke of even the most ordinary, mundane matters. Even without witnessing it firsthand, Sasuke could sense Naruto's love and anticipation for the organization from his words.

He should have realized it sooner. He should have thought of it when he mentioned topics unrelated to ninjas several times during his conversation with Naruto, when he repeatedly missed "East Wind" and "Radiance", and when he noticed Naruto's cautious questioning.

Naruto's focus was always different from everyone else's. When he looked at a place, he didn't focus on the individual, but on the resources and policies that benefited the collective. He was full of tolerance and care for the weak, and utterly despised the arrogant nobles. He brought "East Wind" to countless places in need, selflessly dedicating himself to this unprecedented and great cause.

He should have realized that Naruto's "hope for world peace" was definitely not just empty talk.

Even after burning away his life force, Naruto still wanted to return to the world in an impure state to continue his great work. Even if the impure state failed, it didn't matter; he could still exist within Sasuke's body.

After receiving a massive amount of information, Sasuke couldn't fully integrate it all at once. He had a feeling that there were still some discrepancies between what Naruto had said, but his emotions had been fluctuating like a rollercoaster all day, and he simply didn't have the energy to think about it more carefully.

Naruto's account also included the truth behind the Uchiha clan's massacre. Just as he suspected, this massacre was the result of years of conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha. Regardless of the causes of the conflict, the final outcome was that Konoha struck first, ending the existence of a clan that was unstable to them.

Moreover, the orders to carry out the attack came from the Uchiha clan. Two groups carried out the killings that day. One group, composed entirely of one person, used bizarre abilities to kill the elite Uchiha members concentrated in the guard unit. The other group was led by Itachi, with several Root ninjas as support. Otherwise, with a clan of over a hundred people, even if Itachi used his clones, he wouldn't have been able to complete the mission before Sasuke returned to the clan; he would have been exhausted to death.

"Someone from Root also made a move?" Although Sasuke couldn't understand Itachi's actions either, they were still family, so he could let it go for a bit.

"Oh, they're already dead. Itachi was stopped by this group when he left, and they ended up being wiped out."

Naruto didn't tell anyone about this except Sasuke. Partly, he was worried about Mikoto's well-being, but more importantly, Izuna had acted too aggressively at the time, and Naruto feared Izuna would storm Konoha and wipe out Root, completely disrupting their plans. However, he immediately sent Shisui to study medicine afterward. Itachi's thinking was deeply influenced by Shisui, and Shisui's death had made him somewhat obsessive. Wasn't it reasonable to send someone who was half the culprit to save someone? It definitely wasn't intentional revenge!

As for Itachi's series of arrangements for Sasuke... Naruto didn't dare tell him about Kotoamatsukami, but only mentioned that Itachi planned to exchange his own life for Sasuke's "glorious return home," which made Sasuke so angry that he almost recreated his chubby face from when he was a child.

"You think you're so great? You two are evenly matched!" Sasuke said viciously. "Didn't you ever consider that I might hate the 'Radiance' that took yours, and not want to help, or even want to sabotage it?"

Naruto hadn't seen Sasuke so "lively" in a long time, and he could even laugh at such offensive words. "You wouldn't do that. I knew from the beginning that Sasuke was just like me."

"You're just more reserved, hiding your goodwill in a nonchalant way." Naruto smiled slyly, as if he had him completely under his control. "Back in the Land of Iron, weren't you also planning to take action?"

Sasuke doesn't consider himself a busybody, but when someone is suffering in front of him and he happens to have the power to help, he always finds himself reaching out to lend a hand.

No, Naruto is wrong. He can't be as selfless as Naruto. His help is based on what he can do, without causing Naruto excessive loss, not like Naruto...

Sasuke turned his head away and said coldly, "Even if I don't cause destruction, I'm not you, and I can't risk my life like you did."

“Yeah, I’m definitely not a good example.” Naruto surprisingly nodded in agreement, saying, “It’s okay, Sasuke. You don’t have to follow my path. Didn’t I say before that you can do whatever you want?”

Sasuke whirled around, meeting that earnest face. Just how stupid was this guy? He'd confidently given him power, entrusted him with the secret of "Radiance's" plan to overthrow the world, yet he hadn't forced him to do anything?

But this incredibly stupid guy tilted his head and smiled, saying, "I believe you, Sasuke."

"Besides, you're underestimating 'Hui' too much. While we can't completely overthrow the old order right now, we can at least achieve a pyrrhic victory!"