Time flew by.
This year, the climate had been unusually strange—cherry blossoms bloomed a season early, their pale pink petals adding a rare splash of color to Konohagakure.
At some point, the environment across the shinobi world had begun to deteriorate. The air now seemed thick with smog, as if coated in dust, and many had forgotten what color the sky was supposed to be.
Prices soared, the economy slumped, and even the wealthy Land of Fire wasn't immune to the downturn. Shinobi could still scrape by, but it was the ordinary civilians who truly bore the brunt of the hardship.
If anyone was pleased by this, it would be Ōnoki. Heavy living burdens made it easier to gather sacrifices. When people were starving, selling their children—or even themselves—became almost commonplace.
Meanwhile, Konoha's villagers enjoyed the cherry blossoms with high spirits, pinning their hopes and dreams onto the fleeting beauty of the flowers.
"Flourishing against the odds often heralds disaster," a dark figure murmured, tone flat. "But alas, there are no true masters of divination left in the shinobi world."
Sasuke didn't really understand what the figure meant—nor did he care to.
The ninja academy remained as dull as ever. Sasuke noticed that Uzumaki Naruto and Iruka-sensei had become strangely close. It wasn't some shallow, superficial teacher-student bond, either—Naruto truly respected and admired Iruka from the bottom of his heart.
Sasuke, for his part, stayed on the fringes of the class, keeping a certain distance from everyone. But with a face like his, there were always girls secretly stealing glances at him.
After he turned down Sakura and Ino, word quickly spread throughout the class. Once it became clear that none of them could win over the "prince," the girls seemed to let go of their competition, and their relationships with each other actually became more harmonious.
Sasuke's daily routine was simple: he spent his time developing new uses for the Miasma of Decay, gradually building a personalized set of lethal techniques. Occasionally, he even provided free ingredients to Ichiraku Ramen. Life was peaceful, fulfilling.
Yet underneath that calm, a growing irritation gnawed at him.
He had realized something: the shadow seemed... to have lost interest in him.
Once, the shadow had pushed him constantly to "kill, kill, kill," urging him to stir up chaos at every turn. But now, it had fallen eerily silent, like a ghost barely acknowledging his existence.
Sasuke wasn't some kind of masochist. He simply craved power. Still, curiosity gnawed at him—what had caused this sudden indifference?
Before he could even ask, the shadow spoke first:
"Among the lucky ones I chose, someone else is performing better than you and Neji. You've both been downgraded from 'key investments' to 'backup options.'"
Sasuke stiffened. "You could've given me a warning!"
"It's my choice to pick who I invest in. I'm not obligated to cling to anyone," the shadow said coolly. "If you want to laze around and waste your life, be my guest. I'm a very tolerant being."
Sasuke stood frozen, thoughts churning chaotically.
...
The next day, Sasuke sent a shadow clone to attend the academy while his real body met with Neji to secretly discuss their plans for the future.
Given their age, their original strategy had been to bide their time—build strength quietly and wait for the right moment to move.
That "right moment" was the Konoha Crush, orchestrated by Orochimaru.
When Konohagakure and Sunagakure fell into simultaneous chaos, they could take the opportunity to sabotage Konoha and infiltrate Sunagakure to steal the "One's Own Life Reincarnation" technique from Chiyo. By then forcing others to cast the jutsu, they could resurrect those they wished to bring back.
Compared to the Rinnegan—controlled by Nagato, with Obito and Black Zetsu lurking in the shadows—One's Own Life Reincarnation was a much more attainable goal.
However, the shadow's words from yesterday still unsettled Sasuke. He feared being discarded as a worthless pawn, reduced to a mere puppet in someone else's grand scheme.
Neji, on the other hand, was calm.
"I get why you're anxious, but there's no need to rush. The more impatient we are, the more likely we'll make mistakes. Besides, we've already profited just by knowing how the manga plays out."
Sasuke sighed heavily.
"Are we seriously going to wait all the way until the Konoha Crush just to stir up trouble? It's suffocating."
Neji said evenly, "Konoha's foundation runs deep. Even though it's in decline. Otherwise, the other villages would've attacked already. A single Might Guy opening the Eight Gates could wipe out most high-level combat units. We don't stand a chance head-on."
"Orochimaru is dangerous too. His attack on Konoha might work in our favor, but don't forget—he's after your body..."
"No need to worry," Sasuke said, his tone rising slightly. "The Living Corpse Reincarnation technique must have flaws. In the manga, Sasuke killed Orochimaru. I can do the same! If I devour him, I'll gain part of his memory and wisdom. That power will be mine!"
Neji didn't argue but reminded him,
"It's a risky move. Orochimaru isn't someone easily outwitted. Honestly, you'd be better off conning Uchiha Itachi. He claims to love his brother deeply, after all. Plus, the power of his Mangekyō would be a better fit for you."
"Heh," Sasuke chuckled darkly. "You sure about that? You think he wouldn't just hit me with a Kotoamatsukami the moment I dropped my guard?"
"..." Neji had no response.
"You don't understand Itachi," Sasuke continued, voice thick with emotion. "He's a gentle, caring brother—but also a dictator. He despised the arrogance of the Uchiha Clan, yet he himself was the most arrogant of them all. At thirteen, he convinced himself he understood the meaning of peace and unflinchingly slaughtered his own kin."
"When I face him as a little brother, sure, he can be endlessly indulgent. But he would never see me as an equal. Unless I surpass him in strength, he would only see me as an extension of himself—a tool to carry on his will."
"In the manga, Itachi said he wanted me to become a 'plank on the ship of Konoha,' to keep drifting even if the ship sank. Sounds touching at first, doesn't it? But he was secretly planning to brainwash me with Kotoamatsukami—to force me to protect Konoha, without ever asking whether that's what I wanted."
"I'm a human being. If I can't even control my own thoughts and will, what am I? Once Kotoamatsukami takes hold, I'm no better than an automated puppet."
...
Sasuke's voice cracked with raw emotion. Neji stood there, helpless. Was Itachi's influence really this overwhelming? Just mentioning him had shaken Sasuke this badly?
"I want to live once—truly live as a person, on my own terms. I don't care about right or wrong, or how rough the path might be. Even if the ending is ugly and miserable, it's fine. As long as the path is one I chose myself, I'll have no regrets!"
The more Sasuke spoke, the more impassioned he became. Neji could only offer a dry compliment:
"Sounds... admirable."
Is there a chance, he thought silently, that your so-called "defying fate" and "choosing your own destiny" is just another arrangement made by someone else?
But Neji didn't say it out loud.
After all, he wasn't in a position to criticize Sasuke.
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(I've recently started working on an Naruto fanfic with a simulation system. They are very popular now on Webnovel, but the recommendations do not promote my fanfic well, I recommend you to check out "Naruto: I Am Crazy with the Simulation System!" You can find the fanfic through my profile on the site)
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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