Starts In Konoha: Unlocking Shadow Clone

"We're finally here!"

After avoiding the patrolling Anbu along the way, Naruto and Sasuke finally arrived at the Naka Shrine.

Staring at the hidden entrance to the underground chamber, Sasuke rubbed his hands together in excitement, unaware that the chamber was actually a carefully laid trap.

For Sasuke, it would soon become a living hell.

"Open!"

Sasuke let out a low roar, and his dark pupils instantly turned scarlet. The black tomoe in his eyes kept spinning, and the hidden entrance slowly opened.

"As expected, it can only be opened with the Sharingan. Incredible."

Sasuke said, his anticipation growing. Without hesitation, he leaped forward and dashed inside.

"Wait for me!" Naruto shouted, realizing the potential danger and quickly following.

The inscriptions on the stone tablet weren't something only Uchiha could view, as it was merely part of Naruto's ruse.

In truth, the Sharingan, Mangekyo Sharingan, and Rinnegan could each decipher portions of the text.

If Sasuke entered the chamber and read the tablet, he would undoubtedly notice discrepancies, which is something Naruto absolutely couldn't allow.

Accelerating, Naruto managed to overtake Sasuke and reach the underground chamber first.

Pointing to the stone tablet, Naruto exclaimed, "Sasuke, look! This is the stone tablet!"

As he said this, he rotated the stone tablet silently, and after quickly doing everything, Sasuke entered the chamber.

"There's nothing written here." Sasuke remarked with a frown.

"The writing is on the back! Come and see." Naruto called out, louder this time.

His volume wasn't just for dramatic effect, as it was also to let the hidden Itachi hear him.

"I'm coming!"

Sasuke rushed forward, his footsteps quick with eagerness.

"Over here! The writing is right here!" Naruto shouted.

Naruto continued to shout enthusiastically, though inwardly he was growing increasingly anxious.

'If Sasuke truly saw the tablet's contents, the situation would spiral out of control. With Sasuke's Sharingan at its current level, he could memorize everything on sight.'

However, just as Sasuke was about to reach the tablet, a calm and indifferent voice echoed from the chamber's entrance.

"My foolish little brother, have you fallen so low as to bring an outsider into the sacred secrets of the Uchiha Clan?"

Hearing this, Sasuke froze mid-step.

The excitement in his eyes instantly turned to shock and hatred.

Turning slowly toward the voice, he began trembling uncontrollably as the figure at the entrance came into view.

"Itachi?!! Why are you here!?"

Sasuke snarled through gritted teeth and pulled out a kunai from his bag like a frightened rabbit.

"I'm here because..."

Itachi's words stopped abruptly as his gaze shifted to Naruto, his tone grew colder, "I found you, Kyubi brat!"

"Huh? You know me?"

Naruto asked in surprise. He patted Sasuke's shoulder and asked casually: "Sasuke, who is this guy?"

"He's Uchiha Itachi, the man I've always wanted to kill!" Sasuke growled, his voice dripping with hatred.

"Oh, the traitor who slaughtered his entire clan?" Naruto raised an eyebrow and said, "Sasuke, leave this to me. I'll take him down immediately!"

As he said that, Naruto dashed toward Itachi in a blur.

Itachi's dark pupils shifted to crimson, his Sharingan transforming into the three-tomoe before evolving into the Mangekyo Sharingan, shaped like a fuma shuriken.

"Aahhh!!!"

In an instant, Naruto let out a scream, and collapsed to the ground. He clutched his head, writhing in pain.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" Sasuke was shocked and rushed towards Naruto.

Through groans of pain, Naruto urged, "Sasuke, run! You're no match for him. Go find Orochimaru and leave with him! Quickly!"

"No! This can't be happening!" Sasuke exclaimed in disbelief. The idea that Naruto couldn't even last a single exchange was incomprehensible to him.

"A wise man knows when to retreat! Revenge is best served cold. Go now!" Naruto cried out before his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed as he lose consciousness.

"Naruto, Naruto!"

Sasuke shook Naruto frantically, but there was no response.

Lifting his head, Sasuke glared furiously at Itachi. But before he could utter a word, a wave of dizziness overtook him, and the world spun uncontrollably.

When Sasuke opened his eyes Again, he found himself in a world of crimson red.

"Where is this? Let me go!"

Sasuke struggled desperately, but the ropes binding him didn't budge an inch.

"This is the Tsukuyomi World. For the next seventy-two hours, I will repeatedly stab you with this sword. Don't worry, you won't pass out or die. Only your pain will be amplified tenfold."

Before Sasuke could respond, Itachi's sword plunged into his abdomen.

The moment the blade pierced his flesh, the pain, magnified dozens of times, overwhelmed Sasuke, making him feel a torment far worse than death.

Just one strike was enough for Sasuke to understand why Naruto had passed out earlier.

By experiencing this kind of pain for three days and three nights, Sasuke even felt that his spirit would completely collapse.

It wasn't that Naruto wasn't strong, it's just that Itachi's Genjutsu is too strong!

Realizing this, Sasuke screamed, "Itachi, take it out on me, but leave Naruto out of this! You have no grievance with him. Whatever you have to do, do it to me!"

"Foolish little brother. In my eyes, you're no more significant than an ant. I don't even have the desire to kill you, just as it was back then." Itachi said indifferently.

Hearing this, Sasuke's mind was filled with images of his childhood, of watching his entire clan be massacred. Then, anger surged within him.

As the sword plunged into him once again, Sasuke screamed in agony, "But why are you targeting Naruto?"

"Can't you see? My return to Konoha is merely to execute a mission. The organization requires the Kyubi sealed within Uzumaki Naruto." Itachi explained with a chilling detachment

Hearing this, it all became clear to Sasuke.

'Itachi's appearance in the underground chamber wasn't coincidental… he had been tracking Naruto all along. This was no chance meeting, it was premeditated.'

"Why? Why do you have to hurt the people around me?" Sasuke shouted in despair.

From the clan members to Naruto, no one seemed to be spared.

But there was a flicker of relief in Sasuke's heart, as Naruto was only captured and his life was spared.

However, Itachi saw that Sasuke was just hysterical, but his eyes did not change. He could not help but thought of something and said indifferently, "They still hold value for me to kill. You, on the other hand, lack even that."

"Kill?" Sasuke stiffened with worry, "No matter what your organization is, you said you only wanted the Kyubi. Why would you need to kill Naruto? What did he do wrong?"

Itachi said indifferently: "Foolish little brother, extracting a Biju results in the Jinchuriki's death. No exception has ever been recorded."

"No, that's impossible!" Sasuke shouted in disbelief.

He couldn't help but think back to everything Naruto had done for him and the ways Naruto had changed his life.

…

"Now you're my subordinate. I'll take care of you. Uzumaki Naruto always keeps his word!"

"Hey, Sasuke, I've got an idea to upgrade your Sharingan. Want to try it?"

"The Chunin Exams is just a form of training. Fight hard, and leave the rest to me!"

"So what if you have the Cursed Seal? Come on, let's go learn Taijutsu!"

"This? Don't worry, I'll handle it!"

"Sasuke, don't stress. With me around, you're in good hands!"

"…"

One memory after another surged into Sasuke's mind, all the way to Naruto's last words before he fainted, "A wise man knows when to retreat! Revenge is best served cold. Go now!"

From beginning to end, Naruto had been helping Sasuke grow through his actions, never asking for anything in return.

Unknowingly, Sasuke had stopped caring about the Servant Contract. From the moment they started bantering casually, Sasuke had already come to see Naruto as an older brother.

But now, his only family was about to lose his life to Itachi. How could Sasuke allow it?

"No! I won't let Naruto die!"

Sasuke struggled with all his might. This time, he was determined to seize control of his fate!

Fueled by intense emotions, the two-tomoe in Sasuke's Sharingan began spinning rapidly, transforming into the three-tomoe Sharingan!

But Sasuke's transformation did not end there. The three tomoe continued to spin fiercely!

"It's not enough… not nearly enough!"

Sasuke roared, realizing that without the power to break Tsukuyomi, everything would be futile.

He was determined to snatch Naruto back from Itachi, even if it meant burning through every ounce of his potential!

'Naruto, don't worry… this time, I've got you!'