Chapter 30 The Weight of the Uchiha: A Desperate Choice Edited

Itachi's eyes narrowed, his Sharingan flickering with a storm of emotions as Kaito's accusation struck him like a kunai to the heart. Doubt, guilt, and desperation swirled within him, threatening to unravel the fragile resolve he had clung to for so long.

Memories of his past choices—the blood on his hands, the lives he had taken, the sacrifices he had made—flashed before him. Yet, even beneath the crushing weight of his actions, his loyalty to Konoha and his duty to the Uchiha clan remained unshaken. 

"You speak as if you understand everything," Itachi replied, his voice low and measured, yet trembling with suppressed emotion. "But you do not know the burden I carry. My loyalty to Konoha and my duty to my clan... they are not so easily separated." 

Kaito's disdain was palpable, his words slicing through the air like a blade. "Your loyalty to Konoha has cost the lives of your own kin. Do you truly believe that is justifiable?" 

Itachi's gaze hardened, his Sharingan spinning with quiet intensity. "I have made my choices, and I will bear the consequences. Everything I have done—everything I continue to do—is for the sake of peace. Not for myself, but for the future." 

With that, he turned away, his thoughts heavy with the weight of his actions. The confrontation had shaken him, yet his commitment remained unyielding. Deep within, however, a seed of desperation had taken root. 

"And you are afraid," Kaito continued, his voice dripping with venom, "that your brother, Sasuke, will be harmed by all of this. Combined with the indoctrination you received from Hiruzen Sarutobi, you chose to sacrifice the entire Uchiha clan in exchange for his survival. Am I correct?" 

Itachi's pupils shrank, his breath catching in his throat. He had no defense, no way to justify the impossible choices forced upon him. 

"If you don't believe me," Kaito sneered, "why don't I give you a choice?" 

"What kind of choice?" Itachi whispered. 

Obito and Fugaku stood vigilant, their instincts screaming at them to prepare for the worst. 

Kaito's lips curled into a cold smile. "The space you're in now is one I've constructed—a Mirror Space. Only I decide who enters or leaves. Even the self-proclaimed 'Uchiha Madara' beside you cannot escape." 

He let the words sink in. "And your brother, Sasuke, is outside, currently under Root's control. His fate hangs in the balance." 

Itachi's heart raced. He needed to act—to protect Sasuke at all costs—but he was trapped, physically and emotionally. 

"What do you want from me?!" Itachi demanded, his voice cracking. 

Kaito shrugged, chillingly casual. "A simple choice. The half-dead Hiruzen at my feet, Danzo over there, the Anbu beyond this space, and the people who still believe in you—or Sasuke. One must die. You decide." 

Itachi's fists clenched, nails biting into his palms. "You—!" 

"You have thirty seconds," Kaito said, cold and unyielding. "Oh, and one more thing. If everyone here dies, Konoha may fall to the other villages. So choose wisely." 

With a wave of his hand, Kaito allowed voices from outside to flood the Mirror Space. 

"Itachi, I never expected you to betray us like this!" a clansman spat. "You and your father are traitors!" 

Curses rained down on Itachi, each one a dagger to his heart. Yet a small group remained silent, their eyes filled with regret and fear. 

Kaito's voice cut through the noise. "Twenty seconds left. No decision means both this group and Sasuke perish." 

Itachi stood frozen, the weight of his choices crushing him. The clansmen's desperation, their hatred, their pleas—all of it pressed down on him. But above all, Sasuke's life hung in the balance. 

"Kaito, we see the truth now!" a clansman shouted. "We stand with you! You deserve to lead the Uchiha more than Fugaku!" 

"Konoha dares challenge us? Kaito, we'll follow you in destroying them!" 

Kaito ignored them, his gaze locked on Itachi. "Ten seconds." 

Itachi trembled, his resolve crumbling. The clansmen's curses, their fear—none of it mattered next to Sasuke's survival. 

"Five... four..." Kaito began the countdown, merciless. 

The clansmen erupted. 

"You ungrateful wretch, Itachi!" 

"You and your father will pay for this!" 

"You'll join us in the afterlife soon enough!" 

Itachi's heart pounded. How could he choose? How could he condemn one to save another? 

The tension in the Mirror Space was suffocating. Itachi, torn between Konoha and his brother, stood at a crossroads. The fate of the Uchiha, Konoha, and the shinobi world itself hung in the balance. 

And Kaito, unwavering, watched with cold detachment as the countdown continued. 

The shadows of the past had been exposed. 

The eyes of the future were watching. 

The battle was far from over—but the stakes had never been higher.