The knife fell to the ground, along with the blood. The boy collapsed. The knife stopped. The gleaming sharp blade stopped right in front of Uchiha Shin's heart.

The black-haired boy stood frozen like a stone statue in front of his enemy, as if he was not breathing, not thinking.

Sarada was completely stunned, having even forgotten to tremble, just blankly staring at Chitose's back. Boruto's pupils contracted as he looked back and forth between Chitose and Sasuke.

—Is Chitose's father already...dead?

—And was he killed by Sarada's father, Chitose's own uncle?

Sasuke's complexion was heavy and gloomy, and it turned snow white instantly after seeing Chitose's back, as if someone had dealt him a fatal blow to his heart. Naruto closed his sad and helpless eyes for a moment before opening them again, worriedly watching Chitose.

It seemed like centuries had passed before Chitose stiffly gave up his original posture—one foot forward, center of gravity down, raising the knife and preparing to pierce the enemy—and stood up straight. However, the next second, the long knife slipped from his limp hand and fell to the ground with a clear "clang".

That soft sound was like a red hot iron branding Sasuke's body, making him tremble violently.

"Is it true, Uncle Sasuke?"

The boy's soft voice, without any undulation in tone, lingered in the silent air and reached everyone's ears. Sasuke seemed to be the last to hear these lifeless words. He swayed on the spot, clenching his sword tightly before barely stabilizing himself.

His pupils shook violently, and it took him a long time to work up the courage to gaze at the back of that boy who now looked so distant.

—That boy resembled his brother so much.

For a long time, no one spoke. After a good while, the black-haired boy heaved a long sigh. "So... this is how it is..." He uttered the words slowly and deliberately, as if each word cost him all his strength. He sounded extremely weary.

But Sasuke knew it was not like that.

Boruto sensed the calm before the storm. From behind, Chitose's figure was still straight, but he could feel it. Something was brewing within that body.

Finally, Sasuke found his voice back. He tried calling out to that boy who now looked so distant, that boy who seemed as calm as a lake.

"Chitose, I—"

Then, like a drop of oil falling into the fire, the flames that had been quietly burning suddenly erupted violently like a volcano in that instant.

"Shut up——!!!!!!!!!!"

Boruto swore it was the loudest roar he had ever heard in his life so far; as if it contained all the anger, disappointment, pain and despair in the human world.

With the black-haired boy at the center, a huge red giant quickly took shape, starting from the skeleton before layer after layer of powerful muscles and solid armor were added in the blink of an eye. It soon grew into a terrifying giant of nearly 20 meters tall, the whole body burning with crimson flames. In its right hand it held a long blade; on its back it carried a gourd shaped fan. On its head it wore a helmet with long horns.

At the center of the giant stood the boy, his eyes transformed into the bizarre yet exceptionally beautiful Windmill Flower kaleidoscope Sharingan, possessing a charm that made one feel breathless just by looking at it. Its master—the black-haired, black-eyed boy—helplessly looked at his uncle as two lines of bloody tears slowly rolled down his cheeks.

"I will never believe your words again."

Naruto could not see Sasuke's expression as he stood in front of him. He just blankly watched this huge Susanoo, at the boy's bizarre yet glamorous eyes and the trails of bloody tears. It felt like his heart had sunk into the depths of a sea of despair.

The trauma caused by the truth had cut so deep into the boy. To awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan and instantly manifest a complete Susanoo with it... Just how desperate was he!

Sasuke... He stared at his best friend's back that now looked as rigid as a stone. Will he hate you? If he really comes to hate you for this... Then now, his hatred towards you would be as intense as his past longing for you was.

Boruto was stunned by the pressure exuded from that giant that he couldn't move a muscle. He gaped at the giant and at the boy at its center, feeling that the bloody tears streaming from the boy's eyes were like they were flowing from his own heart. He had never seen Chitose looking so sad before. No, although right now Chitose looked aggressive and nearly insane due to his rage, he just knew that Chitose was grieving.

He suddenly resentfully glanced at the black-haired man in front. Why didn't you stop that Shin from revealing the truth? If you had stopped him, Chitose wouldn't be suffering so much now! Also, just now Chitose had obviously...

Recalling how Chitose had repeatedly interrupted the enemy from revealing the truth, Boruto suddenly understood something.

That guy... He had already guessed the truth, yet he'd rather remain in the dark! He'd rather maintain an affectionate uncle-nephew relationship with you! So why didn't you stop the enemy from saying it out!

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The blonde boy looked at that boy with utmost distress, feeling as if a huge boulder was pressing down on his chest and suffocating him.

Things that even Boruto noticed, Sasuke naturally saw even more clearly. But despite being almost overwhelmed by Chitose's gaze, there was not a shred of regret in his self-condemning eyes. This day would come sooner or later. He had known long ago.

Uchiha Shin already wore a smug expression on his face from the moment Chitose manifested the red giant. He stared at the different shapes yet equally greedy eyes of Chitose, the same greed brewing in them.

"That's right... This is it... As expected of Uchiha Chitose, the genius inheriting Itachi's genes! Hahaha... Next, just take his eyes—"

"Pfff—!"

The man's mad ravings were cut off by the sound of a blade piercing flesh. He unbelievingly lowered his head to look at the long knife sticking out of his chest, then struggled to turn his head to look in astonishment at the person least likely in his mind to betray him: "Shin...? What are you doing..."

As he spoke, he could no longer support himself and sank to his knees as blood pooled on the ground.

The white-haired boy whom he had used as a shield previously to block Chitose's Fire Release ninjutsu weakly pulled the long knife—the one Chitose had previously dropped to the ground—out of the man's body. Panting heavily, he collapsed to one side. But then the man immediately turned around and stabbed him in the abdomen with a tantō. His three tomoe Sharingan suddenly widened in shock as his mouth overflowed with bright red blood. The man raised another tantō, intending to deliver the final fatal strike, but his body suddenly trembled violently before he limply fell towards the boy, immediately swept aside by a pale white hand to reveal the black-haired boy behind him holding a bloodstained dagger.

A look of joy broke through the agony on Shin's face, but then as if recalling something, he hurriedly closed his eyes, barely managing to turn his head towards Chitose as he muttered: "Lord Chitose..."

The others were stunned speechless by this sudden turn of events. They stood motionless, at a loss as to how to react now. Boruto was the first to settle his gaze before stepping closer to Chitose, but ultimately he stopped several meters away, watching Chitose without going forward anymore.

Sasuke and Sarada just watched from where they were, their expressions somewhat stiff. Naruto looked between both sides, rather hesitant.

Ignoring the reactions of the others, Chitose only silently watched the heavily bleeding boy on the ground, gazing at his tightly shut eyelids and trembling lashes. After a few seconds, he suddenly went down on one knee, propping his elbow on his knee.

"Open your eyes," he said lightly.

"...But... You don't like my eyes..." The white-haired boy said somewhat hesitantly.

"Forget about all that, I told you to open them then open them." The black-haired boy commanded in a flat tone.

The white-haired boy looked puzzled, but then obediently opened his eyes. The blood red pupils were filled with hard to discern infatuation as they gazed at Chitose backlit by the light. Right now, his eyes had reverted back to black, with only the depths still swirling with turbulent undercurrents, on the verge of erupting. However, because of this boy, he had temporarily calmed down for now.

"...Why did you kill him?" Chitose asked.

The boy named Shin gave a faint smile. His eyes suddenly radiated an unprecedented brightness as he gazed unblinkingly at Chitose above him.

"Father admired Uchiha Itachi the most... I was also taught that Uchiha Itachi was the greatest shinobi... I never met your father, but..." He paused for a moment, the corner of his mouth dripping blood. He frowned in pain as he struggled to speak. "In my eyes... you are... the most brilliant... that I've ever seen..."

He blinked in confusion, his mind already slowing down. He seemed to be unable to find the right words to describe his feelings. He could only look at Chitose as the first intense emotions emerged in the eyes that had always been indifferent as a clone. He repeated his earlier words. "You are... the most brilliant..."

"For you... I can do anything... Even father... I can... Father... has been corrupted by greed... So..." He suddenly grimaced in pain again as his breathing grew urgent, his voice getting weaker and weaker.

Chitose paused for a bit before slowly bending down to press his ear against the boy's mouth to hear him better.

His soft black bangs exuded a cool fragrance, swirling at the tip of the white-haired boy's nose. The boy's gaze gradually turned vacant.

"So... father... is not worthy... of obtaining your eyes... No one is worthy... Only you... Only..."

"Lord Chitose..." In his final moments, he fixed his somewhat blank gaze on Chitose's face right before his eyes, on those dark and profound eyes.

His last words were so soft even Chitose could barely make them out. "Just once... my name...?" The red glow in his eyes gradually faded away.

Chitose watched those Sharingan eyes for a long time before softly sighing.

"...All you white-hairs are fools."

"......Thank you, Shin."

He slowly uttered the final word, then silently watched as the white-haired boy's eyes slowly closed.

He lowered his eyes briefly, then picked up the boy's long knife from the ground and stood up. After remaining silent for a while, he raised his eyes to look at Boruto, who had stiffened up the moment their eyes met, his face clearly unnatural upon closer look.

Chitose was completely oblivious to his discomfort. In fact, if any of the Konoha people present were in a normal state of mind, they would have noticed something off about Chitose right now.

There was not a hint of ripples in his black eyes, like a lake devoid of life, pitch-black and bottomless.

Chitose stared at Boruto for quite a while, but the blonde boy who still had his gaze fixed on the white-haired boy's corpse did not react much. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, Chitose shifted his eyes away as he glanced at the worried Naruto and Sarada. The moment their eyes met, the girl panicked and quickly averted her gaze. Right now, she had no idea how to face her brother now knowing the killer of his father...

Boruto regained his composure and turned to look at Chitose just in time to see him shift his gaze onto Naruto's wounds which had already completely healed thanks to his powerful regenerative abilities. Next, he saw the boy turn his head and give him a slight smile.

The sunshine shone on the boy at this moment. His soft black hair shone with a golden glow at the edges where they were bound by his Konoha forehead protector. His handsome features seemed gentler than ever under the sun, the corners of his mouth tilted in a smile more perfect than Boruto had ever seen, the slight arch in his black eyes now filled with a gentleness that made his breath hitch.

At this moment, it was as if this person was glowing. Boruto thought to himself before charging towards Chitose faster than he had ever done before.

The boy silently watched the blonde boy who raced towards him at full speed. His right hand slowly rose. That smooth, fair hand with distinct knuckles, gently wielding the pitch black scabbard as elegantly as playing a violin, lightly propped the blade against his own neck.

"Stop——!!!!!" The blond boy shouted hoarsely, his sky-blue eyes shrinking to the size of a needlepoint. A kunai shot out from his hand, hitting the scabbard with great force, knocking the knife that the young man was barely holding.

The knife fell to the ground, accompanied by blood. The young man collapsed.