The early morning mist hung low in the Land of Grass, veiling the forest in a thick, tranquil silence. The land's natural beauty contrasted sharply with the gravity of the situation Sasuke and Itachi found themselves in. The brothers had set up a makeshift camp deep within the woods, where the air was cool and the ground soft beneath the dense foliage. A small, well-concealed tent served as their temporary shelter.

Sasuke knelt beside Itachi, a worn medical kit spread out in front of him. The scent of herbs and ointments filled the air as Sasuke meticulously applied the latest round of medicine to his brother's chest, focusing on the area around his lungs. Itachi's breathing was still somewhat labored, but the slight improvement was noticeable. Sasuke's fingers moved with precision, the chakra flowing from his hands glowing a faint green as it infused Itachi's lungs.

"This should ease the strain," Sasuke murmured, concentrating on stabilizing the flow of energy. "The medicine has been working."

Itachi took a deep breath, testing his lungs' capacity. He nodded, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I can feel the difference. You've been doing well, Sasuke."

A rare glimmer of pride flickered in Sasuke's face, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. He turned away, his expression growing distant as he shifted his focus back to their predicament. The truth of the Uchiha massacre and his brother's defection weighed heavily on his mind, a constant reminder of the world's injustices.

He'd learned everything now—every sordid detail, every twisted motive behind his clan's eradication. Danzo Shimura and the village elders had orchestrated the massacre out of fear and paranoia, deeming the Uchiha a threat to Konoha's stability. His brother, forced to become a pariah, had obeyed out of some twisted sense of duty and love, yet, Danzo remained in power, manipulating events from the shadows.

"Danzo Shimura and the rest of the council need to be dealt with," Sasuke muttered, almost to himself. "And the Akatsuki... they're a danger to everyone. But what can we do right now?"

He fell silent, brow furrowing as he considered their limited options. They were in no position to take on such powerful enemies. He was a missing-nin, branded a traitor to Konoha. Itachi, even more so—despised as the murderer of their clan, his very name synonymous with betrayal. The village elders, Danzo, the Akatsuki... all of them were beyond their reach.

Sasuke sighed, frustration bubbling up inside him.

"What can we even do?" he thought, his mind racing with a dozen conflicting scenarios. He felt lost, questioning every decision that had brought him to this point. Was there even a right path forward?

Itachi's voice broke through his thoughts. "Sasuke, are you doing alright?"

Sasuke glanced up, forcing himself to nod. "Yeah. Just... thinking."

He moved away from Itachi and sat down on the ground, exhaling deeply. They stayed like that for a while, both lost in their own thoughts. After some time, Itachi reached into his cloak and pulled out a small, well-worn book. Itachi flipped through it slowly, his eyes scanning the pages until he paused at a particular entry.

"There's a target here," Itachi said thoughtfully, tapping the page. "He's an S-rank missing-nin with a high bounty. Taking him out would earn us a substantial sum of money."

Sasuke peered over, nodding once in acknowledgment. "We could use the money... I'll need to replenish my supply of medicines soon."

They fell into silence again, the only sound being the rustle of leaves as a light breeze blew through the camp. Itachi stared at the Bingo Book, lost in thought, before turning his gaze back to his younger brother.

"Sasuke... have you ever killed anyone before?" Itachi asked softly, his voice devoid of judgment or accusation.

Sasuke's face flickered with an emotion Itachi couldn't quite place. He nodded slowly. "Yes."

Itachi remained silent, waiting for Sasuke to elaborate.

"My first kill..." Sasuke's voice was steady, but there was a haunted look on his face. "It was a random shinobi while I was still with Orochimaru. He was sent to spy on us and I caught him. I—I didn't know what I was doing. It was... traumatizing, but I had to get over it eventually if I wanted to seek revenge against you."

Itachi's gaze softened, concern etched into his features. He watched Sasuke carefully, noting the way his brother's shoulders tensed as he spoke.

"I've killed my fair share of people since then," Sasuke continued, his tone turning almost casual. "I'm used to the concept by now."

The statement hung heavy in the air. Itachi studied Sasuke's face for a moment longer, then looked away. "My first kill was during the Third Shinobi World War. I was seven."

Sasuke's head snapped up, "Seven?"

Itachi nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. "My Genin team and I were ambushed while escorting the Daimyo. We had no choice but to fight. I... had to protect my comrades. It was kill or be killed."

He said it so nonchalantly, as if recounting a mundane event from his childhood. Sasuke's lips pressed into a thin line. He opened his mouth, then closed it, unsure of what to say. Words felt meaningless in the face of such revelations.

Sasuke exhaled slowly. "A few weeks ago, I killed Sasori."

Itachi raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "Sasori? You took him down?"

"Yeah," Sasuke confirmed, his tone even. "I drove a Chidori through his core while Sakura and an old woman named Chiyo distracted him. He was... pretty weak for an Akatsuki member."

Itachi's gaze sharpened, his lips thinning. "Don't let that kind of thinking get to your head. Underestimating an opponent will get you killed."

"I'm not being cocky," Sasuke replied calmly. "I know the Akatsuki isn't an organization I want to mess with."

He shifted slightly, recalling the events of his escape from Orochimaru's lair. "I could've fought off Deidara and escaped, but... that Tobi individual made me reconsider."

Itachi's expression darkened at the mention of Tobi. "Tobi... he's different."

"Yeah," Sasuke murmured, almost to himself. "There's something off about him. He doesn't act like anyone I've ever met. He put me on edge, and not in a good way."

Itachi nodded slowly, as if weighing his words carefully. "Tobi is Madara Uchiha."

Sasuke snorted, "Madara Uchiha? You're kidding, right?"

But when Itachi didn't bother to respond, Sasuke knew he was serious.

Sasuke's heart dropped. "You're... not joking."

"No," Itachi said quietly, his voice reflecting a depth of understanding that made Sasuke's blood run cold. "Madara Uchiha is very much alive and he's more dangerous than anyone realizes."

The realization hit Sasuke like a punch to the gut, leaving him breathless. Everything—the Akatsuki, the tailed beasts, the political machinations—everything made a sickening sort of sense now. His throat tightened, a chill spreading through his veins.

"Madara Uchiha... Alive." The implications were staggering.

"Then..." Sasuke swallowed, his voice barely above a whisper. "What does he want?"

Itachi's gaze hardened, and for a moment, the look in his eyes was as dark and unfathomable as the abyss.

"Control," he said simply. "Madara wants to control everything—and he won't stop until he does."

The forest around them was silent, the dawn mist still lingering in the air, muffling the sounds of nature. Sasuke sighed heavily, his fingers unconsciously gripping the edges of his cloak. His thoughts were swirling, a storm of confusion and anger. He lifted his head up, his voice low but firm, "What does the Akatsuki want with the tailed beasts?"

Itachi's expression darkened, his gaze shifting to the flickering campfire that had dwindled to embers. For a long moment, he said nothing, his silence heavy with the weight of knowledge that Sasuke hadn't yet grasped.

"The Akatsuki's true objective," Itachi began slowly, "Is to capture all of the tailed beasts and use them to create a weapon of mass destruction. The leader, Pein, believes that by using this weapon, he can force all the shinobi nations to submit, bringing about a forced peace through fear and domination."

Sasuke's heart dropped, his breath catching in his throat. "A weapon of mass destruction..."

He felt his stomach twist in horror.

"Every country," Itachi continued, his voice steady but laden with a grim resolve, "Would be held hostage by this power. The balance of the world would be shattered, and every village would bend to the Akatsuki's will. Peace would be achieved—but only through absolute control."

Sasuke clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as he processed the implications.

"And Naruto?" he asked, his voice strained. "What happens to him?"

"They want to capture the Nine-Tails," Itachi answered quietly, his gaze shifting to Sasuke's. "If they succeed, Naruto will die."

Sasuke's heart seemed to stop for a moment before it resumed beating, faster and more erratic than before. His mind raced, images of Naruto—his goofy grin, his fierce determination, his unwavering loyalty—flashing through his thoughts.

"I can't let anything happen to Naruto," Sasuke whispered fiercely, his voice almost breaking. "He's been through enough. I... I have to protect him."

The weight of his words hung in the air. Sasuke's hands shook as he brought them to his head, gripping his hair tightly. He'd once sworn to kill Naruto himself. He had stood across from him on that rooftop in the Valley of the End, fully intent on ending his best friend's life. And now... the thought of Naruto dying at the hands of the Akatsuki made him feel sick.

He lowered himself to the ground, curling up into a tight ball as if trying to ward off the overwhelming wave of guilt and frustration crashing over him. The world felt too big, too heavy for him to bear. His entire life had been a spiral of chaos and pain, and now he was being crushed under the weight of it all.

"This world... it's just one big mess," Sasuke muttered bitterly, his voice muffled against his arms. "Everything is so... messed up."

Itachi watched him in silence, his expression inscrutable. He didn't move, didn't try to comfort his brother—there was nothing he could say that would ease the turmoil inside Sasuke. The younger Uchiha stayed curled up for a long time, his body tense, his mind a maelstrom of conflicting emotions.

After what felt like an eternity, Sasuke slowly sat up, his expression distant. "I wish... there was a way to fix all this. To make the world better somehow. To... improve the state of things."

The idea lingered in the air between them. Sasuke's brow furrowed as he thought, his mind clicking through various scenarios. He needed to do something, needed to take action. But how could he? Unless...

"Itachi, do you know where Root's headquarters are located?"

Itachi stiffened slightly, his gaze sharpening. "Yes... but why?"

Sasuke's lips tightened, his expression unreadable. "I have a plan. It's not going to be a very nice one, but... it's something."

Itachi remained silent, his eyes narrowing as he observed Sasuke. There was a dangerous look in Sasuke's expression, a hint of something dark and determined. Itachi leaned forward, his voice cautious. "What are you thinking, Sasuke?"

Sasuke took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he gathered his thoughts. "You need to tell Tsunade everything—the truth about the Uchiha massacre, about what really happened. The truth needs to come out."

Itachi blinked, caught off guard. "You want me to—"

"If we can find any sort of evidence against Danzo and the council," Sasuke interrupted, his voice gaining strength, "We can have them removed. Imprisoned. If they're out of the picture, they can't hurt anyone anymore. Not Naruto, not the village... no one."

"Sasuke, that's too reckless," Itachi warned, his voice low and urgent. "Even if we could find evidence, confronting Danzo is—"

"I don't have anything to lose, Itachi!" Sasuke snapped, his voice cracking with a mix of frustration and desperation. "I don't have a home anymore. No family to go back to. All I have left is Team Seven and... and you."

Itachi stared at him, his face softening slightly. He could see the pain etched in every line of Sasuke's posture, the bitterness in his voice. It was a pain that ran deep—deeper than anything Itachi could hope to heal. And that was perhaps what hurt him most.

"Danzo most likely knows about Naruto's status as a jinchūriki," Sasuke continued, his voice steadying. "He'd use Naruto as leverage if it meant gaining more power. I've seen the way people in the village treat Naruto—how they look at him. Someone must have leaked the information about him being the host for the Nine-Tails. Most likely Danzo."

Itachi's eyes widened slightly, surprise flickering across his features. "How did you—"

"I'm not blind," Sasuke muttered. "I've seen the way people act around Naruto. It's not just because he's a loudmouth idiot. They're afraid of him. They know what he carries inside him."

Itachi was silent, his mind racing. Sasuke had pieced together more than he'd given him credit for. He nodded slowly, acknowledging the truth of Sasuke's words.

"If I'm going to protect people's safety—including Naruto's and Sakura's—then we have to spill everything to Tsunade," Sasuke said firmly. "And we need to gather evidence against Danzo. If we can expose him, strip him of his power, then... we can prevent him from manipulating people any longer."

Itachi sat back, his gaze thoughtful. He weighed Sasuke's words carefully, considering the risks and the potential outcomes. Everything about this plan was dangerous. Danzo was ruthless and cunning—getting close to him, let alone gathering evidence against him, could easily backfire.

But Sasuke's resolve was unshakeable. Itachi could see that in his face.

"Are you sure about this?" Itachi asked quietly.

Sasuke nodded. "I've never been more sure of anything."

There was a long pause, the tension between them palpable. Finally, Itachi exhaled softly, a reluctant acceptance in his eyes. "If this is the path you've chosen... I'll support you."

Sasuke's shoulders relaxed, a weight lifting off him. He gave Itachi a small, grateful nod. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me just yet," Itachi murmured, his gaze turning serious. "We're going to be stirring up a hornet's nest, Sasuke. Danzo isn't going to go down without a fight and there's no telling what he'll do if he finds out what we're planning."

"I know," Sasuke replied quietly. "But if we don't try... if we just sit back and do nothing, then nothing will change. People like Danzo will keep hurting others."

Itachi nodded slowly, a faint smile touching his lips. "Then let's make sure we're prepared. We'll need to be careful. Gather information, lay low... and wait for the right moment."

Sasuke returned the smile, determination burning in his heart. "We'll make our move soon enough."

The brothers sat in silence, the gravity of their decision settling over them. It was a dangerous game they were playing, but for the first time in a long while, Sasuke felt a sense of purpose—a sense of hope.

And that, he realized, was more than enough