Chapter 218: "Brothers of the Leaf!!

" – As Naruto stands on the

head of one statute in the Fire Country, Sasuke stands on the other in
Sound. Naruto demands Sasuke tell him why he is running away,
asking him what made him this way. Sasuke tells Naruto his life with
the Leaf is over, that they should not have come for him. Sasuke then
turns away from Naruto and begins to walk away. Such behavior only
enrages Naruto who leaps across the divide and knocks Sasuke down
onto his back. Naruto slugs his teammate and demands to know why
he is going to such an evil man, but Sasuke says he doesn't care.
Naruto doesn't want to hear it though, and yells he will do whatever it
takes to stop him from going any farther.

Chapter 219: "The Future and the Past" – As Naruto hovers over
his comrade, they both recall their fight on the hospital roof. Naruto
says he didn't want that fight, but Sasuke rises and grabs Naruto by
his collar, holding him off the ground. With a quick motion, he releases
his grip and strikes Naruto launching him off the statue into the river.
Sasuke marvels at his new power. Naruto emerges from the water and
the two Genin launch themselves at each other. Sasuke dodges
Naruto's punches and kicks his former comrade off into space. A fast
Kage Bunshin chain keeps Naruto from falling far below. Naruto uses
the Kage Bunshin chain to swing and kick Sasuke into the cliff face.
Rising from the dust, Sasuke quickly jumps and strikes Naruto sending
him hundreds of feet to the water below. Sasuke reflects that his
dreams don't lie in the present, they remain in the past, before his
clan was murdered by his brother Itachi.

Chapter 220: "Older Brother [Itachi] and Younger Brother

[Sasuke]" – We return approximately 7 years to the past, on the day
before Sasuke was entered into the Ninja Academy. In the woods
around Konoha, Uchiha Itachi practices his kunai throwing. Sasuke
watches on in wonder at his brothers' skill and usage of the Sharingan.
Sasuke tells his brother to help him with his training but Itachi says it
would be better saved for another day. After hurting his ankle, Sasuke
is carried around on his brother Itachi's back. Walking back into town,
the two brothers speak of the Leaf police force and its ties to their
clan. The boys meet their father and return to their compound. Their
father tells Itachi their new mission is important and will get him
admitted to the ANBU. Itachi says he won't go on the mission, which
angers his father. When Itachi states that the mission is on the day of
Sasuke's Academy entrance ceremony and a relative needs to be
present. His father states he will go, leaving Itachi to fulfill his duty by
going on the mission.

Chapter 221: "A Distant Brother" – The Academy ceremony ends

and Sasuke is finally on his way to becoming a real ninja. Sasuke's
father tells him to become a good shinobi like his brother. While in
class, his classmates whisper that Sasuke is probably awesome like
the other Uchiha. Sasuke returns to the compound and begins to train.
He overhears his father congratulating Itachi for being accepted into
the ANBU. Sasuke begins to push himself harder to meet his father's
standards. Becoming first in his class, his father continues to state that
hopefully Sasuke will become a fine shinobi like his brother, never fully
acknowledging him as doing good in his own right. Late at night
Sasuke awakes to hear his family arguing. Sasuke's father demands to
know why Itachi can't come to the clan meeting the next day. Itachi
states he has a secret mission so his father tells him to come to the
meeting afterwards. Two days later Sasuke and Itachi talk about the
strength of the shinobi. With Itachi stating that for them to remain
strong, they have to continue living together, even if it means hating
each other. A noise at the door startles the two ninja, three men have
arrived demanding to know where Itachi is...

Chapter 222: "Suspicious of Itachi" – Three men have arrived

from the Konoha Police Corps. They want to know why Itachi could not
be at the clan meeting. They state another was missing, Itachi's friend
Shisui who apparently killed himself. They present Itachi with Shisui's
suicide note and state that it could have been easily forged by a
Sharingan user. The men turn to leave but Itachi becomes enraged by
their toying investigation. Asking if they really are investigating him,
they reply yes and that if he betrays the clan he will be punished.
Itachi strikes and knocks the men to the ground. They reply Shisui was
watching Itachi because of his weird behavior since joining the ANBU.
As his father arrives, Itachi states he has lost all hope for the clan,
because of the way they fail to reach their maximum. They are too
bound by laws and their imagination. His father demands Itachi stand
down and threatens him with arrest. Bowing to the pressure, Itachi
drops to his knees and begs forgiveness. His father tells the police he
will look after his son but Itachi seems changed...

Chapter 223: "Sasuke and His Father" – Lying in bed, Sasuke

reflects on a strange change he saw to the tomoe in his brothers eyes.
Waking the next morning, Sasuke's father asks his son how his
schooling goes. Finally taking a real interest in his youngest son, the
two head to the riverside. Sasuke's father shows his son a Katon jutsu,
and Sasuke reflects that a clan member is only seen as an adult when
he can manipulate fire. Sasuke fails at making any sizeable fire and his
father reflects that maybe he is too young. Sasuke takes this to heart
and trains hard. Shortly thereafter he asks his father to come down to
the river, Sasuke releases a large Katon and his father walks away.
Sasuke is downtrodden, but his father then states he is truely an
Uchiha and for him to grow strong. He warns him not to become like
his brother though. The next morning Sasuke awakes to ask his
brother to help with his shuriken training. Itachi pops Sasuke on the
head and tells him he doesn't have time. This makes Sasuke feel that
maybe his brother is returning back to how he use to be...

Chapter 224: "That Day...!!" – At breakfast Sasuke asks his mother

what his father really thinks of him. His mother tells him that Itachi
will lead their clan one day so their father focuses on his development,
but that in private all he can talk about is Sasuke. Sasuke sits with his
father and asks him of the types of Sharingan. His father states there
is one form, the Mangekyou which only a few have awakened under
special conditions. Sasuke then leaves for classes. Returning late at
night to the Uchiha compound, he arrives to find his clan slaughtered.
Opening the door to his home, he stares in horror as his brother
stands over the fallen bodies of their parents. Itachi activates his new
power, the Mangekyou, which forces Sasuke to relive some of the past
events. Itachi states he killed the clan to test his capacity but Sasuke
yells that that is complete crap. Itachi then states that he left his
brother alive to test his capacity as well. To live on hating him, to
grow, gain power and the Mangekyou as well. The only thing Sasuke
has to do is kill his closest friend...

Chapter 225: "Within the Darkness...!!" – Sasuke asks his brother

if he killed Shisui. Itachi says he did so to test his capacity. He tells his
brother that a scroll in their clan shrine will reveal the true original
purpose of the clan doujutsu. Itachi states if Sasuke follows his path
there will be three people who could handle the Mangekyou. Itachi
tells his brother to live on, cursing and hating him, to become just as
strong. Only when they have the same eyes will they be equals.
Sasuke awakes in the hospital and rushes back to his clan's compound.
The buildings lie empty and he journeys to the shrine to read the
scroll. Returning to class, Sasuke's classmates whisper about him
being the only survivor. After class Sasuke returns to the waterfront
where he and his father trained. Imaging his brother's reflection in the
water Sasuke becomes enraged and jumps into the water, sinking into
the dark depths Sasuke thinks that he will go as far into the darkness
as he has to gain the power to kill his brother. We return to the
present and Naruto has emerged from the water below. Naruto asks if
Sasuke really intended to kill him, whether anything they did as a
team meant something to him. Sasuke says it did serve a purpose,
Naruto has become his closest friend...

Chapter 226: "To My Dear Friend...!!" – Naruto emerges from the

water below at the base of the statues. Not being able to understand
Sasuke's actions, he bolts across the surface of the water and up the
side of the statue while Sasuke runs down to meet him below. The two
begin to exchange punches and kunai and Naruto is knocked back
below. Sasuke forms Chidori and Naruto forms Rasengan, and then the
two launch themselves at each other, with both the hands of Rasengan
and Chidori, connecting over the surface of the river.