Outside the Loulan ruins, sunlight spilled across the ground like shattered gold.
Uchiha Itachi sat quietly and alone beneath a small patch of shade, his eyes half-closed in deep thought. Ever since he learned of Sarada's impending arrival, a turbulent mix of complex and ineffable emotions had been churning deep within him.
The profound guilt he felt toward Sasuke weighed upon him like a heavy shackle, making it hard to breathe. The bygone days he and Sasuke had shared flashed through his mind continuously like a slide show, every single frame filling him with deep emotion. And as for meeting his niece Sarada soon, he harbored an indescribable sense of anticipation.
Chapter 229