- #106
Sasuke's answer didn't sound lame at all in MS. Rather, his reasoning and the way he wants to emulate Itachi who protected Fire country and the Leaf village from the shadows actually fits quite nicely with the literal definition of 'Kage', which means 'Shadow' in the first place.
Also, as I understand it, he doesn't want to, but actually NEEDS to kill Naruto. Not because he contains the Chakra of the Tailed Beasts (Sasuke could easily extract that with his Rinnegan) but solely because he needs to stay impartial. In other words, someone who can clearly judge and execute any given Shinobi situation by having no ties with anybody, and Naruto being his best friend is against this mantra. I really like the logic there. It may be the reason why he placed that Genjutsu on Sakura hoping to transform her love to hate, and by killing Naruto he'll also have Kakashi turn against him in revenge too. He's basically cutting all emotional ties with the few people who've been somewhat family to him, so he can rule the world with some degree of objectivity with nothing holding him back.
That's not to say his idea is not flawed or anything, because it is and terribly so. By focusing the hatred on himself alone, once he dies (because he isn't obviously immortal) it's all going to fall apart. The peace Sasuke is going for would be only an illusion, a farce created only because of a fear of him, just like with Kaguya. I kinda fault Kishimoto for being a bit too predictable and lacking in creativity when it comes to these villainous versions of peace, but it gives us the much awaited Naruto vs Sasuke battle anyway, and the conclusion of their conflict will obviously be far more interesting so whatever.
And I think Kishi just unintentionally confirmed it this chapter; Itachi is the best damn character this story has. The dude continues to be instrumental to this manga, even when it's close to its end. He's got more influence than any other character we've seen in the series, rivaling that of Minato. He remains the world to Sasuke which makes him an omnipresent force since his introduction, and he continues to shape the very fundamental beliefs and ideals both Naruto and Sasuke have held until this point, which will, as it goes, decide the very fate of their world. All hail his grace, King Itachi!!!!
