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Natsuki hadn't expected this outcome.
Sasuke was truly strong now. With the power of a Tailed Beast, he had stepped into real Kage-class territory.
By comparison, Itachi was ravaged by illness, his eyesight failing. His ocular power was already thin; to withstand Sasuke's onslaught, he had no choice but to fight with everything he had.
But the consequence of going all out… was dying faster.
Then again, did Itachi have a choice now?
Itachi immediately poured in more ocular power. Susanoo (Susanoo) surged to its fully armed form: Totsuka no Tsurugi (Ten Fist Sword) in the right hand, Yata no Kagami (Yata Mirror) in the left—majestic and imposing.
Sasuke didn't celebrate over severing one of Itachi's arms; instead he amped up his Tailed Beast transformation.
In no time, he was almost fully a Three-Tails in form—only his head remained human. He wasn't a perfect jinchūriki, but the power he could wield was hardly inferior to one.
"Suiton: Chō-Ōdai Suipōdan (Water Release: Super Water Cannon Bullet)!"
Sasuke unleashed a massive Water Release barrage without hesitation—but the Yata no Kagami (Yata Mirror) blocked it.
Like the Totsuka blade, the mirror was formed of ocular power yet functioned as a divine artifact—its defense tremendous, far beyond what a water cannon could pierce.
Sasuke wasn't surprised; he'd seen this Susanoo form before.
If the Yata Mirror's defense was too tough, then he'd just go melee. No way that mirror could block everything.
He charged straight in, lightning and vapor crackling off his body—twin chakra natures of Lightning and Water detonating as he slammed into the Yata Mirror.
The mirror held—but Susanoo staggered a step.
In that instant, Sasuke seized his chance.
His three tails stretched long and swept the ground, hooking Susanoo's legs and knocking it off balance. He then heaved mightily, slamming Susanoo backward onto the floor.
BOOM! The colossal turtle crashed down atop Susanoo, pounding with thunderous claw-blows, the rumbling never ending.
An instant later—crack!—Susanoo's shell of power split under the brute assault.
Sasuke had learned this from Natsuki. He'd once seen Natsuki's stone giant pummel Susanoo—three punches to break the guard. He couldn't do it in three? Then six punches. Seven. There was no way Susanoo wouldn't break!
Exactly as he'd anticipated: as long as he wasn't slamming blindly against the Yata Mirror, Susanoo's body wasn't invincible.
In truth, breaking Susanoo's guard wasn't that hard.
There was a condition, of course—power. Think of the Five Kage versus Madara: Tsunade cracked Susanoo with a single punch, and the other Kage were all adept at breaking its guard.
Power was the key.
Sasuke alone might not have had enough to crack Susanoo. But with the Tailed Beast's strength—no problem at all!
"Shine! One-against-seven!"
With a shout, the giant turtle reared both feet and stomped down.
A deafening crash—Susanoo shattered beneath him, and Itachi seemed crushed underfoot.
But Sasuke wasn't foolish; he knew Itachi had too many tricks to die that easily.
Sure enough, the "crushed" Itachi dissolved into crows, and the real Itachi reappeared again—though his expression was far from good.
Susanoo broken—his absolute defense was compromised.
"The power of a Tailed Beast is certainly troublesome…"
He muttered, right eye widening—and in the next second the giant turtle was engulfed in black flame.
"Amaterasu (Amaterasu)!"
Sasuke screamed in agony as the Tailed Beast form receded, yet the black fire still clung to him, threatening to burn him to nothing.
But even as he howled, he didn't lose his cool.
The greatest thing he'd learned from Natsuki was calm. Only by staying calm could he find solutions; only by staying calm could he exact revenge. He could scream, even roll on the ground—but he couldn't lose control. That was when the enemy would seize an opening.
A single misstep, and he'd lose—then revenge would be gone.
He whipped out a scroll and unfurled it. Seals were already drawn across the parchment. Forming a sign, he activated Fūka Hōin (Fire Sealing Method)—and the black flames were sucked off his body and sealed into the scroll.
Only then did he exhale.
Itachi, who had been about to withdraw Amaterasu, paused—relief and pride flickering in his eyes.
Sasuke said coldly, "You've used that move before. There's no way I wouldn't prepare for it. Even if I get hit, I can save myself! Itachi, you must be out of cards by now. Next—it's my turn."
He quietly clipped a chakra battery onto his forearm and triggered its mechanism.
He did have a Tailed Beast, so chakra was rarely an issue—but he'd just spent a lot on the transformation, and then poured chakra into resisting the black flames. He was panting. Better to be safe and top up; even the longest-range e-bike runs out of charge with extended riding, right?
Itachi, by contrast, had also consumed heavily—but had no way to replenish.
That was Sasuke's advantage.
Watching his brilliant little brother, Itachi felt pride, relief—and a deep reluctance to part.
But his illness had reached its end. He was as good as dead. No matter his reluctance, he had to proceed with the plan: he had to die at Sasuke's hands, help Sasuke awaken the Mangekyō, and then leave his eyes to Sasuke.
Only with the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan could Sasuke truly stand firm in this dangerous world.
But before he died, there was one more thing he had to do: tear out the cursed seal on Sasuke's shoulder and free his brother from Orochimaru's threat.
His tomoe whirled faster, squeezing out more ocular power—Susanoo (Susanoo) manifested again!
Sasuke didn't flinch; he surged back into Tailed Beast form and charged.
BOOM! The two small titans smashed together again.
This time, Susanoo clung desperately to the giant turtle, locking it in place—while Itachi's right eye fixed wide upon Sasuke's shoulder.
"Amaterasu (Amaterasu)!"
Whoosh—! Black fire burst upon Sasuke's shoulder.
Clothes burned away first, then the pattern of the Juinjutsu (Cursed Seal) began to smolder.
This time, Amaterasu was precisely controlled, locked almost entirely onto the cursed seal. It hurt—but not as much as before.
Sasuke glanced over and saw the previously stable mark suddenly twist and swell, as if something were about to burst free. A bad feeling gripped him.
"Deliberately provoking the curse mark—trying to drive me out of control?"
"No… Natsuki said Orochimaru still lurks within the seal. Itachi's planning to awaken him—let Orochimaru seize my body—then snatch my eyes in the chaos?"
"Whatever it is, it's too dangerous!"
Before he could act, the curse mark burst—eight pale giant snakes erupted, lunging to coil and bite around Itachi's Susanoo…
(End of Chapter)
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