"Even you…"
Sasuke stared at Uchiha Itachi in disbelief, once again confronted by the vast gulf in talent between himself and his brother.
Though at the Ninja Academy he had always been hailed as the Uchiha clan's genius, Sasuke knew all too well the truth.
The true genius of the Uchiha had always been his brother—Uchiha Itachi.
There was a time when Sasuke firmly believed Itachi would succeed their father as clan head, perhaps even rise as Hokage of the Hidden Leaf.
And yet now…
The very brother he once admired and respected above all, stood before him with killing intent.
Was he not still Itachi's younger brother?
Were clan and village truly things that could be cast aside so lightly?
Even up until they reached the Valley of Clouds and Lightning, before seeing Itachi again, Sasuke had secretly held onto hope.
Maybe… just maybe… his brother had been forced into everything.
Maybe there was some unavoidable reason.
But now, that fragile dream was shattered.
The Itachi standing before him radiated a murderous aura colder than steel.
Within mere breaths, his Susanoo swelled into its half-complete form, one hand gripping the legendary Totsuka Blade, the other holding the Yata Mirror.
"It's time to sever the bonds between us."
His words fell like a death sentence. Susanoo raised its sword high above, then brought it crashing down.
BOOM!
The strike shook the gorge, only to be met by the defenses of Senju Haruto's Wood Release.
"Hmm… the power feels a little lacking."
Haruto couldn't help but mutter inwardly.
Both he and Itachi knew the truth—neither of them needed to hold back for appearances' sake. Unless Itachi pushed Susanoo to its full form, his strikes would never force Haruto to truly take them seriously.
But Itachi's body was already failing him. His illness, compounded by years of Mangekyō strain, left him incapable of wielding his full might.
And still…
For Sasuke's sake, he forced his body further.
In an instant, the half-complete Susanoo swelled and transformed, expanding into its complete form—a sight unseen even across the entire Naruto saga.
It was a testament both to the depth of Itachi's love for Sasuke…
And to the respect he held for Senju Haruto's strength.
If they were to put on a convincing act, it had to be done properly.
To reveal only a half-form Susanoo would have made Haruto's restraint obvious.
This wasn't just holding back. This was holding back an entire sea.
At the same time, the complete form's toll on Itachi's body was immense.
"At best… I can sustain this for five minutes."
Itachi whispered in his mind.
With another swing, Susanoo's blade crashed down toward Sasuke and the others.
"So he can use the same techniques as Haruto…"
Izumi Uchiha and Kakashi were stunned, unable to hide their awe.
Until this moment, they had believed only Haruto possessed the strength to wield Susanoo at such a level.
But now, Itachi's terrifying might stood revealed.
And while Haruto and Itachi exchanged strikes, cooperating silently within their clash…
Kisame stirred.
Having regained consciousness after his earlier defeat, the shark-like ninja blinked at the chaos before him, confusion clouding his eyes.
"What in the world happened here…?"
Sliding into the cover of the lake, he quickly reclaimed Samehada, his massive living blade, and sensed the faint life-force of the unconscious Killer B.
He didn't understand why B had fallen—but he knew opportunity when he saw it.
As one of the few in Akatsuki truly loyal to the Eye of the Moon plan, Kisame seized his chance.
Silently fusing with Samehada, he slipped beneath the waters, carrying B away from the Valley of Clouds and Lightning.
"Then I suppose… I'll need to get serious too."
Haruto clapped his hands together, summoning forth another Wood Golem to parry Susanoo's relentless blade.
But this time, he didn't pour his full strength into it.
BOOOOM!
The collision thundered through the canyon. Shockwaves rippled outward, tossing Kakashi and the others back like ragdolls.
From Sasuke to Izumi, all of them felt the suffocating killing intent behind Itachi's strikes.
He truly meant to sever their bonds—
To cut everything away, even them.
"Itachi…"
Sasuke floated on the lake's surface, staring up at his brother's towering Susanoo, unable to accept this reality.
The same brother who had once been so kind to him as a child—
Now struck at him with the intent to kill.
And Haruto's Wood Golem shattered under Susanoo's assault, splintering apart.
"See, Haruto? My power has already surpassed yours!"
Itachi roared from above, his voice carrying both fury and desperation.
All the while, he kept careful count of the minutes his Susanoo could last.
The killing intent he unleashed was genuine—but he knew Haruto would never allow him to actually kill Sasuke.
CLAP!
Haruto ignored his words. His hands struck together once more, drawing in nature energy as his body shifted into Sage Mode.
"Sage Art: Wood Release—True Thousand Hands!"
Of course, Haruto held back here too. His colossal construct was trimmed down, forced to match Susanoo's size.
"This is the power I've gained by severing my bonds!"
Itachi laughed manically, clashing with Haruto's thousand arms.
And Haruto… didn't even use his full strength.
If he wished, one strike could have ended Itachi.
The gap between Eternal Mangekyō and the ordinary Mangekyō was too great.
"I'm not holding back water anymore… I'm holding back an entire sea."
Haruto sighed inwardly as Susanoo ripped through the wooden colossus, knocking him back into the lake.
"Unbelievable… Itachi's grown even stronger than before." Haruto feigned a weary breath. "But my fight with the Eight-Tails drained too much chakra."
As Haruto sank, Itachi pressed the attack, hurling Yasaka Magatama after him.
But before the blow could land—
"ITACHI!"
Sasuke, burning with rage, flashed before Haruto. His eyes twisted with fury, spinning violently.
In that instant—his Sharingan transformed.
The Mangekyō had awakened.
Fueled by raw emotion, Sasuke's chakra erupted, birthing a purple Susanoo. Though incomplete, it carried a great shield that intercepted Itachi's Magatama.
Yet Sasuke's body and heart were not ready.
The effort drained him instantly.
After blocking the strike, darkness closed in and he collapsed.
Itachi looked down at his fallen brother, a faint, almost invisible smile touching his lips.
"Sasuke… you've finally awakened the Mangekyō."