After asking that question, Sasuke immediately regretted it.
Sasuke was proud, but not so arrogant that he thought he could actually compete with Shinju...
With Shinju's overwhelming strength, whoever had him on their side would basically win.
If he hadn't asked, Shinju could've been considered tacitly on his side.
But now, because of his careless mouth, he had forced Shinju to make a statement. If Shinju got even a little displeased, he could tie him up with Wood Release and drag him straight to Itachi...
Fortunately, Shinju's reply instantly put Sasuke's heart at ease.
"What are you saying? You're still my beloved friend and brother, after all. (•‾̑⌣‾̑•)✧˖"
Sasuke was so moved he could hardly speak.
But before he could voice his thanks, Shinju's next words choked him up.
Shinju said:
"But you're right—Itachi really did help me. So in this battle between you two, I won't help either side. I'll just sit back and watch."
Sasuke could only stiffly nod and accept this outcome.
Watching was fine—better than helping the enemy.
After walking together in the forest for a while, a towering building suddenly appeared before them.
It was semi-circular, built from earth and stone, and carved with a giant Uchiha clan crest.
Shinju couldn't help wanting to comment—the Uchiha crest was shaped like a fan, but to him, it always looked like a ping pong paddle...
Now, with the man he wanted to kill so close, Sasuke closed his eyes and took a deep breath, not sure if it was excitement or nerves, trying to calm himself.
"Let's go," he said, turning to Shinju at his side.
But when he glanced over, Shinju had vanished!
Σ(っ °Д °;)っ
Looking up, Sasuke saw Shinju had already stepped into the Uchiha compound!
"Don't just wander in there! You're not an Uchiha—if you trigger a trap..."
But before he could finish, Shinju showed no sign of listening. His figure had already disappeared into the building's shadow...
...
At the same time, in the city.
Karin, worried about Shinju's safety, sat cross-legged on the ground with her eyes closed, trying to sense what was happening inside the Uchiha compound.
But the base was far too distant. Even with her sensory abilities pushed to the max, she couldn't make anything out...
Unlike Karin, Naruto clearly had no worries about Shinju at all.
What bothered him most was the beady-eyed Kisame blocking his path!
The more Naruto looked at Kisame, the less he liked him.
Finally, the blond Naruto exchanged a quick look with the trouble-seeking Suigetsu. Together, the two decided to challenge the arrogant Kisame.
Kisame looked down at the two boys who didn't know their limits.
"Then I'll show you... what a real shinobi is."
His mouth curled into a playful grin.
"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
...
Inside the Uchiha compound.
When Sasuke reached the main hall, he found Itachi sitting high on the seat of honor, while Shinju stood across from him, their gazes locked, complicated emotions in Shinju's eyes.
Clearly, before Sasuke arrived, Shinju and Itachi had already spoken.
When Sasuke entered, Shinju quietly stepped back, yielding the battlefield to the two brothers.
He retreated into the shadows of the hall. But even then, Shinju drew the blade at his waist and slashed at the lurking White Zetsu that had been watching from the dark...
Now, with Shinju withdrawn, there was no barrier left between Sasuke and Itachi.
The two brothers faced each other, sparks of tension crackling in the air.
"You've finally come... my foolish little brother."
Itachi was the first to speak, lips curling in disdain.
"The grudge from that night... it's time to settle it!" Sasuke snarled through clenched teeth.
For a long while, Shinju noticed, neither brother moved an inch.
"Oh... a genjutsu battle," Shinju murmured.
No sooner had he spoken than Itachi suddenly coughed up blood from the high seat, his body trembling with weakness.
Sasuke's eyes were bleeding, but he still sneered triumphantly. "Your Tsukuyomi is nothing special."
Shinju narrowed his eyes, sensing something was off. (≖╻≖;)
Sasuke's Mangekyō wasn't even awakened yet—how could he overcome Itachi, who already had his Mangekyō Sharingan?!
It seemed this boy's mastery of genjutsu wasn't shallow at all!
The battle then shifted from genjutsu to ninjutsu.
After a chaotic clash, the Uchiha compound was reduced to ruins.
Black Amaterasu flames burned on the rubble, eternal and unquenchable.
Shinju observed the flames up close, analyzing them with his Sharingan.
After a few seconds, he had unraveled their nature and muttered,
"Not so difficult... but only someone with the Mangekyō can use this. (°ー°〃)"
Not far away, Itachi and Sasuke's fight had reached a fever pitch.
It was clear Itachi's illness was severe.
In their taijutsu exchanges, his movements lagged, and even when unleashing ninjutsu, he looked drained and fragile.
After another fierce clash, both brothers staggered back.
There was admiration in Itachi's eyes as he shouted, "Sasuke!"
"These years of chasing revenge... you've grown a lot."
"But there's a gulf between the Mangekyō Sharingan and the ordinary Sharingan—one that even the greatest ocular jutsu can't cross!"
As he spoke, crimson Susanoo bones erupted around him.
The skeletal frame grew muscles, tendons, and armor, solidifying into a towering half-bodied warrior.
Unlike Shinju's Susanoo, which wielded a Spiral Sword, Itachi's Susanoo held a shield in one hand and a sword in the other.
With his chakra sensing activated, Shinju noticed something peculiar about Itachi's Susanoo's weapons.
That strange shield... seemed to shift its properties...
"Interesting," Shinju murmured, making a mental note.
When you saw good work, you couldn't forget to copy it down...
Under the might of Susanoo, Sasuke kept scrambling away, his chakra nearly spent.
At the same time, Shinju could sense Itachi's body burning out, his life-force like a dying flame.
Then, suddenly, Shinju's expression tightened.
He could feel the curse mark seal he had once placed on Sasuke stirring strangely!
...
Inside Sasuke's curse mark space.
The slippery snake, Orochimaru, was furiously trying to break free.
"Whose sealing jutsu is this?! Why is it so damned hard to break?! (ꐦ ಠ皿ಠ)"
Back when Sasuke defeated him, Orochimaru hadn't truly died. He'd only been suppressed within the curse mark by Sasuke's power.
Now, a once-in-a-lifetime chance had come.
With Sasuke exhausting his chakra against Itachi, he no longer had the strength to keep Orochimaru contained.
The snake would use this moment to break free at last and complete the body-stealing ritual he'd failed to finish before! ୧⍢⃝୨
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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