Chapter 159 – Tsukuyomi
"Kisame," Itachi said quietly, his expression calm despite the tension in the air, "even if we fought him together, it wouldn't make any difference."
Kisame frowned. "You really think both of us couldn't handle him?"
"There's no need to try," Itachi replied evenly. "Even Samehada wouldn't stand a chance. His swordsmanship isn't something that can be copied or resisted—he can cut through chakra itself, turning his blade swings into pure energy."
A wild grin stretched across Kisame's face. "Heh… now that just makes me want to test it even more."
"Oh? Then go ahead," Kakashi said casually, stepping forward as lightning began to crackle faintly along the edge of his blade. With a swift motion, he swung toward the pair.
Kisame reacted instantly, unsheathing Samehada and slashing back. The collision between them unleashed a violent shockwave that flattened trees and sent debris flying in all directions.
Kisame's grin vanished. Samehada didn't absorb it…? he realized, eyes narrowing. And that was just a casual swing.
Memories he thought he had buried long ago resurfaced. He looked at Kakashi—the same pale hair, that same cold composure, and the same family name.
"…Hatake Yusuke," he muttered under his breath.
That name carried weight. Painful, humiliating memories flooded back. He had once faced Yusuke during the Chūnin Exams, when he was still young and arrogant—and had been utterly crushed.
The disdainful gaze from above, the effortless defeat, the words that cut deeper than blades—he had never forgotten any of it.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "So you've met my brother, huh? I take it you lost."
He sighed. "Well, that explains your trauma. But it's not surprising—no one can beat him anyway."
Even Itachi glanced sideways at that. The realization that Kisame had once crossed paths with Yusuke wasn't something he expected, though it did make sense. That name was known across every generation—respected, feared, and whispered in every village.
"Tch. You're right about one thing," Kisame growled, gripping Samehada tightly. "He's someone I'll never forget."
He lunged forward, blade raised.
Kakashi's expression hardened. "You've got guts, I'll give you that."
Before the blades collided again, Itachi blurred forward, his body flickering with speed. "No, Kisame. Stop!"
He intercepted the strike with a kunai—but Kakashi's sword cleaved through it like paper, slicing toward him. At the last second, Itachi's form scattered into a cloud of black feathers as his body dissolved into a murder of crows.
"Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!" Itachi formed seals in a blur, exhaling a massive sphere of flame that roared toward Kakashi.
But this was no ordinary fireball—the chakra density rivaled a high-level A-rank jutsu.
Kakashi swung his sword once. The air screamed as the fireball split cleanly in two, the residual shockwave slicing a line across the ground and forcing Itachi back several steps.
Kisame seized the opening, clapping his hands together.
"Water Release: Thousand Hungry Sharks!"
A torrent of water erupted, forming dozens of massive sharks that charged toward Kakashi with ravenous force.
"Hatake Kenjutsu: Sword Slash."
Kakashi swung calmly, and a flash of white light cleaved through the field. Every shark shattered into droplets before they could even reach him.
Then, his chakra flared. "Hatake Kenjutsu, Armament Haki: Sword Slash!"
The next swing collided with Itachi's defense head-on.
"Susano'o: Iron Defense!" Itachi summoned his spectral warrior, layering its armor with his body-hardening technique, Tekkai. The collision thundered through the air, shaking the very ground beneath them.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the translucent armor of the Susano'o.
"Mangekyō Sharingan," Kakashi muttered, his eye glowing ominously.
That name alone carried weight across generations. Those eyes had belonged only to legends—Uchiha Madara, the man who once rivaled Hashirama Senju.
And now, Itachi's Mangekyō spun into motion.
"Tsukuyomi."
In an instant, the world around Kakashi shattered like glass. His body stiffened as reality dissolved.
Inside the illusion, he found himself suspended in a monochrome world of black and white, bound by unseen chains.
Itachi stood before him, eyes glowing red like twin suns. "For the next seventy-two hours," he said softly, "you will experience death… again and again."
And so Kakashi endured. Time twisted endlessly in the world of Tsukuyomi. His mind screamed—but his will held firm.
When reality returned, only a moment had passed. Kakashi dropped to one knee, gasping, sweat pouring down his face.
"I was careless," he muttered weakly.
The illusion had lasted only an instant in the real world, but within that space, he had suffered for three days and three nights. Even with his formidable mind, the damage lingered—a dull ache in his soul that couldn't be healed by chakra alone.
Itachi covered his bleeding left eye. "Let's go, Kisame."
In a flash, both vanished into the shadows.
A few seconds later, Kakashi's vision cleared. His face was pale, but he was still conscious.
"Damn… that jutsu," he murmured. "Not something you break by brute force."
Before anyone could respond, a lazy, amused voice drifted from nearby.
"Honestly, Kakashi. To get caught in Tsukuyomi of all things… You're lucky he didn't bother killing you."
Everyone turned. Hatake Yusuke stood a few meters away, hands in his pockets, an unimpressed look on his face.
He tilted his head. "You do remember Itachi was half my student, right? How could you let your guard down that badly? If he'd been serious, you'd be a corpse—or worse, brain-dead."
His voice remained calm, but the sharpness beneath it made both Asuma and Kurenai flinch.
"I understand, Nii-san," Kakashi said quietly, bowing his head. He knew Yusuke's harsh words came from worry, not disdain.
"Hmph. If you pull that stunt again, I'll cut your legs off myself," Yusuke replied bluntly.
Kurenai frowned, folding her arms. "Alright, enough scolding. But tell me—why did you take so long to show up? With your Space-Time Ninjutsu, you could've arrived instantly."
"Ah, well…" Yusuke looked away awkwardly. "I had… important business."
Kurenai's eyes narrowed. "What kind of 'business,' exactly?"
Yusuke hesitated, then produced a small paper bag. "Buying dango. Three flavors. For you."
Kurenai blinked, then sighed. "You're unbelievable."
"Don't mention it," he said with a grin. "Now, Kakashi—escort your sister-in-law home. I've got one more thing to take care of."
"Yes, Sister-in-law," Kakashi replied lazily.
Kurenai froze. "W–what did you just call me?!"
"I don't make the rules," Kakashi said, shrugging.
Before she could retort, Yusuke was already gone—vanishing in a flicker of movement.
— — —
Far from the village, two figures emerged from the forest's edge. Itachi leaned slightly against Kisame, exhaustion clear in his breathing.
"The man named Kakashi… he's stronger than expected," Kisame muttered.
Itachi nodded faintly. "Of course he is. He's Hatake Yusuke's younger brother. Power like that runs in their blood."
For a brief moment, his eyes softened—memories of training under Yusuke and Shisui flashing through his mind.
"If Yusuke-nii had been there that night…" he murmured. "Maybe things would have turned out differently."
A voice drifted lazily through the wind.
"Oh? Leaving already? After coming all this way, you could at least stay for dinner."
Kisame stiffened. "That voice—!"
Both men turned.
There, standing casually on a tree branch, hands in his pockets and a faint smile on his lips—was Hatake Yusuke himself.
Even Itachi, ever calm, couldn't hide his surprise.
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