Sasuke vs. Itachi (Final)
"Completely deny me…?"
Itachi murmured as he looked up at the towering violet Susanoo, even larger than his own. With two colossal chakra avatars standing between them, neither brother could clearly see the other's face anymore.
That suited Itachi just fine.
For the first time since the night of the massacre, he let himself smile.
Not a mask. Not a lie.
A real smile.
He had always known he was a sinner of the clan. Even now, he couldn't say with certainty whether the path he chose had been right or wrong. But once he stepped onto it, there was no turning back. Whether the road ended in an abyss or endless hell, he would walk it to the end.
"You've already done it, Sasuke," Itachi said softly, more to himself than anyone else.
His ocular power was nearly gone. His left shoulder still burned from the Chidori Blade. His body, already ruined long ago, was barely holding together.
After Fujimoto Tōma had used that strange technique to force Kisame's hand, the wound Itachi took that night had never truly healed. That was why he had rushed to find Sasuke in the first place.
Now, even standing felt heavy.
But when Itachi looked at Sasuke, brimming with excitement, he couldn't bring himself to falter. To do so would dull the edge of this moment.
Still… he only had one attack left.
The Yata Mirror would be meaningless now. Even if it blocked Sasuke's attack, his body would give out right after.
The Totsuka Blade was a sealing weapon, but its raw cutting power was limited. And sealing Susanoo itself was pointless. As long as Sasuke's ocular power held, it could be restored.
Could the Totsuka Blade even reach Sasuke through that Susanoo?
Itachi already knew the answer.
No.
And Sasuke's weapon choice was obvious now. A bow.
Meaning the distance would never close.
At last, Itachi's Susanoo shifted, its form regressing to a lower stage.
"You're holding back again, Itachi!" Sasuke snapped.
"My foolish little brother," Itachi replied calmly. "Susanoo's forms aren't about height or size. Different enemies require different judgments. This is the right one."
If defense were his goal, the Yata Mirror would be enough. But he wanted a final clash.
Defense no longer mattered. He was already dead.
Three black magatama formed in his Susanoo's hand, bound together by a dark cord. Wrapped in orange-red chakra, they began to spin violently.
Sasuke fell silent. He could feel the power packed into that attack.
He knew this form. He had skipped it himself, but he understood its strength.
"Choose this form," Sasuke warned, drawing his bow without hesitation, "and there's no turning back."
"Hmph," Itachi laughed. "Say that after you defeat me. This is my last strike. Break it, and you win."
He hurled the spinning magatama forward.
"Yasaka Magatama!"
They tore through the air, blazing like a comet.
"This arrow," Sasuke said quietly, blood streaming from his Mangekyō, "carries every regret and every step I've taken!"
Purple chakra surged. His Susanoo's power spiked violently as he released the bowstring.
The arrow flew.
Purple and orange-red collided.
For a heartbeat, the sky vanished beneath their light.
Then—
Boom.
The Uchiha hideout was obliterated. Stone, steel, earth—everything collapsed into rubble. Shockwaves rolled outward, forcing even Zetsu to retreat from hiding.
"So… Sasuke awakened the Mangekyō," White Zetsu muttered, stunned. "And pushed Itachi this far…"
Black Zetsu watched silently. "His potential is dangerous."
The Yasaka Magatama shattered.
The purple arrow pierced through, unstoppable, and struck Itachi's Susanoo head-on.
"It's decided," Black Zetsu said.
"Sasuke won," White Zetsu agreed.
The arrow smashed through Susanoo and carried Itachi's body with it, flinging him far across the ruins. Sasuke knew the power had been reduced by the clash—but it was still far more than Itachi's body could endure.
This truly was the end.
No clones. No tricks.
Itachi had been empty the moment he summoned Susanoo.
Sasuke released his own Susanoo and walked forward.
He didn't know what he was supposed to feel.
At last, he found Itachi, slumped against a broken wall, blood everywhere… still smiling at him.
In that moment, everything finally settled.