The Death of Itachi
Outside the Uchiha hideout, Fujimoto Tōma and Hoshigaki Kisame waited in silence.
At first, Kisame had been wary. He half-expected Tōma to slip inside while he wasn't looking, using that terrifying strength of his. But after their wager, Tōma hadn't moved at all. He simply closed his eyes, standing there as if resting, though Kisame had no idea what he was actually doing.
Time passed.
Then Kisame felt it.
The disturbance from the hideout. The battle had started. No, it had already spilled outward.
Without Tōma present, Kisame would have gone closer to watch. But since Tōma clearly had no intention of moving, Kisame didn't dare act on his own.
Then he saw it.
A Susanoo towering dozens of meters into the sky.
"…That kid actually pushed Itachi this far?" Kisame muttered, stunned.
He knew Itachi's condition better than anyone. In his current state, Susanoo shouldn't have been an option at all. Forcing it out was suicidal.
"There's a lot you still don't know," Tōma said with a faint smile, finally opening his eyes.
He had been using sensory techniques the entire time, following the flow of the fight. From the initial stillness that screamed genjutsu, to the escalation into full ninjutsu combat.
Once Itachi brought out Susanoo, Tōma had assumed Sasuke would resort to Sage techniques.
Instead—
A larger, violet Susanoo appeared.
Tōma fell silent.
That sight meant only one thing. Sasuke had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
But when?
If it had just awakened, controlling Susanoo should have been nearly impossible. Let alone skipping straight past its earliest forms.
So… after reading that letter?
Tōma was surprised. And quietly relieved.
Sasuke had chosen his own path. Not the one Itachi had paved with pain and despair.
Kisame let out a long sigh, all hope gone.
Given Itachi's condition, if Susanoo didn't end the fight immediately, defeat was inevitable.
The clash between Yasaka Magatama and the violet arrow still shook Kisame to his core. Either attack would have erased him instantly. And when the arrow pierced through Itachi's Susanoo…
Kisame said nothing more.
"Looks like I won," Tōma said, stretching lazily.
"I'll honor the bet," Kisame replied. "No one will interfere."
"Good. I'll head in. No need for you to collect the body. The right person's already there."
With that, Tōma vanished.
Kisame didn't argue. Sasuke was Itachi's brother. If anyone deserved to be there at the end, it was him.
The sky darkened. Rain threatened.
Kisame hoisted Samehada onto his back and turned away.
His promise to Itachi was fulfilled.
"I won, Itachi."
Sasuke stood before him, looking down at the broken figure against the rubble. There was no joy in his chest. Just a hollow ache.
Itachi coughed violently, blood spilling from his lips.
"…Yes," he said weakly. "You did."
After a moment, Sasuke spoke again.
"There's one last thing I want to ask. That night… when you killed them. Did you hesitate at all?"
"Hesitation?" Itachi replied hoarsely. "It wouldn't have changed anything. Regret wouldn't either. Once I chose that road, there was no turning back. Even if I lived it again, the result would be the same."
At this point, there was no reason to seek sympathy. That would only confuse Sasuke.
"I see," Sasuke said quietly.
He remembered the brother from his childhood. Warm. Patient.
Even at the end, when Itachi spoke of taking his eyes, Sasuke could tell. It had never been about power. It was about cutting away what affection remained.
But there was no need for that.
The Itachi he admired had stayed in the past. The man before him now was stained with the blood of their clan.
Sasuke didn't regret killing him.
Not for his parents. Not for the clan. Not for himself.
"It's true," Itachi said suddenly. "What I told you about the Eternal Mangekyō."
"I figured," Sasuke replied. "You want me to take your eyes."
"You don't want them," Itachi said with a bitter smile. "From a criminal like me."
Sasuke didn't deny it.
"But," Itachi continued, "you want to help Fujimoto Tōma, don't you?"
Sasuke frowned. "Why bring him up now?"
"The enemies ahead are stronger than you imagine," Itachi said. "Even the Sixth Hokage might not be enough."
"That's not true," Sasuke said firmly. "You underestimate him."
Itachi laughed softly. "I know how strong he is. My injuries prove it. But it still won't be enough."
Sasuke fell silent.
Compared to Tōma, he was still far behind.
"If you want to stand beside him," Itachi said, "the Eternal Mangekyō is one option. Power itself isn't wrong. Only how it's used."
Sasuke didn't answer.
Then Itachi spoke again. "Take this."
A crow emerged from his body. In its eye was a Mangekyō different from Itachi's own.
"That's…?"
"Shisui's Mangekyō," Itachi said. "Inside it is Kotoamatsukami. A genjutsu that rewrites a person's will."
Sasuke stiffened. "That kind of power exists?"
"If you won't use it," Itachi said, "give it to the Sixth Hokage. He'll use it properly."
After a moment, Sasuke nodded. "I'll give it to Fujimoto Tōma."
Itachi smiled in relief.
"Can I… make one last request?" Itachi asked faintly.
Before he could continue, Sasuke stepped closer, close enough for Itachi to see his face clearly.
Itachi chuckled weakly and tried to raise his hand.
It failed.
Sasuke lifted it for him, pressing two fingers gently against his own forehead, just like before.
"…You've really grown," Itachi whispered. "You're stronger than me now."
His vision cleared for the first time in years.
Satisfied, Itachi closed his eyes.
The hand slipped from Sasuke's grasp and fell limply to the ground.
Uchiha Itachi was dead.