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Jin was stunned.
Mikoto's slap was truly a stroke of divine inspiration.
Fugaku was startled as well, hurriedly setting down his teacup and standing up.
But his movement was too abrupt, and the tea spilled all over him.
Even so, he didn't dare wipe it off. Instead, he quickly put on a smile and explained,
"Ahem… they're just sparring. Sparring, that's all."
"Sparring?"
Mikoto looked suspicious.
But before she could say anything more, Fugaku had already ushered her back into the room.
"Huff…"
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned to Itachi.
"Your mother doesn't know anything about this. Could you maybe—"
Clatter—
At that moment, the wooden door was pushed open again.
"Onii-san, hug."
Little Sasuke, rubbing his sleepy eyes, bounced in and ran straight toward Itachi, arms outstretched.
No hesitation at all.
Then, while nestled in Itachi's arms, he gave Jin a disdainful little snort.
In the ancestral hall, already heavy with bitterness and hatred, the atmosphere grew even stranger.
"Ahem… looks like killing's not happening tonight," Jin hesitated for a moment, then tried suggesting,
"How about you come back in a couple of days and kill everyone again?"
Itachi: "..."
He paused for a split second—then raised his hand and struck.
Bang!
Before Sasuke's disbelieving eyes, he knocked him unconscious with a single blow.
Carefully setting Sasuke aside, Itachi shook his head.
"There won't be another chance."
As the words fell, his entire presence changed once more.
Buzz—buzz—buzz!
Orange-red chakra spread across his body.
Looking at Jin, his voice carried an unfamiliar gravity.
"Jin, I have reasons why I must act. So—"
"So eat a Baguazhang Air Palm!"
Boom!
Before the sentence even finished, Itachi was sent flying.
Bang!
He smashed straight into the courtyard wall.
Rumble!
The wall collapsed, and Itachi was buried beneath the rubble.
"Always yammering on. I'm really getting tired of this 'one-versus-seven' nonsense."
Jin shrugged as he walked out of the building, taking a deep breath.
Air Palm really was convenient!
Even a high-IQ combat genius like Itachi couldn't withstand it.
"Caw—caw!"
However, the rubble didn't pin Itachi down.
Instead, several black crows burst out, flapping their sharp beaks as they soared into the sky.
Flap, flap.
In the blink of an eye, the crows converged, reforming into a human figure.
Uchiha Itachi.
He lowered his head, looking at his second brother, feeling—perhaps for the first time—how utterly unfamiliar Jin was.
After a moment, he suddenly smiled and said softly,
"That palm just now… was that your dōjutsu?"
"To choose taijutsu instead—your path is wrong."
"For a ninja, ninjutsu is what matters most."
"Now then—properly savor this grand ninjutsu spectacle."
"Amaterasu!"
Fsshh!
His right eye widened.
Pitch-black flames appeared out of nowhere, carrying a chilling aura and scorching intensity.
At the doorway, Fugaku's pupils shrank violently.
"Such fast black flames! Burning everything to nothing… so this is the power of Itachi's other eye?"
Fast!
Too fast!
Even though Itachi called it out in advance and activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, Fugaku hadn't been able to catch the flames immediately.
By the time he saw them, the black fire had already appeared beneath Jin's feet.
Seeing Jin standing still, Fugaku hurriedly shouted,
"No! Jin—move! Get out of the way!"
He stepped forward instinctively to help—
Then froze.
The black flames passed straight through Jin's body.
As if they had encountered nothing but air, they didn't pause for even an instant.
Only when they struck the cherry blossom tree outside the courtyard wall did they ignite, burning fiercely.
"So… just like that man who calls himself Madara—you've obtained a space-phasing ability as well?"
Itachi narrowed his eyes, his heart sinking.
That man's intangibility didn't last more than five minutes…
If that was the case—
Then he'd burn Jin until he was forced to reappear.
Clutching his left eye, Itachi spoke again,
"Amaterasu!"
Fsshh!
This time, faster—more black flames erupted beneath Jin.
Like raging infernos, they roasted him relentlessly.
But—
Light shimmered.
A faint moonlight cloak draped itself over Jin's body, turning him into pure radiance—like an indestructible golden form.
"What an unreasonable trait."
Jin looked up at the moon.
Sunlight was light.
Moonlight was also light.
Even streetlamps gave off light.
And if all else failed, he could just use Fire Release—was firelight not light?
In other words, this golden body was strong.
Far stronger than he had imagined.
Drip.
Time ticked by, second by second.
"Cough… cough… hack!"
Suddenly, Itachi felt a sharp pain in his throat and began coughing violently.
"So soon?" he murmured.
Lowering his head, he stared at the blood in his hand, his eyes dimming.
Around his body, orange-red chakra surged once more.
Crack—crack.
It solidified into rib-like structures, forming armor around him.
Two enormous armored arms, burning with crimson flames, slowly took shape.
"Susanoo? That really is unexpected from Itachi…"
"To think that in just over a year, he's not only mastered both Mangekyō abilities, but even developed such an ancient power!"
At the doorway, Fugaku's eyes widened to the point they looked ready to pop out.
Even though he had long accepted reality—
Even though he could face death calmly—
He was still shaken by his eldest son's genius.
"If Itachi stood on the clan's side… maybe we truly could restore the glory of our ancestors…"
The thought flashed through his mind.
But he crushed it instantly.
What mattered now was Jin.
"He's still young and hasn't seen the clan records. He can't afford to suffer here."
Taking a deep breath, Fugaku hurriedly explained,
"Jin, this is Susanoo—an ability only awakened through the Mangekyō Sharingan. Its defense—"
But before he could finish, the rest of his words jammed in his throat.
He couldn't say them.
Opposite him—
Jin showed no change in expression upon seeing Itachi's Susanoo.
He merely raised his hand again and repeated calmly,
"Baguazhang—Air Palm."
Bang!
Bang bang bang!
Air Palms struck Susanoo's skeletal armor like bullets, producing crisp, booming impacts.
But they didn't break through.
Itachi shook his head, wiping the blood from his hand, and sneered,
"How laughable. This is the strongest defense in the ninja world!"
"And you think you can shatter it with bare hands?"
"Jin, you really are naïve."
"So what?" Jin shot back disdainfully.
"Didn't you know? Some people even poke it with shuriken."
With that, he raised his right hand high—
Then brought it down slowly.
Baguazhang—Air Palm!
But this time, the Air Palm was no longer colorless.
It was a massive, crimson chakra projectile.
Nine-Tails Power · Stage Two!
Containing two-ninths of the tailed beast's might!
Itachi sighed.
"Oh? You've infused it with chakra nature? Not a bad idea, but—pff!"
Crack!
The crimson Air Palm ripped Susanoo's skeletal armor apart!
Crack—crack—crack!
The sound of fractures echoed endlessly.
The light in Itachi's eyes faded rapidly.
His face drained of all color.
His body overloaded; Susanoo naturally dispersed.
Thud.
He collapsed toward the ground.
But just before he hit it, a massive hand formed from crimson chakra appeared and caught him—
Then clenched tight.
"Pretty pathetic, huh, One-versus-Seven."
Jin raised his right hand slightly, pulling Itachi before him, and said softly,
"Did you really think I kept asking you those questions because I wanted to redeem you or win you over?"
"In truth…"
"I was just giving you a chance."
With that—
His right hand clenched violently.
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