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The Eighth Trial concluded. Four reincarnated former Kage ascended to the heavens. Izuna escaped the Impure World Reincarnation and fled the scene.
Sasuke stood on the island, now almost reduced to ruins, watching the tides ebb and flow.
This eighth fight hadn't been as brutally desperate as the previous seven. In the end, the White Cursed Seal's State Four was too comprehensive, its power too flawless. Even with added restrictions, it was hard to push Sasuke to the brink of death like before.
But… the effect of the trial was still achieved. The mental strain, the high-intensity combat—it was enough.
Sasuke walked to where his clone had dispersed and picked up the scroll left by Tsuchikage Mū. A swirling vortex of spacetime pulled him back to Pale Moon Island.
Kabuto smiled. "An absolutely brilliant battle, Sasuke-kun!"
Perhaps not as intensely violent as the ones before, but this was the fight Sasuke had poured the most effort into. Just figuring out how to display those impossibly unreasonable jutsu before each of the four Kage had taken every ounce of his brainpower.
Right now, everyone's burning question was obvious.
"What's on the Tsuchikage's scroll?"
"See for yourself." Sasuke handed the scroll to Orochimaru.
Orochimaru unrolled it, his eyes scanning the contents. "This is… the Fourfold Secret Techniques of Iwagakure!"
The so-called Fourfold Secret Techniques were the combined names for the 'Heavy-Weight Rock', 'Super Heavy-Weight Rock', 'Light-Weight Rock', and 'Super Light-Weight Rock' jutsu!
The knowledgeable Kabuto was surprised. "If I recall, these four techniques cannot be performed even if one knows the hand seals without the specific chakra of Iwagakure's Jōryū clan. They're praised as techniques that, while not Kekkei Genkai, are no less exclusive!"
Orochimaru chuckled. "So… Mū thought ahead. He even left traces of his own Jōryū clan chakra within the scroll. Truly a generous gift."
Taking the scroll from Orochimaru, Sasuke said, "This favor will be repaid to Iwagakure someday."
It was then that Itachi asked with concern, "Sasuke, you were hit by Izuna's dōjutsu, 'Ayahakashi'. Do you feel any abnormalities?"
Sasuke raised his hand, staring at his palm for a long moment.
"Nothing tangible."
He shook his head and lowered his hand.
"If I were Izuna, I wouldn't have revealed the details of the technique. I'd let the opponent meet death unprepared. Izuna died too young. His heart is still too straightforward…"
Suigetsu shrugged, grinning. "Maybe he was just too confident in his own technique. Confident that even if you knew the truth, you'd still be helplessly waiting for death. How could he know we have the omnipotent Orochimaru-sama!"
Rainbow farts were addictive precisely because you couldn't tell if they were rainbows or farts. Regardless… a faint smile returned to Itachi's face.
Sasuke's expression turned serious. "Itachi. Your fight is next."
Itachi adjusted the collar of his Uchiha cloak.
"I know."
Northwest border of the Land of Fire.
Sai River Plains. A black-cloaked, black-haired youth sat alone on a cliff in the dark night, an aura of shadow enveloping him.
Black Zetsu stood not far behind.
During the battle on Paradise Island with Kabuto, Madara had already realized Black Zetsu was not simply his will. Yet, uncharacteristically, Madara chose to feign ignorance.
"Black Zetsu… what's the time?"
Black Zetsu replied, "Another half-hour, and the agreed-upon day will pass."
According to the timeline… today must be Sasuke's so-called Eighth Trial. Usually, Kabuto handles the pre-battle arrangements. Before heading to Paradise Island, he visited the graves of the major villages. Sasuke's opponents this time must be Edo Tensei. But for a battle of that scale to escape White Zetsu's surveillance… the location must be near their hideout.
Madara spoke. "We'll wait another half-hour. If he doesn't come, we go to Konoha. Slaughter them all. To soothe this restlessness in my heart."
Black Zetsu said, "From my understanding of Uchiha Itachi, he will definitely come."
"Heh… I hope so."
Madara closed his eyes, entering a final state of pre-battle focus.
Whoosh!
Suddenly—a chakra that made his heart stir appeared in his senses!
"This chakra…!"
Black Zetsu sensed it too!
Madara was already flying off the cliff face, sprinting towards the source of the chakra!!
"Brother's chakra… he's coming towards me! He sensed me too!!!"
Izuna's heart leapt with joy, his steps quickening… But, at the edge of his vision, the face that came into view was one he'd never seen before. A stranger!
His steps faltered for a moment, then became resolute again!!
"Even if the face changed… it's Brother, without a doubt!!!"
Whoosh!
The two brothers stopped when they were five meters apart.
They gazed at each other… decades of separate thoughts and longing flowing between them.
"Izuna. You haven't changed a bit."
"Brother… you've become a stranger."
The brothers shared a smile, each stepping forward to embrace the other.
Only then did Madara realize… Izuna's body held no warmth of life.
Even though he'd expected it, a pang of loss still echoed deep within.
"When were you reincarnated?"
"Not long ago."
Madara looked at Izuna's pale right eye. The only thing that could make a reincarnated eye show signs of blindness was a dōjutsu paid for with blindness itself.
Izanagi.
Madara's hand on Izuna's shoulder tightened, his voice turning colder. "Who did this to you?"
Izuna said, "Uchiha Sasuke."
Madara: "Ah… him."
Izuna: "Brother knows of him?"
Madara: "I know… but haven't seen him with my own eyes yet."
Until this very moment… that Uchiha boy who existed only in second-hand impressions truly entered Madara's world.
Because… his little brother had been dragged into it.
Madara said, "Izuna, to be honest… I am about to fight that boy's older brother."
Izuna: "Uchiha Sasuke… he has a brother? Isn't he the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan!?"
Madara: "Ah, you know about that. But calling him the sole survivor isn't entirely accurate. You see, the Uchiha clan was wiped out… by Uchiha Sasuke's own older brother. Uchiha Itachi."
"What…!?"
Hearing this reality, Izuna's face twisted in shock and fury!
Fwoom!
From the black vortex of Futodama, two figures appeared.
Izuna glared at Kabuto. "Him! He's the caster of my Edo Tensei!!!"
Kabuto wasn't surprised to see Izuna here. After all, there weren't many places the latter could go.
He looked at 'Madara', his manner polite. "Apologies for the wait, Madara-sama… I have brought, as promised, the man who can satisfy your craving for battle in every sense—Uchiha, Itachi."
As the words fell, Kabuto took a slight step back, positioning himself behind the man he accompanied.
Madara's eyes darkened. "Izuna, step back…"
"Brother…"
Flicker.
In Madara's eyes… the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan blazed to life!
—"These are your eyes. I will use them to settle everything!"
"Good… I will watch your back, just like before!"
Izuna gazed fervently at his brother's retreating back, stepping away himself!
"Itachi, he's all yours."
Kabuto also vanished into a spacetime vortex.
A cold smile played on Madara's lips. "What an unfortunate coincidence. My younger brother… was just mistreated by your younger brother."
Itachi's right hand, which had been tucked inside his collar, withdrew from his sleeve. He raised it, forming the sign of confrontation. "So, the older brother comes to settle the matter. The dead have no words. The defeated have no voice."
Madara sneered. "Don't make me laugh. The only one qualified to stand opposite me is Hashirama. The only one with the right to say such words is him! And he… is dead."
—Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!
—Fire Style: Vacuum Flame Blast!
BOOM…!
A cataclysmic sea of fire tore open the curtain of battle!
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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