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—Manifestation of the Blood Rama!
Through the crystal ball's gaze.
The fleeting glimpse from Sasuke's dust-laden memories overlapped with the image of the divine being behind Itachi.
His fingers curled slightly, a touch of melancholy in his grip. "In my past life, during my final battle with Itachi, when he was telling me about the Uchiha's curse and the truth of the Eternal Mangekyō… a phantom of that same divine being appeared behind him. I always thought it was just an image he conjured—a detailed genjutsu to complement his passionate speech, meant to intimidate me when I was still young…"
Orochimaru's voice was calm and measured. "What you saw then, Sasuke-kun, was indeed an illusion. But it was not conjured from nothing."
Sasuke turned to Orochimaru's profound profile, waiting.
"Hmph. Very well. At this point, there is little left to conceal."
Orochimaru began his tale.
"The Uchiha's curse is real. The limited light of the Mangekyō, the cruel price for making that light eternal… both are the curse of the Blood Rama."
"On his deathbed, the Sage of Six Paths chose Asura, who championed love, as his successor, cold-shouldering Indra, who revered power. The conflict between them began there."
"But was Asura truly all light and selflessness?"
"Even moonlight has its flaws, let alone human nature."
"To secure the orthodoxy of the Ninja Sect, Asura tore out his own darkness. That darkness did not vanish. It remained in the world, gathering the resentment of countless Asura-line descendants who had died at the hands of Indra's line. It coalesced into a divine being named 'Blood Rama'."
"That deity… is the collective embodiment of Asura's hatred for Indra!"
Suigetsu scratched his head. "I don't get it. Passing over the eldest, taking away his birthright… shouldn't the older brother hate the younger one?"
Orochimaru's smile held a hint of sarcasm. "The opposite is true. Asura also harbored jealousy for his elder brother. He gained the Sect through the support of the masses and his father's favor. But his brother could accomplish nearly anything through his own power alone…"
"This hatred, hidden in the darkest corner of his heart, was something even Asura himself could not accept. So, he exiled it."
"Indra resolved to bear Asura's hatred alone. He sealed the Blood Rama within his own eyes."
"Yet the curse of the Blood Rama flowed down with the bloodline, reaching his descendants—the Uchiha clan."
"From the moment a Uchiha awakens the Sharingan, the curse manifests. Their temperament shifts."
"With the Mangekyō Sharingan, the curse's power peaks. Because the Blood Rama originated from Asura—that is, the Senju—every wielder of the Mangekyō already carries Senju power within them. Therefore, a Mangekyō user does not require Hashirama Senju's cells to use Izanagi. Of course, blindness is the inevitable price…"
"This destined blindness hangs like a sword overhead. Only by brothers or fathers and sons fighting, seizing each other's eyes, and fusing them into the 'Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan,' can the curse of blindness be ended… But even if the blindness is cured, the price paid to lift the curse will torment the wielder's soul. A curse far more cruel than blindness itself!"
Gulp. Suigetsu swallowed. His lucky right eye suddenly felt less… sweet.
Orochimaru's tone shifted. "Yet, from another angle, the Blood Rama is also what made the Uchiha great."
Suigetsu asked, "How so?"
Orochimaru explained, "In ancient times, the Mangekyō Sharingan did not cause blindness. Nor was any price required for eternal light. It was this very curse that birthed the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan—that deformed yet magnificent product. The fusion of two Mangekyō elevated the Uchiha's power, reaching a new peak in later generations with Madara Uchiha. He is the only reincarnate… who could approach Indra's power at his prime!"
"But even Madara failed to perceive the existence of the Blood Rama's curse…"
"Itachi did. In his past life, with insight that transcended the clan's limits, he saw the form of the Blood Rama within his own soul and projected it in his genjutsu!"
"This life, with his Eternal Mangekyō awakened, liberated from the curse of the Blood Rama… he has even summoned it. The Manifestation of the Blood Rama—a feat only Indra himself should be capable of!"
…
On the battlefield.
"That divine being behind him… its pressure alone makes it hard to breathe!"
"The current Itachi… is extremely dangerous!!!"
Mon-Ban closed his eyes, rapidly putting distance between them. Forbidden techniques always come with unforeseen costs. Especially ancient ones like this. It must be severe…
Zzzzt—!
Itachi ignored Mon-Ban's retreat. On the face of the Blood Rama behind him, among its four Sharingan, the lower left eye opened. Its pattern shifted—it became Itachi's own Mangekyō!
—Tsukuyomi!!
Mon-Ban's world changed. Blood moon. Crimson clouds.
And Mon-Ban himself was bound to a pyre, unable to move.
His shock was palpable. This is… Tsukuyomi? I had my eyes closed! How could he—!
Itachi's figure appeared before him.
"Your 'physical eyes' were closed. But your 'mind's eye' was open. My Amenosagume saw that clearly. You cannot resist this Tsukuyomi."
Within the Tsukuyomi, blood seeped from Itachi's right eye.
—Amaterasu!
Whoosh…!
The black flames, dyed crimson by the Tsukuyomi world, ignited Mon-Ban's pyre!!
As Mon-Ban gritted his teeth, enduring the baptism of fire, countless other pyres appeared in this timeless space. On each cross was a bound Mon-Ban. Before each stood an Itachi.
Those were fragments of Mon-Ban's psyche, split into countless illusions. Illusory in form, but the pain was multiplied exponentially!
The countless Itachis spoke as one. "For the next three years, you will endure the torment of these Amaterasu flames…"
"GAAAAAAHHHH—!!!"
Under infinite agony, infinite Mon-Bans let out hysterical wails.
The wails subsided. The countless Itachis spoke again.
"One second has passed since we began. You have two years, three hundred sixty-four days, twenty-three hours, fifty-nine minutes, and fifty-nine seconds of baptism remaining…"
Three years in the illusion… a mere instant in reality.
Under the stunned gazes of Black Zetsu and Izuna, Mon-Ban crashed to the earth. From every pore on his body… black blood seeped out!!
This was not Amatsu-Hikone converting illusionary damage into reality. This was merely the physical refraction of spiritual trauma!!
His unfocused eyes stared death at the distant, flickering figure of Itachi.
"Ha… Hahaha… Hahahahahaha! He didn't… use 'Amatsu-Hikone' to make the genjutsu damage real? Did he disdain to do so?"
"No… if it wasn't Tsukuyomi, but Kotoamatsukami… what would have become of me?"
This thought… dealt a devastating blow to Mon-Ban's pride!
Anyone else suffering such a blow… would likely submit heart and soul!!
But he was Madara…!!!
"UCHIHA… ITACHIIIIIIII—!!!"
BOOM—! Mon-Ban staggered to his feet. Violent emotional turmoil caused the power of the Black Cursed Seal to erupt into the sky like a broken dam, then pour back into Naruto's teetering body!!
Zzzzt! Those Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, amidst rippling waves, began a violent transformation…!!!
Itachi let out a soft breath. "What was coming… has finally arrived."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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