Boom! Boom! Boom!
A deafening explosion rocked the air.
As Sasuke's Chidori Rasengan landed, a terrifying blast of crackling lightning instantly engulfed the vast open space. Thunder raged, and lightning shot skyward. Rings of shockwaves spread outward, billowing up massive clouds of dust. The air itself felt tingly, carrying the faint scent of ozone and burning.
The fusion of two A-rank jutsu was incredibly powerful.
After the explosion, Sasuke leaped out of the smoke, landing safely outside the impact zone. He looked at the shattered earth and the still-flickering arcs of electricity dancing in the dust. A triumphant, satisfied expression crossed his face. He seemed quite pleased with the power of his attack.
"This is my strongest ninjutsu, aside from Lightning Release: Kirin," Sasuke declared, his voice ringing with arrogance. "Itachi, consider it an honor to die from this."
Sasuke's smug words were barely out when a sudden gust of wind blew out from the center of the smoke. In the blink of an eye, it cleared the surrounding haze, revealing Itachi kneeling on the ground, clutching his eyes. His clothes were tattered, his body covered in wounds.
"You really have a lucky life, surviving even like that..." Sasuke's expression shifted instantly from smug to grim. A cruel smile twisted his lips. "That's perfect. Had you died too quickly, it would be a disservice to the torment and suffering I've endured over the years!"
As he spoke, Sasuke charged forward again. Chidori instantly materialized in his hand, transforming into a silver lance that shot out, piercing straight toward the kneeling Itachi.
Itachi managed to raise his head in time. Disbelief at his broken Tsukuyomi still clung to his face. "You actually..."
After uttering that half-sentence, Itachi belatedly remembered to defend and quickly dodged to the side. The rapidly thrusting Chidori spear still pierced his left arm, blood flowing profusely.
"This makes hand seals difficult, huh? One against seven!" Sasuke laughed maniacally, sweeping the Chidori spear toward Itachi's neck.
This time, Itachi wasn't distracted. He ducked abruptly, dodging the sweeping spear. At the same time, his right eye, which had closed at some point, suddenly opened. Its pupil was dilated, the whites bloodshot.
"Amaterasu!"
Whoosh!
Blood streamed down the corner of his eye. Everything Itachi could see was engulfed in raging black flames. A path of flames rapidly stretched from the ground before him, reaching Sasuke's feet in the distance.
"Hehehe... Hahaha!!!" Sasuke stood rooted to the spot, laughing maniacally as the Amaterasu burned toward him. "Your eye techniques are useless! One against seven! They're all countered by me! I am your nemesis, born to avenge myself on you!"
As he shouted, the three-tomoe Sharingan in Sasuke's eyes finally began to rotate. In an instant, a six-pointed star composed of six oval leaves appeared.
"Fire Release: Kagutsuchi!"
Whoosh!
The black flames that had burned all the way to Sasuke suddenly stopped! Like soldiers obeying a general's command, they silently and orderly lined up before him!
"As expected, it's the Mangekyou Sharingan, hahaha..." Itachi coughed up a mouthful of blood while laughing.
Although he had already guessed it when his Tsukuyomi was broken by the powerful eye power, seeing it for real now completely put his mind at ease. It meant he hadn't wasted his time enduring the Chidori Rasengan and the Chidori Spear, which had severely injured him.
Originally, Itachi planned to kill Sasuke within the Tsukuyomi and then take him out of Four Star Village. That way, Sasuke wouldn't be physically injured, nor would he have any strength left to resist.
But he never expected that Sasuke would actually awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan!
Therefore, Itachi temporarily changed his plan from knocking Sasuke unconscious and taking him away to giving him the Mangekyou Sharingan. After all, Sasuke had also awakened the ultimate power of the Mangekyou Sharingan.
Although Itachi felt he could win, he knew it would overwhelm his already weakened body. This would leave him unable to cope with Menma subsequently, forcing him to escape.
That's why he pretended to be injured and didn't dodge the attack when Tsukuyomi was broken. This made it easier for Sasuke to kill him and fuse with his eyes. And he himself could finally be completely free, no longer tormented by the guilt of killing his clansmen.
Thinking this, Itachi, who had stopped coughing, wore the same arrogant smile as Sasuke.
"Hahaha... Finally, my fruit is ripe and ready to be harvested! Sasuke! By fusing with your eyes, I can regain clear vision, and my ailing body will be healed! Now, let you, who have just awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan, see the ultimate divine power that the Mangekyou Sharingan can grant!"
"—Susanoo!"
Whoosh!
Orange-red ocular power surged from Itachi's body as if it were free. Skeleton, flesh, fascia, armor—layers covered him in the blink of an eye, until finally manifesting a gigantic half-body Susanoo, over ten meters tall, clad in heavy armor, wearing a tengu mask!
"I'll take your eyes, Sasuke!"
"Hahaha!!!" Sasuke laughed wildly. "Don't think you're the only one who can do this. I haven't closed my eyes for three days for this power! One against seven!"
Whoosh!
A purplish-red ocular power surged like flames. A gigantic half-body Susanoo, just like Itachi's, appeared. However, Sasuke's half-body Susanoo lacked the heavy armor!
"Damn it!" x2
With a roar, the two gigantic Susanoos collided. Sasuke's purple Susanoo, wielding an arrow that covered Amaterasu, slammed down toward Itachi's orange-red Susanoo. The elder brother's Susanoo raised its left hand, the Yata Mirror, to block, while simultaneously slamming its right hand into Sasuke's chest.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The two massive Susanoos clashed back and forth, completely destroying the surrounding ground. Fortunately, Menma had deliberately chosen a large, open area without any buildings. Otherwise, this battle would have resulted in considerable financial losses!
As the battle intensified, Sasuke's own chakra and ocular power were the first to succumb. After Susanoo was injured again to replenish its ocular power, it regressed into its skeletal form.
The already severely injured Itachi was also suffering. Although his ocular power was still abundant, his body, coughing up blood, was teetering on the verge of collapse. However, upon seeing Sasuke's Susanoo degenerate into a skeleton, he still managed an ugly smile.
"Your eye power and chakra are running low. Looks like I'll be the one to win in the end and take your eyes!"
"Is that so?" Sasuke laughed disdainfully. "Itachi, have you forgotten where I am? This is Four Star Village! And I..."
Crimson chakra enveloped the Susanoo, and three enormous fox tails wrapped around Sasuke's body. "The chakra of a tailed beast bestowed with three tails!"
Whoosh!
The Susanoo, originally in skeletal form, rapidly replenished its flesh and blood, even becoming wrapped in a thin layer of tailed beast cloak!
Seeing the emerging tailed beast chakra, Itachi inexplicably let out a long sigh of relief. He murmured softly, "It's finally appeared... Sasuke, this is the last thing I can do for you..."
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