Sasuke glared at Uchiha Itachi.
For a fleeting moment, excitement and resentment intertwined within him, his emotions so contradictory that he couldn't help but let out a sharp, bitter laugh.
"Itachi, it looks like your spare eye holds quite the grudge against you," Kisame remarked, amusement laced in his voice.
Itachi remained unfazed. His gaze shifted slightly. "The one hiding in the shadows… it's Kakashi, isn't it?"
"Kisame, I'll leave him to you."
"Got it. I'll make sure no one interferes with your little family reunion."
Without hesitation, Kisame slung Samehada over his shoulder and stepped forward, forming hand seals. He turned toward the wooded area beside them and unleashed a powerful technique.
"Water Release: Exploding Water Shockwave!"
A tidal wave surged forward, crashing into the forest with tremendous force. But then—
Kisame's eyes widened in disbelief.
What… what did I just see?
For a moment, he thought the trees had moved.
"Tch, playing tricks, are we?" he muttered, narrowing his eyes.
Without hesitation, he pushed off the ground, Samehada grinning on his back, ready to strike.
Meanwhile, Sasuke's entire body trembled as he stared at Itachi, his fingers clenching into fists.
Itachi frowned. His Mangekyō Sharingan was already active, and he had cast Sasuke into the realm of Tsukuyomi. But something was off.
Unlike before, Sasuke did not crumble at the vision of the Uchiha massacre.
Instead, he laughed.
A cold, eerie Uchiha-style chuckle.
Itachi's eyes widened ever so slightly. He unconsciously took a step back.
"My eyes can already see through all illusions."
Sasuke's voice was steady, filled with an unwavering conviction.
"Itachi, I will not let you leave Konoha alive."
Boom!
A surge of purple chakra erupted around Sasuke. In the blink of an eye, skeletal arms and ribs materialized, forming the beginnings of Susanoo.
Itachi's expression turned serious.
Konoha… has changed in ways I never expected.
"Mangekyō Sharingan…?!"
His voice was barely above a whisper. He had expected hatred, but this level of growth…
"Sasuke… your hatred for me has reached this level? Good… at least that much eases my mind. But you are still not ready."
"Madara and the Akatsuki are beyond what Konoha can handle right now."
Regaining his composure, Itachi's voice turned cold once more.
"If this is all you can do, then I am truly disappointed."
"Shut up!"
Lightning crackled to life in Sasuke's palm.
Chidori!
With a burst of speed, he charged forward, Susanoo's skeletal arm crashing down while his Chidori aimed straight for Itachi.
"Amaterasu!"
Three attacks converged on Itachi simultaneously.
Pain lanced through Sasuke's right eye as blood trickled down his cheek. But the next instant—
A sharp sound echoed through the battlefield.
Sasuke was sent flying.
Itachi's Susanoo had already evolved into its second form, crimson chakra coating its skeletal structure, giving it flesh and sinew.
Sasuke hit the ground, skidding several meters before coming to a halt.
"Hmph. Someone who can barely sustain Susanoo… how pitiful."
Itachi stepped forward, his voice devoid of emotion.
Boom!
His Susanoo entered its third form, donning Karasu Tengu armor, its terrifying aura dwarfing Sasuke's incomplete manifestation.
In contrast, Sasuke struggled to maintain even the skeletal form of Susanoo, his body unable to handle the immense strain. His incomplete construct flickered before vanishing altogether.
Snap!
Itachi's Susanoo's massive hand closed around Sasuke, lifting him effortlessly.
"Aghhh!!"
"Perfect timing! Amaterasu!"
Sasuke forced his right eye open once more, despite the searing pain.
This time, Itachi did not evade.
His own right eye bled as well.
Two Amaterasu flames clashed, the black fire twisting and devouring itself in a battle of wills.
Itachi remained composed, while Sasuke poured everything he had into the technique.
In the end…
It was a stalemate.
Not far from the battle, the Senju brothers watched in silence.
"Brother, do you feel it?" Tobirama murmured.
Hashirama nodded, his expression grave. "Yes. Uchiha Itachi… he's unwell."
"Hmph. That's the consequence of their clan's curse. They awaken their eyes too early, relying on their power without moderation. Their bodies suffer damage that cannot heal."
Tobirama's voice was laced with disdain, yet there was also a hint of pity.
"How long do you think he has left?" Hashirama asked.
"Three years at most… perhaps less, depending on how much he continues to strain his eyes."
As they spoke, blood dripped from the corner of Itachi's lips.
But Sasuke, blinded by pain and rage, failed to notice.
Itachi's Susanoo faded, but he remained standing.
"Agh!"
Sasuke gritted his teeth and forced his chakra to surge once more, attempting to reform his Susanoo.
But before he could—
Itachi appeared in front of him in an instant.
Boom!
A powerful punch slammed into Sasuke's stomach.
The incomplete Susanoo shattered instantly.
Sasuke gasped, his vision blurring.
He clutched his eyes, wailing in agony.
"Why?!"
Boom——
The only answer was Uchiha Itachi's fist.
"Why... Why is it that even after awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, nothing has changed?"
'Why is the gap still so vast...'
Blinded by hatred, Sasuke had failed to see the bigger picture—rushing headlong into battle like Naruto in his most reckless moments.
Defeating a sick and weakened Uchiha Itachi wasn't impossible. He just needed to wear him down.
"You are weak."
"Why are you so weak?"
"Because it's not enough..."
Itachi whispered indifferently, his breath cold against Sasuke's ear.
"There's not enough hate toward me."
"My foolish little brother~"
"Come at me... Give me your best shot!"
Boom——
Sasuke lifted his head with difficulty, a sneer forming on his lips.
"How long do you plan to keep up the act?"
"You don't think I'm still that clueless fool, do you?"
A surge of Nine-Tails chakra erupted, the pressure heavy and suffocating.
Click, click, click——
Purple chakra flared to life around Sasuke once more.
Susanoo's third form—
Karasu Tengu Armor Susanoo.
The moment it materialized, Sasuke stiffened. His entire body screamed in agony.
But Susanoo moved without hesitation.
A punch flew toward Itachi.
Despite his weakened state, Itachi managed to retreat swiftly, his crimson eyes narrowing at the unmistakable presence of Nine-Tails chakra coiling around Sasuke's form.
"The Nine-Tails' power?"
"So the reports about the perfect Jinchūriki were true."
"I can't afford to continue this fight... Kisame?"
Yet, a troubling sight met Itachi's gaze.
Even after activating his strongest technique, Kisame was struggling.
"Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
In the distance, a massive sphere of water surged into existence.
Pfft—
Kisame was sent flying, his right arm completely torn off.
"Amaterasu!"
Without hesitation, Itachi ignited the black flames upon Sasuke.
But Sasuke only smirked. This time, he refused to lose.
"Amaterasu!"
Black flames clashed.
This time, Sasuke emerged victorious.
But Itachi had vanished.
When he reappeared beside Kisame, Itachi's expression darkened.
Kisame wasn't just injured—his eyes had changed.
Sharingan.
"Genjutsu... Who?"
Now was not the time to linger.
Whoosh——
A smoke bomb exploded at his feet, and in an instant, he was gone—taking Kisame and Samehada with him.
"Damn it!!"
Sasuke roared, frustration boiling over.
Regret gnawed at him. If he had controlled his emotions better, he wouldn't have let Itachi escape.
He wanted to pursue, but dizziness struck like a hammer, and pain lanced through his body.
"Tobirama, should we let him go?"
"No need to chase, brother. That man had no intention of killing Sasuke."
"Have you forgotten how Uchiha Madara awakened his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan?"
"Could it be..."
Senju Tobirama scoffed. "He knows he's dying. He's intelligent, but like all Uchiha, he's bound by his pride."
"Either way, big brother, you don't need to worry. Sasuke will be the one to kill him. And when he does, he'll gain the power to control the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan."
"Alright, let's return."
With that, Hashirama and Tobirama disappeared in a flash of the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Meanwhile—
Kushina stood with her hands on her hips, her fury evident.
It was because of this opening that Kisame had managed to slip away.
Right now, Uchiha Mikoto was bound tightly by Kushina's Adamantine Sealing Chains.
"Mikoto! Don't think I wouldn't recognize your fighting style!"
"I treated you as a close friend... How could you?!"
"Kushina-sama, please calm down! Mikoto-nee didn't mean any harm!"
"Izumi, stay out of this!"
Kushina's eyes burned red as she glared at her old friend.
"Mikoto, I won't say anything about what's already done, but why did you hide your identity from me?!"
Mikoto closed her eyes, a bitter smile forming at her lips.
"Lady Kushina... It's because of Sasuke... and that bastard, Itachi."
"Mikoto-nee... she just wanted to keep living with a new identity."
"She was broken by that monster… Sister Kushina..."
Izumi's tearful plea struck hard.
Kushina, faced with her old friend and the young girl crying beside her, hesitated.
"Ah... Mikoto, don't be sad. Itachi... Ah."
Looking at Mikoto's devastated expression, Kushina felt her anger wane.
She stepped forward and embraced her tightly, speaking softly:
"It's okay. From now on, just live with a new identity... and leave the past behind."
"Kushina... I'm so sorry..."
"I didn't mean to hide it from you... I just didn't know how to face you... I'm sorry... Naruto..."
Boom—
Kushina's fist landed squarely on Mikoto. "We can talk about this later!"
Mikoto clutched her stomach dramatically, her face twisted in exaggerated pain.
Kushina rolled her eyes, but then her brows furrowed as something struck her.
She leaned in and whispered into Mikoto's ear, "Mikoto, you don't know Tsunade's and Granny Mito's secret techniques… So why do you look younger now than when I died?"
Izumi, standing nearby, overheard and immediately blushed, lowering her head.
Mikoto hesitated before replying, "Maybe... maybe it's because I slept for years after the Uchiha massacre. Kushina, you know beauty sleep is real."
Kushina raised an eyebrow, glancing at Izumi before shifting her gaze back to Mikoto.
"That doesn't make sense... It just doesn't add up."
At that moment, the three of them realized Sasuke had silently approached.
He stood still, head lowered, saying nothing.
Tick-tock—
A single tear fell.
"Sasuke?"
The three women were stunned.
Whoosh—
Without another word, Sasuke turned and left.
"W-What should we do?"
"Sasuke... that kid... Well, I'll go talk to him."
At this moment, it was best if Izumi stepped forward.
Meanwhile, Sasuke walked, his eyes filled with tears, but the corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily.
"Mom is still alive... And Naruto was the one who saved them."
"No wonder I felt such a strong connection to Izumi and Mom the first time I met them."
"So that's how it is... But..."
Sasuke suddenly halted, caught in deep internal conflict.
"In those stupid books... they always say... In this situation... What am I supposed to do?"
He thought he would be angry, or feel betrayed.
But instead, the overwhelming joy in his heart made him feel... ashamed.
Elsewhere, after stabilizing Kisame's injuries...
"Kisame, rest here for a few days. I'll sneak into Konoha tonight to gather intelligence."
Kisame, pale-faced, forced a bitter smile. "Those three women... they're really strong... Mr. Itachi, didn't you say you were the last Uchiha?"
"Yet this time, I not only saw the old one, but also your little brother... And during the battle, those two women also had the Sharingan..."
He coughed a few times before closing his eyes and falling unconscious again.
Leaving only a stunned Itachi.
That night.
In the village square, a few villagers cautiously tiptoed toward Jiraiya, carefully untying the ropes that bound him.
"Huh? That was loose..."
"Never mind that! Let's get Master Jiraiya out first, then we can find the Third Hokage and the others!"