The Yamata no Orochi, combined with the Yasakani Magatama—the sacred jewel of Susano'o—was unleashed as a devastating technique named by Orochimaru: Triple-Eight Serpent God Cannon!
Under Itachi's control, the Armored Yamata no Orochi fired the technique, its massive destructive force closing the distance of several hundred meters in an instant.
"What?!" Ryoma's face contorted in terror as he leaped back thirty meters.
Shisui, however, stood firm. His Susano'o raised its twin blades to intercept the incoming attack.
BOOOOM!
An earth-shattering explosion erupted, engulfing Shisui's Susano'o and the surrounding Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes!
The violent shockwave tore through the battlefield, scattering debris in every direction.
The heavy armor of Shisui's Susano'o was obliterated by the blast. The impact force embedded fragments of the Yasakani Magatama deep into the skeletal structure of the Susano'o. Shisui's upper body was completely shattered!
This demonstrated that the combined ultimate techniques of Itachi and Orochimaru far exceeded Shisui's defensive capabilities.
Atop the Armored Yamata no Orochi, Orochimaru reveled in delight: "Now, with Shisui's regeneration, the influence of the poisonous insects controlling him will vanish."
Itachi, ever cold and detached, sheathed his blade. "Then, let us part ways."
Whoosh! The armor of Susano'o dissipated from the surface of the Yamata no Orochi.
Landing gracefully, Itachi walked away without looking back. "The battlefield is divided. Proceed with the plan."
Orochimaru watched Itachi's retreating figure with a faint sense of melancholy. "Things are beautiful because they are fleeting. I once dismissed such sentiments, but now... I understand them a little better."
With a whoosh, the Yamata no Orochi dispersed. Orochimaru landed on the ground, his legs transforming into serpentine tails as he slithered past Shisui's regenerating form, heading straight for Ryoma!
"Tch!" Ryoma clicked his tongue in frustration and turned to flee, with Orochimaru relentlessly pursuing him. The two figures quickly disappeared into the distance.
Whoosh!
Shisui's body completed its regeneration.
From afar, Itachi stood still, the two Uchiha prodigies now facing each other in opposition.
"Shisui," Itachi began, "the poisonous insects controlling you are dead. Now, the only thing dictating your actions is the talisman used in the Edo Tensei. You should have regained some of your consciousness, correct?"
"Yes," Shisui replied. "I've regained awareness, but my body remains beyond my control. It will instinctively engage in combat. Itachi, be careful—whatever you do, do not look into my eyes!"
"I'll be careful."
Itachi closed his right eye, the veins around his left eye bulging as blood-red Sharingan patterns emerged.
"Amaterasu!"
Fwoosh!
Black flames erupted, spreading across the battlefield wherever Itachi's gaze fell.
Whoosh!
Shisui instinctively distanced himself. "I see. You're using Amaterasu to create a home-field advantage. However, unless you form a complete encirclement, it won't be enough."
Rustle!
Five flames ignited on Itachi's fingertips as he pressed his hand to the ground.
"Uchiha Flame Formation!"
Woosh!
A violet barrier rose, enclosing the battlefield and severing it from the outside world.
Though Itachi's chakra capacity limited the size of the barrier compared to Obito's, in this scenario, a smaller barrier was precisely what Itachi needed.
Shisui stood at the edge of the barrier.
As Itachi advanced, the Amaterasu flames from his left eye steadily constricted Shisui's range of movement.
"Well done," Shisui acknowledged. "Over time, my advantage in the Body Flicker Technique will diminish. However, as the battlefield changes, so too will my combat patterns. Realizing that this situation is unfavorable, my body will instinctively initiate an all-out attack!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Shisui's figure split into a hundred clones—phantoms and physical entities alike.
His voice echoed from all directions: "Itachi, be extremely cautious when using Amaterasu! The moment you make eye contact with any of my clones, you'll fall under Kotoamatsukami!"
The clones began closing in.
Itachi activated Susano'o without hesitation, the Yata Mirror shielding him from the front.
The Yata Mirror was the ultimate defense, but it had its limitations: it could only protect the front of Susano'o.
"I'll strike from behind," Shisui declared.
In an instant, his clones flashed to the rear of Susano'o, each wielding a blade imbued with Fire Release chakra. A hundred blades converged in a coordinated assault.
"Uchiha Style: Firestorm Sword Dance!"
Crash! Crash! Crash!
The relentless fire-infused slashes tore through the battlefield, their combined force shattering the back plating of Itachi's crow-themed Susano'o.
The clones merged back into one, and Shisui charged forward.
Fwoosh!
Itachi spun around and unleashed a Great Fireball Technique, which Shisui cleaved apart with a single slash.
Itachi followed up with another Amaterasu, but Shisui narrowly evaded it.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Kunai slipped from Itachi's sleeves as he engaged Shisui in close combat.
Half-closing his eyes, Itachi focused intently on Shisui's movements.
"You can track my movements even with your eyes half-closed?" Shisui asked, surprised.
"This is a technique I borrowed from a taijutsu master in Konoha who developed it to counter my Tsukuyomi," Itachi explained.
"Impressive," Shisui admitted. "But fighting with your vision restricted will always leave you at a disadvantage."
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Shisui's blade repeatedly cut into Itachi, leaving gashes across his body.
"Itachi," Shisui said urgently, "you haven't spread enough Amaterasu flames to effectively restrict my movements. If your injuries continue to accumulate, the tide of battle will turn against you."
But opening his eyes fully would risk falling under Kotoamatsukami, leaving Itachi at an overwhelming disadvantage.
Even so, Itachi remained calm. "Amaterasu shares the properties of ordinary flames—it can ignite other objects to spread its reach. Expanding its range doesn't necessarily require direct eye contact."
"What do you mean?" Shisui asked.
Caw! Caw! Caw!
Above them, a flock of crows circled rapidly.
"This is..."
"They will spread Amaterasu across the battlefield for me," Itachi replied.
The crows dove toward the ground, their bodies ignited by the black flames. As they fell, they landed on areas untouched by fire, sacrificing themselves to scatter the flames.
In moments, the Uchiha Flame Formation transformed into Itachi's Black Flame Domain.
By the end, only two small patches of ground remained unscorched—one beneath Itachi, the other beneath Shisui.
The tide of battle had shifted.
Shisui's Body Flicker Technique was rendered useless.
Susano'o reformed, its back shielded by walls of black flames and its front guarded by the Yata Mirror.
Shing!
In Susano'o's free hand, the gourd of the Totsuka Blade materialized.
Shisui, now cornered, smiled wryly. "Itachi, you've grown into a shinobi far greater than I ever was. To see you again, even at the end, is truly a blessing."
Itachi's gaze remained unwavering. "This is not the end, Shisui. For both of us, the path of the shinobi has only just begun."
Slash!
The Totsuka Blade pierced through Shisui's body.
"Forgive me, Shisui. Please endure this for now."
Shisui's Edo Tensei presence vanished.
Meanwhile, Ryoma's face darkened as he fled. "It seems Itachi has successfully sealed Shisui."
Boom!
Orochimaru suddenly appeared ahead of him, blocking his path with a sinister gleam in his serpentine eyes.
"It's time to settle this, Ryoma. Hand over the Kiroya Bud Technique. Lord Naruto needs it."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
The story isn't over...
🤔 Want to know what happens next to the characters?
🤫 Eager to explore the untold secrets of this world?
✍️ Ready to read more of my wildest stories?
✨patreon.com/DarkGolds