The moment Itachi unleashed his ocular power, Ryosuke felt it—a tremendous pull, trying to drag his spirit into another realm. But his eyes blazed crimson, and once again he resisted the pull with ease.
"Tsukuyomi, huh?" Ryosuke thought coldly. It was one of the most fearsome genjutsu in the shinobi world, an attack designed to crush the opponent's mind directly.
But Ryosuke's fury burned hotter than any illusion. "Even now, Itachi—you're still siding with the Hokage's faction. Still betraying the clan. If you weren't Uchiha, I would've already kicked you to death."
For now, he had to capture Itachi alive. Killing him outright would spark unnecessary fallout, but if Itachi was taken alive, the clan would judge him. And the lowest punishment for treachery? Having his eyes gouged out, imprisoned for life.
Itachi's face darkened. He could feel it—the genjutsu hadn't taken hold. Ryosuke had completely resisted Tsukuyomi.
"Impossible… How can this be? Tsukuyomi is my unique ocular technique. Why doesn't it work?"
Ryosuke sneered.
"Give it up. All genjutsu are useless against me."
The words struck Itachi like thunder. All genjutsu… ineffective? That was unthinkable. His Tsukuyomi was among the most powerful illusions in existence—yet Ryosuke brushed it aside as if it were nothing. Did Ryosuke awaken some terrifying anti-genjutsu ability?
Itachi didn't have time to dwell on it. If genjutsu failed, then he would turn to his other trump card—the one that could incinerate anything.
He focused his chakra into his right eye. Pain lanced through his head as his vision warped, but he endured. In the next instant—black flames burst forth.
Amaterasu.
The flames erupted with terrifying speed, latching onto a tree behind Ryosuke when he evaded. The trunk ignited instantly, engulfed in thick black fire and choking smoke.
Even Ryosuke's heart skipped. He knew these flames well—Amaterasu, the inextinguishable fire said to consume everything.
This wasn't normal flame he could snuff out with chakra control. If it touched him, cutting off the burning limb would be the only option—just as the Fourth Raikage once had to sever his own arm to escape. No thanks.
Better to dodge. And dodge he did, weaving through the trees with ease.
But Itachi wasn't done. Ignoring the searing pain in his right eye, blood trickling down his cheek, he forced out another blast of Amaterasu.
Ryosuke slipped aside again. He had no intention of risking a direct clash—one touch of those flames, and the consequences would be dire.
Meanwhile, the spreading fire drew attention. Other Uchiha, seeing smoke billow from the forest where Ryosuke usually trained, rushed to investigate.
They arrived, only to freeze in shock at the sight of black fire devouring the trees. Instinctively, they grabbed tools to try smothering it.
"Don't go near it!" Ryosuke barked, his voice carrying across the flames. "Stay back from that fire!"
Startled, the Uchiha stopped immediately and pulled away. They could now see Itachi at a distance, his eyes blazing—not the familiar three-tomoe Sharingan, but Mangekyō.
Another Uchiha had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
But why was he fighting Ryosuke so viciously? This wasn't training. This was a battle to kill. Their hearts sank. Could Itachi truly be trying to murder Ryosuke? This had to be reported to the clan head immediately.
They didn't dare interfere. Amaterasu was too terrifying, and Ryosuke himself was only dodging instead of counterattacking. Best to observe and report.
Itachi's chest tightened with urgency. The longer this fight dragged on, the more witnesses would spread word to the clan. If Ryosuke wasn't silenced here, the consequences would spiral out of control.
He clenched his teeth and fired again, black flames tearing from his eye as blood dripped onto the earth.
Ryosuke grimaced. "What the hell is your problem? Do you hate me that much? I didn't even kill Shisui!"
His anger flared. Anyone watching might think he had slaughtered Itachi's entire family from the way Itachi fought. But then it clicked.
So this is it… Itachi clings to Hiruzen's so-called justice. To him, I'm just a clan extremist who threatens the village. But in the end, no matter who leads Konoha, the system is the same. He just refuses to see it.
Itachi ignored him, eyes blazing with conviction. To him, Ryosuke was just another zealot blinded by clan pride. If the Uchiha gained too much power, Konoha itself would be enslaved. Freedom of thought would vanish. The village would be nothing but Uchiha puppets.
No. He had to kill Ryosuke, even if it cost his eyes. Even if he went blind.
Blood streamed from his right eye as he forced out another Amaterasu.
Ryosuke dodged yet again, exasperated. "This bastard… he really doesn't care about his own life."
But he wasn't worried. Itachi's stamina was running dry.
At last, Itachi's eyes blurred. His right eye burned with pain and exhaustion. No matter how hard he tried, no more flames came forth. His vision dimmed. His body trembled. He had reached his limit.
Ryosuke seized his chance. In a blur, he closed the distance and slammed his foot into Itachi's head. The Uchiha prodigy skidded across the ground, carving a long furrow in the dirt before collapsing unconscious.
Only then did Ryosuke relax. So many uses of Amaterasu—no wonder Itachi was drained. He wasn't dead, but his eyes were spent.
And those eyes… were far too valuable.
Without hesitation, Ryosuke knelt beside him, fingers precise and merciless as he dug out both Mangekyō Sharingan.
"You're too far gone, Itachi. Too extreme. These eyes… they'll serve another purpose."
His gaze drifted toward the thought of Sasuke. If the boy awakened his own Mangekyō someday, these transplanted eyes could forge an Eternal Mangekyō. But Sasuke was still young, and hadn't even awakened his Sharingan yet. That day was far off.
For now, Itachi lived—but blinded, defeated, and robbed of the power he had once believed in.
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