It's not a question of trouble—we do what a true shinobi must do! Itachi stepped slowly out from behind Orochimaru, his cold expression unwavering.
Orochimaru barely reacted, but Itachi launched his assault. Kunai rained from all directions, sealing off every escape route, as Itachi leapt into the air. He quickly made hand seals: a blazing Great Fireball Jutsu, and his body became enveloped in the complete form of Susanoo.
Orochimaru deflected the kunai with his Kusanagi blade and transformed instantly into a colossal eight‑headed serpent—the Yamata no Orochi. Each head lunged at Susanoo's limbs.
Itachi held his Totsuka Blade aloft—one swift strike severed three serpent heads at once. The remaining five entwined around Susanoo's form.
Below, Sasuke tensed—but Itachi had warned him not to intervene: this was his moment. Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan spun. Suddenly, the five remaining serpent heads were consumed by Amaterasu's black flames.
Orochimaru cold‑heartedly severed the burned‑up heads, but just as all eight serpent heads retracted, they immediately regrew. Itachi paused, then launched again. Orochimaru dodged inside the plush of Yamata no Orochi, even vanishing within its form.
Yet Itachi, with perfect precision, discerned Orochimaru's true position. His Mangekyō eyes flashing again, Itachi's Totsuka Blade sliced straight through the center of the head.
Orochimaru tried to block with Kusanagi, but anticipated the strike and leapt free. Still, as Itachi's Susanoo lifted him, the Totsuka came down again, and Orochimaru's body twisted and writhed. He could dodge—but at that moment, Totsuka emitted a sudden flame burst, slicing off one of Orochimaru's arms.
Orochimaru smirked. Rather than allow the limb to be seized under Susanoo's power, he severed it himself. On landing, he laughed: his left arm regenerated almost immediately.
"Itachi, these jutsu don't work on me," he said, his grin cruel. "So you discovered it was the Totsuka—you've found it after all."
A moment's stillness passed… then—suddenly—every kunai fired by Itachi reappeared around him—but Susanoo itself vanished. Orochimaru stood stunned.
Then the stun deepened: Itachi had deployed an illusion, repeating the same deadly strike a second time. Orochimaru realized he was ensnared by Tsukuyomi—an illusion so powerful that even his visual nerves, thought immune, were deceived.
Reality: Itachi walked deliberately toward Orochimaru, Mangekyō eyes whirring, and said softly: "Tsukuyomi."
With that, Orochimaru was forced to release the Edo Tensei seal.
Sasuke arrived at Itachi's side, breathing hard. He noticed Itachi had lost one eye.
"Itachi… your jutsu… cost you an eye?" Sasuke asked, concerned.
Itachi smiled faintly, making seals with his remaining eye. "You think I had a better option? I've reserved that for Madara."
Sasuke furrowed his brow—he knew Itachi had many hidden trump cards. Tō had warned him too: Itachi's full power was something anyone could fall prey to.
"So… this time you sacrifice your last eye?" Sasuke asked quietly. Itachi shook his head, smiling sadly: "The other eye was Shisui's gift. Perhaps there's no better time than now."
Sasuke nodded, hesitated, then asked: "Need help?"
Itachi shook his head again, "Nagato will finish soon—we must move to help Tō. You and Naruto are best together now."
With that, Itachi teleported directly to Tō's battlefield.
At that moment, Madara kicked out. The First Hokage reacted instantly, blocking Madara, and Tō anticipated it, sealing him with Myojinmon.
As Madara was stopped, the Second Hokage rushed seals in the direction of the Fourth and others, but the other Kage and special dōjutsu users watched with bemusement.
The Second Hokage laughed: "This lowly jutsu of mine stirs trouble! Look—the guy over there might become Ten‑Tails Jinchūriki soon. Good luck!"
With that, Madara's soul departed into the sky, freeing him from reanimation.
"Itachi, go help Tō—I'll hold Madara back." The First Hokage said firmly, teleporting to Madara's side.
Tō, worn and out of chakra, nodded in resignation.
Behind them, Obito Uchiha had become the Ten‑Tails Jinchūriki. Suddenly, none of the legendary shinobi mattered as much.
Madara—who had teleported away—spoke in a low voice: "Late as usual, huh? If not for you… I'd already be ascended by now."
At the same time, he unsealed himself.
Tō clenched her teeth. "Damn it… the Fourth's pupil is such a troublemaker. Without him, I would've ended Madara already!"
Naruto and the others rushed in. Sasuke and Itachi focused on Madara, but now Atobi stood fully empowered with Ten‑Tails power, even without the Rinnegan.
Nagato glanced in shock. "How can he control the Ten‑Tails without the Rinnegan?"
Tō laughed coldly and pointed: "You think only the Rinnegan can control the Ten‑Tails? The Sharingan was the power given to Hagoromo's first son, and Hashirama's Sage Body was given to the second. Control both, and you can command the Ten‑Tails. The Rinnegan was just an evolved transplantation of the First's cells!"
Nagato's expression shifted—he understood. The First Hokage frowned, knowing full well just how dangerous the Ten‑Tails is—and how Madara remained a threat.
Tō spoke quietly: I'll handle Obito… You go hold Madara.
Nagato nodded grimly: Be careful.