Itachi couldn't help but mutter inwardly as he watched Hiruzen Sarutobi slip away from his grasp once again.
"This guy's slipperier than an eel..."
At this moment, he seemed to somewhat understand why Orochimaru had gone through the trouble of setting up a barrier...
For someone known as "The Professor," Hiruzen's mastery of the Five Elemental Ninjutsu was nothing short of absurd.
Of course, part of this was due to Itachi's lack of familiarity with using Sage Mode in combat.
Otherwise, even if Hiruzen used shadow clones and his Five Elements Clone Jutsu to confuse Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan, he couldn't hide from the sensory abilities of Sage Mode.
Yes, Itachi's Sage Mode proficiency was still, to some extent, theoretical knowledge.
Even though he had become adept at entering Sage Mode quickly and efficiently...
"Young man, don't get distracted during a fight."
Hiruzen's voice echoed from a distance as he completed a series of hand seals.
"**Combination Ninjutsu: Earth Dragon Flame Stream!**"
Hiruzen combined Earth Style and Fire Style ninjutsu, launching a powerful fireball from his mouth while pairing it with an Earth Style Earth Dragon Bullet.
A flaming earth dragon materialized and surged toward Itachi.
As the massive fiery attack approached, Itachi watched intently. This was a technique infused with both chakra nature and form transformation.
Not only was it immensely powerful, but its range was also astonishingly wide.
For a moment, Itachi couldn't evade such a large-scale attack.
The red snake coiled around Itachi's body became visibly uneasy, writhing restlessly.
"Are we getting serious now?"
Itachi muttered cryptically as he gently stroked the snake's head.
A crimson glow enveloped him.
As the smoke cleared, Hiruzen eagerly looked in Itachi's direction.
In his mind, someone caught off guard by such a powerful attack, even if not dead, would be severely injured. He was ready to see if there was still a chance to salvage the situation.
"You're starting to make this interesting."
Hiruzen had just begun to approach Itachi's position when a cold voice rang out.
Hiruzen froze, immediately expanding his sensory perception.
His expression changed as he sensed an even more overwhelming chakra—an unmistakably sinister energy unique to the Uchiha clan...
A towering red figure, over dozens of meters high, appeared before him.
The colossal form was intimidating, exuding an overwhelming aura even though it was only a partial upper-body manifestation.
Particularly striking was the figure's shield, emanating a remarkable aura of its own.
"Susano'o..."
Hiruzen murmured as he stared at the giant before him.
What unsettled him even more was Itachi's calm demeanor as he casually walked toward him.
"Let's keep going. I'm getting serious now."
Itachi rolled his shoulders and spoke nonchalantly.
"Could that be the legendary Yata Mirror?"
Hearing this, Hiruzen didn't make a move but seemed to come to a realization as if recalling something.
He softly asked the question.
"Alright, I suppose using this and a divine weapon against an elder like you isn't exactly fair. I should show some respect to my seniors."
Itachi paused for a moment, then replied thoughtfully.
The Susano'o around him dispersed into the wind as Itachi walked toward Hiruzen.
The main reason was that he found fighting Hiruzen intriguing—it provided inspiration and new perspectives.
Hiruzen's impeccable timing in ninjutsu usage had impressed Itachi, and he didn't want the battle to end too quickly.
Of course, the biggest factor was Hiruzen's recognition of the Yata Mirror.
This meant Hiruzen wouldn't foolishly unleash another overwhelming ninjutsu...
And with Susano'o's massive size, fighting an opponent unwilling to engage head-on felt like swatting a mosquito with a cannon.
As Itachi charged toward him, Hiruzen felt a swirl of emotions.
It was only after facing such power directly that he realized how insignificant and powerless he truly was.
And yet, Itachi and Shisui, who possessed such overwhelming strength, had been subjected to so much injustice...
Suddenly, Hiruzen felt like laughing, reflecting on all his past actions and how utterly foolish they had been.
What had he ultimately betrayed?
They were just two kids, with pure hearts dedicated to the village and peace...
At this moment, he could no longer bring himself to say that everything was for the village.
With a guilty conscience, he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
He recalled his arrogance and self-righteousness.
His hatred for Danzo grew even deeper—always whispering insidious thoughts into his ear.
...
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes grew hazy. His once unshakable beliefs crumbled at this moment, leaving him in deep confusion.
Many figures flashed through his mind.
Along with numerous old grudges...
Those unresolved grievances now felt like slaps across his face.
Looking at Sarutobi Hiruzen, who seemed lost and carried the heavy air of a hero past his prime, Itachi felt conflicted.
With a swift hand chop, he knocked Sarutobi Hiruzen unconscious.
...
A shadow clone appeared next to Itachi.
"Keep an eye on him. I'm heading to Konoha," Itachi said calmly to his clone. Then, his original body transformed into Sarutobi Hiruzen's likeness.
He was planning to sneak into Konoha and get the Scroll of Seals to study it.
As for Sarutobi Hiruzen, Itachi decided to leave him here to reflect for now. He had no intention of killing him.
As Itachi grew stronger, the entanglement of love and hatred began to lose its appeal.
After all, once he awakened the Rinnegan, the dead could be brought back to life.
And with the ability to resurrect the dead, the weight of these emotions lightened significantly.
The best torment for Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't a quick death.
It was forcing him to face the resurrected individuals and watch as they dealt with him.
What they would do to Sarutobi Hiruzen was something even Itachi couldn't predict.
Of course, part of this mercy came from the fact that Sarutobi Hiruzen had treated Sasuke reasonably well. Even if it was out of ulterior motives, Sasuke did genuinely benefit from it—and quite significantly.
...
Disguised as Sarutobi Hiruzen, Itachi confidently headed toward Konoha but stopped before entering.
The earlier battle had taken place not far from the village, and Konoha was already in a state of unrest.
Many ninja were rushing toward the scene of the battle.
So, Itachi decided to change his approach and sneak in quietly.
He planned to take advantage of the chaos to fish in troubled waters.
After knocking out an Anbu ninja hiding in the shadows, Itachi was momentarily stunned when he approached the Hokage's office.
There was someone inside.
Itachi quietly pushed the door open and saw Sasuke rummaging through some items with a serious, focused expression.
Hearing the door creak, Sasuke froze for a moment, his body tense.
"Grandpa, I didn't mean to..."
Sasuke hesitantly began to speak, guilt evident in his voice. Slowly, he turned to see who had entered...
Then, his expression froze, and his eyes went blank with disbelief.
...
"Well, well. My foolish little brother, I haven't seen you in a while, and you've gotten so sloppy?"
Hearing Sasuke's words, Itachi was momentarily surprised but quickly shifted to a mocking tone.
"Nii-san..."
Contrary to Itachi's expectations, Sasuke didn't erupt in anger, charging at him with shouts and accusations.
Instead, two silent tears slid down Sasuke's cheeks as he whispered softly under his breath.
...
...