Kakashi, whose eyes had been clouded with confusion, suddenly snapped back to reality just as the kunai was about to graze his forehead protector.
A flash of cold determination appeared in his gaze, the three tomoe of his Sharingan swirling ominously as he fixed his chilling, otherworldly eyes on Itachi's back.
In the next instant, Kakashi's figure appeared behind Itachi. The icy tip of a kunai pressed firmly against Itachi's neck.
"Talk. Where is Obito? What exactly are you planning?"
Having long since awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan but never fully utilized it, Kakashi broke free from Itachi's hypnotic genjutsu.
Even though his heart was in utter turmoil, Kakashi maintained the demeanor of a steely warrior on the surface.
---
"Kakashi, have you regained your composure?"
Itachi's tone carried a hint of surprise at Kakashi's escape from his genjutsu.
However, he showed no reaction to the kunai pressed against his neck. Tilting his head slightly, his eerie, malevolent eyes regarded Kakashi with the disdain one might reserve for garbage.
"Heh. Goodbye, Uchiha Itachi..."
Itachi's words weren't what Kakashi wanted to hear. With a burst of chakra-infused strength, Kakashi slashed the kunai across Itachi's neck with brutal precision.
Blood spurted forth.
The warm liquid splashed onto Kakashi's face, but in a sudden shift, the figure of Itachi transformed into Obito.
"Kakashi..."
"Obito!"
Seeing Obito's battered appearance, Kakashi let out a mournful cry.
It was then he realized he had fallen prey to another genjutsu.
Quickly focusing his chakra, he formed seals to dispel the illusion.
---
The scene shattered like broken glass, dissipating into nothingness. Itachi now stood a short distance away, curiously observing Kakashi.
"I'm being serious here. Obito isn't dead; he's lost in darkness. Want to know more? The price is becoming a rogue ninja," Itachi said, arms crossed, his tone dripping with nonchalance.
His movements made Kakashi freeze.
"Are you Blood Moon? Is Blood Moon you?"
The familiar gestures finally triggered Kakashi's realization, and his astonishment spilled into his words.
The rage and turmoil in his heart gradually gave way to calmness.
The Itachi before him—capable of facing even the Legendary Sannin with ease and mocking Jiraiya's weakness—was someone Kakashi couldn't hope to confront.
Moreover, Jiraiya and Tsunade's attitudes toward Itachi had made it clear: he was not an enemy.
---
Hearing Kakashi's words, a flicker of disappointment flashed through Itachi's eyes. Changing his posture, he placed one hand thoughtfully on his chin.
"Blood Moon? Never heard of them."
After a brief pause, Itachi decided not to admit anything.
"You seem to know a lot. Can you tell me about Obito?"
Kakashi didn't press the issue of Blood Moon. Instead, he clung to the topic of Obito.
"In some ways, your situation is worse than Jiraiya's. You're far too weak right now. One misstep, and you'll die. Stop prying."
Seeing that Kakashi refused to take the bait, Itachi lost interest and casually brushed him off.
He hadn't expected his plans to fail so quickly.
---
Hearing Itachi's dismissal, the light in Kakashi's eyes dimmed.
Yet, deep within, a fire began to burn.
If Itachi truly was Blood Moon, then his words carried more weight.
Especially considering the scenes from the genjutsu just now…
Kakashi started to understand why Jiraiya hadn't refuted Itachi.
The Itachi before him seemed to possess some extraordinary power.
"If I'm willing to become a rogue ninja, can I really pull Obito out of the darkness?"
After a moment of silence, Kakashi noticed Itachi was about to walk away. He hurriedly closed the distance, pressing him for an answer.
"No. I have a grudge against Obito. What I just said was merely to use your unique status to make him uncomfortable. Most likely, he'll kill you and take back the eye that belongs to him."
---
Kakashi's question made Itachi pause briefly.
After a long silence, Itachi spoke softly.
Obito might not harm Kakashi, but Black Zetsu would undoubtedly stir up trouble, much like Danzo's manipulative ways.
Eventually, Obito would almost certainly take action.
Even if he didn't kill Kakashi outright, his fate wouldn't be much better.
"Can you at least tell me where Obito is now?"
Itachi's words stunned Kakashi, but he persisted.
"Focus on getting stronger. Right now, you have no way of catching up to Obito," Itachi said, shaking his head, his voice carrying a note of warning.
Kakashi was a notable figure, so he didn't want to use Kakashi for any petty schemes.
...
"You mentioned getting stronger—how strong? Strong enough to defeat you?"
Seeing that Itachi was about to leave again, Kakashi quickly spoke up.
"Oh? Getting serious now? But you're too weak…"
Hearing Kakashi's words and sensing the chakra he released, Itachi turned back to glance at him. Then, shaking his head, he showed little interest in fighting.
In the face of absolute strength, Kakashi's so-called "even odds" attribute was meaningless.
"If I don't try, how will I know?"
Hearing Itachi dismiss him again, Kakashi's Sharingan, with its three tomoe, locked onto Itachi's back. Lightning flickered in his hand.
Like a flash of electricity, Kakashi's figure darted forward, quickly charging at Itachi.
...
Itachi's power was unfathomable—his Sharingan was completely impenetrable.
Thus, Kakashi could only approach the fight with the resolve to kill Itachi, giving it his all.
With the amplification of his lightning chakra, Kakashi's speed was unparalleled.
He aimed a sneak attack at Itachi, stabbing him from behind.
The Raikiri in his hand pierced through Itachi's body, leaving Kakashi momentarily stunned.
It shouldn't have been this easy…
"Caw, caw, caw…"
Itachi's body shattered into countless crows that scattered into the air.
When he reappeared, he was standing atop a tree, looking down at Kakashi.
His eerie Sharingan spun slowly, emitting a chilling aura.
...
"You're not from the Uchiha clan. How far can your Sharingan really see?"
Itachi gazed at Kakashi below, speaking as if pondering aloud.
The lightning in Kakashi's hand gradually dimmed and dissipated.
"You're as arrogant as ever, looking down on everyone."
Kakashi stared at Itachi intently before replying.
"Your technique is impressive, but your attack style is a bit lacking."
Itachi didn't directly respond to Kakashi's words but casually complimented his Raikiri.
Hearing this, Kakashi remained silent, breathing heavily.
...
"If you want to see the difference in our strength, then I'll show you…"
Noticing the determination in Kakashi's eyes, Itachi seemed to acknowledge his resolve.
With those words, a silver chakra enveloped Itachi's entire body.
A red serpent-like phantom appeared out of thin air, coiling itself around him.
Its vertical pupils stared coldly at Kakashi, flicking its tongue as if sizing him up like prey.
...
Seeing Itachi's transformation, Kakashi felt as though he were facing an entirely different person.
The silver shadows at the corners of Itachi's eyes and the swirling silver pattern in his windmill-shaped pupils radiated immense power.
The overwhelming chakra emanating from Itachi crushed Kakashi like the weight of a mountain.
Itachi moved slightly, leaving only an afterimage behind. Under Kakashi's three-tomoe Sharingan, Itachi's figure vanished, leaving only a blur.
"This speed… even the three-tomoe can't track it… How is this possible?"
After witnessing Itachi's speed, enhanced by Sage Mode and substitution techniques, Kakashi was utterly dumbfounded.
This… this was a crushing sense of powerlessness.
"Kakashi, stay focused..."
Itachi's voice echoed in Kakashi's ears.
A tremendous force struck him, and Kakashi felt a sharp pain in his stomach as his body was sent flying through the air.
Even with his three-tomoe Sharingan, he had been hit head-on…
Something so inconceivable had actually happened to him…
"Is this genjutsu…? Cough!"
After crashing through several trees, Kakashi slowly got up, coughing up blood as he muttered to himself.
…
"Kakashi, this is the gap between us. Taijutsu is my weakest form of attack, yet you couldn't even withstand this level. You—"
Itachi spoke softly as he looked at the disheveled Kakashi.
However, upon seeing the confusion in Kakashi's eyes, Itachi stopped himself from saying anything more to embarrass him.
"A gap, huh? Obito… If you were here, what would you do? You'd definitely handle this better than me, just like back then… Why wasn't it me instead…?"
Kakashi's thoughts were chaotic, and at this moment, they became even more turbulent.
"Obito, huh…? Obito isn't exactly a good person anymore, you know."
Hearing Kakashi's murmurs, Itachi quietly replied.
…
"Not a good person? That's impossible. Someone who could say such things... How could he possibly become bad?"
Hearing Itachi's words, Kakashi, who had been feeling paralyzed, slowly stood up, as if speaking directly to Obito.
The Itachi in front of him suddenly took on Obito's appearance.
Seeing Kakashi's dazed expression, Itachi gently shook his head. The sage mode dissipated from his body, and he turned to leave.
This version of Kakashi… was weak.
"Obito, don't go. Explain yourself!"
Kakashi watched as Itachi—now appearing as Obito—turned away.
The Obito in Kakashi's eyes smiled warmly, turned, and walked away. Rin appeared out of nowhere, walking side by side with Obito…
This was the reflection of Kakashi's heart.
"Kakashi, you coward. Live well, okay?"
Kakashi watched as Obito and Rin looked back at him, exchanging smiles. Then, Obito spoke softly before turning to leave.
"Don't go… Don't leave me behind again! Take me with you!"
Kakashi weakly collapsed to the ground, dazed for a moment. Summoning strength from somewhere, he stood up and shouted with all his might.
The emotions and repression in his heart erupted all at once…
…
…