An enormous, orange-red monster was on a rampage. It wasn't the Nine-Tails, but rather a terrifying giant made of Chakra—a Perfect Susanoo.
It was as if Uchiha Itachi possessed an infinite well of Chakra, having directly manifested a Perfect Susanoo instead of his usual, standard version.
There were no flashy moves, just a purely overwhelming battle. Uchiha Itachi swiftly eliminated most of his opponents.
Everything within a radius of several kilometers was razed to the ground in their battle, and all members fighting on the front lines were gravely injured.
"Cursed Energy consumption is too high. The Reverse Cursed Technique has been overused."
"Those pitch-black flames are the biggest threat. They activate too quickly and don't require any medium—just looking at them is enough to be set ablaze."
Okkotsu Yuta, who was relatively lightly injured, coughed up a mouthful of blood. In just a few short minutes, his Cursed Energy was nearly depleted. Gojo Satoru's Reverse Cursed Technique could only be used on himself.
To ensure the survival of the other team members, he and Ieiri Shoko had to act as emergency medics, saving their teammates' lives when they were critically wounded.
Gojo Satoru, on the other hand, had been pulled into Tsukuyomi several times. While his half-developed Senjutsu Chakra could break the genjutsu, the mental damage from Tsukuyomi was still significant.
He also had to endure Uchiha Itachi's attacks to save his students, moving them to safety after they were incapacitated.
"Can you still fight?"
Gojo Satoru appeared beside Okkotsu Yuta, extending a hand to pull him up from the ground.
It was almost inevitable. Once Uchiha Itachi activated his Susanoo, the tide of battle became completely one-sided.
Few were left who could still participate in the battle, yet not a single person had died.
It was as if Uchiha Itachi was intentionally leaving them alive, giving him the opportunity to save them. This struck Gojo Satoru as unusual.
"Barely. This was a complete mess. Rika's power is almost used up."
Okkotsu Yuta hadn't even used Reverse Cursed Technique to heal his minor wounds; he was actually having to conserve his Cursed Energy for once.
The only good news was that they no longer had to face that colossal monster head-on.
After Uchiha Itachi unleashed his Susanoo, they realized the two sides were not on the same level. Only another monster could fight a monster.
"Sorry to keep you waiting! I've worked things out with him!" Just as they were facing off against Uchiha Itachi, Naruto's voice finally broke through.
Amidst the ruins, an equally massive, orange-red figure rose. It wasn't humanoid, however, but a fox, formed from translucent Chakra just like the Susanoo.
After negotiating with the Nine-Tails, Uzumaki Naruto had convinced it to cooperate, entering his strongest current form—Full Tailed Beast Mode.
Upon seeing the Susanoo, Kakashi understood that it couldn't be dealt with by normal means. He had pulled Naruto out of the fight to try and get him to enter his Tailed Beast Mode.
"I've entrusted all my power to you this time. Don't forget my reward afterward." The Nine-Tails' voice sounded weary as it reminded Naruto to keep his promise.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. But we have to win first, otherwise we're both done for here."
Naruto charged straight for Uchiha Itachi. It seemed the Susanoo's upkeep was immense; Itachi's movements were not as sharp as before, and he frequently paused to rest.
'I finally forced it out, the power of the Tailed Beast. Once I deal with him, the plan can begin.'
Uchiha Itachi had been holding back the entire time, and it certainly wasn't because he was reluctant to kill.
His first instinct wasn't to defend against Naruto; instead, he looked into the distance at Sasuke, who was getting up from amidst the rubble.
With Okkotsu Yuta completely occupied with saving lives on the front line and having no chance to fall back, Sasuke could only rely on his own strength to stabilize his injuries. The physical enhancement from his Curse Mark kept him from being critically wounded.
However, the mental damage was far more unbearable than his physical injuries.
During the fight, Uchiha Itachi had inadvertently revealed the Curse Mark on his neck, a detail only noticed by Sasuke, whose attention was fixated entirely on him.
But this also caused him to meet Uchiha Itachi's gaze for an instant. In the sky, a blood-red moon slowly emerged.
"You finally noticed, my foolish little brother."
"You're not the only one who has earned his favor. No one would refuse greater power."
The kunai in Uchiha Itachi's hand gestured at him a few times but ultimately didn't strike.
"If you must blame someone, blame yourself for being too weak, and for seeking the power to kill me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have wanted to lay a hand on you."
"I came here this time to deal with you, my foolish brother. The power bestowed by that person has indeed given you the potential to threaten me."
The pressure from the Mangekyo Sharingan left him completely unable to break free. The fear of death enveloped Sasuke's entire being.
Although it wasn't the first time, he still couldn't escape Uchiha Itachi's influence.
The pitch-black kunai inched closer to his forehead, as if about to pierce his brain.
Sasuke's pair of three-tomoe Sharingan pulsed violently, but it was just short of the mark, refusing to transform no matter what.
Uchiha Itachi took in his expression completely. Even at a time like this, he still can't awaken the Mangekyo? He couldn't help but feel a trace of disappointment.
'This is going to hurt, but if it can make you awaken, then it will be worth it.'
Without further hesitation, Uchiha Itachi thrust the kunai forward forcefully, but—the Tsukuyomi was broken the very instant he made his move.
An equally crimson eye appeared before Sasuke, though the pattern within it was different. Sasuke came to his senses and found Kakashi standing between him and Uchiha Itachi.
"Your target was Sasuke all along?" Kakashi saw the Curse Mark on Uchiha Itachi's neck.
He suddenly formed a new theory about everything. Uchiha Itachi wasn't here for some 'pawn'; he was here for Uchiha Sasuke, for the Curse Mark on his body.
"..."
"That's right. Hand over Sasuke, and I can let the rest of you live."
Uchiha Itachi hesitated for a moment, which confirmed Kakashi's suspicion.
However, he was still mistaken about one thing. Uchiha Itachi was indeed here for Uchiha Sasuke, but not to kill him. On the contrary, he intended to give him power.
"Kakashi-sensei..." The fear of imminent death made it hard to breathe. Sasuke watched Kakashi's back, feeling a sliver of warmth from his presence that eased his suffering.
And then—
Hot blood showered Sasuke's face, dyeing him crimson.
Nearby, empty air was pierced through by another Uchiha Itachi. It was the real Kakashi, who had been hiding.
The Kakashi standing in front of Sasuke dissipated into lightning—he was merely a Shadow Clone.
"Your every move has been under my watch from the very beginning. Such a simple tactic is useless against me."
As Kakashi stared in disbelief, the other Uchiha Itachi pulled his hand from his chest, leaving a gaping hole straight through him.
"KAKASHI-SENSEI!!!"
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