The rooftops of Gotham were Batman's kingdom.Silent, watchful, eternal.
But tonight, something was wrong. He had been tracking the trail for weeks now — unexplained fires, charred bodies in alleys, whispers of a boy with red eyes and supernatural speed.
And then he saw him.
A small figure cloaked in black and crimson, standing at the edge of a rooftop. Pale skin. Dark hair that framed glowing scarlet eyes. The cloak stirred in the wind, marked with strange red clouds.
Batman narrowed his gaze. A child? No — there was nothing innocent about the aura rolling off this boy. Predatory. Calm. Ancient.
"Step away from the edge," Batman ordered, his voice a growl beneath the cowl. "You don't know what you're dealing with."
The boy turned. His Sharingan spun lazily, crimson light reflecting in the dark. His voice was calm, almost sad.
"You are not the predator here, Batman. Not anymore."
Then he moved.
Itachi blurred forward, faster than Batman's eyes could follow. The first exchange was hand-to-hand — a storm of taijutsu strikes so fluid and precise that Batman's trained martial arts felt clumsy in comparison. Fists, elbows, and knees collided, Batman parrying and countering desperately, his cape swirling as he narrowly evaded blows that would have shattered bone.
This kid… fights like a master. More than a master. He's predicting me.
A burst of chakra lit the rooftop.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"
The fireball roared forward, consuming the night in blazing heat. Batman dove, his cape shielding him as he rolled clear — but the edges of his armor smoked, the Bat-symbol scorched.
The boy didn't relent. His sword flashed in his hand, faster than sight. Sparks lit the night as the ANBU blade clashed against Batman's gauntlets, the force driving him back step by step. Every strike was measured, lethal, flowing into the next with inhuman precision.
Then came the wind.
A razor-sharp gust exploded from Itachi's palm, knocking Batman off balance. Water followed — a torrent that surged from nowhere, crashing across the rooftop and driving Batman to one knee.
Elemental attacks. Impossible… no technology. This is something else.
Batman rose, blood trickling from his lip. He reached for a smoke pellet—
But the Sharingan flared.
The world warped. For a single, shattering instant, Batman felt his body freeze, his mind caught in crimson illusions. Chains bound him. Pain lanced through him, phantom and real. He broke free only through raw willpower, staggering back as the boy watched with detached calm.
"You lasted longer than most would," Itachi said quietly. His Mangekyō swirled, shadows flickering at the edges. "But this fight is over."
Batman's instincts screamed. This was not a battle he could win. Not tonight.
He triggered his grapnel, firing into the darkness. The line yanked him off the rooftop, vanishing into Gotham's shadows. His cape flared, carrying him into the night. Retreat, regroup, analyze.
Itachi didn't chase. He simply stood at the rooftop's edge, watching as the Bat disappeared. His cloak stirred in the wind, Sharingan fading back into black.
The battle was his. But the predator of Gotham would not forget this night.