The skyline of Metropolis glittered beneath the morning sun, towering skyscrapers gleaming in stark contrast to the chaos about to unfold. Itachi arrived on the outskirts, landing silently atop a rooftop. Crimson eyes scanned the city with clinical precision, noting patrol patterns, civilian movement, and the presence of unusual energy signatures.
Targets, he thought. Strong targets. Worthy opponents.
A sudden ripple in the air caught his attention — a figure descending from the sky at impossible speed. Superman. He had sensed an intrusion, and this city's protector had come to investigate.
Itachi did not hesitate.
With a flick of his finger, his body dispersed into a swarm of crows, reappearing behind Superman in an instant. He launched a barrage of kunai imbued with wind chakra, spinning unpredictably through the air. The Last Son of Krypton barely moved, dodging with superhuman reflexes, but the attacks tested his concentration.
Itachi's movements were a blur — Body Flicker, fireballs, and sudden slashes of his Chidori Katana keeping Superman on constant alert. Crimson eyes glinted as he unleashed Lightning Blade, striking with precision toward Superman's torso.
Superman reacted instantly, deflecting the strike with a sweep of his arm, sending Itachi skidding back, but the boy's agility and foresight — Mangekyō Sharingan — allowed him to avoid full impact. Fireballs erupted behind him, Chidori currents crackling across his blade, forcing Superman to maintain constant defense.
Itachi grinned faintly. This is what I came for.
He combined wind and lightning chakra, slicing through concrete and steel as he maneuvered around the superhero. Each attack forced Superman to dodge, block, or absorb the strikes. Crimson eyes tracked every movement, predicting his opponent's patterns with uncanny precision.
Then, Itachi feinted — a subtle illusion of himself appearing to strike from one angle, while the real Itachi closed in from another. Lightning and fire clashed, and though Superman's raw power allowed him to evade most attacks, Itachi's cunning ensured that one precise Chidori Sharp Spear grazed his side, drawing a flicker of shock from the hero.
Perfect, Itachi murmured. Even a Kage-level opponent like him can be manipulated with proper tactics.
He leapt back, forming rapid hand signs. Body Flicker Technique, slash with Lightning Blade, a swirl of wind-style sword attacks — each strike was calculated to probe weaknesses while keeping himself completely mobile. Superman countered, sending him hurtling backward with super strength, but Itachi's chakra-enhanced agility allowed him to recover midair, landing perfectly atop a nearby rooftop.
From there, he launched a Phoenix Fire Jutsu, dozens of fireballs raining down, forcing Superman to take flight and avoid collateral damage. At the same time, Itachi began calculating — system points, damage output, potential gains.
[System Notification: High-Level Opponent Engaged — Potential System Points: 1,000+]
Itachi's crimson eyes narrowed. Each move, each clash, each defensive maneuver was a lesson, a point generator. Every moment of combat added to his understanding, bringing him closer to summoning elite ninjas and leveling the Kakashi template.
For the first time in the DC Universe, the citizens of Metropolis glimpsed the crimson shadow of a child who moved like a storm — faster than the eye could follow, striking with precision, and thinking with the strategy of a thousand battles.
Itachi smiled faintly under his hood. Let the city try to stop me. Let the heroes try. Every fight makes me stronger, and every point… brings my army closer to reality.
The battle had just begun.