Sasuke longed for that moment.
He yearned to personally cut down his enemy—to use that man's blood to honor the亡魂 of the Uchiha clan.
At last, the Sky Screen advanced to the moment that gripped the attention of the entire shinobi world.
The battlefield was a desolate, rocky wasteland shrouded in darkness—like a mirror of the twisted, shattered fate binding the two brothers.
Sasuke Uchiha.
Itachi Uchiha.
Brother against brother.
They stood facing one another at last.
No unnecessary words.
No accusations or questioning.
Not even a trace of familial warmth.
What filled the air was only condensed killing intent—and years of blood-soaked hatred that could never be washed away.
In Sasuke's eyes, the three-tomoe Sharingan spun wildly, flooded with crimson rage.
In Itachi's eyes, the Mangekyō Sharingan was calm—abyss-deep—yet laced with something difficult to describe.
Fatigue.
Resolve.
Finality.
The battle erupted without warning.
Taijutsu
Their figures clashed like phantoms, colliding and separating in blurs of motion. Kunai and shuriken tore through the air, shrieking sharply.
Every punch and kick carried lethal intent.
Sasuke's movements were fierce and explosive—honed by years of brutal training and fueled by hatred.
Itachi's responses, however, were almost leisurely.
Precise.
Elegant.
Always resolving danger at the very last instant.
His combat experience and mastery clearly surpassed Sasuke by an entire realm.
Genjutsu
The ocular power of the Sharingan and Mangekyō Sharingan collided on an invisible plane.
Ninjutsu
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive fireball erupted from Sasuke's mouth, its blazing light illuminating the dark cavern.
To different viewers, the brothers' duel appeared completely different.
To ordinary shinobi and civilians, this was a breathtaking, evenly matched battle—
A peak-level showdown filled with dazzling jutsu, elite taijutsu, and terrifying genjutsu.
They watched with pounding hearts, barely able to breathe.
But to the Kage, elite jōnin, and Akatsuki members—
The truth looked very different.
"This Itachi..."
The Fourth Raikage, A, crossed his arms, brow deeply furrowed.
"He's holding back."
"His movements, his rhythm—even his chakra usage—he's completely at ease. Yet he keeps the fight perfectly within the limits that boy can endure and counter. What is he trying to do?"
"…It's like he's guiding him," Mei Terumī murmured, eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
Itachi was like a patient instructor—
And at the same time, a merciless executioner.
Step by step, he forced Sasuke forward.
Drawing out every ounce of his strength.
Every scrap of potential.
Every fragment of hatred.
Ōnoki hovered in midair, his aged face grim.
"He's forcing his opponent to exhaust every last card… then what? Crushing despair?"
He shook his head slowly.
"No. There's no pleasure in his eyes. He isn't toying with prey."
The entire shinobi world held its breath.
Kirin
Inside the Ninja Academy, Sasuke's fists clenched so tightly his body trembled. He felt as if he were fighting alongside his future self.
And then—
The battle reached its apparent climax.
After pouring out every last drop of chakra, Sasuke called down the might of heaven itself, unleashing the S-rank Lightning Release technique—
Kirin.
A colossal lightning beast descended from the storm clouds, roaring as it slammed toward Itachi.
For a moment, everyone thought—
This is it.
But then—
A massive skeletal avatar, glowing with ominous red light, manifested instantly around Itachi.
Susano'o.
Kirin's earth-shattering lightning strike slammed into Susano'o—
And only made it sway slightly.
It did not break.
It was not even close.
The sight left Sasuke on the Sky Screen—and countless viewers in reality—utterly stunned.
"How is this even a fight?!"
"That power isn't even on the same plane!"
"Susano'o… the godlike power of the Uchiha!"
"Their bloodline is terrifying beyond belief!"
Orochimaru's Second Death
Just as everyone wondered how Sasuke could possibly turn the tables—
The situation flipped again.
Itachi didn't direct Susano'o at Sasuke.
Instead, he turned it toward the white serpent form of Orochimaru, forcibly emerging from Sasuke's body.
"AAAGH—!!"
Orochimaru's shrill, unwilling scream echoed once more.
Having waited for Sasuke to exhaust himself, he had tried to seize control again—
Only to be instantly pierced and sealed by the Totsuka Blade.
Like melting ice, Orochimaru vanished completely.
Again.
"…Is Orochimaru just cursed at this point?"
Someone muttered somewhere in the shinobi world.
"Killed by the little brother, sealed by the older one—killed again after that…"
The rapid twists left everyone reeling.
The End
And just when everyone was desperately trying to figure out how a cornered Sasuke might still achieve a miracle—
The Sky Screen froze.
Itachi, his body clearly at its limit, staggered toward Sasuke.
He did not strike.
Instead, he slowly—painfully—raised a finger.
As if to touch his younger brother's forehead one last time.
Then—
His movement stopped.
His arm fell limply.
His body collapsed backward.
On his face was an expression impossible to describe—
Relief.
Regret.
Gentleness.
And sorrow beyond words.
And just like that—
He died.
Silence.
A deathly silence fell over the entire shinobi world.
Several seconds passed—
Then an uproar exploded like a tsunami.
"What?! That's it?! He just dies?!"
"Itachi Uchiha—are you kidding me?!"
"You were just wrecking everything with Susano'o and now you keel over on your own?!"
"That acting couldn't be more obvious! Do you think we're blind?!"
"He did it on purpose! He never intended to kill Sasuke!"
"So what was his goal?! What the hell was he trying to do?!"
Shouts of disbelief shook the world.
A duel watched by all of shinobi-kind ended in a way that felt almost absurd—
Filled with contradictions and unanswered questions.
Itachi Uchiha.
The S-rank rogue ninja branded with genocide.
What was his true purpose?
Akatsuki Hideout
The atmosphere was heavy and strange.
These were shinobi at the very peak of the world—
Arrogant.
Sharp-eyed.
Impossible to fool.
To them, Itachi's "performance" on the Sky Screen wasn't subtle.
This wasn't holding back.
This wasn't even mercy.
This was—
Letting the ocean loose.
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