While chinatsu and Naruto were dealing with various matters in the Land of Whirlpools, Sasuke, following clues deliberately left behind by Uchiha Itachi, finally found the Uchiha's "hiding place."
In the desolate wilderness, Sasuke stood before a conspicuously tall hideout. Even with walls obstructing the view, Sasuke could clearly sense Itachi's chakra.
Uchiha Itachi: Come, Sasuke.
Inside the hideout, Itachi sat calmly upon a stone seat, gazing in Sasuke's direction.
He had already planned everything. He would hold back, allow Sasuke to unleash all of his strength, and when the time came, entrust his eyes to Sasuke, allowing him to obtain the Mangekyō Sharingan and eventually awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
Itachi waited for Sasuke to burst through the entrance.
One minute passed.
Then another.
Yet Sasuke still showed no intention of entering.
Instead, Sasuke calmly raised both hands and formed a seal.
Shadow Clone Technique!
Four shadow clones instantly appeared beside him.
Without hesitation, the four clones scattered around the building, each occupying a different position.
Their hands rapidly formed seals.
Itachi frowned.
A barrier formation?
No.
The moment he sensed the rapidly gathering chakra, Itachi's expression changed.
This wasn't a sealing formation.
Sasuke was preparing a large-scale bombardment.
A devastating attack intended to erase the entire hideout before the battle had even begun.
"Damn it…"
Itachi instantly stood up.
At the same moment, all five Sasukes completed their hand seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
"Lightning Release: Chidori Current!"
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
"Lightning Release: Lightning Beast Tracking Fang!"
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Technique!"
The combination of multiple high-level Fire Release and Lightning Release techniques erupted simultaneously.
The entire hideout was swallowed by a terrifying explosion.
BOOM!!!
The towering structure shattered instantly.
Countless fragments flew into the sky.
Black smoke billowed upward like a volcanic eruption.
Lightning crackled wildly within the flames, turning the entire area into a sea of destruction.
The four shadow clones dispersed from the recoil.
Only Sasuke's original body remained standing motionless.
He never believed a single attack could kill Uchiha Itachi.
This was merely a greeting.
For years, Sasuke had imagined this battle countless times.
Every day his strength grew stronger.
Yet the image of Uchiha Itachi in his mind also grew stronger.
The opponent he wanted to surpass was never the Itachi of the past.
It was the strongest Itachi he could imagine.
The smoke gradually dispersed.
A crimson skeletal giant emerged from within.
Blood flowed from Itachi's eyes as he stood inside the enormous ribcage.
Susanoo.
Sasuke wasn't surprised at all.
He had seen this power many times from chinatsu.
He had even learned the truth behind it from her.
The power exclusive to the Mangekyō Sharingan.
But
Compared to his sister's complete Susanoo, Itachi's skeletal form was clearly far weaker.
A confident smile appeared on Sasuke's face.
Meanwhile, Itachi was genuinely shocked.
Sasuke is far stronger than I expected…
If he had reacted even slightly slower just now, he might have died before the battle even started.
Yet Sasuke didn't appear surprised by Susanoo at all.
Clearly, chinatsu had already explained everything to him.
Itachi felt both relieved and helpless.
It seemed Sasuke had been living quite well these past years.
A faint smile flashed across his face.
However, his expression quickly became serious again.
The skeletal Susanoo expanded.
Muscles and armor rapidly formed around it.
The second stage of Susanoo appeared.
Even if defeat was inevitable, Uchiha Itachi still possessed his pride.
At the very least, he intended to struggle until the end.
"Amaterasu!"
Blood streamed from Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan.
Black flames instantly materialized around Sasuke.
However, Sasuke had already anticipated this.
Using Body Flicker, he disappeared from his original position before the flames fully manifested.
The black fire consumed only the ground where he had been standing.
Itachi froze.
Sasuke understood Amaterasu's activation speed and visual targeting far too well.
It was as though he had fought against it countless times already.
"Looks like Onee-san really told you everything…"
Sasuke merely smiled.
"Of course."
The next second, more shadow clones appeared around him.
They charged toward Itachi simultaneously.
The Mangekyō Sharingan possessed two terrifying abilities.
Amaterasu.
The black flames said to burn everything in their path.
And
Tsukuyomi.
The ultimate genjutsu capable of controlling time perception within an illusion.
However, both techniques required direct visual engagement.
Sasuke had spent years preparing for this battle.
He had already developed countless methods to avoid eye contact and disrupt Itachi's timing.
The charging shadow clones continuously altered their movements.
Some attacked from the front.
Others circled around the sides.
The real Sasuke remained hidden among them.
Even Itachi found it difficult to distinguish the original immediately.
Why do you know me this well…?
Itachi couldn't help thinking that.
Because of his illness, he rarely fought at full strength.
Even fewer people had ever survived long enough to understand the weaknesses of his Mangekyō techniques.
Yet Sasuke seemed to know everything.
The second-stage Susanoo raised its enormous arm and smashed downward.
Facing the gigantic crimson fist, Sasuke and every shadow clone simultaneously extended their right hands.
Lightning erupted.
The sound of a thousand birds crying echoed across the battlefield.
Chidori!!!
Years of hatred.
Years of determination.
Years of relentless training.
All converged into this single moment.
As Sasuke charged forward, his Sharingan finally evolved once again.
The tomoe spun rapidly.
From two tomoe
To three.
The fully matured Sharingan reflected the crimson giant before him.
The clash erupted instantly.
Dust exploded into the sky.
Lightning illuminated the battlefield.
Even chinatsu's Wood Release clone, secretly observing from afar, couldn't help but stare blankly.
"…Too bad I didn't bring a bag of sunflower seeds."
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