This battle was truly unwinnable. Sasuke was facing an Itachi who was still stronger than his original-story counterpart in terms of combat awareness and experience, yet burdened by the same terminal illness and deteriorating eyesight. More importantly, Sasuke possessed intelligence that the original Sasuke never had. He knew nearly all of Itachi's trump cards, while Sasuke's own techniques and actions constantly shattered Itachi's expectations.
With Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi effectively countered, and his weakened body preventing him from maintaining Susanoo at its full potential for long, Sasuke and his Shadow Clones, each wielding Chidori, charged toward Itachi's massive Susanoo fist.
A kunai against Susanoo was indeed like an egg striking a boulder, but Chidori was not.
If one strike wasn't enough, then two would be. If two weren't enough, then three.
After several of the Shadow Clones sacrificed themselves to create openings, the Chidori from Sasuke's real body finally pierced through a weak point in Itachi's Susanoo. A flash of blue lightning cut across the battlefield as Sasuke instantly appeared less than half a meter before Itachi.
His outstretched arm covered that remaining distance.
The crackling Chidori pierced directly through Itachi's side.
Itachi's face twitched violently.
Unlike Chinatsu's previous attack, which had left him suffering from lingering internal injuries, Sasuke's strike was pure, concentrated agony. The lightning chakra tore through muscle and nerves alike.
While enduring the intense pain, Itachi couldn't help but complain inwardly.
Why are all of you obsessed with attacking my side?!
Chinatsu did it before.
Now Sasuke too.
Where exactly did this habit of targeting people's waists come from?!
A metallic taste filled his mouth.
Itachi coughed and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Although he still possessed the third stage of Susanoo, the spiritual weapons sealed within it—the Totsuka Blade and the Yata Mirror—remained available to him.
But he couldn't use them against Sasuke.
He never intended to.
In other words...
He, Uchiha Itachi, had already lost.
"I never imagined you would grow this strong in such a short time..." Itachi said while blood continued to drip from the corner of his mouth.
In the original timeline, this confrontation wouldn't have happened for another several years. Under Chinatsu's influence, Sasuke's growth had accelerated far beyond what anyone could have predicted.
"Itachi Uchiha, this is all because of you."
Sasuke's voice trembled with hatred.
"Ever since that night, do you know how much effort I've put into becoming stronger? Do you know how many times I've relived the massacre in my dreams? If not for my sister, I don't even know what kind of person I would have become."
His crimson Sharingan locked onto Itachi.
Every word contained years of accumulated pain.
Itachi's love for Sasuke had always been genuine.
But it had also been selfish.
He concealed the truth.
He manipulated Sasuke's future.
He even prepared Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan and Kotoamatsukami as a final safeguard to force Sasuke onto a path that matched his own wishes.
For a moment, Itachi couldn't answer.
From the perspective of the Uchiha Clan, he knew he was a sinner.
He had accepted that long ago.
But...
"Sasuke..."
Blood flowed down his chin as he forced himself to speak.
"I'm not going to justify everything I've done."
"But... for the last time..."
"Let me show you something."
Gathering the final remnants of his strength, Itachi slowly raised two trembling fingers.
Then he gently tapped Sasuke's forehead.
Just like he had done countless times during their childhood.
The truth was transmitted directly through genjutsu.
Not Tsukuyomi.
Not an illusion meant to deceive.
But memories.
The truth of the Uchiha massacre.
The conflict between the clan and Konoha's leadership.
Danzo Shimura's interference.
The impossible choice he had been forced to make.
Everything.
From afar, Chinatsu's Wood Release clone silently watched.
She paused slightly.
In the original story, it was Obito who revealed the truth after Itachi's death.
Now, however, Itachi himself had chosen to tell Sasuke.
It seemed he had already sensed that unseen forces were moving behind the scenes.
Then again...
This was Uchiha Itachi.
If he couldn't perceive even this much, he wouldn't be Itachi.
Fortunately, he was already at the end of his life.
The fewer people who knew Chinatsu's plans, the better.
Chinatsu's clone folded her arms and continued watching.
Under the genjutsu, Sasuke witnessed everything.
His Sharingan instinctively analyzed every detail.
The memories weren't fabricated.
His eyes easily distinguished illusion from reality.
The truth was genuine.
"I'm sorry..."
"This is the last time."
After speaking those final words, Itachi's strength finally left him.
His eyes closed.
His body collapsed forward.
Sasuke's pupils contracted violently.
For a moment, his vision blurred.
The blood-covered hand.
The fallen figure.
The countless years of hatred.
Everything overlapped together.
Sasuke remained motionless.
His head lowered.
His breathing became increasingly erratic.
He knew he was on the verge of hyperventilating.
His body trembled.
His worldview was collapsing.
"Sister..."
The word escaped his lips almost unconsciously.
A moment later, a pair of arms gently wrapped around him from behind.
Sasuke turned around.
His eyes shook.
"Sister..."
"Sister..."
"I'm here."
chinatsu's voice entered his ears.
"You don't need to hold it in anymore."
"Just let it out."
"I'm right here."
"And no matter what happens..."
"I'll stay by your side."
"Because I'm your sister."
Since the night of the massacre, Chinatsu had become the pillar supporting Sasuke's entire world.
And now, as that world threatened to collapse once again, she was still there.
Before anything else could happen, however—
Sasuke suddenly raised his head and let out a roar.
Years of hatred.
Confusion.
Pain.
Love.
Regret.
Everything erupted at once.
Under that overwhelming emotional shock, his Sharingan evolved again.
The three tomoe rapidly spun.
Blood flowed from the corners of his eyes.
A new pattern emerged.
The Mangekyō Sharingan.
...
Meanwhile, in the Land of Whirlpools.
Chinatsu's real body slowly exhaled.
After receiving the memories from the dispelled Wood Release clone, she finally understood what had happened.
The worst outcome had been avoided.
A huge burden lifted from her shoulders.
"Good."
"Now I can focus on my own work."
With renewed energy, chinatsu formed a hand seal.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Hundreds of clones instantly appeared around her.
No one knew when news regarding Kisame Hoshigaki would arrive.
It could be several days.
It could be several minutes.
Since that was the case, she might as well finish everything she could beforehand.
Corporate-slave spirit, activate!
Each clone formed an oversized Rasengan.
With chakra continuously poured into them, the Rasengans grew far larger than normal.
The army of Chinatsus immediately transformed into living bulldozers.
Rows of clones pushed through ruined buildings, shattered roads, and collapsed structures across the Land of Whirlpools.
Seeing this, Naruto became excited as well.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Hundreds.
Then thousands.
Naruto's clones filled the horizon.
Each one carried a Rasengan.
Together they joined the demolition and reconstruction effort.
The efficiency was terrifying.
The surviving Uzumaki clan members stared with mouths hanging open.
Within a single hour, their understanding of the ninja world had been shattered repeatedly.
Yet at the same time, hope had finally appeared.
If they followed Chinatsu...
Perhaps the Uzumaki Clan truly could rise again.
Of course, when they remembered that their primary assigned task was still "increasing the clan population," every one of them lowered their heads in embarrassment.
No one wanted to be the first person to start that conversation.
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