"Sage Art: Swallow Return" was the first—and so far the only—original jutsu Sasuke had created since learning senjutsu.
Harnessing the powers of Ryūchidō's Sage Mode, he forged a blade of pure natural chakra and wielded it as a katana.
Itachi's speed was unparalleled—not only when weaving hand signs, but in every sense of the word.
A spiked club would have more raw power, but it would only reduce the odds of striking Itachi. A long-handled katana was the ideal weapon against him.
To defeat Itachi, Sasuke had spared no effort—developing counters to the Mangekyō Sharingan's ocular powers, gaining Naruto's chakra for recovery, and mastering Sage Mode.
The result spoke for itself: Sasuke's blade carved cleanly across Itachi's chest, without resistance.
This time, Itachi didn't disperse into a flock of crows. The wound was real.
"I've got you now, Itachi." Sasuke's eyes burned with hatred.
His lifelong wish was finally within reach.
"Sasuke…" Itachi's gaze was complicated, filled with conflicted emotions. "Your growth… it makes me proud."
He had never imagined that the little boy who once chased after him calling "big brother" would grow into someone he had to face with his full strength.
"Don't use that disgusting tone with me," Sasuke snapped, revulsion twisting his face. If there had been even a sliver of hesitation left in him before, it had been crushed the moment Shisui's eye appeared. "All it does is sicken me."
"Sasuke, it isn't you who has caught me—it's I who have caught you."
As he spoke, twin rivulets of blood streamed from Itachi's eyes.
"Susanoo!"
First came the skeletal frame, then flesh and muscle, and finally, crimson armor.
In mere moments, a towering red giant loomed before Sasuke, its massive hand closing tightly around him.
"You think you're the only one who can wield this power?" Sasuke sneered. His eyes flared, and he mirrored Itachi's movements exactly.
"Susanoo!"
Perhaps because of Naruto's chakra mingled within him, Sasuke's Susanoo was not purple, but golden.
With ease, it shattered the grip of Itachi's Susanoo. In an instant, Sasuke's avatar overpowered his brother's, clearly more complete, more refined.
And within his Susanoo surged senjutsu chakra—not a mere Susanoo anymore, but a Susanoo infused with Sage Mode.
"The power those two wield… it far surpasses that of ordinary clansmen," Fugaku murmured, awe in his voice.
The other Uchiha gasped as well. Thankfully, their own abilities had been greatly enhanced; otherwise, they would have had no right to even stand on the same battlefield.
"So this is your grand finale?" Sasuke drove his Susanoo forward, its blade nearly severing one of Itachi's arms. With only a few strikes, he had Itachi pinned. Raising his weapon high, Sasuke roared:
"Then let it end!"
The colossal blade descended, meant to cut through Itachi and his Susanoo alike.
A killing strike!
Yet Itachi's face showed no panic. Instead, a faint expression of relief surfaced.
Clang!
Sasuke's fatal strike was stopped. A shield had formed—a divine treasure reshaped into a mirror: the Yata Mirror, said to nullify any attack.
"Sasuke… I'm sorry. Forgive me. This will be the last time."
Itachi's voice was calm, as though resigned to his fate. With his other hand, he raised another divine weapon toward Sasuke—
The Totsuka Blade!
A legendary sword said to seal its victim forever within a drunken dream-world illusion.
Itachi truly loved Sasuke, but he loved Konoha even more. For that reason, he had prepared Kotoamatsukami for him.
And when that failed, he had a second plan—the Totsuka Blade. He was ready to drag Sasuke into that eternal dream with him, sealing them both away.
That way, he wouldn't have to kill Sasuke, nor allow Konoha to be destroyed.
So that's why this feels familiar…
Didn't Danzō once try the same, using the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing to drag Sasuke down with him? Only he ended up sealing a bridge instead…
"What a pity…"
Just as Itachi raised the Totsuka Blade toward Sasuke, Naruto struck.
"This is the moment I was waiting for."
In a blur, Naruto appeared beside Itachi's Susanoo. With a sweeping motion of his arm—
"Ki Gen Slash!"
A flat, blue-white wave of energy cleaved through the arm wielding the Totsuka Blade. Then, with a full-force punch, Naruto shattered Itachi's Susanoo.
And he wasn't done. Stepping across the air itself, Naruto unleashed four beams of searing energy, obliterating Itachi's limbs. Landing before him, Naruto looked down coldly.
"What were you planning to do to my brother?"
"You traitor to Konoha."
Forced out of his Susanoo, Itachi's eyes poured blood. His vision dimmed to near blindness.
"Curse Seal of Binding!"
Black markings crawled across his body, locking him completely in place. He couldn't move, couldn't even muster a flicker of chakra.
"You are…?"
"Sasuke."
Naruto ignored Itachi and called to his stunned friend: "Quick, collect these divine treasures. They'll be invaluable."
With the Totsuka Blade and Yata Mirror in hand, Sasuke's strength would reach terrifying new heights.
"I see…"
Naruto didn't acknowledge him further, but Itachi's expression changed—he had already guessed.
"So it's you… You're the one standing behind Sasuke."
"You're the one who's led him astray."
"Led him astray?" Naruto's brow rose. By now, Sasuke had dismissed his Susanoo and come to stand beside him. "I've never led Sasuke astray. I only told him the truth. Why do you insist his words are false?"
"Why did you turn a blind eye to the injustices Uchiha faced, yet claim we lacked composure?"
"Why did you ignore Konoha's relentless oppression, even as we were driven to the very edge, and still call us too radical?"
"Why would you blindly trust outsiders, yet refuse to believe in your own kin? Why could you raise your hand against innocent clansmen?"
"Doesn't your conscience ache?"
"…Ah, I forgot. You don't have one."
Naruto didn't let Itachi respond. With a nod to Kazahana Doto, a figure was dumped unceremoniously before him like trash.
"It can't be…" Itachi's eyes widened in shock. He struggled, but with a dozen seals binding him, limbs shattered, and chakra sealed, he was utterly helpless.
"Lord Third…"
"Do we need our esteemed Hokage to tell you the truth himself?"
Hiruzen said nothing.
"Hahaha… right, one more interesting fact." Naruto suddenly laughed, as though recalling something amusing. "Tell me, haven't you gone more than once to a rendezvous with this man—only to walk into an ambush?"
"You thought it was Danzō's orders to eliminate you?"
Naruto wagged a finger. "Wrong. Danzō never knew about your meetings with the Third. The one who ordered those attacks… was this very Hokage."
"Funny, isn't it? After all you've done for this 'esteemed Lord Third,' he still wanted you dead."
"Never saw that coming, did you?"
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