Chapter 42: Two Sharingan, Tsukuyomi!
The five of them stood facing each other by the riverbank.
The atmosphere was taut with tension.
And among these five,
Kakashi was clearly the most nervous.
Having known Itachi for a long time and even worked alongside him in the past,
Kakashi understood Itachi's abilities all too well.
Back when Itachi defected from Konoha, he was already frighteningly strong.
Now, after so much time apart…
His strength must have grown even more terrifying.
That realization weighed heavily on Kakashi.
"Those eyes are still the same as before."
Kakashi stared into Itachi's gaze, his mind flashing to the other form of the Sharingan — the Mangekyō Sharingan!
"Even so… he's a true heir of the Sharingan.
I've never seen him use the Mangekyō in combat,
but… what if he already can?
I have to prepare for the absolute worst!"
"How surprising."
Kisame was the first to speak, shattering the heavy silence.
"No wonder you could copy my technique.
I never expected that, besides Itachi-san and that mysterious woman from the Black-Robed Organization,
someone else actually possesses those eyes~
You're the one they call the Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi, right?"
"I should be the one surprised here."
Kakashi's pupils contracted slightly at Kisame's words.
That single sentence had just given him extremely valuable information.
The mysterious Black-Robed Organization… had an Uchiha too!
And this was intel Konoha hadn't even uncovered yet.
How in the world had Akatsuki gotten hold of that information?!
"I spotted two highly suspicious guys in the dango shop.
Thought they were spies from some other village.
Never imagined…
it would be Uchiha Itachi, and…
Kirigakure's freak, Hoshigaki Kisame!"
"Quite the honor~
Didn't expect my name to be known too."
Kisame chuckled. "I'm flattered."
"I see."
Kakashi's gaze shifted to the massive blade in Kisame's hands.
"So one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen… that giant blade is Samehada, isn't it?"
"Heh heh~"
Kisame grinned proudly and gave his weapon a little shake.
"I heard that little punk Zabuza crossed blades with you once.
He's someone worth shredding!"
"Stop it, Kisame!"
Itachi immediately cut in, halting Kisame's movement.
Everyone was caught off guard.
No one understood why Itachi would stop him.
"If you seriously fight that guy,
you won't come out of it unscathed.
And the longer this drags on, the more other ninja will show up, right?"
"But…"
"Don't forget our objective.
You didn't come here to get hurt, did you?"
"Then why don't you tell us what that objective is~"
Hearing Kakashi's words, a faint sense of relief passed through Itachi's heart.
He had waited for Kakashi precisely so he could subtly leak some Akatsuki information.
"We're just here looking for something."
"Looking for something?"
Kakashi paused, then immediately thought of Naruto.
Jiraiya had already told him —
Akatsuki's goal was very likely the tailed beasts.
So Kakashi pressed further.
"What exactly are you looking for?"
"I'm not like Kisame."
Itachi glanced at Kakashi.
He was quite pleased with how persistently Kakashi was questioning him.
This way, he could launch an attack under the guise of answering.
"I won't take much time."
With those words, Itachi narrowed his eyes.
Several shuriken slid out from his sleeve into his hand.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Kakashi instantly formed hand seals to defend.
A towering wall of water rose from the river, perfectly blocking Itachi's incoming Water Release.
"His speed forming techniques is insane!"
Kakashi was shocked.
"He didn't even show any seals!
He used the shuriken in his right hand as bait, but the real attack was a Water Release aimed at my feet!"
"As expected of Kakashi-san.
Your insight is…"
Itachi spoke only half the sentence —
then stopped.
At the same instant, a shadow clone appeared behind Kakashi,
driving a kunai straight toward his back.
And at the same time,
the clone finished the sentence the real body had left hanging.
"…impressive~"
However —
Kakashi's body suddenly turned into water.
"A water clone?"
Itachi glanced over, completely unfazed.
Kurenai, watching from the side, let out a huge sigh of relief.
She had really thought Kakashi was about to die!
"Nice one, Kakashi!"
Kurenai couldn't help praising him.
Then she noticed Kakashi's "real body" had suddenly appeared right beside her.
He handed her a kunai.
Without thinking, she reached out and took it.
But before she could even use it —
Kakashi grabbed her and leaped away.
"Get down, Kurenai!
What you're seeing is his clone!"
"BOOM!"
A deafening explosion rang out immediately afterward.
A massive torrent of water — comparable to a full Water Release jutsu — blasted outward in every direction.
"Kakashi! Kurenai!"
Asuma's expression changed drastically.
"He actually detonated his own shadow clone's body!"
Moments later,
the spray of water finally settled completely.
The four figures reappeared above the river's surface.
"Kakashi!"
Kurenai gave him a worried glance. "Are you okay?"
"Don't let your guard down!"
Kakashi turned, his face dead serious as he stared at Itachi.
"That man became ANBU captain at the age of thirteen."
"I never imagined he'd become this strong."
Asuma grew even more cautious after hearing that.
"No."
Kakashi's bad premonition was growing stronger by the second.
"That guy's strength… is far from its limit!"
"I didn't expect someone who isn't of the Uchiha clan to be able to use the Sharingan so skillfully."
Itachi slowly swept his gaze across Asuma and Kurenai.
He was quite satisfied with how this demonstration of power was going.
From Asuma's attitude alone, it was clear many in Konoha still didn't take him seriously.
If the Third were to die…
Sasuke could end up in real danger.
"But your body isn't suited to house those eyes the way an Uchiha's is.
The burden of continuously using the Sharingan must be enormous, isn't it?"
"He's right."
Kakashi felt utterly helpless.
"I'm going to run out of steam very soon."
"Why is the Uchiha clan called the strongest?
Why are they feared?"
Itachi slowly closed his eyes.
When they opened again, they had transformed into the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Let me show you… the true power of the Sharingan's kekkei genkai!"
"Could it be…!"
Kakashi's eyes widened in alarm.
"This is bad!
Both of you — don't look at his eyes!"
Asuma and Kurenai, confused but obedient, immediately shut their eyes.
"You two absolutely cannot open your eyes!
Looking into those eyes right now will be the end of you!"
Kakashi closed his normal eye, leaving only his Sharingan to meet Itachi's gaze.
"The only ones who can possibly resist those eyes… are others who possess the Sharingan."
"Indeed~"
Itachi spoke expressionlessly.
"With a Sharingan of your own, you can resist the Mangekyō Sharingan… to some extent.
However…
This particular ocular technique —
Genjutsu: Tsukuyomi — cannot be broken!
The only ones who can defeat me are those who bear the same kekkei genkai."
Having finished his prelude,
Itachi unleashed Tsukuyomi directly at Kakashi!
He needed to display overwhelming power —
to make Konoha's people realize just how strong he had become.
At the same time, to make them understand Sasuke's potential and importance.
Without Sasuke…
Konoha would have no one left who could stand against him!
So if they wanted to oppose him, they had better treat Sasuke well.
That was one of the main reasons he chose Kakashi — the only other Sharingan user in the village — as the target for this show of force.
"AAAHHH!"
Kakashi suddenly let out an agonized scream and collapsed helplessly onto the water's surface.
In that single instant,
he had spent seventy-two hours inside the Tsukuyomi world.
Seventy-two hours of endless torture.
Seventy-two hours of being stabbed by countless blades!
"What happened, Kakashi?!
Do we still need to keep our eyes closed?"
Kurenai asked urgently, her voice trembling with worry.
But Kakashi could only gasp for breath, completely drained of strength to reply.
And just then —
a cold, clear voice suddenly rang out from nearby.
"So this is Tsukuyomi?
Uchiha… Itachi."