On the screen, beneath the building where Itachi and Sasuke were fighting, the black flames of Amaterasu spread across the surroundings, casting the entire space in an eerie, hellish glow.
Even stranger was the sky, which had been clear and cloudless just moments before. After Sasuke's several Fire Dragon attacks, it had turned pitch black.
Below the rooftop, with his chakra nearly depleted, Sasuke could no longer maintain his Cursed Mark state.
His entire skin flushed red again as the markings of Cursed Mark State 2 faded from his body. His complexion shifted from dark to pale, his purple hair returning to black, and his entire demeanor softened, from sharp and fierce to far more subdued and easier on the eyes.
"This will probably be my last Jutsu." Sasuke smiled faintly, sweat dripping from the tip of his nose.
"The Sharingan is an eye that can perceive chakra. Stop bluffing... I can see that you're out of Chakra. You evaded my Amaterasu using the Orochimaru-style Substitution Jutsu. A well-made substitution to deceive, but it consumes an enormous amount of Chakra." Itachi looked down from above.
Even though blood was flowing from his eyes and the corners of his mouth, his voice remained steady, and he appeared to have victory already within his grasp.
"You're right, I don't have any Chakra left. I used it up in that last Fire Release Jutsu." Sasuke raised his head, his eyes fixed on Itachi, and as he spoke, raindrops began to fall from the sky.
"However… do you really think I would come here to kill you unprepared?" One drop. Two. Three. The rain quickly intensified, pouring down on both of them.
Bolts of lightning flashed intermittently, illuminating the darkened sky.
"Now then… as you wished, I'll show you the sight of your death!"
As Sasuke's voice trailed off, countless bolts of lightning flashed densely across the sky, making the dark clouds appear as bright as day.
The thunder roared, deafening and overwhelming!
"The name of this Jutsu is "Kirin"." At some point, Sasuke had appeared atop a massive stone monument carved with the Uchiha clan crest, while Itachi on the rooftop was now positioned below him.
Sasuke looked down at Itachi like a god gazing upon a mortal. As he raised his left hand high, countless arcs of lightning gathered in his palm—as if he held the very power of the sky in his grasp.
"Come!"
With a loud shout from Sasuke, a colossal beast made of lightning materialized in the air.
The beast was blue-white, ferocious in form, a dragon's head with deer-like antlers, its entire body crackling with electricity, radiating an aura of overwhelming power.
"Perish with the roar of thunder!"
The lightning beast descended from the sky and struck the rooftop directly. In an instant, the entire screen was filled with nothing but blue and white.
The building beneath Itachi's feet cracked with a thunderous roar, and the shockwave sent debris flying in every direction.
[Kirin—an S-rank Lightning Release Jutsu developed by Sasuke. It could even be called the pinnacle of Lightning Release Ninjutsu.]
[Kirin's power and effective attack range far surpasses Chidori, and its power is enough to level a mountaintop and deliver large-scale destructive damage. While its penetrative power may be slightly inferior to Chidori's concentrated thrust, the attack combines both wide-area destruction and directional armor-breaking capability.]
[Moreover, Kirin primarily uses natural energy, so it consumes relatively little of the caster's own Chakra. One could even say that apart from a long preparation time needed to gather and guide the lightning, everything else about it is an advantage.]
---
[Konoha, Year 60. Tazuna's House]
Sasuke's eyes were locked onto the lightning beast on the screen. His heart pounded, blood boiling, an excitement he had never felt surged through his chest.
"Kirin… Kirin…" he muttered to himself, the corners of his mouth curling upward, the light in his eyes growing increasingly bright.
He had developed that Jutsu?
That overwhelming lightning beast... he had created it?
Sakura cupped her face with both hands, her eyes filled with stars: "Sasuke-kun! You're amazing! That Jutsu is so cool!"
Naruto, on the side, was completely stunned into silence.
Kakashi stared at the lightning beast on the screen, a flicker of shock also passing through his eyes.
Kirin. An S-rank Lightning Release Jutsu developed by Sasuke. The pinnacle of Lightning Release Ninjutsu. The Sky Screen's description was simple and direct, but its content was nothing short of shocking.
So this was Sasuke's strength three years later? So the white-clothed Sasuke who had been stopped by Orochimaru earlier on the screen—he had been preparing to use a Jutsu like this?
Fortunately… Orochimaru had stopped him. Otherwise, Naruto and the others at that time probably wouldn't have been able to withstand it.
And... had Itachi succeeded in blocking it in the end?
If it was anyone else, they'd definitely be dead. But Itachi… well, he could trust him for now.
Kakashi's mind began racing. Could he research this Jutsu in advance? Knowing the principles behind it, he might be able to help Sasuke avoid many detours.
"Sasuke," Kakashi called out.
Sasuke turned to look at him.
"After we get back, let's study the nature transformation of Lightning Release."
Sasuke was taken aback for a moment, then nodded with a pleased smile. "Alright."
---
[Akatsuki Hideout]
The moment Deidara saw Kirin appear, his expression turned extremely sour.
He hadn't expected that the future Sasuke, when fighting him on the screen, hadn't even gone all out!
"Hah! Is my art not even worthy of facing this Kirin?" Deidara's voice seemed squeezed through gritted teeth. Why was it that in that brat's eyes, his art didn't even qualify to make him use his full strength?!
Hidan watched Deidara's deflated expression and grinned in schadenfreude: "Deidara, you couldn't even force out his trump card, and you already blew yourself up?"
Deidara shot him a glare: "Shut up!"
"I won't. After all, your art in that brat's eyes was just a warm-up. Your loss was really deserved."
Itachi sat in the corner, his face devoid of any ripples, but a surge of joy welled up within his heart.
Orochimaru's Substitution Jutsu, Cursed Mark, Kirin… it seemed Orochimaru really did have a knack for teaching disciples.
But now, Sasuke seemed to have no intention of seeking out Orochimaru. Would he still be able to grow strong enough?
It wasn't that he looked down on Kakashi, and although Kakashi was a senior from his ANBU days and had solid character, when it came to real strength, he was still far behind Orochimaru, let alone in teaching disciples.
For a moment, Itachi was conflicted. He needed Sasuke to grow strong enough to kill him, awaken the Mangekyō, and then transplant his eyes to obtain the Eternal Mangekyō.
But if Sasuke didn't go to Orochimaru, could he still reach that level?
He took a deep breath, suppressing the unease in his heart.
'Perhaps Kakashi isn't as bad as I think...'
---
[Konoha, Year 52. Uchiha Clan Grounds]
After seeing Kirin, Fugaku's earlier sorrow over the brothers' battle was thrown completely out of his mind. He stared at the lightning beast on the screen, a grin slowly spreading across his face.
Lightning Release was great, Lightning Release had to be learned!
Sasuke had developed a Lightning Release Jutsu of this level? The talent… He looked down at young Sasuke beside him, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
So his approach had been wrong after all; Sasuke was suited for Lightning Release, not Fire Release.
Right now, all he wanted was to find Kakashi and ask him: 'Kakashi, want a disciple?'
Mikoto sat to the side, watching her husband look like he was about to shove Sasuke into Kakashi's arms the very next second, and shook her head helplessly. "Fugaku, you don't need to be so impatient."
"How can I not be impatient?!" Fugaku turned to look at her. "Sasuke's talent lies in Lightning Release—we Uchiha can't teach him that. Kakashi is the best Lightning Release user in Konoha, and he's also part of the direct Hokage lineage. If Sasuke follows him, his future will be limitless."
Hearing that, Mikoto sighed. "You should at least let Kakashi consider it first."
Young Sasuke sat off to the side, listening to his father's arrangements, a strange feeling welling up inside him.
It seemed… he was about to be "given away."
*****
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