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"This won’t do!"
Izuna’s figure suddenly appeared behind Sasuke.
He placed his hand firmly on Sasuke’s shoulder, forcing Sasuke’s body to plummet toward the ground.
Izuna kept his eyes tightly shut, leaving only the Mangekyō Sharingan on his forehead—originally belonging to Shisui—open. That single eye locked directly onto the crow’s gaze.
"Kotoamatsukami!"
The same genjutsu was unleashed simultaneously from the crow and Izuna’s eyes. The strange spiritual waves clashed silently in the air, canceling each other out into nothingness.
"Caw!"
The crow let out a shrill cry, blood-tears streaming from its eyes. It flapped its wings and retreated.
"Got you!"
The eye on Izuna’s forehead closed and disappeared as he reopened his own eyes.
In a flash, his right hand shot out, capturing the crow in his grip.
"Caw! Caw!"
The crow let out piercing cries, struggling fiercely.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several kunai and shuriken flew from another direction, tracing arcs in the air as they closed in on Izuna.
Slash!
A burst of electricity flashed. Sasuke, who had landed earlier, dashed around Izuna with his blade, scattering cold sparks and lightning everywhere, knocking down all the incoming projectiles with ease.
Izuna landed and glanced at Sasuke, whose expression was grim. Izuna reached out to pat Sasuke’s shoulder as a gesture of comfort, but seeing the arcs of electricity surging across Sasuke’s body, he withdrew his hand.
"Itachi."
Sasuke’s voice was calm.
He stared at the distant figure leaning weakly against the shattered ruins for support. He opened his mouth to speak but found himself at a loss for words.
This man...
His resolve was too firm, impossible to sway with mere words.
The thought of nearly falling victim to the genjutsu "Kotoamatsukami" from Shisui’s Mangekyō Sharingan left Sasuke with lingering fear.
If not for having seen that eye before at Izuna’s place—and Izuna stepping in to save him—he would have become a slave to Itachi’s will.
This realization shifted many of Sasuke’s thoughts.
Before, despite his deep hatred for Itachi, his intent to punish him had stemmed from seeing Itachi as his elder brother.
Now, Sasuke suddenly no longer wanted to dwell on matters related to Itachi.
Let it end here.
According to the plan, Itachi would be imprisoned in the cemetery, and there would be no need to meet him again in the future.
"In that case, I won’t waste my breath debating with you anymore," Sasuke said as the lightning on his body gradually dissipated. "All you need to know is that you’ve lost, so from now on, things will go according to my will."
"Cough... cough... cough..."
Itachi coughed violently, blood streaming between his fingers as he covered his mouth.
Supporting himself against the crumbling wall, he managed to stand unsteadily and began staggering toward Sasuke.
"Who would’ve thought Itachi would actually lose like this?"
"Who’s there?"
Sasuke and Izuna turned toward the voice.
"Greetings."
A bizarre figure, its head encased in a plant-like structure resembling a pitcher plant, emerged from the ground.
"Zetsu... cough... why are you here?" Itachi halted his steps.
"I’m here under orders from the leader."
The pitcher-plant structure opened, revealing Zetsu’s black-and-white half-split head.
"Cough... cough... my... cough... mission has failed..." Itachi began coughing violently again.
"In that case, we’ll take over from here."
A space-time vortex appeared, and Tobi’s figure suddenly materialized behind Zetsu.
"Itachi-san."
"Sasuke!"
Kisame and Neji rushed over from afar, landing on either side of Itachi and Sasuke.
Seeing Tobi, Sasuke’s gaze flickered. He reached out, summoning a paper effigy infused with natural energy, and tossed it into the air.
"Well, isn’t this lively."
The paper effigy transformed into Kaito, who floated gently to the ground with a smile.
"Sasuke." He patted Sasuke’s shoulder and took the space talisman Sasuke handed over. "What’s your next move?"
"Don’t worry about the others," Sasuke said indifferently. "I just want to capture Itachi."
"Hey, don’t ignore me!" Kisame, gripping his massive blade, stepped in front of Itachi.
"Uchiha Kaito."
As Zetsu spoke, he gestured subtly behind him.
Tobi nodded, disappearing into another space-time vortex.
"Oh? Going to get reinforcements?" Kaito crossed his arms leisurely. "Then I’ll wait a little longer."
"Uncle?" Sasuke turned to him.
"No rush, Sasuke." Kaito remained relaxed. "Itachi isn’t going anywhere."
"Cough... cough..." Itachi stepped out from behind Kisame, his gaze fixed ahead. "What... do you plan to do with me?"
"Hm?" Kaito glanced him over. "What to do with you? That’s up to Sasuke."
"However..." Kaito’s eyes narrowed, "your body’s in shambles. Doesn’t seem like you’ll last much longer."
"If... cough... this is Sasuke’s will..." Itachi staggered closer. "Cough... cough... I’ll go with you."
"Itachi-san!" Kisame called out.
"Kisame." Itachi didn’t stop walking. "You should leave."
"Itachi!" Zetsu exclaimed in protest.
"Cough... our mission has failed..." Itachi continued forward unsteadily. "The leader won’t blame Kisame."
"Is this Itachi-san’s decision?" Kisame bared his sharp teeth. "In that case..."
"Wait!" Zetsu interjected.
At that moment, another space-time vortex appeared, and Deva Path Pain emerged.
"Looks like I made it in time."
Tobi appeared alongside him.
"Leader?" Kisame looked at Deva Path Pain in surprise.
"Leave this to me," Pain said coldly. "Itachi’s condition is dire. Take him and retreat, Kisame."
"Yes!" Kisame stepped toward Itachi.
"Not so fast."
Kaito suddenly acted, blue spiritual chains shooting out from his hand, binding Itachi tightly.
"Itachi is already in our custody."
Kisame unraveled the bandages around Samehada, revealing its fierce form, and charged toward Itachi to cut the chains.
"You won’t stop us!"
Sasuke and Neji moved simultaneously, intercepting Kisame.
Lightning wrapped around Sasuke’s blade, blocking Samehada’s path.
Neji crouched low, dodging Samehada, and struck at Kisame’s waist.
Kisame swung his massive blade with force, repelling Sasuke and kicking at Neji’s chest.
Meanwhile, Kaito pulled hard, drawing the bound Itachi to his side.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Deva Path Pain extended his hands toward Kaito and Itachi, unleashing a powerful gravitational force.
Golden mist suddenly enveloped Kaito, and countless golden chains erupted from the ground, encasing both him and Itachi.
"Time to bring out the main body."
After isolating the gravitational force with his chains, Kaito slammed his hand into the ground.
Golden energy rippled outward like waves, and a figure surrounded by radiant golden mist slowly emerged from the ripples.