With Sasuke's furious roar, the power of his Cursed Seal was pushed to its limit.
His skin, which was already covered with black markings, turned completely dark gray. His once-tied hair fell freely around his shoulders, and a cross-shaped pattern appeared in the center of his face.
As he groaned in pain, his back arched, and his shirt was completely torn apart. Two lumps of flesh emerged from his back, bursting open like a butterfly breaking out of a cocoon.
From the ruptures, a pair of enormous wings resembling hands unfolded.
Feeling the surging power within him, Sasuke let out a crazed laugh: "Itachi, you are dead this time!"
He roared and charged at Itachi.
With Lightning Attribute Chakra coursing through his body and his second-stage Curses Seal transformation, Sasuke moved at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.
All that could be seen was a dark blur streaking across the battlefield.
Before the blur even faded, Sasuke appeared behind Itachi.
Ding!
Itachi, as if he had eyes on the back of his head, blocked Sasuke's attack with his sword without even turning around.
Crack!
Unable to withstand the force of Sasuke's strike, Itachi's sword shattered. Sasuke's Kusanagi Sword descended again, and if it landed, Itachi would undoubtedly be sliced in half.
"Die!"
Boom!
The slash struck the ground, carving a deep trench into the earth and sending dust flying into the air.
However, according to the law of 'smoke means no damage', Itachi was obviously unscathed.
At the critical moment, Itachi's Sharingan spun slowly, altering Sasuke's perception of his position. What Sasuke thought was Itachi was nothing but thin air.
Taking this opportunity, Itachi formed the 'Tiger' hand seal and shouted, "Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
Unlike other flashy Fire Release Ninjutsu, the Great Dragon Fire Technique, as a B-Rank Ninjutsu, prioritized power and precision.
Under normal circumstances, Itachi wouldn't use this technique lightly.
Though undeniably a genius, Itachi's Chakra Reserve was his weak point, and the Great Dragon Fire Technique is a Ninjutsu that consumes a lot of Chakra.
Fortunately, with Naruto's enhanced Courage Blessing, Itachi's Chakra reserve were overflowing, which is why he unleashed this powerful Ninjutsu without hesitation.
As Itachi's body glowed with the red, blue, and purple hues of the Courage Blessing, his Chakra condensed and compressed. A blazing dragon head of fire shot forth, charging directly at Sasuke.
"Roar!"
The dragon head let out a low growl and split into three.
This was the current limit of Itachi's mastery over the Great Dragon Fire Technique. He can unleased three fire dragon heads at the same time.
However, in order to avoid unnecessary waste of Chakra, Itachi focused his Chakra on maximizing the power of the lead fire dragon head.
The three fire dragon heads formed a triangular formation, trapping Sasuke and leaving him with no space to escape.
"Lightning Release: Chidori Current - First Style!"
Sasuke shouted, and his entire body crackled with lightning.
The Chidori Current was a refinement of the Chidori, incorporating Nature Transformation. Sasuke's First Style Chidori Current wasn't channeled through his hands but released from his entire body.
This A-Rank Lightning Release technique combined offense and defense, serving as an alternative form of absolute defense, akin to Gaara's sand but with lightning!
"Second Style!"
As Sasuke's Chidori Current clashed with the Great Dragon Fire Technique, he wasn't idle. He drove his Kusanagi Sword into the ground, using the metal's conductivity to channel the Chidori through it. The directed lightning surged across the surface, forming a small but focused electric grid that aimed to counterattack Itachi.
Itachi hadn't anticipated Sasuke's combat intelligence to be so high, or to say, his growth was so fast.
For a moment, Itachi was unable to dodge the attack of Chidori Current - Second Style, and was momentarily paralyzed.
Whoosh!
Sasuke pushed through the first wave of the Great Dragon Fire Technique, using a Body Replacement Technique to escape. Then, in the next instant, he appeared right in front of Itachi.
"Chidori Katana!"
The Kusanagi Sword, charged with the power of Chidori, reached unparalleled speed as Sasuke unleashed a relentless flurry of slashes at Itachi.
To ensure he didn't miss due to a Genjutsu-induced miscalculation, Sasuke widened his attack radius, swinging wildly left and right. He even summoned Fuma Shuriken, increasing his range and creating the image of a human cutting machine.
His bloodshot eyes, glowing with the crimson of the Sharingan, burned with rage and killing intent.
In his eyes, Itachi was the source of all his suffering.
If not for Itachi, he would have had a happy family. He would still be the young master of the Uchiha Clan. He wouldn't have lost Naruto.
It was Itachi who had stolen everything from him.
Now, with the opportunity before him, Sasuke was determined to kill his brother… even at the cost of his own life!
After slashing relentlessly for what seemed like an eternity, Sasuke finally stopped, panting heavily. Before him, the remnants of what seemed to be Itachi lay in pieces.
But just then, a cold voice shook Sasuke from his thoughts.
"Foolish little brother. You still don't have the value to be killed. Continue to hate me. Loathe me. Then crawl on the ground like the wretched insect you are!"
Sasuke whipped his head toward the source of the voice and saw a figure a hundred meters away.
That same cold gaze… it was as unfeeling as when Sasuke had first seen it as a child.
"Bastard! I'm going to kill you!"
Sasuke roared in fury, gripping his Kusanagi Sword and charging at Itachi once more.
He cursed himself for not having the Mangekyo Sharingan, unable to pierce through Itachi's Genjutsu, which had repeatedly deceived him.
But the opportunity is right in front of him, so how can he give up?
For his clan, for Naruto, and for himself… he must kill Itachi.
Bang, bang, bang!
Relentless attacks rained down. Sasuke continuously drew on his Chakra Reserve, unleashing devastating moves one after another at Itachi.
"Foolish little brother. Live pathetically. Run away." Itachi's indifferent expression remained unchanged, his eyes void of emotion as though looking at a mere insect.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
Sasuke did not give up at all and continued to release Ninjutsu, most of which were Fire Release Ninjutsu.
The extreme heat scorched the ground black.
The air above, saturated with evaporated moisture from the intense heat, caused updrafts that formed dark thunderclouds. Soon, the sky became shrouded in ominous clouds, crackling with lightning.
"Go to hell!"
Sasuke roared, taking care not to meet Itachi's eyes.
He knew too well that looking directly at Itachi meant falling into the trap of visual Genjutsu. By avoiding eye contact, he could resist its effects.
And to attack, he was ready.
With a powerful leap, Sasuke launched himself skyward. His crimson Sharingan spun rapidly as he ascended into the storm clouds.
Lightning gathered in his right palm, forming the signature birds chirping noise… it's none other than Chidori.
The lightning from the Chidori attracted the natural lightning within the thunderclouds, pulling its chaotic power toward Sasuke.
This was nature's lightning, which is vast and terrifying. Mishandling it could mean his own demise.
But Sasuke didn't care.
As long as Itachi could be killed, it didn't matter if he died.
Using the insight of his Sharingan, Sasuke calculated the perfect moment.
Then, with a fierce roar, he thrust his right hand downward.
A massive bolt of lightning tore through the thunderclouds, ripping them apart.
Sasuke roared, "Lightning Release: Kirin!"
As his voice echoed, a deafening rumble shook the heavens.
"Roar!"
A divine beast, forged from furious lightning, let out an earth-shaking roar!
From the thunderclouds emerged a colossal Kirin, its body composed entirely of crackling lightning.
After it was fully revealed, the beast descended from the sky with devastating speed, pouncing toward the earth with unstoppable might...