Sasuke didn't hear those words at all.
Perhaps it was because terror had completely overwhelmed him, drowning out every sound around him.
When Itachi's two fingers gently tapped Sasuke's forehead, leaving behind a faint red mark, time seemed to freeze.
And then—
Sasuke suddenly came back to his senses.
"Itachi…"
Itachi looked at him quietly.
Though his body was already pushed beyond its limits, he still managed to smile—one last smile, reserved only for Sasuke.
The next moment, his body collapsed forward.
Itachi fell.
Sasuke's expression changed instantly. He stared blankly at the figure lying before him, motionless, no longer breathing.
Confusion filled his eyes.
Why?
Why would Itachi do this to him at the very end?
Was Itachi truly his enemy… or was everything he believed wrong?
Before he could think further, the tension that had been holding his body together finally snapped.
The moment he relaxed, Sasuke lost consciousness.
Fortunately, Shigure was quick. He stepped forward and caught Sasuke before he hit the ground.
"…Every one of them," Shigure muttered helplessly, "holding on until the very last second."
At that moment, Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan activated on its own.
Shigure looked down at him in silence.
So this is what you meant, Itachi…
Helping Sasuke transplant Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan—to awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan—was clearly Itachi's final request.
But it wasn't the right time.
Sasuke's Mangekyō had only just awakened. His ocular power still needed to mature. Rushing the transplant now would only do more harm than good.
Raising his hand, Shigure summoned dense mist, gently enveloping both Itachi's body and Sasuke.
He then turned his gaze toward the Hidden Mist Village.
"It's time to go back."
Stepping forward, Shigure formed a seal.
In the next instant, a massive Water Dragon surged skyward.
With a thunderous roar, the Water Dragon carried Shigure forward at high speed, tearing through the sky toward the Hidden Mist.
"Still too slow."
Shigure raised both hands. The surrounding mist condensed, transforming into cloud-like flames that wrapped around the Water Dragon's body.
Its speed increased explosively.
From afar, it looked like a crystal-blue Water Dragon riding the clouds—
a streak of blue light cutting across the sky.
Inside the Hidden Mist Village
Deidara was in miserable condition.
Blood flowed freely from his arm, his body battered and torn.
Mei Terumī stared coldly at him.
"Why did you attack the Hidden Mist Village?"
Deidara lifted his head, staring at the former Mizukage.
Even though the current Mizukage was absent, that didn't mean the village lacked top-tier fighters.
This woman alone possessed undeniable Kage-level strength.
And that was only the beginning.
All around him stood monsters.
The Kaguya Clan, wielding Shikotsumyaku.
The Yuki Clan, masters of Ice Release.
The Yumujō Clan, users of Boil Release.
The Kozuki Clan, specialists in Invisibility Release.
And the absurdly powerful Namikaze Clan, each member possessing frightening chakra reserves.
Then there were others—
Lava Release, Storm Release, Scorch Release…
Bloodline Limit ninja—rare everywhere else—were gathered here in groups.
Deidara felt his scalp go numb.
Wasn't this supposed to be the Village of the Bloody Mist?
Didn't they slaughter Bloodline Limit users?
So why were so many of them still here?
And then there were the native clans of the Hidden Mist—the Hōzuki and Hoshigaki.
The arrival of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist nearly broke him.
Zabuza Momochi, Ameyuri Ringo, and Chōjūrō.
Each of them radiated killing intent no weaker than Mei Terumī herself.
Deidara felt like crying.
With so many terrifying existences present, his so-called art had nowhere to shine.
Underground Training Facility
Elsewhere, deep underground—
Obito wasn't faring much better.
Even with Kamui…
Their swordsmanship… it's exactly like his.
Obito's gaze darkened as he watched the ninja before him.
"The Hidden Mist Ninja Swordsmen," one of them declared coldly.
"We are a newly established unit directly under the Mizukage."
"If you intend to lay a hand on our village's Jinchūriki—
then you'll have to get through us first."
Twenty elite swordsmen stepped forward.
Each possessed Jōnin-level combat power.
Beyond standard ninjutsu, they shared one terrifying commonality—
They had all mastered the Water Breathing Sword Technique taught by Shigure.
At the side, four figures watched Obito intently:
Oshiro Mumei, Kaguya Kuji, Haku, and Kisame Hoshigaki—
the core members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Behind them stood the Jinchūriki:
Akasaka Hiro, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki.
Namikaze Yumiko, the Six-Tails Jinchūriki.
Kozuki Kage, the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki.
In Obito's judgment, this level of power could easily annihilate an entire nation.
And yet—
All of it was concentrated here.
Even setting aside the Jinchūriki, the coordinated attacks of the twenty swordsmen alone left him no room to breathe.
Kamui allowed him to evade attacks—but every time he materialized, he risked being struck instantly.
His breathing grew heavy.
After only a few minutes, Obito clearly felt the pressure.
He had thought dealing with a few Jinchūriki would be easy.
Now, he understood—
He had overestimated himself.
Swish!
Swish!
Swish!
Several consecutive Water Breathing Sword Style slashes erupted in succession, intertwining as they surged forward.
The water blades crossed and overlapped, forming a chaotic torrent that swallowed Obito whole.
"Your jutsu is certainly interesting," one of the Kirigakure swordsmen said coldly.
"But how long can you maintain it?"
"We'll rotate our attacks," another continued.
"We won't give you a single moment to breathe."
"I want to see how long it takes before you finally get hurt."
Faced with the relentless pressure from what appeared to be mere jōnin of Kirigakure, Obito found himself without a good solution.
It wasn't that he couldn't take a calculated injury and eliminate one of them.
The problem was what came after.
Behind these swordsmen stood even more terrifying existences.
Taking down one opponent wouldn't change the situation in the slightest.
At that moment—
Zetsu's head suddenly emerged from a corner, peering toward Obito.
The instant Obito saw him, his heart sank.
Damn it… the worst-case scenario has happened.
The battle between Itachi and Sasuke was already over.
That meant Shigure would definitely be rushing back to the Hidden Mist Village at full speed.
If he waited until Shigure returned, this would no longer be about capturing Tailed Beasts—
It would be about escaping alive.
This entire invasion would yield nothing.
Worse still…
They might even lose an Akatsuki member.
Damn it…
Gekkō Shigure…
One day, I will destroy the Hidden Mist Village with my own hands.