Squeak… Creak…
It was a sound similar to leather being squeezed and rubbed.
The source of the sound was precisely the werewolf burning with black flames.
At this moment, Sasuke, due to the effect of his own Karma, was experiencing his physical qualities growing without limit towards a terrifying direction.
His entire body's muscles were also swelling because of this enhancement.
The teeth-grating sound just now was actually the noise produced by the friction and collision of muscles and bones.
The feeling of this rapid enhancement wasn't as comfortable as one might imagine.
In fact, the pain it brought Sasuke was even greater than the pain of being burned by Amaterasu.
"This really hurts..."
Sasuke moved his muscles and bones under Itachi's somewhat incredulous gaze, then continued.
"I wonder if the pain on my body now is even one percent of what they felt that night."
As his voice fell, Sasuke's figure had already disappeared from his original position.
'So fast!'
This was the simultaneous thought in everyone's present mind.
Apart from B and Naruto, even including Jiraiya, without activating Sage Mode, it was actually difficult to clearly see Sasuke's movements.
Itachi, on the other hand, could barely track it, but his body couldn't keep up.
Utilizing the effect of Observation Haki, Sasuke completely ignored the clones Itachi created while everyone was distracted, charging straight towards the location of his real body.
'No time!'
'Genjutsu!'
Itachi wanted to use the Sharingan to cast a Genjutsu, thereby delaying Sasuke's actions.
But when his Genjutsu made contact with Sasuke's will, it was blocked by an imposing aura that, though still in its infancy, already possessed the power to resist.
Though only for an instant, it was enough for Sasuke to react and use his own Mangekyo Sharingan to resist.
Their gazes intersected in mid-air.
Dozens, even hundreds, of unseen Genjutsu exchanges happened in an instant.
Bloody tears streamed from the corners of both brothers' eyes, with Itachi's situation being even worse.
On Sasuke's side, the damage to his Mangekyo Sharingan didn't seem to matter at all, as the long-accumulated Calamity Flames immediately supplemented it, helping him repair the damage.
With one waning and the other waxing, even though Itachi's Genjutsu level was higher, it was ultimately he who actively canceled the Genjutsu Clash.
There was no other way… he truly couldn't afford to keep draining himself like this.
By this time, Sasuke's figure had already arrived in front of him.
"Hasshoken: Martial Fang Mallet!"
His palms were brought together, fingers spread wide, flames and lightning dancing upon them.
A 'drumming' sound that could stir everyone's heartbeat arose from the void… it was the vibration produced by Haki clashing with the air.
This drumming sound gave everyone who heard it a faint feeling of breathlessness.
Kisame, with one hand severed, even unconsciously used his other hand to cover his heart area.
Naruto gently extended a hand, blocking in front of Kousei.
"This guy Sasuke, really..."
That invisible wave was 'neutralized' by a similar wave before it could reach Kousei.
And Itachi, facing this secret technique attack, was the one under the greatest pressure.
That faint sound made his already somewhat weak internal organs even more painful.
Even before being hit, he already felt a faint impulse to vomit blood.
Hum!
The next moment, the fist-claw was blocked by an orange-red Chakra 'wall'.
"That is... what..."
Karin murmured, looking at the thing that had suddenly appeared on the battlefield.
Sasuke's seemingly certain strike was completely blocked by a shield composed of Chakra.
Pulling the view back…
At this moment, a giant skeleton was rapidly taking form around Itachi.
After the skeleton came flesh and blood, then armor.
In a short while, a Chakra Giant clad in robes and armor, with a gourd hanging at its waist and holding a shield in one hand, appeared in the center of the battlefield.
Fortunately, the two brothers had moved their fight further away during their earlier scuffle, otherwise, the mere appearance of this giant would be enough to affect the spectators.
Of course... if the other team members really got dragged in, who would be unlucky was still uncertain.
"This is..."
Even Sasuke widened his eyes at this moment, looking somewhat incredulously at Itachi who used this move.
His full-confidence secret technique, upon striking the shield, only caused some cracks to appear, and these cracks were healing at a visible speed.
And seeing the Yata Mirror cracked, the corner of Itachi's eye couldn't help but twitch.
Although the Yata Mirror was more suitable for deflecting Ninjutsu attacks, its own defensive power was still extremely terrifying.
But just now, Sasuke actually managed to shatter it with pure force… even if only momentarily.
"What? At a loss? Before the ultimate power of the Sharingan, Susanoo, is this all you can do?"
Forcing down his emotions, Itachi, truly a veteran actor, even though the scenario differed somewhat from what he imagined, was still trying to steer the performance back on track.
Next, as if he had become a different person, he first boasted to Sasuke about how powerful Susanoo was, also explaining the ability of his Yata Mirror.
Then Itachi's expression changed, and he looked at Sasuke's eyes.
"You already possess these eyes as well. It seems it's time for the 'harvest'."
Saying this, Itachi floated at the head position of the orange Susanoo, controlling the giant to reach out and grab towards Sasuke.
It's just that Sasuke's physical quality had already been stacked by Karma to an incomparable degree.
With just a few evasions, he used Geppo, which is usually difficult for him to execute, to dodge the grab in mid-air.
"'Harvest'? What do you mean?"
As he spoke, Sasuke's movements didn't stop… Calamity Flames mixed with Chidori, transforming into black lightning spears that shot towards Itachi in a volley.
"Just the literal meaning!"
"Why do you think I spared your life?"
"It was to wait for the day these eyes of yours matured!"
Hearing this, both Naruto and Sasuke frowned almost simultaneously.
Unlike Sasuke's anger, Naruto felt more puzzlement.
He actually knew very well that Itachi had no intention of killing Sasuke.
That was also why he didn't let others intervene in this battle.
But the current Itachi... seemed to be deliberately provoking Sasuke's emotions.
"Mangekyo Sharingan... these eyes are very special. From the moment they awaken, they begin heading towards darkness."
Even though his size had already expanded to about five meters, Sasuke still appeared very 'miniature' compared to the dozens-of-meters-tall Susano'o.
But their power was completely evenly matched.
"The more these eyes are used, the faster they will be sealed. Sooner or later, they will lose their light."
"Now, let me tell you another secret about these eyes!"
Itachi had now fully entered his role, beginning to deliver his final instructions to his younger brother.
"As long as you kill a blood relative and transplant their eyes, you can obtain the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan!"
"Sasuke! You are my spare part! The Uchiha Clan is just such a dirty clan that, in order to obtain eternal Ocular Power, wouldn't hesitate to kill relatives and friends, and take pride in it!"
His expression was utterly manic. Simultaneously, he simply fully released Susanoo's power, striking Sasuke, who was momentarily stunned mid-air due to shock, down to the ground with one blow.
"The moment you were born into this clan, you were already trapped in that dark fate."
The giant lowered its posture, passed through the dust, and grabbed Sasuke as if he were a large toy.
"Now, let me release you from this fate."
Completing his final speech, Itachi went all the way with the act, directly intending to control Susanoo to tighten its grip on Sasuke, making him completely lose resistance.
Crack-
A sound like shattering glass suddenly rang out, interrupting Itachi's action.
"It's because of this kind of..."
"What!?"
"It's because of a reason like this!!"
The cracking sound quickly intensified. The large hand holding Sasuke was forcibly pried open from the middle.
The Chakra constituting Susanoo lost in the contest of strength against that tremendous force, beginning to fracture inch by inch.
Sasuke raised his head, his wolf-like face bearing an unprecedented rage and hatred.
The crimson, lotus-patterned pupils also began to spin under Itachi's gaze.
The next moment, the sky seemed to darken as well because of some angry emotion.
Naruto's look towards Sasuke also changed.
"Sasuke... it's actually you who awakens first?"
Regarding Devil Fruits, there were actually many unknown secrets.
For example, Devil Fruit powers also possessed the characteristic of [Awakening].
The more powerful the Devil Fruit's Ability, the more difficult it was to awaken.
And among Zoan-types, as inherently more powerful Mythical Zoan, there was no doubt that Sasuke and Karin's awakenings should be very difficult… at least Naruto thought he or Jiraiya should master awakening first.
'Is it the effect of that Sharingan?'
Naruto looked at the changed weather, then said to the people around him.
"All of you, come closer!"
After everyone gathered, Naruto directly formed hand seals, manipulating earth and stone to form a huge 'fortress'.
Simultaneously, both Haki and Chakra continuously covered the fortress, further enhancing its defensive power.
Before others could ask, at the next moment, Sasuke preemptively answered their doubts.
Around Sasuke, black flame-cloud ribbons appeared.
At the same time, blue flames appeared at his feet.
They were flames different from ordinary Calamity Flames.
The ominous aura they emitted could be felt even by Itachi.
"Unforgivable!"
Sasuke gritted his teeth, the fur all over his body standing on end. Flame-clouds and blue fire coiled around him.
Simultaneously, the sky had also completely clouded over for some reason... not a trace of sunlight could be seen.
"This is... what kind of power?"
Itachi seemed to sense something, suddenly raising his head to look at the sky.
The next moment, faint red light emerged from the heavy dark clouds.
Then came more and more sparks, seemingly about to dye the entire sky red.
"That is..."
Meteors wrapped in blazing flames, falling from the sky!!
Huodou, a mystical beast born from meteor fragments, feeds on flames and is regarded as the root of disaster.
At this moment, Sasuke's body had completely transformed into a giant wolf treading on flames.
That was his Awakened State!
The power symbolizing natural disaster! Great Scorching Heaven Huodou!