Chapter 85: Conquer Kotoamatsukami! Shisui's Strongest Illusion is Mine
Uchiha Itachi activated his final trump card. A hoarse, ominous cry rang out as a crow suddenly flew out, circling in mid-air before locking onto Uchiha Akira. In the crow's left eye, a crimson light flashed, and a Sharingan appeared, spinning wildly until it transformed into Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyō pattern.
"By the will of my dearest friend, I command you, Uchiha Akira!" Itachi declared. "From this moment on, abandon all resistance and dedicate yourself to protecting Konoha!"
Itachi was certain it would work. With Kotoamatsukami activated, he believed that no matter how monstrous Akira was, he would become Konoha's most loyal dog. A hint of pathological madness flashed in Itachi's eyes, but his hope was instantly shattered. The ocular power, capable of rewriting a strong individual's will, struck an indestructible barrier when it hit Akira. Akira's gaze didn't change in the slightest.
Akira looked at Itachi as if he were a clown. "Is this your final trump card? Placing your hope in Shisui's eye? Uchiha Itachi, you are truly pathetic to the extreme. Mental Barrier, perfectly immune to Kotoamatsukami. Genjutsu: Kotoamatsukami, nullified."
At that moment, Itachi's mind went blank. It had failed? Kotoamatsukami actually failed? This was impossible! After releasing the jutsu, the crow was about to fly back to Itachi, but Akira chuckled softly.
"Trying to leave?" Akira flickered from his spot and appeared before the crow. He gently closed his five fingers, not crushing it, but instead, revealing a blank sealing scroll that had appeared in his palm. "Seal!" he commanded. The crow let out a mournful cry and was pulled into the scroll by a powerful suction.
"Shisui's eye... Kotoamatsukami..." Akira thought. "It should be quite effective for controlling unruly individuals like Orochimaru, who always think about making small moves."
Akira looked at Itachi again. "It seems you have no other tricks," he said, and in the next instant, his hand was gripping Itachi's throat. Itachi was lifted into the air like a small chicken, his limbs flailing.
"Your so-called will to protect the Village," Akira whispered into his ear, his voice cold. "In front of me, it's a joke. You are not a hero. You are merely a cowardly traitor."
With those words, Akira slammed Itachi from the air onto the ground. The earth shook violently, and a massive human-shaped crater formed in the ruins. Itachi lay at the bottom of the pit, feeling as if all the bones in his body had been crushed, unable to move a finger. The nightmare had just begun.
Akira stomped on Itachi's chest. Crack! The sound of his sternum shattering was clearly audible. Itachi spat out another mouthful of blood. Then, Akira lifted his foot and stomped down hard on Itachi's left leg. Crack! "Ah—!" A suppressed, agonizing scream finally erupted from Itachi's mouth.
Next, it was his right leg. Crack! Then his left arm. Crack! Akira showed no mercy, stomping and breaking all of Itachi's limbs. He wanted not only to torment him physically but to completely crush him mentally.
"St-... stop..." Itachi's consciousness began to blur.
"How does it feel to be tortured?" Akira bent down and grabbed Itachi's right arm. "With this hand, you wielded the butcher's knife against your father."
Extreme fear flashed in Itachi's eyes. He had a premonition of what was about to happen. "No... don't..." he begged.
"Therefore," Akira laughed cruelly, "you are not worthy of possessing this hand."
Rip—! Akira forcibly tore Itachi's right arm from his shoulder. Blood spurted out like a fountain. "Ah ah ah ah ah—!" Itachi let out a heart-wrenching scream. His survival instinct overwhelmed everything else. He had to escape this devil!
Using his last ounce of strength, Itachi bit his tongue. A charred wooden stake appeared in the deep pit as his true body vanished. However, escape was a luxury he couldn't afford. Akira immediately appeared in front of him and kicked him in the back. Itachi fell face down, heavily hitting the ground.
Before Itachi could struggle, a foot was pressing down on the back of his head. Then, Akira began to slowly apply pressure, crushing, rotating, and grinding. Creak... creak... Itachi's once handsome face began to make intimate contact with the gravel on the ground. His skin was abraded, his flesh a bloody mess. This pain and humiliation, being wantonly disgraced, made him feel ten thousand times worse than death.
Akira looked down at Itachi, who had once been so proud but now clung to life in the dirt. "Now, you should understand," he said. "In the face of absolute power, your so-called will, your so-called sacrifice, your so-called peace... are all utter nonsense."
Just then, Fugaku's voice softly echoed. "Akira..." he pleaded. "Give him a quick end. As the former Clan Head, I beg you."
Akira's foot paused slightly, and he looked in the direction of the voice. He slowly moved his foot from the back of Itachi's head, but he did not grant the release Fugaku wished for.
"A quick end?" Akira chuckled softly, his laughter filled with mockery. "Fugaku, have you misunderstood something? Does he, Uchiha Itachi, deserve release? Death, for him, is too cheap. What I want is not his life. I want to publicly prosecute his crimes in front of all Uchiha clan members!"
"No... don't..." Fugaku subconsciously mumbled to himself.
"Especially Sasuke," Akira continued. "I want Sasuke to witness it with his own eyes. Watching how his most admired brother kneels like a dog before the entire clan, repenting his sins. I want Sasuke to hear it with his own ears. Hearing how his beloved brother betrayed the entire family for a hypocritical village, and raised the butcher's knife against his own clansmen! I want Uchiha Itachi to completely lose Sasuke as a brother."
Akira suddenly thought of something, bent down, and dislocated Itachi's jaw. "Good, this way he can't commit suicide," he said. "Don't worry, I'll make your life worse than death; only then will you understand that death is a luxury for you."