"Impressive as expected of Kakashi-sensei, your battle awareness is incredible."
After seeing his Fireball Jutsu blocked by Kakashi's Water Dragon Bullet, Itachi gave a rare word of praise.
But Kakashi would never lower his guard just because of an enemy's compliment. Instead, he carefully pulled up the forehead protector covering his left eye, revealing the Sharingan beneath.
The man before him was not someone he could take lightly.
"In the end, Kakashi, you're not of the Uchiha clan. You'll never truly control that eye's full power."
Itachi's face showed a rare trace of pride.
Then his pitch-black pupils turned blood-red, with three tomoe spinning around the iris.
The Three-Tomoe Sharingan!
In the next instant, Itachi's pupils shifted again—tomoe melting away, transforming into a pinwheel-like pattern!
The Mangekyō Sharingan!
Seeing Itachi awaken the Mangekyō, Kakashi instantly realized the danger. He quickly warned Guy, who was fighting Kisame nearby, to close his eyes.
"Guy, don't make eye contact with Uchiha Itachi! His genjutsu is terrifying—just one glance and you'll be caught in it!"
Kakashi's voice was grave.
But Guy only curved his lips into a confident smile.
"I already knew that. ❛‿˂̵✧"
"And the solution is simple—just don't look at his eyes during battle. Instead, I read their movements from their feet to predict their next attack!"
Kakashi let out a breath and smirked.
"You really are something, Guy."
Then he closed his normal eye, leaving only the Sharingan open.
He knew well—only a Sharingan could fight a Sharingan!
Itachi, however, maintained his calm, serious tone.
"Kakashi-sensei, I've already told you… you are not truly of the Uchiha clan."
And in the next moment—the scenery before Kakashi abruptly shifted!
When he regained awareness, he found himself in a black-and-white world.
Struggling, he realized his arms and legs were pinned tightly to a giant cross.
Raising his eyes, he saw countless crosses standing across this monochrome world.
And on every single one of them—was another him, bound and crucified!
"So this… is the world of genjutsu?!"
Kakashi's sharp mind immediately grasped the situation.
But then he felt a sudden chill.
Splurt!
He looked down—Itachi was there, a long katana in his hands, stabbing straight into his stomach!
Veins bulged across Kakashi's face as he screamed in agony.
And before him, Itachi's arm kept moving—thrust after thrust, blade piercing him again and again.
Splurt! … Splurt! …
Over and over, endlessly, with no sign of ever stopping!
Just as despair threatened to consume him, Itachi's voice echoed in the illusory world.
"In the realm of Tsukuyomi, time and space are mine to control."
Thus, Kakashi endured the torment of being stabbed endlessly—
For three days and three nights within the genjutsu.
When Itachi finally ceased his movements, Kakashi's awareness snapped back.
He was still outside the village, standing before Itachi.
But all at once, it felt like every ounce of strength had been drained from him. He dropped to one knee.
(´ཀ`」 ∠)_
He had only looked into Itachi's eyes for a single moment—yet in the world of Tsukuyomi, he had been stabbed for three days and nights!
Such a dōjutsu… terrifying beyond words.
Not far away, Shinju had been watching the fight. His eyes widened in confusion at what had just happened.
Kakashi-sensei only made eye contact with Itachi once—and his body was already drained, utterly spent!
His vigor completely gone, unable to rise again?!
"So that's the true power of genjutsu?"
Shinju muttered under his breath.
Back during the Chūnin Exams, he had studied genjutsu for a time.
His own genjutsu had even driven Kurenai-sensei into collapse.
Now, seeing a true genjutsu master like Uchiha Itachi at work, a sudden flash of insight struck him.
The thought of trying it himself bloomed instantly in his mind.
He crossed his hands into a seal and whispered:
"Genjutsu: Journey Through Hell!"
Whoosh!
The next moment—
The world around Shinju was swallowed in darkness!
Including the area where Kakashi and Itachi stood.
Seeing the sudden change, Kisame swung Samehada lightly and glanced at his partner.
"Hey, Itachi-san, is this one of your genjutsu?"
Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly.
"No. Someone else is casting genjutsu from the shadows."
Kisame's grin widened with amusement as his small eyes scanned the darkness.
"Oh? Interesting… someone dares to show off genjutsu in front of you, the master himself."
"In truth, he's not bad at it," Itachi admitted in a low voice.
The ground suddenly rumbled.
From the darkness emerged a monstrous, fanged demon, raising a massive axe to cleave down at Itachi!
At that moment, his Mangekyō spun.
Shhh!
When Shinju blinked, the axe that should've struck Itachi was now swinging down toward him instead!
"As expected of Uchiha Itachi—so easily turning my genjutsu back against me!"
Shinju leapt backward, dodging the demon's strike.
He quickly formed another seal.
"Genjutsu: Punishment of the Demonic Fiends!"
This time, he avoided clashing directly with Itachi, focusing the full weight of his genjutsu on Kisame instead.
Sure enough—Itachi's reversal didn't work this time.
Kisame was fully caught, overwhelmed by the demons' torment!
When the genjutsu dissolved, exhaustion was written all over Kisame's face.
"Itachi-san… you genjutsu users really are a pain," he muttered weakly, leaning on Samehada for support.
Even Itachi himself was surprised. His mastery of genjutsu was profound—yet the mysterious genjutsu just now had bound Kisame in a way he couldn't undo.
He realized sharply: the hidden caster of these genjutsu… his skill was only slightly beneath his own.
Since when had Konoha produced someone like this?!
Itachi couldn't comprehend it.
But then—he and Kisame noticed something sprouting at their feet.
A tender green vine.
"More genjutsu?" Kisame growled in irritation, swinging Samehada down on it.
But—
Whoosh!!
The delicate vine suddenly grew, thick as a thigh, wrapping tightly around both Itachi and Kisame!
With the two restrained, Shinju finally stepped out from the shadows.
Kakashi and Guy's faces lit with relief.
"You did well, Shinju," Kakashi said.
And with that, his body gave out and he collapsed.
Kisame, bound tightly by the thick vines, let out a sigh.
"So this is the little Wood Release shinobi, huh? That genjutsu just now must've been his too… such a troublesome guy, at this young age. Konoha really is full of hidden talent."
Itachi cast Shinju a complicated glance, then said firmly,
"Enough, Kisame. We're leaving."
Kisame grimaced.
"These vines are binding my arms too tightly. I can't put any strength into them. No way I'm breaking free."
The next moment, Kisame's eyes widened.
The vines binding him suddenly burst into roaring black flames!
The bindings burned away—and without hesitation, Kisame hefted Samehada onto his shoulder and bolted at full speed!
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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