Thinking of how Yuto's single punch had pulverized Susanoo (Guardian Avatar)'s lower half moments ago, Itachi shivered. He must not let Yuto strike him!
Power from the Mangekyō Sharingan (Kaleidoscope Sharingan) poured out in a torrent. In the remaining upper half of Susanoo, vast chakra gathered into both hands.
In the blink of an eye, a huge circular shield formed before the torso.
Yata no Kagami (Yata Mirror)!
At the same time, Yuto appeared right in front of Itachi. Without a word, he drove a straight punch into the Yata no Kagami.
Vmm!!
Watching the furiously trembling mirror, Yuto's brows lifted—so it didn't shatter.
Though the blow was blocked, a portion of the shock still transmitted through the Yata no Kagami and slammed into Susanoo, spreading cracks of all sizes across its frame.
Blood threaded from the corner of Itachi's lips, yet he let out a quiet breath of relief.
He ignored his injuries—while repairing Susanoo, he poured more eye power to condense another weapon.
Yuto's strength as the First Mizukage was terrifying, but not without a weakness.
And the Totsuka no Tsurugi (Ten Fist Sword) could restrain him!
A blade that, upon impalement, drags its victim into a dreamlike genjutsu realm and seals them there forever.
"A being like you is far too dangerous. Even at the cost of my life, I'll seal you away again!"
Blood-tears streamed from Itachi's eyes; each phrase wrung a fresh cough of blood from his chest.
Even in such frailty, his voice carried an ironclad resolve that could not be ignored.
"Having someone like you around is indeed a serious problem," Yuto said, face solemn but tone touched with approval.
Someone like Itachi deserved respect—precisely why Itachi had to die.
"Show me your resolve and your measure, Itachi."
Dozens of thick Kongō Fūsa (Adamantine Sealing Chains) burst from Yuto's body with a rumble, surging toward Itachi along with his voice.
Boom!
Boom!
Detonations rolled over the sky above the Hokage Rock.
But the whole of the Leaf below was already mired in war; there was no one to spare to check who was fighting atop the cliff.
The thunder of battle didn't last long.
In only a few minutes, the fight had reached its end.
Yuto stood as he had at the start—without a speck of dust on him.
Itachi, not far away, wore nothing but dangling strips of his red-cloud cloak; he looked as though a bucket of blood had been dumped over him, his body slick and crimson.
He was still on his feet, yet his presence flickered, as if the flame of life might gutter out at any moment.
"A fine opponent," Yuto said softly, looking at him.
At full power, Itachi truly touched a new realm of strength.
But his body could no longer bear such a load.
At this rate, even if Yuto chose not to finish it, Itachi's life force would ebb away on its own.
"Kh—… at last… the conditions… to trigger… the technique… met."
Itachi spat blood, but a faint smile touched his lips.
He raised his head toward Yuto. Overdrawn by the Mangekyō Sharingan, his vision was almost gone—he could only make out the blur of Yuto's outline.
He didn't care.
Though Itachi's voice was barely above a whisper, Yuto heard it clearly.
Yuto's brows drew together; he moved to end it.
Itachi parted his lips. In a mosquito-thin murmur, four syllables slipped out:
"Izanami."
As the technique took hold, one of Itachi's eyes darkened at once—its light gone forever.
Yuto's body froze on the spot.
Sensing Yuto's condition, Ranmaru broke away from Kisame and darted back to Yuto's side.
"Yuto-sama!"
Kisame also flashed to Itachi's side. Taking in Itachi's state, a complicated look crossed his face.
He knew Itachi wouldn't last long.
Smiling faintly, Itachi stared toward where Yuto stood and spoke in a weakening voice:
"Izanami, the Uchiha's forbidden art, traps the target in an infinite loop. If I can't kill you, then I will change your fate with it. Because the only way to dispel this technique…"
He faltered mid-sentence, shock spreading across his face.
"The only way is to see yourself clearly, accept yourself, and accept the fate laid before you, isn't it?"
Yuto's stiffness was already gone. He looked at Itachi and chuckled.
"Surprised I broke your so-called forbidden art so quickly?"
"When you cast it, did you ever wonder—why Madara never used this technique on me, or on Hashirama?"
A cold smile tugged at Yuto's mouth. Watching Itachi's smile stiffen, he went on:
"That 'recognizing the self' you speak of is nothing but will. And for those of us who crawled out of mountains of corpses in an age of chaos—"
"In will, no one is more unshakable than we are."
Yuto turned and looked down over the Leaf again.
"Today, I'm going to erase the Leaf. I want to see what contingency Hashirama left behind."
As his words fell, Itachi's aura plummeted—then, like a final flare, surged once more.
"Absolutely… absolutely can't let… someone like you remain in this world. You're too dangerous!"
Struggling upright, blind to the world before him and with one eye gone dark, Itachi still locked his gaze on where Yuto stood.
"You must—must be erased!"
He repeated himself, as if slipping into a trance.
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