Traitor.
The word was harsh, but it came easily from Sasuke Uchiha's lips. As a member of the Akatsuki, he felt he had every right to accuse his older brother, Itachi.
Looking at the two of them now, their circumstances were truly strange.
Itachi, the one who massacred his clan and joined the Akatsuki, now followed Obito Uchiha like a stray dog, constantly on the run.
Meanwhile, Sasuke, who had abandoned Konoha to join the very same organization, was held in high regard by Madara Uchiha and Shirou, especially with the Akatsuki at the peak of its power.
Itachi didn't deny the accusation. He simply stared at his younger brother with cold eyes. "It seems Madara's training wasn't as effective as I'd hoped. You still haven't awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
"Hmph…" Sasuke snorted, defensive of his mentor. "That was my choice. And even without those eyes, I have enough power to kill you right now!"
And it was true. Madara had suggested more than once that he could awaken the Mangekyō by killing his closest friend, but Sasuke had always refused. Still, Madara never forced him.
In truth, Madara treated him well.
Sasuke held that knowledge close to his heart. He knew Madara intended to use him for the Eye of the Moon Plan, but he couldn't deny the kindness he'd been shown.
Compared to Madara, his older brother was much easier to hate.
Sasuke's grip on his sword tightened. He couldn't wait any longer. He lunged forward, his blade aimed to take his brother's head.
"!!"
A flash of surprise crossed Itachi's eyes. He quickly drew a kunai, barely managing to block Sasuke's sword.
This little brother… his improvement was staggering. Without his Sharingan, Itachi wouldn't have been able to track the blade's path at all.
"Your kenjutsu is weaker than I remember," Sasuke sneered, noticing the strain on Itachi's kunai. He pressed his advantage, driving his sword forward with greater force.
In the dim candlelight, steel flashed. Sasuke's movements were a blur of deadly precision, his blade repeatedly striking for Itachi's throat. It was a true dance of death.
Itachi's Sharingan spun, desperately tracking every move. A jolt of shock went through him.
It's so fast! Too fast.
Even with his eyes, he could barely keep up. Although he could see the attacks, he couldn't block every strike.
Itachi had to admit, not even he, and perhaps not even Shisui in his prime, could have managed swordsmanship this terrifying.
His little brother's progress… it truly made him happy.
Shhk!
In a brief moment of distraction, Sasuke's blade slashed Itachi's shoulder, making him wince. After the first wound, a second and third followed in quick succession.
The shock in Itachi's eyes deepened. His kunai couldn't keep up with the relentless assault. After just a few exchanges, he was forced into a corner—no, he was already pinned against it.
"Can you feel it, Itachi?" Sasuke looked at his brother with contempt, his sword completely dominating the fight.
All his years of harsh training under Madara were finally paying off. "This is the difference between us!"
Sasuke twisted his wrist, reversing his grip, and then plunged his blade into Itachi's shoulder, pinning him to the wall. His face darkened with murderous resolve as he pushed the blade deeper. "For years… no, ever since that night when I was eight years old, I've dreamed of this day, Itachi!"
"Is that so…"
Itachi's eyes met Sasuke's. His Mangekyō Sharingan spun like a mirror, and in that instant, Sasuke's mind went blank.
The next moment, their positions were reversed. The world turned to black and white.
Tsukuyomi. A genjutsu of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Sasuke found himself pulled into the world of Tsukuyomi, but his face showed no fear. Madara had taught him a great deal about the Mangekyō and its techniques, including how this very genjutsu worked.
Honestly, Madara hadn't just helped with his training; the information he provided had been a massive help. Even the smallest hints were enough to reveal all the Uchiha clan secrets that had once been hidden from Sasuke.
"In the world of Tsukuyomi…" Sasuke began, looking at the figure standing before him in the colorless world, "you control everything, don't you? Time, space… it's all subject to your will."
"You know quite a lot," Itachi said, unsurprised.
He pressed further, "It seems Madara also told you why I left you alive that night, and why I hoped you would awaken the Mangekyō."
"Heh…" Sasuke snorted, dismissing his brother's obsession. "It was all for the so-called Eternal Mangekyō, wasn't it?"
"Correct," Itachi nodded.
"You awakened your Mangekyō, so you killed our parents eight years ago. That way, I would awaken the Sharingan, and you could one day take my eyes to gain even more power…"
"…" Itachi was silent for a moment before nodding again. "Yes."
"That's a pretty narrow-minded view…" Sasuke sneered, mocking his brother's obsession. "All for the power of some eyes. What's wrong with your brain? Do you regret it now? Even with the Eternal Mangekyō, you're still useless."
"…"
Itachi fell into a long silence.
Before, the Eternal Mangekyō would have been an unrivaled power, enough to match Madara in his prime against Hashirama. But now, in this era of ninja, its power wasn't enough.
Luckily, that had never truly been his goal.
Itachi lowered his head, suppressing the storm of emotions inside him, maintaining the facade of a man hopelessly obsessed with power. "If not for those eyes, I wouldn't have the power I do now."
He was about to say more, but he suddenly realized something.
His brother was stalling.
Seeing the change in Itachi's eyes, Sasuke knew he'd been caught.
He dropped the pretense. "Even in Tsukuyomi, you can control everything, including the flow of time. But that power comes with a heavy price. If you try to make an instant feel like a long time, your own body might not be able to handle the strain."
"Too bad," Sasuke continued. "A genjutsu like this can only be broken by another Mangekyō user or a ninja like Shirou. This is all I can do. My only task is to endure your torture until your physical body gives out from the strain before my mind does."
Sasuke spread his arms wide, as if abandoning all resistance. It was a plan he had learned from Madara and had prepared for.
"It doesn't matter," he said. "Nothing you do to me here can be worse than that night. Kill me a thousand times, bleed me dry, cut me to pieces… it's nothing."
"Because nothing is worse than the night you killed our parents." Sasuke looked into Itachi's cold gaze and continued with disdain, "Even if you use that night to torture me, I don't care. After all, it really happened. I've accepted that my brother killed our parents. For me, revenge is far more important than the past."
"…"
Itachi's heart trembled.
Crack…
A split appeared in the sky of Tsukuyomi. The entire black-and-white world ripped apart like a torn photograph.
Itachi and Sasuke were simultaneously thrown back to reality, their minds snapping back into their bodies.
"A chance!"
Sasuke seized the opportunity.
As Itachi recoiled from the mental strain of the broken jutsu, Sasuke swung his blade at his neck. Itachi was a fraction of a second too slow to react.
This was it—his window.
The blade sliced toward Itachi's throat.
But in that instant, a colossal ribcage of red chakra erupted around Itachi. The Susanoo knocked Sasuke back, saving its master from the killing blow.
"Hmph…" Sasuke rolled across the ground, using his sword to brace himself. He looked up at Itachi, now protected by the red Susanoo, and scowled.
"You went straight for the Susanoo, huh?" Sasuke stood up and taunted his brother. "You're losing your nerve, Itachi."
"I had no choice," Itachi replied, clutching his eyes.
He seemed to accept the taunt, his voice almost sounding like a compliment. "After all, your blade is just too fast, Sasuke."