The Uchiha Itachi formed by the spirit cast a light, almost indifferent glance at Mikami's outburst. His eyes, deep and unreadable as still water, held a trace of mockery. His words, when they came, were calm and cutting.
"Since you speak of shamelessness… allow me to demonstrate it properly."
I'll #%&@ing demonstrate you!
Mikami's mouth twitched violently, cursing the spirit's audacity in his mind. In the original tale, Uchiha Itachi could use Susano'o, yes—but only in a desperate, life-or-death struggle against Sasuke. The man was bound by his failing body, a vessel cracking under the strain of the Mangekyō's curse. High-level ninjutsu, especially S-rank and above, exacted a terrible toll, accelerating both his physical decline and his descent into blindness.
But this spirit… this version of Itachi was completely unshackled. His body showed no fragility, his vitality was peak condition, and he wielded the kaleidoscope's power with terrifying, side-effect-free fluency. It was a brutal, unfair parody of the original.
"If you won't bring your horse to the mountain…" the spirit's voice intoned, weary of discourse.
Ignoring Mikami completely, the crimson chakra around "Itachi" swelled like molten magma. It fed the skeletal Susano'o, causing it to grow with a low, groaning rumble. In moments, a colossal, fully-formed humanoid titan of solidified chakra stood in the clearing—a brutal, armored specter that encased its master in an impregnable fortress.
"Yasakani no Magatama." (Eight Span Mirror)
The legendary shield, one of Susano'o's three sacred treasures, materialized in the giant's left hand.
"Yata no Kagami… Laser!"
Recovering instantly, Mikami retaliated. He raised his hand, thumb extended, and focused. A searing beam of condensed golden particles lanced from his fingertip, a straight-line spear of pure light aimed directly at the heart of the crimson giant.
The Pika Pika no Mi transformed its user into light itself. Every technique inherited light's potential—its speed, its penetrative force. Even half-mastered, its power was not to be dismissed.
BOOM!!
The laser struck the center of Susano'o's torso and detonated in a sun-bright flash. Swallowing flames and concussive force rippled out, heat intense enough to liquefy steel washing over the chakra construct.
A thumb-sized beam, yet its destructive power was terrifying.
But Mikami was destined for disappointment.
The smoke cleared. Susano'o stood unbreached, the Yasakani no Magatama held serenely before it. Not a scratch marred its surface.
"So this is the famed power of a super S-rank kinjutsu…" Mikami murmured, a bitter taste in his mouth. "No wonder Uchiha Madara made his legend with it. And to think… this isn't even its complete form."
He gazed up at the sky-scraping entity, a sigh of helpless frustration escaping him. Susano'o—whether in raw strength, absolute defense, or sheer imposing height—rendered the comparison absurd. One was a god of war overlooking the mortal realm; the other, for all his speed, felt like an insect scuttling at its feet. It was a fundamentally unequal battle.
"This isn't fair. You're cheating outright!" Mikami pointed an accusing finger at the spirit within the giant, his face a mask of annoyed disbelief. "You're completely over-the-line!"
"Do you yield, Mikami?"
"Uchiha Itachi's" voice drifted down, cool and detached, as if observing a settled matter. Yet, he caught the unextinguished fire in Mikami's eyes, the stubborn refusal to break. A flicker of something—curiosity, perhaps—passed through the depths of the kaleidoscope.
"Yield? Who the hell do you think I am?!"
Mikami's gaze turned frosty. His Sharingan's tomoe spun wildly as his body dissolved into a stream of golden light. He rematerialized high in the air, hovering in the void. A powerful, pressing aura emanated from him, dotting the space around with points of brilliant light as he looked down upon the crimson-faced demon god.
A cold, solemn intent saturated the battlefield.
"Fine! Even if I'm not fully proficient… I can still manage this much!"
Crossing his arms, Mikami's palms began to glow with a scorching, solar intensity. The light was different now—denser, more violent.
"Yata no Kagami… Yata no Yasaka!" (Eight Span Mirror… Eight Span Array)
SHOOOM—SHOOOOOM—SHOOOM!
In the blink of an eye, thousands of searing golden orbs of light erupted from his palms. They fell like a divine, relentless meteor shower, a torrential downpour of annihilation. The air screamed under the assault, a continuous, sharp, and oppressive whistle.
Susano'o's massive, less-mobile form became the perfect target.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
The giant was hammered by the frontal barrage. Its surface flashed and flared as each impact was absorbed, the endless concussive force generating violent shockwaves. Driven by the sheer impact, the titan's footsteps were forced backward, skidding across the ravaged earth under the heaven-shaking assault of the "Yata no Yasaka."
Watching the endless stream of light-bullets swarm like furious hornets, the spirit within snorted. With a thought, he commanded Susano'o to raise the shield in its hand higher.
"Yasakani no Magatama."
BANG! BANG-BANG-BANG!
The sacred shield, the Eight Span Mirror, met the rushing golden barrage. Each orb detonated against its surface, causing faint, rippling distortions in the chakra before dissipating harmlessly. Perhaps due to the unique nature of the Devil Fruit's energy, the shield did not rebound the attacks—but its defense was flawless, an impervious wall.
"Tch… No wonder the original Itachi died young," Mikami grumbled, his expression darkening as he saw his ultimate bombardment neutralized. "A guy who dies just to preserve the plot is one thing… but this is ridiculous!"
He transformed back into his solid form, landing lightly as the last of his light faded, his face grim. In the entire history of the Uchiha, perhaps only Itachi's Susano'o was ever recorded wielding all three sacred treasures simultaneously.
"In the end… it's still because I'm too weak," he muttered to himself, a thread of self-mockery in his tone. "Our ultimate moves are of a similar nature. In a direct clash of 'Yata no Yasaka'… it would likely be mutual destruction."
The realization was a bitter pill. He had the firepower, but against this perfect defense, a pyrrhic victory was the best he could hope for.