Capítulo 152: Counterattack
"Don't underestimate me. Although I don't possess any special kekkei genkai, I still managed to rise as the top genjutsu master of Konoha. Now that I have the power..." The woman's voice echoed in Itachi's ears as he opened his eyes, finding himself bound to a cross.
His gaze swept around the familiar yet transformed world he used to manipulate, now vibrant and vivid as if it had become a tangible reality.
Despite the bewildering situation, Itachi's Sharingan calmly shifted towards the man and woman standing before him. He recognized the woman as Kurenai, now a traitor of Konoha.
As for the man, Itachi didn't immediately recognize him, but his Aburame attire linked him to the traitor of his brother's generation. However, he couldn't recall the young man appearing this aged. "Kurenai Yuhi... and Shino Aburame?"
Shino responded in a vague tone, blinking playfully. "Well, you can assume so, not that it matters much." He waved his hand, summoning chairs for himself and Kurenai to sit. "Welcome to my world, Itachi Uchiha. In this world, space... time… and substance are all under my control. Well… I doubt I need to explain the rest to you, do I?"
Itachi silently observed Shino before shifting his gaze towards the composed Kurenai. "It seems your kekkei genkai is not inferior to mine when it comes to illusions."
Shino rolled his eyes, aware of his own struggles. He may look relaxed, but in reality, his words were a bluff and an intense struggle was currently occurring in the background.
Thanks to Kurenai's surprise counterattack, his immense spiritual power derived from multiple individuals, and his plundered Kurama bloodline limit from Yakumo, Shino could barely counter Itachi's Tsukuyomi and contend for control.
However, Shino could sense the intense battle between his genjutsu domain and Itachi's genjutsu world, both vying for dominance in this merged realm.
Of course, the merging of their worlds was merely a projection, a reflection of the clash between their genjutsu abilities and spiritual force.
And as time passed, the borders between the two domains gradually became more distinct, one side complete with color, the other side a monochrome world of red, black, and white, the default representation of Itachi's torture room.
The reason for this? Despite holding the initial advantage, with every passing moment, Shino could feel Itachi's domain gradually eroding his control. Even now, he knew he wouldn't be able to harm or torture Itachi because this genius still managed to establish a barrier for himself despite his unfortunate circumstances due to the traps and defenses established by Kurenai.
Nevertheless, Shino resolved to seek any advantage, even if it meant resorting to dirty tactics. In this spiritual world, other methods could still be employed.
"Kurenai-sensei, play the prepared video. Give Itachi a taste of the true essence of brotherly love."
Nodding subtly, Kurenai focused her thoughts, conjuring a large holographic screen that materialized before the group. The screen flickered to life, displaying a meticulously prepared movie, ready to deliver a profound impact.
The video flickered to life, revealing a cozy kitchen setting. The camera focused on the back of a familiar man, and Itachi calmly observed, his eyes unwavering.
As the camera panned to reveal his own face on the man, even the sight of himself frying an egg with Sharingan displayed on the screen failed to elicit a reaction from him.
Soon, a hearty and perfect breakfast appeared on the dining table, just as a familiar voice echoed from off-screen, "Nii-san! Is breakfast ready?"
Itachi's gaze locked onto his brother Sasuke, who appeared more mature than the last time they crossed paths. Breaking his silence, Itachi asked, "What are you trying to show me?"
Shino blinked playfully, materializing a cup of tea in his hand and taking a sip before responding with a smirk, "Don't worry. We have 72 hours. Plenty of time for you to savor it slowly."
The movie continued, depicting the heartwarming moments of brotherly love between Itachi and Sasuke, portraying what could have been if Itachi hadn't carried out the massacre of their clan. However, as the plot progressed, the narrative took a peculiar twist… heading towards a rather strange direction...
"Nii-san? Why are you touching me there?"
"Training, my stupid odoudou."
"No! We can't do this nii-san!"
"Hate me, my stupid odoudou!"
"Nooo- yamete! Nii-sannnn!"
As the movie abruptly ended, Shino and Kurenai now found themselves pushed back a long distance from Itachi. Now, there is a distinct stretch of land separating them from Itachi, but their seating arrangement was now a secondary concern.
Kurenai's face flushed with embarrassment, stealing occasional glances at Itachi.
Meanwhile, Shino held a cup of tea to his mouth, but his hand remained frozen, allowing an endless stream of tea to spill out like a miniature waterfall, belying his shock over the content of a different culture.
Still bound to the cross, Itachi kept his eyes closed, maintaining a facade of calmness. However, his slightly trembling eyelids betrayed the underlying emotions brewing within him.
After a moment of silence, Itachi's eyes met Shino and Kurenai's, piercing through the boundaries of his domain and boring into Shino. "Is this all you wanted to show me?" he asked.
Shino waved away the screen, his slightly trembling hand setting down his tea cup as he muttered, "Ahem, I didn't expect her to generate something so... intense."
Itachi turned his gaze towards Kurenai, who averted her eyes, feeling the urge to defend herself but ultimately suppressing it.
"If that is all-" Itachi began, but was swiftly interrupted.
"Wait!" Shino yelled, rising to his feet. "Ignoring the movie that was meant to delay time for the both of us, the truth is... I've come to bargain."
Itachi remained silent, his intense gaze fixed on Shino.
"Ahem. Let's make a deal, shall we?" Shino proposed, crossing his arms confidently. "One that concerns your brother."
There was a brief moment of silence before Itachi calmly inquired, "What deal?"
"Well, I've managed to infiltrate Orochimaru's bases with my spies. There's no need to ask me how; I'm sure we don't care about those small details," Shino explained. "What concerns us in this deal is the fact that with these spies, I can provide you with monthly updates on Sasuke. His growth, his whereabouts, whether he is living well, if he has made any new friends, even his daily choice of underwear... How about it?"
Itachi closed his eyes, seemingly lost in thought. However, his voice boomed within the world, cold and unforgiving. "There is no need for a threat like you to exist."
In an instant, a giant Sharingan phantom materialized overhead like a blazing sun as Itachi's domain quickly eroded Shino's genjutsu world, swiftly encroaching upon Shino and Kurenai's location with a sudden burst of momentum.
Already prepared and vigilant, Shino sighed with exasperation as he swiftly retreated with Kurenai to the edge of the world. "Ah, it seems negotiations have broken down. We have no choice. Kurenai, get ready."
[My little goblin, activate the backup plan.]
As Shino issued his command, the merged spiritual world began to violently tremble before shattering into pieces akin to broken tempered glass. In his last glimpse, Shino saw Itachi already broken free from his bonds, standing calmly and staring at their escape.
Opening his eyes once more, Shino found himself in his hidden base, a throbbing headache accompanying his awakening. Rubbing his temples, he instinctively caught Kurenai, who stumbled under the weight of their shared burden due to the forced collapse.
As their headaches slightly subsided, Shino let out a sigh of relief. "As expected of Itachi. He cannot be underestimated. Even with our strongest cards, we barely managed to escape in the face of just one of his abilities. And we were even forced to employ a method that harmed both sides."
On the other end, a crimson trail trickled down from Itachi's eyes, tainted with the aftermath of his Sharingan's strain. His gaze swept over the pollen settling on the ground and the dissipating smoke before him, the remnant signs of the artificial human's desummoning. "Shino Aburame," he uttered, his voice laced with conviction.
Itachi then shifted his attention to Kakuzu, locked in a fierce battle with Tobey. The tattered remains of Kakuzu's Akatsuki cloak spoke of the intensity of their clash. But now, it seemed Kakuzu had unleashed his full power, and there should be no problems.
But there was another matter that demanded Itachi's attention.
BOOM! A colossal explosion erupted in the distant forest, engulfing a significant portion of the woodland in searing flames.
Swiftly scaling to the top of the tree, Itachi's eyes traced the source of the devastation. "It should be over there," he murmured, his resolve unyielding.
In an instant, with a swift flicker, Itachi vanished, leaving behind only the echoes of his presence.
And at Itachi's intended destination, amidst the raging inferno, the black remnants of charred paper danced in the air, swirling amidst the smoky haze.
From within the billowing fumes, Konan emerged, coughing up blood as she surveyed the scene.
Her face contorted with shock as her gaze fell upon the cascading black liquid that rained from the grotesque abominations partially obscured by the smoky haze above. "This isn't rain... This black liquid… Is it oil?" she whispered, her voice laced with a mixture of surprise and disbelief. "Genjutsu?"
Karina's playful voice cut through the air, taunting Konan. "Well? Did you enjoy the taste of it? Ah, what's the phrase? Art is an explosion?" she jeered.
As she approached, Karina, her body encased in a resilient carapace armor that seemed impervious to the flames and explosions surrounding them, effortlessly deflected the paper shurikens launched in her direction.
Konan's wings unfurled, ready to strike, but before she could, Karina vanished, reappearing behind her in a blur. A needle pierced Konan's neck from the side, but Konan's form exploded into a swirling tempest of paper moments after.
Upon reforming nearby, Konan sank to her knees, her body trembling, her eyes never leaving her enemy as paper gathered besides her to form a giant shuriken.
"I would love to continue playing with you, but time is running out. My dear didn't allow me to share the burden, so I have no excuse to let you go…" She licked the tip of her needle provocatively, savoring the moment. "Not that I would want to."
In another flash of movement, Karina vanished once more, a trail of fire drawn through the air due to the high temperature of the flaming battleground.
In mere moments, Karina's foot connected with Konan's stomach, propelling her into the air. With a series of hand seals, Karina commanded, "Seal!"
Instantly, a colossal chakra barrier, constructed from her chains at an unknown time during the battle, shrunk inwards like a net, closing in from all directions, leaving no avenue of escape. Konan's narrowed eyes betrayed a sense of desperation as she realized the gravity of her situation.
Just as Konan pondered the option of reverse-summoning herself, a man cloaked in black abruptly materialized in the air behind her, as if he had been lying in wait there all along.
Another set of chains swiftly erupted from his form, ensnaring Konan before she could react. Although these chains had a weakened strength and Konan could probably break free after a brief struggle, it was enough to momentarily suppress Konan's chakra and movements.
And with that fleeting moment of delay, the rest of Karina's chains completed their enclosure, sealing Konan away completely. Her expression frozen in disbelief, Konan remained trapped within the confinements of the chains as Karina's hands moved to swiftly apply additional layers of seals.
Then, Karina, with her wings unfurled, roughly cradled Konan's captive form as she ascended towards the sky, where the hovering overlords stained in black crude oil awaited their arrival near the layer of grey, stormy clouds.
In a blur of motion, Itachi traversed the battlefield, skillfully dodging swarms of relentless bugs.
Whoosh! Emerging amidst the engulfing flames, his eyes locked onto the retreating figures of the large overlords in the sky. With a flicker of intensity, Itachi's Sharingan activated, casting its sharp gaze upon his target. "Amaterasu!"
In an instant, the inky black flames materialized, swiftly engulfing the overlord and rapidly consuming its form- BOOM!
The air reverberated with a thunderous explosions as the blazing inferno erupted, reducing the once-colossal figures to a crumbling wreckage.
As black flames rained from the sky, Itachi surveyed the aftermath, his Sharingan flickering slightly. "Escaped," he muttered quietly to himself.
His Sharingan surveyed the charred battlefield, meticulously scanning the remnants of the seething flames. A sense of contemplation settled over Itachi as he gradually closed his eyes, his mind engulfed in silence as he considered how to write his report.
Soon, he resolutely turned on his heel, calmly stepping through the searing hot embers, leaving the battlefield behind.
High above the turbulent and brooding grey clouds, Karina let out a sigh of relief as the powerful thrusters embedded within her legs morphed back into their dormant state.
"Thank goodness Shino had the foresight to advise me to go up further," she murmured, a mix of relief and lingering trepidation in her voice. "If not for that, even if I managed to survive, our hard-earned loot would have been lost. Those Uchiha clan members, each more ruthless than the last!"
With a discontented growl, Karina then allowed herself to glide forward, her keen senses fixating on another looming overlord in the distance, one that wasn't stained after serving as a crude oil transport.
As she glided over, Karina glanced down at the unconscious blue-haired captive ensnared by her chains, the delicate paper flower adorning her disheveled blue bun now wilted and withered from their fierce battle.
"Poor flower," Karina mused with a hint of malice, her voice laced with sinister anticipation. "Enjoy your last moments of peace because… You will experience the true will of god soon."
Status de energia semanal
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