บท 143: See You Around, Itachi-san
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Itachi's surprise shifted into a smug grin, and his Sharingan took on the distinct form of the Eternal Mangekyo. He pulled a technique from his arsenal that he had borrowed from Shisui and blended with his own Tsukuyomi.
"Words may be futile, but loyalty, that's a whole different matter, Koushin-kun," Itachi said, his voice taking on a sinister note. His eyes were ablaze with madness as he locked his gaze onto Koushin. The power of his genjutsu washed over him, threatening to seize control. "Perhaps I can make you a loyal soldier yet. You'd make quite an asset."
The wicked grin etched on Itachi's face was unsettling. His words hung in the still air like an ominous forewarning, lingering long after they'd been spoken. There was an intensity about him that made the quiet night feel all the more unsettling.
Koushin, however, appeared unaffected by Itachi's genjutsu. Instead, he met Itachi's gaze head-on, his eyes reflecting the same unflappable resolve. "Well, Itachi-san, if loyalty is all you're after, you've surely picked the wrong person," he retorted, a faint smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Don't you know loyalty must be earned, not forced?" His voice was steady, yet it carried a hint of mockery. The thought of falling under Itachi's genjutsu seemed almost amusing to him.
Itachi's grin faltered, replaced with a scowl. "And you think you can resist my genjutsu?" he snapped, his temper flaring.
But Koushin was unfazed. He shrugged nonchalantly, tilting his head to one side in an almost patronizing manner. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"
Itachi's expression darkened, and he took a threatening step toward Koushin. But Koushin stood his ground, his smirk never leaving his face.
"How can this be? Are you immune to Genjutsu?" Itachi's words were sharp, carrying the disbelief and frustration in his voice. His eyes, darkened with the weight of his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, bore into Koushin.
He was a master of illusions, a puppeteer who had spun threads of control over the strongest of minds, including those in his notorious organization, Akatsuki. Even Obito, with his formidable Sharingan, had succumbed to the enticing promises of Itachi's world of illusion. How then could Koushin, a man without the benefits of such an ocular prowess, stand unaffected?
Koushin's lips curved upwards in a dry, almost sardonic smile at the bewildered inquiry. "Seems like you've been keeping to yourself a lot in your little group, Itachi-san," he taunted lightly. "Didn't Orochimaru-san ever tell you? I'm immune to Genjutsu." He tilted his head slightly, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous light as he added, "I wonder why."
Seeing he was able to plant the seed of doubt in Itachi's mind, Koushin let a low chuckle ripple through the quiet night. "Itachi-san," he began, gesturing towards the faintly glowing seal emblazoned on the ground beneath them. "You were wondering what that seal does, right? Well, I lied earlier. It has nothing to do with Kekkei Genkai Suppression."
Itachi's eyes widened ever so slightly, a rare show of surprise in the typically unflappable shinobi. Koushin could feel the weight of his stare, his gaze searing, palpable. The silence was deafening as Itachi took in this unexpected revelation.
"That seal," Koushin continued, his voice laced with an almost eerie calm, "is there to lock the space around us. I've been experimenting on it ever since you arrived. It seems like it works."
Itachi said nothing but continued to scrutinize Koushin, his gaze flickering between him and the seal on the ground. The implication of Koushin's words wasn't lost on him. Had he been trapped this whole time, at the mercy of his potential enemy?
"I'll cancel it now," Koushin offered, nonchalantly shrugging. "Consider us even after this, Itachi-san. You avenged my parents, and I let you go."
"Next time we meet, we will be enemies," Koushin declared, his gaze holding a stern warning. There was a flicker of a smile on his lips, but it lacked its usual warmth. The jest was all but gone from his voice, replaced with a serious note that was unusual for the otherwise laid-back shinobi.
The seal beneath them faded slowly, the faint glow gradually disappearing into the cool night. In a swirl of smoke, Obito appeared, a look of confusion plastered across his face. His gaze darted between the two men, lingering briefly on the spot where the seal had been moments before.
Itachi's eyes never left Koushin's. The intensity of his gaze was only matched by the bewilderment that crept into his usually stoic expression. The atmosphere had turned tense, thick with unsaid words and implications hanging heavy between them.
"Are you sure you want to be my enemy?" he finally asked, his voice steady despite the question.
Koushin laughed, the sound echoing eerily around them. It was a light, carefree sound, yet there was an undercurrent of caution to it. "Let me ask you the same question, Itachi-san," he retorted, his eyes glinting with a mix of defiance and amusement. "Are you sure you want to make an enemy of me and Konoha?"
There was a moment of silence as Itachi processed his words. He wasn't unaware of the risk that Koushin posed, having seen firsthand his immunity to genjutsu and the unknown seal that Koushin had used.
"Konoha has always been my enemy," Itachi finally replied, his voice hard. The somber expression on his face was a stark contrast to his usual dispassionate demeanor. "But you, Koushin... You're a wild card, an unknown variable in a game I've meticulously planned."
"I do enjoy a good game," Koushin replied, a wry grin playing on his lips. His eyes sparkled with an untamed light, one that Itachi found both fascinating and infuriating. "But remember, Itachi-san, games are meant to be fun. And there's no fun in a game that's predictable."
"I'll take that as a yes, then," Itachi said, a bitter smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. He took a step back, his gaze locked with Koushin's. The challenge was implicit, an unspoken promise of a clash that was sure to come.
With that, Itachi turned on his heel, Obito at his side. As they vanished into the night, the eerie silence that had descended was finally broken.
"See you around, Itachi-san," Koushin said softly, his eyes on the spot where Itachi and Obito had stood. His words were carried by the night breeze, a quiet farewell to a comrade turned adversary.
"Until then, try not to have too much fun without me," he added, a small chuckle escaping his lips. Even in the face of looming conflict, his good humor remained. A smirk played on his lips as he turned away, the weight of the night's events seeming to have little impact on his jovial spirit.
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