Gensou had grown quite accustomed to being called "senpai" by now.
Seeing Kisame acting so respectful, Gensou didn't trouble him. After casually waving his hand, he sat on a large stone, listening to the sounds of battle from Naka Shrine and asked Kisame:
"You followed all this way just to see Itachi off on his final journey?"
Seeing that he was temporarily safe, Kisame knew that the best option was to comply with the wishes of this powerful figure before him, but he glanced in the direction of the shrine and still grinned:
"The fight isn't over yet. Whether it's his final journey or not remains to be seen."
Gensou looked at Kisame and smiled faintly, "You're quite interesting."
Gensou didn't elaborate on what was interesting about Kisame.
Instead, he looked towards the shrine, speaking in a calm tone: "From the moment Itachi stepped onto those stairs, whether he acted on his own or I pushed him, his fate was sealed."
Kisame's heart sank upon hearing this.
He understood what Gensou meant.
Even if Itachi somehow emerged victorious, this man would still ensure his end.
Such a display, treating Itachi—who was infamous across the shinobi world for exterminating the Uchiha clan—as a mere fish on a chopping board...
"So dominant!"
Despite Gensou not doing much, Kisame felt an indescribable sense of pressure just from interacting with him.
'What would happen if I fought him?'
To other shinobi, Jinchuriki were like fearsome monsters, undefeatable, but to Kisame, they were just obstacles that required some time to deal with.
Kisame had always been confident in his strength.
Yet now, facing Gensou, who was as famous as Uchiha Madara, Kisame found that he had little desire to wield his blade.
Moreover, Kisame reached out and touched Samehada.
The massive sword, wrapped in bandages, was trembling slightly.
Samehada was scared.
Kisame was stunned.
Samehada, which was unmoved even by tailed beasts, was now visibly trembling.
Since he had taken up this living sword, it was the first time Kisame had seen this reaction.
Was Gensou really that terrifying?
Gensou was well aware of Kisame's subtle actions but didn't pay them any mind.
After all, Kisame was a formidable tool for capturing tailed beasts, and he was a shinobi who truly embodied the spirit of professionalism.
Gensou quite appreciated such a straightforward and diligent individual.
Moreover, Gensou, having already considered the Akatsuki as his own resource, didn't want to deplete its strength unnecessarily.
Even cannon fodder had its uses, not to mention someone whose strength was comparable to the Five Kage.
At this moment, the sounds of metal clashing from Naka Shrine were gradually diminishing.
It wasn't that the battle was coming to an end, but rather that the fighting style had escalated.
Gensou sensed highly active fire-based chakra.
"They're getting serious... It seems I might not need to intervene."
Gensou looked in the direction of the shrine, a smile playing on his lips.
Inside the spacious main hall.
Compared to the empty space at the beginning, the tatami mats were now filled with embedded kunai and shuriken, and many areas bore the scorched marks left by Fire Release.
The Uchiha clan's fighting style was vividly reflected in the battle between Itachi and Sasuke, along with the other Uchiha members.
Currently, Sasuke's entire body was surging with Lightning Release chakra as he engaged in close combat with Itachi, alongside Jin, Izumi, and two other Uchiha with three-tomoe Sharingan.
As for the other companions, some were injured and had been moved to the back, while the rest kept their distance, ready to use ninjutsu to support Sasuke and the others at any time.
The three-tomoe Sharingan was not easy to awaken.
Even with their deep-seated hatred, the Uchiha from Jomae Village were young, and not all of them had the three-tomoe Sharingan.
For this mission, aside from the elderly Kei, every Uchiha had joined, totaling fifteen.
Six of them had the three-tomoe Sharingan, while the others had the two-tomoe.
However, upon seeing Itachi, two Uchiha members experienced such strong emotional stimulation that their Sharingan evolved to the three-tomoe.
The plan from the beginning was for those with three tomoe to engage in close combat, while those with two tomoe would support from a distance with ninjutsu.
As for why the two-tomoe shinobi wouldn't join the battle?
Facing their hated enemy, these clan members—who had yearned for vengeance day and night—weren't willing to stand back, just as Sasuke hadn't held back with only two tomoe back then.
Convincing them otherwise was impossible.
Since that was the case, they would fight to their heart's content in true Uchiha fashion!
Before long.
In just a few minutes.
The battle at Naka Shrine became particularly fierce.
Despite their greater numbers, Sasuke's side had already lost three three-tomoe shinobi.
Even so, neither Sasuke nor Jin and the others showed any concern, and their fighting spirit only grew stronger.
Though Itachi had taken down three three-tomoe Uchiha, it hadn't come without a cost.
Looking at Itachi's Akatsuki uniform now, several slashes had torn through it, and blood was faintly flowing from within.
Sasuke smirked and said, "He's weakened!"
Compared to the scene in the Tsukuyomi world where Itachi had massacred the Uchiha, Sasuke realized that Itachi's reactions were much slower now.
"His vision is poor," Jin, who had specifically tested Itachi earlier, confirmed.
It seemed unbelievable to many that someone with the highly perceptive Sharingan could have poor eyesight.
However, Sasuke and the others, already aware that overuse of the Mangekyō Sharingan could lead to blindness, knew that Itachi's current condition wasn't an act.
"In that case, proceed with Plan B!"
As the leader, Sasuke decisively gave the order. He then took out a prepared sealing scroll, and with a "poof," accompanied by white smoke, a massive Fūma Shuriken appeared in his hand.
With Lightning Release chakra crackling around it, Sasuke hurled the Fūma Shuriken with great force, the shuriken surging forth with the sharp power of lightning.
This was just the beginning.
One after another, Sasuke continued to throw Fūma Shuriken, the electric glow weaving into an impenetrable net aimed at Itachi.
The other Uchiha didn't remain idle. They either threw tools or performed ninjutsu to block all of Itachi's possible escape routes.
"Have you come this far already?"
Itachi sighed slightly, looking at Sasuke.
Due to the distance, Sasuke's familiar face became blurry in his vision.
It wasn't just his eyesight that had deteriorated—his body was also failing.
If the fight had been only against Sasuke earlier, he might have gone easy on him.
But being outnumbered, Itachi couldn't afford to hold back.
It wasn't just Sasuke—the strength of the other Uchiha had also surprised Itachi.
Excluding his Mangekyō abilities, he had given it his all.
"Still not enough... still not enough..."
With his life entering its final countdown, all Itachi wanted was to help Sasuke one last time.
At this moment, as he looked at Sasuke, who appeared as a blur among the illusions in his sight, his Mangekyō Sharingan began to spin like a windmill.
(End of Chapter)
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Boom!!!
A crimson skeletal structure materialized in midair, enveloping Itachi and sweeping its two arms to knock away the incoming weapons and ninjutsu.
"Susanoo, huh?"
Seeing Susanoo for the first time, Sasuke's expression tensed. He spread his fingers, and the transparent wire entwined around them instantly pulled taut, causing the previously deflected Fūma Shuriken to whirl around once more.
This time, instead of clashing directly, the shuriken orbited around Susanoo, causing the wires to bind tightly around the crimson skeleton.
Not only Sasuke but the other Uchiha also moved their fingers. With the pre-arranged wires in place, kunai and shuriken scattered all over the place re-shot out, swiftly winding around Susanoo just like Sasuke's had.
In an instant, the crimson skeletal figure was tightly bound from head to toe by transparent wires.
On the other end, the wires were clenched in the mouths of Sasuke and the others, accompanied by their hands weaving seals at lightning speed.
"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"
One after another, raging flames surged along the wires toward Susanoo.
Itachi looked around. The surface of the crimson skeleton was completely engulfed in flames, making it look like a giant torch.
The flames burned fiercely, causing the skeletal structure to grow thinner.
Knowing that Susanoo's initial form was insufficient for defense, Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan spun again.
In an instant, veins and flesh covered the once-thin crimson skeleton, now wrapped in a cloak-like layer of chakra and adorned with an armor resembling the tengu of Japanese mythology.
And it wasn't over yet.
All the wires snapped instantly as Susanoo grew in size.
Boom!
With a loud crash, the ceiling of Naka Shrine's main hall was shattered, sending the topmost layer of tiles flying as the entire roof was torn off.
After a blazing torch shot skyward and quickly disappeared...
Now, standing taller than the main hall, the majestic and solemn crimson Susanoo straightened up, shining brightly under the sunlight.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With Itachi's steps, the giant myth-like Susanoo trampled over Naka Shrine, demolishing everything as it charged at Sasuke and the others.
Not far away.
Seeing flames and a crimson-armored giant over Naka Shrine, visible even from afar, Gensou shook his head, saying:
"This is just increasing my workload."
Such a commotion would inevitably draw the attention of the true masters here—Konoha.
Given Konoha's efficiency, it wouldn't take long for someone to arrive.
He'd have to stop them from getting involved.
After all, this was a fight for the Uchiha to cleanse their own house; outsiders had no business interfering.
"Well, it's fine if they come; hopefully, there'll be some useful characters."
Gensou thought about his system mission.
While waiting for the outcome here, he hadn't been idle. A shadow clone of his had already set off to complete a new main mission issued by the system.
[Main Mission: Chūnin Exams]
[Mission Description: After returning from the Land of Waves, the host soon heard about the Chūnin Exams. Recommended by his team leader Kakashi, Team 7 will participate in the Chūnin Exams. Prepare well to pass the written test, the Forest of Death trial, the preliminaries, and ultimately the final exam.]
[Warning! Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, is about to strike!]
A few days ago, Gensou had received the new mission from the system, and he took advantage of this visit to Konoha to accomplish it.
If all went as planned, his shadow clone should now be in the Chūnin Exam's usual written exam venue, having completed a test paper, and would be on its way to the Forest of Death, heading to the central tower to continue the mission.
As for whether it would work or not...
Gensou was confident.
After all, with the wisdom of the great scholars on his side, how could he fail?
In the meantime, Gensou continued sitting on the large stone, quietly waiting.
Kisame, who also noticed the commotion at Naka Shrine, frowned slightly:
"So soon using the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
He was a bit surprised.
He hadn't expected that Sasuke, whom he could once easily deal with, would have grown to this level.
Kisame turned his head to look at Gensou, wanting to ask something, when he suddenly heard noises coming from not far away.
He squinted his eyes and asked, "Gensou-senpai, do you need me to deal with those pests?"
Gensou glanced at the people approaching, who were all unfamiliar faces and irrelevant characters, and casually waved his hand.
Kisame nodded and disappeared in a flash.
Soon, sounds of fighting came from the distance.
From the moment Itachi unleashed the true power of Susanoo, the battle at Naka Shrine could no longer be concealed.
Initially, Konoha had no idea what was happening at Naka Shrine, so they sent a nearby team to investigate.
After some time without any reports from the team, Konoha realized something was amiss.
...
Hokage's Office.
Tsunade stood by the window, arms crossed, looking in the direction of Naka Shrine.
The Uchiha grounds were in a remote area, so despite the commotion caused by Itachi's Susanoo, she couldn't see anything.
Still, she did so because of her suspicions.
"What could be happening at Naka Shrine?"
After the Uchiha massacre, the Uchiha grounds seemed forgotten by everyone, left untouched for a long time.
Besides the dusty, dilapidated buildings, there was nothing of value there.
There shouldn't have been any reason for outsiders to target it.
Yet now, a significant battle was taking place.
Earlier investigations confirmed no Konoha shinobi were there.
Judging by this, it could only be foreign shinobi.
Tsunade was pondering.
At that moment, Shizune burst through the door, clearly flustered.
"Tsunade-sama!"
"What's the situation?" Tsunade turned to ask.
Shizune's face darkened. "The second investigative team has also lost contact. Additionally, an Anbu team that went in secret is the same."
Crunch!
Tsunade clenched her fist.
Upon hearing this news, she realized the severity of the problem.
She had initially thought it was a minor issue. Though the specifics were unclear, sending a few Konoha shinobi should have been enough to resolve it, and they could investigate afterward.
But now, with two Konoha teams and an Anbu team disappearing easily, this was far from a minor issue.
This was like a dragon rampaging!
"Who could it be?"
Tsunade considered several possibilities and was about to gather more personnel to investigate further.
Suddenly!
The office door was pushed open again.
Shikamaru and Chōji, who had just returned from the Land of Waves, each supported the weary Izumo and Kotetsu, while Asuma and Ino followed quickly behind.
Without time for formalities, Shikamaru spoke gravely:
"Hokage-sama, there's big trouble."
(End of Chapter)
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