Naruto SI: Kaito Red Lightnin Chapter 233
Kaito shrugged. "Well… unless you don't want to, we can ask one of the ANBU to do it. Or I could get Kakashi or Anko—they should be in the village."
He glanced at her. "…So?"
Hotaru sighed, then nodded. "…Alright, I'll do it." She looked at Itachi, then back at Kaito, already a bit exasperated. "…You two really haven't changed."
Kaito ignored that, his grin widening slightly. "How about we make it a bit more interesting?"
Itachi nodded, unfazed. "How so?"
Kaito continued, "Loser treats everyone to dinner tonight." He leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on his hand. "…Yakiniku. Whole group. Everyone should still be in the village today."
Itachi didn't hesitate. "That's fine by me."
Kaito grinned. "Good."
A shadow clone popped into existence beside him.
"Go get everyone," Kaito said casually.
The clone nodded once—
Then vanished instantly.
Hotaru sighed, resting her cheek against her hand. "…You're really turning this into a whole event."
Kaito shrugged. "Might as well. Haven't had a proper get-together in a while, ya know."
Itachi picked up his chopsticks again, completely calm. "…You're still the same."
Kaito smirked slightly. "Yeah. And you still took the bait."
Hotaru just shook her head lightly. "…You two are impossible."
…
The afternoon sun hung high over the Hidden Leaf, light filtering down past the carved faces of the Hokage Monument.
The village below was busy as usual, people moving through the streets, vendors calling out, shinobi passing from rooftop to rooftop as the day carried on like any other.
In the forest behind the Hokage Rock, tucked away from the rest of the village, sat the Hokage's private training ground, a wide clearing bordered by dense forest with a narrow river cutting cleanly through the middle. The water moved steadily, the sound soft against the otherwise still air.
A squirrel ran up the trunk of a tree before pausing on a branch, nose twitching as it curiously stared at the person sitting there.
Hana Inuzuka sat relaxed on the thick branch, one leg swinging idly over the side while a folded bucket of popcorn rested in her lap.
Hana glanced at the squirrel and held out a piece of popcorn toward it. "Want some?"
The squirrel leaned forward cautiously, sniffing at the offered food.
Before it could take it, the tree shook lightly as someone landed beside Hana.
The squirrel immediately scurried higher up the tree.
A few loose leaves drifted down from the movement, carried lazily by the wind before settling near the base of the tree.
Izumi placed a hand against the trunk as she steadied herself after landing, long brown hair falling over one shoulder while her eyes moved toward the clearing below.
"Have they started yet?"
Hana shook her head. "Nope. We just got here." She tossed a few pieces of popcorn into her mouth, chewing casually.
Izumi let out a small breath as she settled onto the branch beside her. "Good. I thought I was late."
A soft shift of air followed.
The branch shook again as Hotaru landed beside them before lowering herself to sit next to Hana.
"Hello, Izumi," Hotaru said with a small smile. "Glad you could make it."
Izumi sighed softly, though there was a faint smile on her face as well. "Sorry I'm late. I had to sign off a few things at the hospital before leaving."
Hotaru shook her head lightly. "It's alright. We only got here a few minutes ago."
Hana lifted the popcorn bucket slightly toward them. "Want some?"
Hotaru nodded. "Thank you." She took a few pieces before looking back toward the clearing below again.
Izumi's eyes shifted toward the bucket resting in Hana's lap. One eyebrow slowly raised.
"…Where did you even get popcorn?" she asked. "Did you stop somewhere on the way here?"
Hana shook her head. "Nah. Kaito gave it to me."
Izumi blinked once. "…Kaito gave you popcorn?"
Hotaru smiled faintly at the reaction. "It's from his emergency food scroll."
Izumi stared at her for a second. "…His what?"
"Emergency food scroll," Hotaru repeated calmly, like there was absolutely nothing strange about that sentence. "He keeps food sealed inside for missions… or whenever he gets hungry."
Hana grinned. "Honestly, it's one of his better ideas."
Izumi snorted quietly despite herself before reaching into the bucket and taking a few pieces. "…I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Kaito-kun has always taken food very seriously."
Hana snorted. "Serious? That's one word for it."
Hotaru smiled, but didn't deny it.
"So…" Hana popped a few more pieces of popcorn into her mouth, her gaze fixed on Kaito and Itachi standing across from each other in the clearing below. "…Who do you guys think is going to win?"
Hotaru hummed softly, her eyes still on the field. "…It depends," she said after a moment. "Those two have always been close."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"…But Itachi-kun hasn't been active for over a year. So if I had to pick… probably Kai-kun."
Hana nodded slowly like she'd expected that answer. "Yeah… that's fair."
Izumi sat quietly beside them, hands resting lightly in her lap as she looked down toward Itachi.
"…I just hope he doesn't push himself too hard," she said softly. "He only just recovered."
Hana tilted her head slightly before smirking.
"I don't know," she admitted. "I kinda want them to go all out."
Izumi immediately gave her a look.
Hana shrugged without the slightest bit of guilt. "What? It's been years since we've seen those two fight properly." She pointed down toward the clearing with another piece of popcorn. "The last real fight they had was during the Chūnin Exams, and that one was insane."
Hotaru sighed quietly, already knowing where this was going.
"Don't get your hopes up too much, Izumi," she said, though there was resignation in her tone. "Knowing those two, they'll absolutely go overboard. Especially since they haven't sparred in years."
Izumi let out a small breath, eyes still on Itachi below.
"…That's exactly what I'm worried about."
Below them, in the middle of the clearing—
Kaito rolled his shoulders back before stretching his arms loosely at his sides as he stepped into position.
Across from him, Itachi stood calm as ever, loosening his wrists with the same composed expression he always seemed to wear.
"…Man, it's been a while since we've done this, ya know," Kaito said as he rotated his neck slightly.
Itachi gave a small nod. "It has."
Kaito finished stretching one arm before looking directly at him. "Itachi," he said casually, "I hope you're not planning to hold back."
One of Itachi's eyebrows lifted slightly. "I thought this was supposed to be an assessment."
Kaito snorted lightly. "It is." A grin spread across his face. "As acting Hokage, I can't just throw you back into ANBU without making sure you're actually ready, ya know." He folded his arms loosely. "So I expect you to go all out."
Itachi's expression remained calm. "I wasn't planning to hold back."
Kaito nodded. "Good, Then I expect you to use everything. Including the Mangekyō Sharingan."
There was a brief pause.
Itachi looked at him quietly. "…You want me to use the Mangekyō?"
Kaito tilted his head slightly. "Yeah." He pointed at him lazily. "You're only going all out if you use everything. Otherwise, your holding back." His eyes narrowed slightly in amusement. "Let me guess—you weren't planning on using it."
Itachi didn't answer.
That alone was enough.
"Yeah, thought so." Kaito continued casually, completely relaxed. "Look, Itachi, I'm just saving you the trouble ahead of time. I don't want you saying later that you were rusty, or that you didn't want to use your eyes, or that you've been out for a year, ya know."
He paused before a faint smirk crossed his face.
"When I beat you, I want it clean." His grin widened slightly. "No excuses."
Itachi raised an eyebrow.
"…I wasn't planning on embarrassing you," he said calmly. "Especially since you're the future Sixth Hokage." His tone remained perfectly even. "But if you insist… it can't be helped."
Kaito's grin widened immediately.
Itachi continued without missing a beat.
"Just don't complain to me later when you lose in front of everyone."
He stepped forward calmly until he stood directly opposite Kaito.
"But first," Itachi added, "let's see if you can push me far enough to actually use it."
Kaito laughed quietly under his breath.
"…Oh, is that so?" He lowered his arm, amusement flickering across his face. "Last time I checked, I was ahead by fourteen wins." He tilted his head slightly. "Guess you forgot because it's been a while since I humbled you, huh?"
Itachi shrugged lightly.
"…Like you said, it's been a few years since we last sparred."
He slowly raised his right hand into the seal of confrontation.
"I've gotten stronger since then."
Kaito let out a quiet chuckle before raising his own hand, mirroring the seal.
"Good," he said. "I would've been disappointed otherwise, ya know."
The wind moved between them, stirring the grass lightly around their feet.
Kaito's eyes narrowed slightly. "Ready?"
Itachi nodded once as His eyes turned red as the tomoe spun into place within them. "I am."
The next instant—
Both of them blurred from where they stood.
A shockwave rippled through the clearing as they met in the middle almost instantly.
Kaito drove a punch toward Itachi's face.
Itachi redirected it with his left palm and immediately countered with a right aimed at Kaito's stomach.
Kaito blocked it with his forearm before snapping a kick toward Itachi's ribs.
Itachi raised his leg and intercepted it cleanly.
At the same time, Itachi's left hand slashed toward Kaito's throat.
Kaito leaned back and jumped away, disengaging.
Itachi followed immediately as he closed the distance again, throwing another punch straight toward Kaito's face.
Kaito tilted his head to the side, the strike barely brushing past him as he caught Itachi's arm with his left hand.
At the same moment, Kaito countered with a high kick aimed directly at Itachi's head.
Itachi ducked underneath it smoothly and kicked toward Kaito's side.
Kaito shifted backward just enough for the strike to miss.
Itachi immediately jumped upward and brought down an axe kick aimed at Kaito's head.
Kaito crossed both arms and blocked it head-on.
The impact cracked the ground slightly beneath his feet.
Kaito shoved upward, forcing Itachi back.
Itachi flipped through the air and landed lightly—
—but Kaito was already on him.
Kaito stepped in and threw another punch.
Itachi twisted to the side, narrowly avoiding it before spinning sharply and driving a kick toward Kaito's head.
Kaito blocked it with his arm.
Using the momentum from the blocked strike, Itachi twisted and kicked again with his other leg toward Kaito's stomach.
Kaito leaned back just enough for the kick to miss before immediately rushing forward with a fast series of punches.
Itachi matched him strike for strike.
Punches collided with blocks and counters as both moved across the clearing.
Kaito shifted to the side, letting one of Itachi's punches pass by his shoulder before countering with an uppercut.
Itachi leaned back away from it before kicking toward Kaito's side.
Kaito lifted his leg and blocked it.
Kaito immediately drove his elbow toward Itachi.
Itachi met it with his own elbow, the impact producing a dull crack through the clearing.
A second later Itachi kicked again.
Kaito blocked it with his leg.
Itachi twisted his body and launched multiple rapid kicks toward Kaito in succession.
Kaito crossed his arms and blocked every one of them.
Itachi suddenly flipped backward, planting one hand against the ground as he swung his leg overhead in a powerful kick aimed at Kaito's head.
Kaito leaned back, the kick passing inches from his face before he dropped low and swept his leg toward Itachi's supporting arm, trying to throw him off balance.
Itachi pushed off the ground immediately and flipped backward, creating distance between them.
The moment his feet touched the ground—
Kaito rushed forward again.
The two crashed back into close combat.
Their exchange continued without pause, counters flowing into counters as their speed steadily increased.
Each movement became sharper.
Faster.
More precise.
Neither of them could land a clean hit.
…
Hana leaned forward slightly, the popcorn bucket nearly forgotten in her lap as her eyes struggled to keep up with the fight below.
"…Okay," she muttered, brows furrowing. "They're moving really fast now."
Her gaze darted across the clearing, but both figures kept blurring out of focus.
She clicked her tongue in annoyance. "I can barely follow their movements anymore."
Beside her, Hotaru's Byakugan was active, veins visible around her pale eyes as she calmly tracked every exchange below.
She reached into Hana's popcorn bucket and took a few pieces while still watching the fight.
"They're still testing each other," she said quietly.
Hana's head snapped toward her. "Wait…" She pointed toward the clearing. "That's them testing each other?"
On Hana's other side, Izumi's Sharingan spun slowly within crimson eyes as she followed the fight.
"They know each other too well," Izumi said calmly.
Hana blinked. "…What does that even mean?"
Izumi didn't take her eyes off the clearing. "They're not just reacting," she explained. "They're predicting."
Her gaze followed Itachi as he slipped under one of Kaito's kicks before countering with a palm strike. "Itachi knows where Kaito's attacks are going before they fully commit."
Hotaru nodded slightly. "And Kai-kun's doing the same thing."
Hana stared at the two of them for a second before slowly looking back toward the clearing again. "…That's ridiculous."
…
Below, Kaito blocked one of Itachi's kicks only for Itachi to twist midair and immediately send another toward his side.
Kaito leaned away from it and countered with a kick of his own.
Itachi caught Kaito's leg with one hand and pushed off it at the same time, flipping cleanly over him.
Kaito turned immediately—
—and saw Itachi already weaving hand signs.
Rat → Tiger → Dog → Ox → Rabbit → Tiger.
Itachi finished on the Tiger seal.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu."
He exhaled multiple small fireballs toward Kaito.
At the same moment, his other hand flicked forward—
Shuriken shot through the flames, disappearing within the fireballs as they rained down toward Kaito from multiple angles.
Kaito didn't move. The fire-covered shuriken reached him and passed harmlessly through his body.
His figure flickered in and out like a mirage as the attacks tore through empty air before slamming into the ground behind him.
The next second—
Kaito's figure flickered in and out before vanishing.
He reappeared behind Itachi with a kick aimed at the side of his head.
Itachi ducked under it.
But Kaito pivoted with the momentum immediately and swung another kick toward him.
Itachi blocked it by crossing his arms.
The force pushed him backward across the ground.
As he created distance, Itachi reached into his pouch and instantly threw multiple kunai and shuriken toward Kaito.
Kaito landed just as the barrage reached him.
His wrist flicked.
A tri-pronged kunai appeared in his hand.
The incoming weapons passed harmlessly through his flickering body before he vanished again.
Then Kaito reappeared beside Itachi, slashing horizontally with the tri-pronged kunai.
Itachi reacted instantly, ducking beneath the slash before countering with his own kunai.
Metal collided.
The two locked blades briefly before both pushed off each other and jumped backward.
The moment they landed they rushed each other again.
Kunai clashed repeatedly across the clearing as both disappeared and reappeared around the training ground in rapid bursts of movement.
Sparks flew from every collision.
During one of the exchanges, Kaito suddenly increased his speed and He slipped past Itachi's guard and slashed across his chest.
Itachi's body immediately burst apart into a murder of crows.
Black feathers exploded outward as the crows scattered across the clearing.
Some of the crows circled around Kaito before suddenly rushing toward him, transforming into shuriken mid-flight.
The shuriken passed harmlessly through Kaito as his body flickered in and out before vanishing completely.
The remaining crows regrouped farther away, reforming into Itachi.
The moment Itachi reappeared—
Kaito appeared above him, his body flickering in and out as he slashed downward with the tri-pronged kunai.
Itachi's Sharingan spun as he raised his own kunai to block.
Kaito smirked.
The tri-pronged blade sliced straight through Itachi's kunai.
Itachi's eyes widened slightly.
'Wind Release…'
He immediately shifted backward, jumping away before the blade could fully reach him.
His feet slid across the ground as he landed.
Itachi glanced down briefly and saw a clean slash cut across the front of his flak jacket.
He didn't get time to think about it.
Kaito was already on him again.
Kaito thrust the kunai forward toward his throat.
Itachi tilted his head to the side just in time, the blade narrowly missing him while still leaving a shallow cut across his cheek.
Itachi immediately grabbed Kaito's wrist and pulled him forward while driving a kick toward his stomach.
Kaito reacted instantly, lifting his knee and blocking the strike.
At that exact moment—
Another Itachi jumped out from behind the first and threw three kunai with explosive tags attached toward Kaito.
Kaito's body crackled with red lightning.
"Red Lightning: Nagashi."
Red arcs of lightning exploded outward from his body in every direction.
The Itachi holding him grunted—
—and burst apart into crows.
Kaito jumped backward just as the tagged kunai stabbed into the ground where he had been standing.
BOOM.
The explosions erupted across the clearing.
Kaito's body flickered in and out before vanishing.
He reappeared several feet away, skidding backward across the ground from the force of the blast.
Without missing a beat, Kaito threw the tri-pronged kunai in his hand toward Itachi.
'Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu.'
The single kunai multiplied instantly into hundreds.
The massive barrage tore across the clearing toward Itachi.
Itachi's hands blurred through signs.
Snake → Ram → Monkey → Boar → Horse → Tiger.
He took a deep breath before exhaling a massive fireball.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu."
The giant fireball engulfed the incoming kunai barrage before continuing straight toward Kaito.
Kaito met it head-on.
He clapped his hands together before exhaling a massive torrent of water from his mouth.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall."
The rushing water spread outward and rose into a massive wall.
The two jutsu collided in the middle of the training ground with a thunderous crash.
A violent gust of wind burst outward from the impact.
Steam hissed loudly as fire and water violently consumed each other.
Within seconds—
The entire training ground was swallowed beneath a thick layer of steam.
…
Atop the tree, Hotaru, Hana, and Izumi raised their arms as the shockwave from the jutsu clash tore through the training ground.
Izumi grabbed onto the trunk beside her to steady herself as wind rushed through the forest, carrying heat, loose debris, and thick steam past them.
Leaves ripped free from nearby branches while the river below churned violently from the pressure of the collision.
Hana grabbed the branch beneath her before she could lose her balance.
"…Okay," she muttered as steam rolled across the clearing below. "They are definitely not holding back anymore."
Hotaru slowly lowered her arm, her Byakugan still active as she stared through the steam-covered battlefield.
"…Kai-kun is pushing Itachi-kun harder than I expected."
Beside them, Izumi's Sharingan remained fixed on the clearing below.
…
Itachi stood low in a crouch within the steam-covered training ground, his Sharingan spinning rapidly as he scanned his surroundings.
The thick mist limited visibility to only a few meters.
Everything was quiet.
Then—
Kaito burst out of the ground beneath him with an uppercut aimed directly at his jaw.
Itachi had already felt the vibration through the ground a split second earlier.
He leaned back just enough for the punch to narrowly miss him.
At the same time, Itachi grabbed Kaito's outstretched arm with his left hand and yanked him downward.
His other fist shot forward and connected cleanly with Kaito's face—
—but the moment it landed—
Kaito exploded into red lightning.
Itachi's eyes widened slightly.
'Lightning clone.'
Red lightning surged across his body.
Itachi grunted as the electricity coursed through him, his muscles locking for a moment as he dropped to one knee.
Suddenly—
The ground beneath him shot upward violently.
Itachi lost balance as the earth rapidly lifted high above the steam-covered battlefield below.
He caught himself with one hand against the rising stone just as it continued climbing upward.
Then—
He heard a familiar swirling sound above him.
Itachi looked up.
Kaito was already in the air directly overhead, holding a massive Rasengan in one hand.
The sphere of chakra howled violently as it spun.
"Odama Rasengan!"
Kaito slammed it downward.
Itachi's Sharingan spun rapidly.
The three tomoe merged together.
Dark red chakra erupted around him instantly.
A skeletal ribcage formed around Itachi just as the Odama Rasengan crashed down onto him.
BOOM.
The massive sphere of chakra slammed into the crimson construct with a thunderous impact.
The ground beneath Itachi cracked violently.
Wind exploded outward across the training ground as the Rasengan ground against the skeletal Susanoo ribs, the sound sharp and violent as chakra collided against chakra.
The pressure from the clash blasted through the clearing.
The remaining mist covering the battlefield was completely blown away.
…
Atop the tree—
Hana nearly lost her grip on the popcorn bucket as the wind blasted through the forest.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" she shouted while grabbing onto the branch beside her.
The steam covering the battlefield was blown away completely—
revealing the massive skeletal crimson figure surrounding Itachi.
The three girls froze.
Izumi's Sharingan widened slightly.
"…Is that a new jutsu?"
Hotaru's Byakugan remained active, the veins around her eyes tense as she stared directly toward Itachi.
"…Huh…" she muttered quietly.
Hana immediately turned toward her.
"You know what that thing is?"
Hotaru frowned slightly without taking her eyes off the spar.
"…No," she admitted after a moment. "But all that chakra is being concentrated into Itachi-kun's eyes…"
Her brows furrowed slightly.
"…And his eyes look different from before."
Izumi blinked. "…His eyes?"
Hana frowned. "Different how?"
Hotaru stared silently for another second before answering.
"…They no longer have the Choku Tomoe pattern."
Her expression shifted slightly in confusion.
"…Now it looks more like a windmill with the edges connected back together."
Hana stared. "…So his Sharingan changed?"
Hotaru nodded slowly.
Hana immediately looked toward Izumi.
"You know what's going on?"
Izumi shook her head.
"No," she admitted quietly. "This is the first time I'm hearing about this too."
Below them—
…
Kaito stared at the skeletal crimson ribcage surrounding Itachi before a grin slowly spread across his face.
"…Now we're talking."
He pushed the Odama Rasengan down harder.
Cracks immediately began spreading across the skeletal ribs.
Inside the construct, Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly at the grinding sphere of chakra.
Then—
A massive skeletal arm suddenly formed from the ribcage.
The crimson arm shot upward and slammed directly into the Odama Rasengan.
Kaito's eyes widened slightly before he vanishing.
BOOM.
The skeletal arm punched straight through the Rasengan.
The massive sphere burst apart into spiraling chakra and violent wind.
At the same time, the raised earth platform beneath Itachi cracked apart from the pressure and collapsed inward.
A thunderous boom echoed throughout the training ground.
At that exact moment—
Kaito reappeared crouched beside one of his tri-pronged kunai embedded in the ground from earlier.
His sandals skidded backward slightly as dirt scattered beneath him.
Kaito pulled the kunai free while keeping his eyes locked on the massive cloud of dust where Itachi stood.
Then—
A gigantic crimson skeletal arm burst out from the dust cloud and swept across the clearing.
The powerful swing blew the dust away instantly.
Revealing Itachi standing within a far larger crimson chakra construct.
The upper half of a skeletal warrior towered around him now, complete with arms and a skull-like head while muscle fibers stretched along the glowing bones.
Itachi stood within the center of the construct, breathing slightly heavier now.
Across from him, Kaito stared at the crimson skeletal figure with clear excitement written across his face. "…So that's Susanoo, huh?" he said with a grin.
Kaito's eyes narrowed slightly as he focused on Itachi's eyes inside the construct. '…His eyes are different.'
The Mangekyō pattern wasn't the same one Kaito remembered Itachi having before. A smirk slowly spread across his face. 'So that's what his Eternal Mangekyō looks like, huh.'
Kaito looked back up toward him. "Hey, Itachi," he called out casually. "Didn't you say I couldn't push you into using your Mangekyō?"
Inside the Susanoo, Itachi let out a small breath. "…I said we'd see if you could."
Kaito chuckled. "…Fair enough."
Then his grin sharpened. "Well then…" He lowered himself slightly got into stance, his grip tightening on the tri-pronged kunai. "Let's see how durable your Susanoo really is, you know."
The next second—
Kaito's body flickered in and out before vanishing.
Itachi's eyes narrowed immediately.
Kaito's figure began flickering all around the training ground at high speed.
Itachi's Mangekyō spun as he tracked the movements across the battlefield.
Then Itachi closed his right eye slightly, focusing.
Predicting.
The instant Kaito reappeared—
"Amaterasu."
Black flames erupted toward him.
But Kaito's body flickered in and out again as the black flames passed harmlessly through him.
He vanished before the flames could fully manifest.
Kaito reappeared several feet away.
Itachi immediately tried again.
"Amaterasu."
The black flames shot toward Kaito once more—
—but Kaito vanished again.
The flames passed through his flickering body as if striking an afterimage.
Then Kaito suddenly reappeared above the Susanoo
Channeling Wind chakra into the tri-pronged kunai in his hand, Kaito threw it downward.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
The single tri-pronged kunai multiplied instantly into thousands.
A massive storm of wind chakra coated tri-pronged kunai rained toward the Susanoo below.
Inside the construct, Itachi looked upward calmly.
His right eye focused.
Black flames erupted into the air.
Amaterasu collided with the incoming barrage and instantly incinerated dozens of the kunai on contact.
But there were too many.
The black flames were quickly overwhelmed by the sheer number of incoming blades.
The Susanoo raised its left arm and shielded Itachi.
The wind-enhanced tri-pronged kunai slammed into the crimson construct repeatedly.
Several embedded themselves deep into the skeletal arm, piercing through the chakra armor though not fully penetrating it.
Then—
The Susanoo's upper right arm pulled back.
A massive crimson magatama beads formed within its hand.
Itachi's voice rang out calmly from within the construct.
"Yasaka Magatama."
The spinning projectile shot forward.
BOOM.
The massive attack tore through the incoming kunai storm before exploding high above the clearing.
The sky itself seemed to shake from the impact.
Wind and smoke blasted outward violently across the training ground.
But the exploding kunai barrage had only been a distraction.
Five Kaito's suddenly reappeared around Itachi's Susanoo from different directions.
All of them attacked simultaneously.
One clone clapped his hands together.
"Water Release: Severing Waves!"
A high-pressure stream of water erupted from his mouth, slicing forward like a blade.
Another clone held a Tiger seal.
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
A massive torrent of flames burst outward, taking the shape of a roaring dragon as it rushed toward the Susanoo.
A third clone extended his hand forward as red lightning crackled violently around his arm.
"Red Lightning: Bird!"
The lightning condensed into the shape of a crimson hawk before launching forward at high speed.
Another clone slammed his hands together.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
The ground formed into a massive dragon made of earth burst upward toward it.
The final clone inhaled sharply.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Bullets!"
Compressed bullets of wind blasted toward the Susanoo from the opposite side.
All five attacks slammed into the crimson construct at the exact same moment.
BOOM.
The entire clearing shook violently.
Smoke and dust exploded outward from the impact.
Inside the smoke—
Two massive crimson chakra blades suddenly burst outward.
The blades swept across the battlefield and slammed into multiple clones, dragging them across the ground before they exploded into smoke.
The remaining smoke slowly cleared.
Revealing Itachi's Susanoo once again—
only now it had evolved further.
The construct was larger.
More complete.
It now possessed four arms, and what resembled crimson skin covered parts of the skeletal frame where muscle fibers had once been.
Inside the Susanoo, Itachi breathed steadily as he focused on the original Kaito farther away.
His right eye closed slightly.
His left eye locked onto Kaito.
"Amaterasu."
Black flames erupted instantly toward Kaito.
Kaito calmly raised his right hand in front of himself.
The spiral seal embedded within his palm suddenly glowed red.
The seal spread outward across his palm as a spiral-like suction force erupted from it.
The black flames of Amaterasu were pulled directly into the seal.
Within seconds—
The black fire vanished completely.
Kaito lowered his hand casually.
"Man," he said with a grin, "that was really hot, ya know."
Inside the Susanoo, Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly after seeing Amaterasu absorbed so easily.
Then suddenly—
Massive chakra chains burst upward from the ground beneath the Susanoo.
The golden chains wrapped around its arms, torso, and neck before violently pinning the construct in place.
The entire Susanoo trembled.
Itachi immediately struggled against the restraints.
The chains tightened further.
Kaito grinned.
"Let's see if that thing can handle this."
He held out one hand as a Rasengan formed within his palm.
But this wasn't a normal Rasengan.
Red lightning crackled violently around the spinning sphere.
Inside the Susanoo, Itachi panted slightly as his eyes narrowed at the attack forming in Kaito's hand.
Then Kaito began compressing the Rasengan smaller and smaller until the spinning sphere of red lightning chakra condensed down onto the tip of his finger.
He raised his hand like a finger gun aimed directly at Itachi's restrained Susanoo.
"Rasen—"
Suddenly—
The compressed Rasengan dispersed harmlessly.
Kaito's eyes widened slightly.
The world around him shifted instantly.
The battlefield vanished.
Everything turned dark red and black.
Kaito found himself bound against a massive pole within an endless crimson world.
"…It's over, Kaito," Itachi said quietly.
Kaito looked up.
Itachi stood in front of him, Mangekyō Sharingan spinning slowly within his eyes.
"You're inside my Tsukuyomi," Itachi continued calmly. "In here, I control everything." His voice echoed slightly through the crimson world. "Time… perception… even how long this lasts."
He looked directly at Kaito. "In reality, only a few seconds will pass."
Kaito glanced around the strange world curiously before looking back at Itachi. "…Huh."
A grin slowly tugged at the corner of his mouth. "So this is your other eye's ability, huh?"
Itachi gave a small nod.
"…Please surrender," he said quietly. "I have no intention of torturing you."
Kaito looked at him for another second before letting out a short laugh.
"Heh." His grin widened slightly. "You really think you've won, Itachi?"
Then—
Crack.
A fracture suddenly spread across the crimson world.
Itachi's eyes widened slightly.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
The entire Tsukuyomi world began breaking apart around them.
Then everything shattered.
In the real world—
Itachi suddenly dropped to one knee.
One hand immediately clutched his right eye as his breathing grew heavier from the backlash.
The Susanoo weakened instantly.
Two of its arms faded away.
The skin-like chakra disappeared as the construct reverted back into a skeletal frame.
Itachi stared toward Kaito in visible shock. 'He broke out of Tsukuyomi…'
Across from him, Kaito wasn't in much better condition.
He dropped to one knee as well, breathing noticeably harder than before.
The chakra chains binding the Susanoo loosened slightly, though they still remained wrapped around the construct.
Kaito let out a quiet chuckle under his breath while pressing one hand against the ground.
'It worked.' His eyes remained fixed on Itachi. 'So my theory was right. Tsukuyomi works by severing yin chakra from yang chakra…' He exhaled slowly. 'If I reconnect them, I can break out of it.'
Kaito's grin widened slightly despite his exhaustion. 'Good thing I made that seal beforehand. Otherwise I'd probably still be trapped in there.'
Itachi forced himself to move but before he could fully react a chakra chain suddenly burst out from the ground beneath him and wrapped tightly around his body.
The chains immediately suppressed his chakra completely.
The weakened Susanoo flickered violently—
then disappeared altogether.
Itachi tried to move, but the chains held him firmly in place.
Then Kaito vanished.
A second later, he reappeared directly in front of Itachi with a kunai resting lightly against his throat.
For a moment—
Neither of them spoke.
Then Kaito smirked slightly.
"…I think I won."
Itachi stared at him silently for a second before letting out a quiet sigh.
"…Hai."
Kaito lowered the kunai before releasing the chakra chains.
The chains loosened and slowly faded away.
Itachi staggered slightly as his chakra returned.
Kaito stepped forward and offered him a hand.
"You did really well, ya know," Kaito said with a grin. "Especially after being out for a year."
Itachi looked at him briefly before taking the offered hand.
Kaito pulled him back to his feet.
Itachi gave Kaito an annoyed look. "You were still holding back."
Kaito blinked innocently. "Eh?"
Itachi's expression remained flat. "Don't pretend you weren't."
Kaito scratched the side of his head and looked away slightly.
"Come on, man," he said. "Isn't this your first time actually using your Mangekyō properly in a real fight?"
Itachi didn't answer.
Kaito continued anyway. "You're still getting used to it. Give it another year and you'll probably push me even harder."
"That doesn't answer what I said," Itachi replied immediately.
Kaito smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, well…" He shrugged. "I'm acting Hokage right now. Avoiding questions is part of the job."
Itachi sighed quietly at that.
Kaito's eyes shifted toward Itachi's face again, lingering there for a moment.
Then his expression turned thoughtful. "Actually…" he said slowly. "I've been meaning to ask you something."
Itachi looked at him. "Ask what?"
Kaito tilted his head slightly. "Why does your Mangekyō look different?"
Itachi blinked once. "…Different?"
"Yeah." Kaito gestured vaguely toward his own eyes. "The pattern. It's not the same as before."
A slight frown appeared on Itachi's face. "What do you mean?"
Kaito reached into his pouch and pulled out a small scroll. With a puff of smoke, he unsealed a hand mirror.
Itachi stared at him silently for a second. "…You carry a mirror around with you?"
Kaito shrugged casually. "I carry a lot of things, ya know."
Itachi gave him a strange look.
Kaito held the mirror out toward him. "Just look."
After a brief pause, Itachi took it.
He stared at his reflection for a second before activating his Mangekyō Sharingan.
The new pattern appeared within his eyes.
Itachi's eyes widened slightly. "…They do look different."
Kaito crossed his arms. "Do they feel different?"
Itachi stayed quiet for a few moments, focusing inward.
Then he gave a small nod. "Yes."
Kaito waited patiently.
"It doesn't feel as strenuous as before," Itachi admitted slowly. "The last time I used Amaterasu against the masked man, my eye started bleeding after a single use."
His expression became more thoughtful. "Now…" He frowned slightly. "I don't feel anything besides the chakra drain."
Kaito nodded slowly.
"So they definitely changed."
Itachi lowered the mirror slightly. "Changed how?"
Kaito shrugged. "Maybe they evolved."
Itachi looked at him oddly. "…Evolved?"
Kaito shrugged again. "You know. Like how the Sharingan evolved from three tomoe into Mangekyō." A grin spread across his face. "Maybe yours evolved from Mangekyō into Mangekyō Pro Max."
Itachi stared at him. "…Mangekyō Pro Max?"
Kaito shrugged without shame. "Hey, I'm just saying, ya know."
Itachi continued staring at him for another second before deciding not to question whatever that meant.
Then Kaito's expression became more thoughtful. "…Though," he added, "it could also have something to do with your treatment."
Itachi's attention shifted back to him immediately. "You think so?"
Kaito shrugged lightly. "Maybe." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Aunt Tsunade did give you a bunch of experimental treatment, ya know. And those injections she used to stabilize your condition and repair the damage…"
He paused briefly. "They were made using the First Hokage's cells."
Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly.
Kaito continued. "Maybe that affected your Sharingan somehow." He tilted his head slightly. "Or maybe it has something to do with Sasuke's DNA."
At the mention of his brother, Itachi's gaze lowered slightly. "…Sasuke."
Kaito nodded once. "Whatever the reason is, you should probably go see Aunt Tsunade again just to make sure it's nothing dangerous, ya know."
Itachi looked back at the mirror silently for another moment before finally deactivating his Mangekyō. "…I will," he said quietly.
Kaito took the mirror back and resealed it into the scroll.
A few moments later, footsteps approached them from behind.
Hotaru, Izumi, and Hana walked over from the edge of the training ground.
"Hey, Itachi," Hana said immediately while pointing at him. "What was that giant red skeleton thing you were using?"
Itachi blinked once before answering calmly.
"Susanoo."
Hana stared at him blankly. "…That's it?" she asked. "You're just going to say the name like that explains anything?"
Beside her, Izumi looked more thoughtful than confused. "…Is that why your eyes looked different?" she asked. "Hotaru said your Sharingan changed while you were using it."
Itachi was silent for a moment before nodding. "Yes," he said. "It's called the Mangekyō Sharingan."
Izumi frowned slightly, clearly not recognizing the name. "…Mangekyō?"
"It's the stage beyond the three tomoe Sharingan," Itachi explained calmly. "The abilities differ depending on the user."
Hana frowned.
"So your eyes can just…" She gestured vaguely with both hands. "…Make giant chakra skeletons now?"
"Among other things," Itachi replied.
Hana immediately pointed at him again. "Like those black flames you kept trying to use to burn Kaito alive?"
Itachi nodded once. "Those as well."
Hana blinked. "…What else can it do?"
"It also grants me a powerful genjutsu," Itachi answered. "Tsukuyomi."
Then his gaze shifted toward Kaito.
"…Which reminds me," he added calmly. "How exactly did you break out of it?"
Kaito scratched the back of his head casually. "Oh, that?" he said. "I made a seal beforehand that helps break me out of genjutsu." He pointed toward his head vaguely. "To get out of your Tsukuyomi, all I had to do was reconnect my yin and yang chakra after you separated them."
Itachi nodded slowly. "…I see."
Hana stared between the two of them for a second. "…You guys are talking like any of that made sense."
Neither of them responded.
Hana sighed dramatically before her attention shifted back toward Itachi.
Then a grin slowly spread across her face.
"So…" she said while pointing at him again. "Today's Itachi's treat, huh?"
Itachi sighed quietly before nodding. "…That was the bet."
Hana pumped her fist slightly. "Nice." She grinned. "I'm ordering extra."
Izumi looked at her flatly. "You were going to order extra anyway."
"That's not the point," Hana replied immediately. "Now I don't have to feel guilty about it."
Kaito looked at her. "You were going to feel guilty?"
"No," Hana answered without hesitation.
Hotaru covered her mouth as she giggled softly.
Kaito shook his head in amusement before suddenly pausing. "Oh, right." He reached into his pouch and pulled out another scroll. Itachi watched quietly as Kaito unsealed it with a puff of smoke.
A white ANBU mask appeared in Kaito's hand.
Kaito held it out toward him. His grin softened slightly. "Well," Kaito said, "welcome back, Weasel."
Itachi looked down at the ANBU mask silently.
For a brief moment, his expression didn't change at all.
Then he reached out and accepted it with both hands.
Kaito folded his arms loosely. "Report to Dad tomorrow morning," he said. "I'll let him know later, he'll probably reassign you back to Team Ro, since there's a vacant spot after I pulled Tenzo out from Anbu."
Itachi looked at the mask for another second before giving a small nod. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."
Kaito visibly cringed. "Eh, don't call me that."
Hana immediately grinned.
Hotaru smiled softly.
Itachi smirked. "…Understood, Lord Sixth."
Kaito's eye twitched.
Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait on this chapter. I had a hard time writing the fight scene, so I hope you enjoy reading through it, especially since it ended up being over 6.6k words.
As for anyone wondering why Itachi seemed weaker here, it's because this would be his first time properly using the EMS or even the Mangekyō Sharingan. Before this, Tsunade had warned him not to strain his body in order to keep his illness from worsening, so he avoided relying on those powers. He'll gradually grow stronger as he trains again and gets more used to the power boost the EMS gives him.
For those wondering what Itachi's EMS looks like, there's a picture below that I found and think matches how his EMS would appear in this AU.
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