A long time passed after that day.
Or perhaps only a short while.
By then, except for a select few, no one clearly remembered the exact moment the sky had turned blue, or what changes it had truly brought.
History itself seemed to have become vague.
The shinobi villages still existed… but they no longer felt the same.
The old balance of power between nations gradually lost its meaning.
...
"Seems you've got the wrong idea here, so let me set things straight. You're the challenger here."
"I'm the challenger? You seem pretty pleased with yourself for only landing a surprise attack. You are but a fish atop my chopping board, Gojo Satoru. A bit fresher than others, but still just a nameless fish. Let's start by peeling off those scales."
Two people stood in a standoff, ready to fight the battle that would decide the strongest.
The strongest sorcerer of today and the strongest sorcerer in history collided.
What followed was a battle that overturned the very foundation of jujutsu.
Domains shattered one after another.
Entire city blocks were erased in an instant.
Cleave, Dismantle, Limitless, Reverse Cursed Technique, Daddy Mahoraga, Black Flash
Both of them pushed their techniques, bodies, and minds beyond all limits, each trying to overwhelm the other.
Again and again, they destroyed each other.
Again and again, they regenerated and returned to battle like monsters that had abandoned common sense itself.
The spectators could do nothing except watch in excitement, popcorn flying everywhere as the battle twisted again and again, keeping everyone on edge.
And then after the slash that cut through the world itself...
The battle between the strongest finally came to an end.
The victor was…
"Honestly, I didn't think I would win even if I had stolen Megumi's body."
"He wasn't even going all out."
"I'm feeling pretty darn satisfied. If there is a next time… perhaps I'll choose a different path."
With that, under Uraume's stunned and disbelieving gaze, Sukuna took his hand and walked down a different path this time.
"You did well, Ryomen Sukuna. I won't forget you for as long as I live."
Gojo Satoru stood over Sukuna's dead body or what remained of it in a poop-like shape and said those words, his expression calmer than it had been throughout the entire battle.
THE END.
The screen flickered with subtitles as the ending arrived, but no one seemed to react yet.
Silence filled the enormous dark hall.
Only the faint blue glow from the massive screen illuminated the surroundings.
The words "THE END." still lingered across the projection.
But suddenly, that silence was shattered by a voice filled with nothing but agony.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
Tobi suddenly collapsed onto his knees dramatically, grabbing both sides of his head.
"This is impossible! This is slander! Character assassination! Agenda manipulation!"
He pointed trembling fingers toward the screen.
"Sukuna would NEVER lose like this!"
Beside him, White Zetsu instantly burst into shameless laughter.
"He lost."
"Sukuna became Pookuna because of that beautiful last counterattack, and didn't you always like poop and stuff? Why do you dislike Pookuna now?"
"Is it because Fraudkuna couldn't survive the allegations?"
Tobi's body trembled violently.
"You shut your mouth right now!"
White Zetsu ignored him completely and continued celebrating loudly.
"WUJI HIMTADORI'S SENSEI WINS AGAIN!"
"Daddy Mahoraga couldn't save him!"
Tobi immediately lunged at him.
"YOU!!"
The two began rolling across the floor in a chaotic fight, screaming nonsense at each other.
"FRAUDJO HAD PLOT ARMOR!"
"FRAUDKUNA NEEDED DADDY MAHORAGA!"
"THAT WAS STRATEGY!"
"THAT WAS CHILD SUPPORT!"
Nearby, Kimimaro silently watched the scene with complete confusion.
Haku awkwardly covered his mouth, trying not to laugh.
Orochimaru lightly swirled the wine inside his glass while staring at the giant screen with amused golden eyes.
"To think such a battle could be created with this level of quality and realism…"
"And the power system itself looks genuinely fascinating too. If only it were real… what a pity. This world truly would've had tremendous research value."
Even Orochimaru had briefly forgotten that it was merely a projection.
Those powerful abilities held terrifying potential, especially that villain called Kenjaku.
He was… strangely similar to himself.
Both possessed techniques that allowed them to change bodies in pursuit of immortality.
Yet Orochimaru had to admit that Kenjaku's cursed technique possessed one advantage over his own.
Meanwhile, Obito sat lazily atop a large throne-like chair formed from black cubes.
One leg rested over the other as he quietly watched the screen, faint amusement lingering in his eyes.
Since peace and stability had spread across the world and the "plot" itself had long since ended, there was very little left for him to do besides spending time on everything he could get his hands on.
So, after introducing modern technology into the world, he had suddenly come up with the idea of animating some of the famous manga from his previous life.
And Jujutsu Kaisen had naturally become one of the first choices.
After all…
A certain side character in it looked suspiciously similar to him.
Honestly… he did feel slightly petty but also entertained.
After all, if he had gone through the effort of perfectly animating the battle of the strongest with god-tier quality…
Then surely he had earned the right to decide the winner himself.
And unfortunately for Sukuna...
Of course some things had to go the most suitable way…
"Orochimaru."
Orochimaru immediately stopped the internal comparison between his techniques and Kenjaku's before lowering his head respectfully.
"Yes, my lord."
"Have you been taking care of the thing I asked you to prepare?"
Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed slightly before a smile appeared across his face.
"Yes, my lord. Everything has been completed exactly according to your instructions."
His smile widened further.
"And… it is ready."
A satisfied look flashed across Obito's face.
"Do you want to take a look?"
"…Lead the way."
Obito slowly rose to his feet.
The black cube chair beneath him silently collapsed and vanished into nothingness.
Orochimaru followed behind as Obito began walking through the long corridor.
Meanwhile, nearby…
Haku and Kimimaro were physically pulling Tobi and White Zetsu apart before the argument somehow escalated into another war.
"Please calm down. You are both adults," Haku said politely.
"No Haku... they are not," Kimimaro answered instantly.
As Obito walked through the corridor, Orochimaru suddenly seemed to remember something.
"Ah… my lord."
"Hm?"
"I forgot to tell you something interesting."
Obito glanced sideways slightly.
"Oh?"
Orochimaru's smile became strange.
"Sasuke's brother… I mean…"
He paused briefly, as though correcting an extremely important detail.
"Sasuke's sister is getting married today, and Sasuke asked if you could come be present as a witness."
"…?"
Obito stopped dead in his tracks.
For the first time in a long while, he looked genuinely caught off guard.
Then as if recalling certain words Sasuke had once said before…
The corner of his eye twitched slightly.
"Pfft—"
Although he tried to hold it back, a chuckle still escaped him.
"Who is… who is the groom?"
Orochimaru's eyes flashed with amusement.
After all… he was the one who had turned Itachi into a woman.
It would be a lie to say he wasn't interested in seeing how this would end.
Besides, Itachi had done him dirty in the past and now fate itself had decided to play a joke on him in return.
"Well…"
Orochimaru deliberately dragged out the suspense.
"…That would be…"
....
On the other side, while Orochimaru and Obito were still talking
The wedding had officially begun however the atmosphere... was already a complete disaster.
Inside the enormous ceremony hall, countless shinobi sat in long rows while whispering among themselves in utter disbelief.
"I still can't believe this is real…"
"That's really Itachi Uchiha?"
"She's prettier than half the kunoichi in Konoha…"
"DON'T LET SASUKE HEAR YOU SAY THAT."
At the center of the hall
Sasuke Uchiha sat stiffly in his seat, his eyes filled with both tension and excitement.
Nearby, Naruto leaned slightly toward him.
"…Teme."
"…What."
Naruto struggled desperately not to laugh.
"So like… if Itachi gets married now…"
"…?"
"Do I call the groom your brother-in-law or sister-in-law?"
Crack.
The wooden armrest beneath Sasuke exploded instantly.
Veins bulged across his forehead.
"NARUTO."
Naruto immediately looked away.
"I'm just saying!"
At the very front of the ceremony hall, wearing a breathtaking white wedding kimono–
Itachi Uchiha stood silently with completely dead eyes.
The legendary prodigy of the Uchiha Clan.
The genius feared throughout the shinobi world.
The man who massacred an entire clan.
Now standing beneath wedding decorations while soft romantic music played gently in the background.
Life truly came at people fast.
Outside the hall
A black car slowly rolled forward at a steady pace.
The moment it appeared, nearly every pair of eyes instinctively turned toward it.
Because everyone already knew the groom had arrived.
The vehicle came to a smooth stop outside the wedding hall.
Then the car door opened and a man stepped out wearing a pure white suit fitted perfectly across his broad frame and held a bouquet of flowers casually in one hand.
His steps were calm yet confident.
Heavy enough to carry overwhelming presence, yet controlled enough not to appear rushed.
One step after another, he walked toward the entrance.
The moment he entered the wedding hall, almost every gaze turned toward him at once.
The guests fell into a strange silence.
The man ignored all of it and continued walking forward, the wide smile on his face never fading.
Then, under everyone's stunned attention, he stopped beside Itachi Uchiha.
Only then did people truly see him clearly.
He was tall and powerfully built, with muscles pressing tightly against the fabric of his white suit as though the clothing itself was barely holding together.
And the groom was none other than...
The Fourth Raikage A.
For a moment the entire hall went completely silent.
Then, almost as if they could sense the murderous aura leaking from Sasuke's direction...
The guests suddenly became unbelievably polite.
"W-What a perfect match…"
"Yes, yes… truly worthy of each other…"
"Such a strong groom…"
"And such an elegant bride…"
"The Uchiha Clan and Kumogakure… what a blessing…"
Every word sounded kind and extremely sincere.
Of course... that was only because Sasuke's aura had begun pressing down across the hall like a silent Susanoo.
No one wanted to become the first corpse at the wedding.
Sasuke nodded slightly in satisfaction.
He had personally chosen the Raikage as the groom for his brother.
After all, for the future of the Uchiha Clan, healthy and strong children were necessary.
And if one wanted strength… then naturally, the Raikage was a suitable choice.
Of course… just one Raikage was not enough.
Sasuke slowly swept his gaze across the hall, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
His eyes first landed on Kakashi.
Then, after a brief pause
His gaze shifted toward another man sitting not too far away, happily rapping to himself with far too much energy.
The Raikage's brother...
Killer B.
Kakashi, who had been casually observing the hall moments earlier, suddenly froze slightly.
"…Hm?"
For some reason… a cold chill suddenly crawled down his spine.
It was instinct.
The kind shinobi developed only after surviving countless life-and-death battles.
The kind that screamed one thing:
Danger.
So after identifying it immediately, he was met with Sasuke's gaze.
"…?"
Sasuke was staring directly at him.
No–more accurately… Sasuke was evaluating him with the same kind of look someone would use while inspecting livestock before making a purchase.
"…Why is he looking at me like that?"
Cold sweat slowly slid down Kakashi's forehead.
Nearby, Killer B remained completely unaware and continued happily rapping to himself.
"YO! YO! Wedding bells ring loud today! Big bro Raikage found his way!
White suit fresh and the bride look cold! Uchiha beauty got the whole hall sold!
Strong genes mix, future kids insane! Lightning blood mixed with Sharingan flame!
Kumo and Uchiha now side by side! Even Sasuke lookin' at the future with pride!
YEAH! FOOL! YA FOOL!"
The entire hall went dead silent.
"…"
"…"
Several shinobi slowly turned toward Killer B with expressions that looked deeply disturbed.
Even the Fourth Raikage's smile twitched slightly.
Meanwhile, Sasuke's eyes actually lit up for a brief moment.
"…Not bad."
Naruto nearly choked to death beside him.
"YOU APPROVED OF THAT?!"
Sasuke crossed his arms calmly.
"The lyrics about strong bloodlines were reasonable."
Naruto stared at him in complete disbelief.
"Teme… you've completely lost your mind."
Just then the entrance to the ceremony hall quietly opened once more as a graceful woman stepped inside.
The moment Sasuke saw her, his eyes widened slightly in happiness, and even his tone changed completely.
Gone was the cold indifference from before.
For the first time that day, he sounded exactly like a son calling out to his mother.
"…Mom."
Uchiha Mikoto wore a beautiful dark formal kimono, her long hair carefully arranged as she walked into the hall with slightly embarrassed steps.
After all… no matter how calm she tried to appear, attending her eldest son's wedding while that same son stood there in a bridal kimono was not exactly something a mother mentally prepared for in life.
Especially when the groom was the Fourth Raikage.
Even now, Mikoto still felt reality itself had become somewhat strange.
And yet despite the awkwardness and embarrassment lingering faintly within her expression…
There was still unmistakable happiness in her eyes because Dear had kept his promise to her.
In the end… he truly had not harmed her children.
Even now, Mikoto still remembered the fear she once felt back then.
The fear of losing everything.
The fear that Sasuke and Itachi would eventually be dragged into the same darkness as the rest of the clan.
But that never happened.
Sasuke was alive, safe and stronger than ever.
And although Itachi admittedly had it… somewhat worse... at the very least her children were still alive.
Honestly she could not be too greedy.
When Sasuke who was observing her saw that expression, he felt something inside him quietly relaxed.
Mikoto soon arrived beside him and sat down gracefully.
"You made it," Sasuke said quietly.
Mikoto smiled softly.
"Of course I did."
Her eyes slowly drifted toward Itachi standing at the front of the hall with completely dead eyes.
For a moment her motherly instincts struggled slightly.
"…Your brother looks beautiful."
"…"
Sasuke nodded calmly without hesitation.
"That's normal."
Naruto screamed inside his head, feeling weirded out.
WHAT PART OF THIS IS NORMAL?!
But Sasuke barely paid attention to him.
At this moment, his gaze remained fixed on Mikoto.
Honestly…
Seeing her alive, sitting safely beside him like this still felt surreal.
For a very long time after learning the truth behind the Uchiha massacre…
Sasuke had secretly held onto a tiny, almost childish hope.
If Izumi could somehow still be alive…
Then perhaps
Just perhaps
His parents could be alive too.
In the end he had only been half right.
His mother was the only one alive however to him that somehow alone already felt like enough.
Sasuke quietly swept his gaze around the ceremony hall once more but after several seconds–the person he wanted to see still had not appeared.
His expression dimmed slightly.
Mikoto immediately noticed it.
"…You were looking for him?"
Sasuke stayed silent for a moment before giving a faint nod.
Everything he had now…
Everything his mother had now…
Even this absurd wedding taking place before him...
All of it existed because of that man.
It was almost selfishly and childishly that… Sasuke had wanted him to witness it too.
Mikoto's gaze softened slightly.
Then she gently raised her hand and stroked Sasuke's hair.
"Don't worry, Sasuke."
"Your dad—I mean…"
She coughed lightly.
"Your lord had something important to do, so he couldn't come. But don't worry."
A small smile appeared on her face as she suddenly raised the camera in her hand.
"I'll record everything for him."
"…"
Sasuke stared blankly at the camera for several seconds before a small smile slowly appeared on his face.
Although he had clearly heard the word dad earlier…
He ignored it or perhaps—at this point, he had already accepted it deep down because he could clearly see the happiness in his mother's expression.
That was something even his biological father, Uchiha Fugaku, had never truly been able to provide her.
At first, Sasuke had admittedly felt awkward after finding out.
But over time, he slowly accepted it.
The biggest reason was simple.
His mother was genuinely happy now and the man she was with… was also the very same man Sasuke owed everything to.
To Sasuke—this was acceptable.
Because that lord was not like Fugaku.
The man who had been willing to sacrifice his own wife for the sake of the clan and some meaningless ideals.
Sasuke quietly lowered his eyes.
Honestly, he looked down on both his father and his brother for the stupidity they had carried and for the pain that stupidity had caused both him and his mother.
At the very front of the ceremony hall
An elderly priest cleared his throat awkwardly while holding the wedding scroll.
"Ahem…"
"We will now begin the official ceremony."
The hall instantly quieted down.
The priest glanced between the towering Raikage and the expressionless Itachi before swallowing nervously.
Then, according to the formal ceremony procedure, he spoke carefully.
"Fourth Raikage A."
"Do you willingly accept Uchiha Itachi as your lawfully wedded wife?"
The Raikage grinned without hesitation.
"Hah! Of course I do!"
His loud voice echoed through the hall confidently.
Several Kumo shinobi immediately began clapping enthusiastically.
Meanwhile
Itachi stood completely motionless.
His eyes stared forward blankly ahead.
The priest slowly turned toward him next.
"And Uchiha Itachi…"
"Do you willingly accept the Fourth Raikage as your husband?"
Hearing those words made Itachi's heartbeat accelerate violently, even breathing itself becoming difficult, as though something invisible was tightening around his throat.
His fingers twitched faintly beneath the sleeves of the bridal kimono.
From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the people sitting below.
For a moment, the world around him seemed to slow.
He saw Sasuke sitting there.
For once, his younger brother genuinely looked happy, rather than consumed by hatred or drowning in revenge.
Beside him sat their mother, still alive, smiling softly. Something he had thought he would never get to see again but here it was.
Itachi felt something tighten painfully inside his chest.
What was he feeling right now? Itachi asked himself this question.
Standing in bridal robes before the entire shinobi world.
Humiliated beyond dignity.
Broken beyond pride.
Despair?
Of course he felt despair.
Every ounce of his remaining pride screamed at him.
Every instinct as a man screamed at him.
But there was nothing he could do. Deep down Itachi had already understood something long ago.
This world no longer belonged to logic not did it belong to ideals.
People like him…
People who sacrificed everything for peace while believing themselves righteous had ultimately accomplished nothing except destroying the people closest to them.
His father died.
His clan died.
Sasuke suffered.
His mother cried, and in the end, fell into the arms of the man he loathed most in the world.
Yet ironically, in the end… the only reason any of them still had happiness now…
The reason the ninja world had completely changed beyond recognition, with peace embedded into it forever was because of a man completely unlike himself.
A monster.
A tyrant.
Someone who simply took what he wanted without caring about morality or sacrifice.
Compared to that…
What exactly had I protected?
The answer made his chest feel hollow.
Slowly… his eyes lowered, the world's colors fading at the edges of his sight.
Then, quietly…
So quietly that every word seemed to fall back onto his own heart the moment it left his lips…
Itachi spoke.
"…I do."
The moment those words left his mouth, the entire hall erupted into thunderous applause.
PS: YAY! YAY!! Congratulations, Itachi-chan!! I'm so ridiculously happy for you! Damn it... who's cutting onions?! aggressively wipes tears with a celebratory GIF
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