— Wood Style: Wood Dragon Technique!
CRASH…!
From the flat earth, a dragon of living wood erupted, rising with a deafening roar as it bore down on Itachi with crushing momentum!
From the shadows, a hidden observer, Black Zetsu, gasped. "Last time it was the Advent of a World of Flowering Trees… and now, he's using the Wood Dragon?!"
The White Zetsu attached to him chirped, "Last time? When? Flowering Trees? I didn't see Sasuke use that before! Hey, you left me a month ago. Where'd you go? Why didn't you take me?"
"Shut up!" Black Zetsu snapped. "No one would think you're mute if you just kept quiet!"
"I won't! I'll say what I want!" White Zetsu persisted. "That's a Wood Dragon! The one Hashirama Senju used to bind the Nine-Tails! Even Madara had trouble with that one!!!"
Facing the rampage of the wooden behemoth, Itachi instantly activated his Tengu Susano'o, deflecting the incoming dragon with a shield bash from the sacred Yata Mirror.
CLANG…!
But the dragon's momentum was immense. It wasn't thrown far. Stabilizing itself, it surged forward again, more ferocious than before.
CLANG…!
Itachi blocked again with the mirror. This time, the dragon's body was halted, but its head lunged down. CRUNCH!! The visor of Itachi's Susano'o was shattered in its jaws!
WHOOSH…!!
Itachi retreated swiftly with his Susano'o. From the gourd in the spectral giant's right hand, a blazing crimson blade materialized—the Sword of Totsuka. Thrust! It pierced straight into the dragon's throat!
But unexpectedly… the moment the sealing sword struck, the dragon's head severed from its own neck, a sacrifice to bear the seal in its place.
The headless dragon's body writhed and coiled around Itachi's Susano'o. At the stump near the Susano'o's torso, a rustling sound filled the air as a new head regenerated. Its fangs sank deep into the Susano'o's wrist—the wrist holding the Totsuka Blade, locking it in place!
On the sidelines.
Kabuto Yakushi adjusted his glasses. "That Wood Dragon… its movements are so fluid."
Orochimaru smiled. "Shape transformation is Sasuke's forte. Not just with Lightning and Blaze Release, but applicable to any jutsu."
Sasuke had regained the upper hand. Kabuto relaxed back into his spectator role. "In this situation, Itachi should copy Sasuke's tactic from the Kisame fight. Just dispel the Susano'o."
Orochimaru chuckled. "He can't."
"Huh?"
"While the Susano'o's physical chakra isn't absorbed directly like a Tailed Beast's, the Wood Dragon imposes a chakra lockdown. Unless he can break free by brute force, he cannot voluntarily dispel and then reactivate it…"
"I see," Kabuto nodded. "Sasuke understands. Itachi's Totsuka Blade is the only real counter to the Wood Dragon, so he bit the sword arm. Itachi's Susano'o… is effectively neutralized."
"Now," Orochimaru purred, "comes the extraction. And Sasuke is very familiar with the method…"
Sasuke activated his own Susano'o to its muscled form. His right arm plunged into the rubble before him. The entire limb fractured, transforming into a mass of purple Jiongu tendrils that burrowed underground, emerging right beneath Itachi's immobilized Susano'o.
Itachi had no choice. He leaped out of his Susano'o.
His spectral giant remained trapped by the Wood Dragon, unable to move. And as Kabuto predicted, Itachi couldn't summon another. He was completely neutralized.
Landing, Itachi managed a faint smile. "Sasuke… to achieve this level within a genjutsu… is truly impressive."
"…" Sasuke said nothing. He dismissed his Susano'o. White lightning crackled to life over his right palm once more. This time, he willed the black flames of Amaterasu to cloak the Chidori. Then, he charged.
"A Chidori fused with the power of the White Cursed Seal, plus Amaterasu… So, you've finally resolved to kill me."
SWISH-SWISH-SWISH…!
Itachi's shuriken flew like a deadly rain.
Sasuke, at full sprint, weaved and dodged desperately. But Itachi's shurikenjutsu was masterful—unpredictable trajectories, strikes from blind spots.
Sasuke ignored them. He let the projectiles from his blind spots graze his skin, leaving bloody cuts in their wake.
His eyes were fixed only on Itachi.
Itachi's gaze sharpened. "Arrogant, relying on Hashirama's healing?"
SWISH!
At the moment of clash, Itachi's superb perception let him sidestep the frontal thrust. He dropped low, palm striking out.
"Sasuke has Orochimaru's substitution technique. This shouldn't fatally wound him…"
— Katsuyu's Palm!
"That white seal… it seems to have vanished from his body. Absorbed, perhaps. But can he still use that 'shedding' technique?"
In that split second of hesitation, his strike missed.
SWISH! Sasuke pivoted, his lightning-charged hand slicing horizontally.
"!" Itachi bent backward at the last possible instant. The lightning arc sheared through the ponytail at the back of his head.
He formed seals instantly, slamming his palm to the ground.
— Summoning: Katsuyu's Thrust!
BOOM…!!!
A massive slug erupted from the earth, launching Sasuke violently into the air.
POOF…!
The slug vanished in a puff of smoke.
"This won't do…"
Itachi formed seals again.
— Sage Art…
Suddenly—Itachi froze. His hands fell apart. His right hand clutched at his chest, his left flew to cover his mouth. He staggered back, knees buckling as he hit the ground. A torrent of blood erupted from his lips.
ZZZT…!!
The Sage Mode markings vanished from his face. The ethereal glow of senjutsu faded from his Akatsuki cloak.
On the sidelines.
Karin opened her eyes. "Itachi Uchiha's chakra… it's plummeting."
Orochimaru's voice was low. "For that body to sustain Sage Mode is nearly suicidal. The Susano'o, neutralized by the dragon, continues to drain him. Most crucially… his heart was shaken at the end. He lost the fine control needed to manage his own condition."
Itachi coughed violently. Blood seeped relentlessly between the fingers of his left hand, staining his crimson cloak a deeper, wet scarlet.
Sasuke landed from his flip, his expression complex as he approached. "Is this… also part of your genjutsu, Itachi?"
BOOM!
With its caster's chakra spent, the Susano'o bound by the Wood Dragon crumbled into nothingness.
The Wood Dragon remained. Its massive form coiled protectively around the shoulders of Sasuke's newly-formed Susano'o.
"Hah… hah… hah…"
Gasping, using the trickle of chakra returned from the dispelled Susano'o, Itachi forced himself up through the agony. The skeletal frame of his Susano'o flickered around him, straining to maintain just the arm and ribcage. He held the Yata Mirror, a solitary, fading flame.
The Wood Dragon on Sasuke's shoulder lunged again, crashing against the mirror, pinning Itachi's defense.
Sasuke, within his Susano'o, circled Itachi's fading form. He drew the spectral bow, nocking an arrow of black chakra, adjusting his aim.
Itachi resisted the dragon with the mirror, his eyes tracking Sasuke's movement. The instant the arrow was loosed, Itachi ripped his cloak from his shoulders, using it to obscure himself.
SHINK!
The arrow pierced the side of Itachi's skeletal Susano'o, tearing through the flying cloak.
As the Susano'o vanished, a murder of crows erupted into the sky, cawing as they circled.
Sasuke's Susano'o dissolved. He turned his gaze. Leaning against the ruins of a fox-marked wall—having used a crow substitution at the last possible second—stood Itachi. His posture was unsteady, his eyes unfocused, the Sharingan itself fading.
Through his blurred vision, he saw Sasuke striding toward him. A deep, profound weariness flashed in Itachi's eyes.
"Only… one… final… measure… left."
— Crow Hunt!
The crows in the sky shrieked and dove in a murderous swarm.
Sasuke's gaze was unwavering, his steps firm. The Kusanagi sword flashed and danced.
Amidst the crows' dying cries, black feathers scattered like macabre snow.
Stepping over the fallen birds, Sasuke stood before his brother.
No one noticed. Hidden by the flock, one last crow had alighted on the top of the wall. Its left eye—a four-pronged magatama Sharingan—was fixed intently on Sasuke.
Sasuke stepped forward. A fist buried itself in Itachi's gut.
"Guh—!"
Itachi doubled over in pain.
Sasuke shoved him to the ground, planted the Kusanagi beside them, and clenched his fist. Again. And again. Blows rained down on Itachi's face. With each strike, a question.
"Itachi! I'll ask you again! What is the shinobi world to you?! What is our clan?! What is the bond between us, your brother?!"
Blood seeped from the corner of Itachi's mouth, his smile bitter. "I've answered… The clan is a shackle on potential. The village is a barrier to progress. You and I… we are merely parts for one another. All you need to do is hate me… and keep moving forward…"
The crow on the wall took flight, aiming to enter Sasuke's peripheral vision from a blind spot.
Within its eye dwelled the most powerful genjutsu—Kotoamatsukami.
Sasuke's bloody fists gripped Itachi's collar. His eyes were downcast. "My lying brother… full of deceit to the very end. If you won't say it… then I will."
The crow's triumphant caw was cut short.
Itachi's face froze, etched with utter disbelief. "Sasuke, you…"
Sasuke pulled his brother into an embrace. Leaning close to Itachi's ear, his voice was impossibly gentle.
"It's enough, brother. I know. I know everything."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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