Itachi had never been one to act on emotion. If anything, he was far too rational.
But the grudge between him and Yami was deeply rooted and complicated.
He had been suppressed ever since the academy. His best friend, Uchiha Shisui, had died due to Shimura Danzō's suspicion. And today, after personally butchering his own clan and family, his suppressed emotions finally erupted with devastating force.
With a sweep of his blade, the explosive tags detonated between the two of them in a fiery burst of smoke.
Itachi rarely initiated combat.
But now, they clashed!
Clang—!
Chakra-infused kunai met Yami's Kusanagi sword, holding their own briefly due to precision and technique.
Then came a flurry of taijutsu exchanges.
Yami aimed a direct stab toward Itachi's eyes. Itachi bent back to dodge and countered with a knee strike, which was intercepted by Yami's raised leg.
"You've really improved."
During the brief clash, Yami commented casually, "You're no longer the little bug I could flick away with one punch."
Suddenly, Itachi's fist surged with hidden strength and knocked Yami backward. But before Yami hit the ground, he lunged forward, fist raised.
Itachi's pupils shrank. His three tomoe spun erratically.
Boom—!
Right before the strike landed, Itachi activated the Body Replacement Technique.
Yami's punch pulverized the substitution log, driving it into the ground with terrifying force.
Cracks spread like spiderwebs, debris flew everywhere. The surrounding terrain looked as if a magnitude-10 earthquake had struck.
"What terrifying chakra... such monstrous strength."
Itachi emerged from the earth. "This is just like the legendary Tsunade's brute power…"
"Unfortunately, all your ninjutsu can still be read by these eyes."
Without turning, Yami slashed his blade behind him. Itachi was hit, but burst into a puddle of water.
Another clone.
Steam filled the area.
As the smoke cleared, both stood atop towering tree branches, glaring across the gap.
"Amaterasu!"
Itachi's eyes gleamed sharply. Black flames erupted where Yami stood.
Amaterasu—reputed as the strongest Fire Release technique. Both ninjutsu and Kekkei Genkai. Its black flames would never extinguish. Instantaneous. Unavoidable for most.
But Yami's reaction speed was abnormal.
The moment Itachi's pupils shrank, Yami shot forward and formed seals midair.
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Singing Technique!"
Several fire dragons roared toward Itachi, obscuring his vision and blocking his opportunity to cast Tsukuyomi.
"Water Release: Water Barrier!"
With no other choice, Itachi responded defensively.
His chakra reserves were not enormous. He had more chakra than average thanks to the Mangekyō Sharingan, but nowhere near Yami's absurd pool, who never held back on chakra expenditure.
Neutralizing the flames drained him significantly.
And yet…
"Something's wrong… the water temperature…"
His eyes widened.
That one ninjutsu had been that intense. What if there were more?
"Scorch Release: Multiple Over-Steaming Kill!"
Several fireballs the size of suns rained down.
Itachi retreated frantically. The scorching spheres came from all directions like a meteor shower, leaving him with less and less space to dodge.
He needed a way out—fast.
Earth Release?
Too slow. His Earth Release wasn't Mastery level, and these fireballs wouldn't give him time to weave signs.
Amaterasu?
No. A wide-range Amaterasu would only play into Yami's hands, burning chakra for minimal results.
Then...
He had to end it in one strike.
He activated his eye power without restraint.
Red energy erupted from Itachi's body. A skeletal arm took shape—Susanoo.
The giant arm swatted away several fireballs, but not without damage.
"First stage isn't enough…" Itachi frowned as the arm began to burn.
With a thought, the arm regenerated, and the structure continued forming.
The skeletal frame grew muscles made of chakra threads, then a thick layer of armor covered it. Both arms clenched. A shield and a gourd-shaped hilt formed.
The gourd unsheathed a sword of liquid light that sliced down the remaining fireballs.
Yami also ceased his assault.
"Ghhh…"
Itachi clutched his eyes in pain. His brain throbbed violently.
The third stage of Susanoo was the upper limit for a standard Mangekyō. It was incredibly taxing, and its stability was questionable.
"Is this the so-called Susanoo?"
Yami's eyes focused on the two weapons.
"The Yata Mirror, said to be the strongest defense. And the Totsuka Blade, which seals all it cuts…"
He chuckled. "Uchiha sure know how to flatter themselves. These are just Susanoo's abilities, and you name them like they're divine relics."
Itachi's heart dropped.
Yami's knowledge of Uchiha secrets was too thorough. These abilities had never been shown before, and yet he knew.
What was the point of tactics anymore?
Ninja battles relied on information disparity. Most strategies were only viable when the enemy didn't know what to expect.
But in front of Yami, Itachi felt like an open book.
"It just so happens…"
Yami floated into the air, arms spread, pulling out a translucent cube.
"I also have a technique that's called the strongest."
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
The cube expanded rapidly.
Itachi gritted his teeth and raised the Yata Mirror.
Blinding white light swallowed the battlefield. Entire swaths of forest were erased down to atomic particles.
The Susanoo shattered.
When the light faded, Itachi lay on the ground. Barely breathing. Without the slow rise and fall of his chest, he might've been mistaken for a corpse.
His Susanoo had been destroyed head-on.
The backlash from overextending the Mangekyō left his eyes and brain screaming in agony.
Yami slowly landed.
"You're skilled, but still far off."
He didn't approach. He kept his distance, more than ten meters.
"Now you understand. Keep your voice down when speaking to me."
"In the future, send a report about Akatsuki to the Root, not just to the Third Hokage. Also, you'll carry out any mission I give you. Otherwise, I'll pay Sasuke a visit."
"It was a deal with the Third Hokage. You want to go back on it?"
Itachi, still buried halfway in the ground, finally gave up playing dead.
[Host and Uchiha Itachi's 'Mortal Enemy' bond has reached the third stage. Reward: Eye Technique "Tsukuyomi"]
Yami grinned, "You said Third Hokage. What does that have to do with me?"
"Whether you agree or not, doesn't matter to me."
"As long as you play your part as a spy, I won't touch Sasuke. I quite like the kid. I look forward to seeing you brothers kill each other."
"Oh… I really can't wait."
Yami's figure slowly dispersed into a drifting leaf, only his faint chuckle lingering in the air.
Itachi lay there for a long time before finding the strength to stand. He staggered away into the night like a wounded stray dog.
—
At the secret base where Shisui was stationed, the return was crowded.
When they left earlier, it had only been Yami and Shisui. But now, dozens were present.
Because time had been short when stopping Itachi, Yami had simply teleported everyone here using Flying Thunder God without taking headcount.
Now that he looked…
"So you really did save quite a few."
Forty-two.
Twenty-six children, all under twelve. The rest were women. The oldest looked about sixty.
Shisui walked out from the cave and knelt on one knee.
"Yami-sama, most of these survivors are civilian children or fringe members of the clan. They knew nothing of the rebellion. They completely meet your conditions."
Yami shook his head slightly. "Words aren't enough. I'll judge based on how they behave once they wake up."
"Hatred is irrational. Sometimes it spills over and hurts innocents. And honestly… neither I nor the village can be called innocent."
"I hope you understand why they're still alive."
"Because you can use them," Shisui said solemnly. "I'll make sure they understand that. And who their real enemy is."
"Don't wake them yet. Though the Uchiha clan is gone, the unrest in the village isn't over."
"Once I settle things, I'll arrange a place for them."
Shisui looked up. "Did you find Uchiha Itachi?"
"We fought."
"Did he die?"
Of all who wanted Itachi dead, none surpassed Shisui.
His hatred ran deeper than anyone's. He had been blind—he placed his trust in a psychopath.
"No." Yami shook his head, disappointing Shisui.
"He still has a role to play. Those eyes are valuable. You've seen the stone tablet at Naka Shrine, haven't you?"
Shisui's expression changed.
"The Mangekyō Sharingan that never goes blind…"
"That's not your concern."
Yami waved him off. "Your task is managing these survivors. Many of the children have already awakened their Sharingan. They're promising."
"The Root belongs to the old man. I need my own people. Understand?"
Shisui nodded. "I'll raise a unit of shinobi worthy of you. Many of them awakened their Sharingan during the rescue. Their hatred for Itachi will help them grow quickly."
After the massacre, Shisui was just a shadow. He had only two reasons to keep living.
First, to atone for his past.
He had given his life and his eyes to the village. He owed Konoha nothing more.
Second, to raise these children.
To train them.
To one day see Uchiha Itachi fall by their hands.
For that, he would help Yami with anything.
Whether Yami distanced himself from the village or not no longer mattered.
"Good. Wait for my message."
"I'm heading back to Konoha to battle the Third Hokage."
—
After the horrific night, Konoha slowly returned to calm.
The major clans only knew the Uchiha had rioted. They didn't know what happened in detail.
That district was sealed off by Anbu.
But word spread.
Only one survivor emerged—an unconscious Uchiha Sasuke, delivered to the hospital by Root.
By morning, Yami returned to Konoha with Uchiha Izumi and her mother, settled them in, then headed to Root to report to Danzō.
But a Root shinobi told him Danzō was already at the Hokage's office and had ordered Yami to report immediately.
Apparently, Root had been looking for Yami all night. No one could find the elusive speedster who didn't want to be found.
When Yami entered the office, all the elders looked up.
"Yami, where were you last night?"
Hiruzen stubbed out his pipe and spoke sternly, "Anbu and Root searched everywhere. Why are you only showing up now?"
"I was chasing down the S-rank missing-nin, Uchiha Itachi."
Hiruzen's face shifted slightly.
"But he still got away. A pity."
Yami smiled faintly. "Old Man, you almost seem… happy he escaped?"
"Stop pretending."
Hiruzen slammed his desk. "Something major happened last night. As Anbu captain, not only did you fail to report to me, you also cooperated privately with Root. Are you done playing this game?!"
"Hokage-sama, am I your only Anbu?"
Yami's voice remained calm, but the words were sharp.
"The massacre took almost an hour. Not a single Anbu showed up to investigate. Except for the three teams I dispatched, no one even looked into the barrier fluctuations."
"Are the other units dead?"
"Or were you all just waiting until everything was done… so you could appear and judge us from above?"
Danzō, who had been silent, raised his head slightly, surprise flickering in his eyes.
Hiruzen's expression twisted in disbelief.
He suddenly realized—Yami had changed.
The boy's former bluntness had just seemed like childishness.
Even calling him 'Old Man' had held no malice.
But now… now it was disdain.
He could feel it.
A child's disdain for him.
(To be continued.)