Battle!

Elsewhere, Uchiha Obito had already completed his mission and killed everyone he was supposed to kill. Now, he was waiting for Uchiha Itachi to arrive.

Unfortunately, Uchiha Itachi never came.

"What's that? Susanoo? No... How could the Uchiha Clan possibly have another ninja with the Mangekyō Sharingan?"

Uchiha Obito raised his head and looked toward the battle in the distance. When he saw the two giants, he froze for a moment before immediately rushing over. According to his investigation of the Uchiha Clan, no one besides Uchiha Itachi should have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Under the moonlight, the battle became incomparably violent in a matter of moments. The Uchiha Clan compound looked as if it had been struck by a meteor, reduced to a field of ruins.

Boom!

A violent shockwave swept out as a devastating heavy blow slammed into the crimson skeletal giant.

Bang!

Countless cracks immediately spread across Uchiha Itachi's Susanoo.

Under Uchiha Itachi's stunned gaze, flesh instantly grew over the azure skeletal giant before him, forming a set of seemingly indestructible heavy armor, as though it were made of stone.

"Die! Ora ora ora!!!!"

Uchiha Yue let out an enraged roar. The next moment, a rain of fists descended. In an instant, wild winds rose, and the surrounding air was sucked directly into a vacuum.

"Ora ora ora!!!"

Chakra began to spin wildly. With every punch, an incomparably terrifying force surged forth, each blow heavier and stronger than the last.

Crack!

"H-How could this..."

At that moment, time seemed to stop. Countless fragments drifted off the orange-red Susanoo. Like a glass bottle, it seemed ready to shatter at any moment.

"No! I have this kind of power too!!! I've borne so much pain, carried Father and Mother's hopes, for the village, for the clan, for Sasuke... I can't die!!! Gah, power, come out!!!"

Uchiha Itachi's expression changed as he watched his Susanoo march toward destruction. At that moment, he seemed to see the clansmen he had just killed, his father and mother who had willingly died by his hand, Uchiha Sasuke, who feared and hated him beyond measure, and the village that had always occupied his thoughts.

He had borne all this pain to resolve the conflict between the clan and the village, to protect Sasuke, to safeguard the village and the clan. How could someone like him lose? How could he lose to trash he should have cut down with a single stroke?

Clansmen, Father, Mother, Sasuke! Everyone in the village, lend me your strength!

"Kyaaah!!!"

Uchiha Itachi let out a roar. At that moment, his resolve, his power, everything he had was pushed to its limit. How could he possibly lose like this?

Boom!

Massive Dōryoku surged forth, instantly repairing the Susanoo that had been on the verge of breaking and elevating it to another level. It transformed into a dark crimson giant. He was about to...

"Ora!!! Uchiha Itachi, you mongrel, die for me!!! Chakra drive, twelvefold power, burst for me!!!"

An angry roar rang out. Wild and spiraling power surged through Uchiha Yue's body and traveled along his enormous fist, smashing into Uchiha Itachi's newly reforged Susanoo. Vast, terrifying power flooded into the giant body.

At that moment, time seemed to stop.

Crack!

Countless cracks appeared across the giant's body, just as before.

"H-How is that possible?"

Bang!

The next moment, the towering giant exploded, and the remaining force struck Uchiha Itachi.

"Urgh, pfft!"

Uchiha Itachi froze for a moment. Half the bones in his body shattered, and he spat out a mouthful of blood before being blasted like a cannonball into the distant ruins.

"How could he be so powerful... This... this is impossible... Aah!!!"

Uchiha Itachi lay on the ground in agony and disbelief, his face twisted with fury. He could not understand it. Why? Why was Uchiha Yue's power so overwhelming? He had clearly drawn out all his strength. He should clearly have gained power equal to Uchiha Yue's. But... why...

Move! Move for me! Body, move!

He roared.

Uchiha Itachi roared madly in his heart. He had to wipe out the Uchiha Clan—for the village, for the clan, for Father, Mother, for his ideals, for the great Will of Fire, for Sasuke, gah!!!

He frantically drove the Chakra within his body, dragging himself forward like a dog. At that moment, his father's words kept echoing in his ears.

That's right. Your pain only lasted an instant, while mine will last a lifetime. So why can't you obediently die for my ideals, for the village's greater good, for the clan?

He forced his stinging eyes to move and gathered Chakra, trying to release Susanoo and stand up. That blow had pulverized half the bones in Uchiha Itachi's body. The current Uchiha Itachi was already paralyzed, reduced to Hawking Itachi.

Boom!

A heavy fist carrying wave after wave of shockwaves crashed down toward Uchiha Itachi. Uchiha Yue had arrived. Now, he was going to finish this...

"Stop!"

At that moment, Uchiha Obito finally arrived. Seeing that Uchiha Itachi was about to be beaten to death by Uchiha Yue's fist, Uchiha Obito immediately launched an attack on Uchiha Yue.

Wood Release: Chaos of Hell

Several massive, thorn-covered trees spiraled upward, directly wrapping around and binding Uchiha Yue.

However, Uchiha Yue completely ignored Uchiha Obito's attack. He forcibly tore free of the thorns and attacked Uchiha Itachi again.

"Damn it!"

Seeing this, Uchiha Obito cursed. He had not expected this thing's power to be so terrifying. His attack had not even broken through its defense before being destroyed outright.

But that instant was enough.

Uchiha Itachi suddenly raised his head and stared fixedly at Uchiha Yue.

Tsukuyomi!

Uchiha Yue immediately fell into the Tsukuyomi genjutsu and stopped moving.

"Do it!!!"

Uchiha Itachi shouted.

The next moment, Uchiha Obito created a Shadow Clone. It came to Uchiha Itachi's side and lifted the crippled Uchiha Itachi up, while Uchiha Obito's true body arrived before the chest of that massive Susanoo.

Taking advantage...