Itachi sat upright upon the stone throne, his hands tucked inside his black robe. His magnificent Sharingan were as exquisite as a Mangekyō, as though they could see through every falsehood in the world.
Sasuke stood opposite Itachi, covering his eyes. It was no longer just his mind being influenced by Orochimaru's consciousness; snake-like scales had begun appearing across his body one after another. His mental world seemed to be affecting reality.
"Sasuke, you're far too weak. To actually suffer a backlash from Orochimaru—you're truly disgracing the Uchiha Clan." Itachi's voice was rational and steady. Even when facing the younger brother who had come to kill him, he showed little emotion, remaining like a cold machine from beginning to end.
"Itachi, these eyes of mine... have already seen the way you'll die." Sasuke opened his eyes, and two streams of bloody tears ran down from their corners. He pushed his Sharingan to its limit, actually intending to compete with Itachi in Genjutsu.
The two were pulled into each other's Genjutsu worlds. The surroundings did not change at all, yet Sasuke and Itachi had both fallen under the other's Genjutsu. Only the one with greater mastery of Genjutsu could seize the initiative.
Sasuke vanished from where he stood. Without any pause, he reappeared behind Itachi. A long blade imbued with lightning pierced through the stone throne, and Sasuke actually stabbed Itachi through the heart.
"My foolish little brother, your Genjutsu is full of openings..."
Itachi commented without expression. He did not seem like a bitter enemy fighting to the death, but rather like an elder instructing a disciple.
"A Genjutsu that can kill you is a good Genjutsu..." Sasuke's pupils gradually revealed golden vertical slits. Curse Marks crawled across his entire body like spreading tadpoles. Curse Mark Mode activated!
Itachi lightly