After the sealing was complete, only one towering Susanoo remained in the vast Kamui Space.
Beneath the Susanoo, Itachi slowly let out a breath.
There was no doubt.
The victor was the real Itachi Uchiha, because a fake wouldn't feel that lingering fear of having narrowly escaped death.
"So even he can be afraid."
Shinji, who had been watching it all, chuckled softly.
After winning, Itachi could no longer hide his human instincts. He, too, could feel fear and dread.
It was only during battle that he kept those emotions in check!
"As expected of Itachi!"
Shinji marveled to himself.
When it came to execution, analysis, and overall combat strength, Itachi was leagues ahead of Sasuke. And it wasn't just Sasuke—even Madara Uchiha fell short of Itachi in Shinji's eyes.
That was why he felt relieved that he hadn't grown arrogant or careless, despite having so many capable people under his command.
When it came to dealing with a fake, the real thing was undoubtedly the most effective!
Itachi hadn't won this time through some crafty strategy, nor by crushing his opponent with brute force. Instead, he'd chosen a direct approach that even Shinji hadn't anticipated.
Izanami!
After testing his opponent, Itachi confirmed that the information was accurate: the fake had perfectly copied his ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu, dojutsu, ninja tools, sacred weapons, and more. It had even copied his way of thinking, his habits, and his style.
Itachi immediately realized that no technique or strategy would work against such a perfect replica.
Only by challenging himself could he stand a chance.
And so Itachi chose the Forbidden Jutsu Izanami. It was a trap for both his enemy and himself, because he could only be sure of catching his opponent if he fell into the trap as well.
In other words,