Uchiha Rei VS Uchiha Itachi (Part 1)

In Konohagakure, Uchiha Itachi's strength was beyond doubt. He was a genius among geniuses, the youngest Anbu captain in Konohagakure, and the legendary wielder of the Mangekyo Sharingan.

His genjutsu, his ninjutsu, his taijutsu – he was proficient in all.

However, his power was often directed only at his own people. Facing the Uchiha Clan, he never held back, striking with full force.

But when facing Shimura Danzō and Uchiha Obito, he always endured and retreated.

When the person before him appeared, Itachi discovered it was one of his clansmen, Uchiha Rei.

With the Mangekyo, Itachi was confident he could deal with any clansman.

"Tsukuyomi."

He no longer hesitated. His pupil power surged, and the Mangekyo's red light flashed, targeting Uchiha Rei!

However—

It was empty.

"Hm?" Itachi's brow twitched.

Uchiha Rei's figure had subtly shifted just before Tsukuyomi was activated. His speed was astonishing, like an afterimage, flashing past the edge of the pupil power's reach.

Itachi's expression grew more serious. A few days ago, he and the Masked Man had cornered the opponent but still failed to capture Uchiha Rei. Therefore, he immediately used his Mangekyo ability, aiming for a swift kill.

"I can't rely on genjutsu anymore." His mind raced.

The next moment, his hands moved rapidly, forming hand seals.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

A massive fireball soared into the sky, the heatwave churning, scorching the ground until it was blackened and distorted.

But Rei on the opposite side formed his hand seals even faster.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!" The same fire style jutsu, but its power was even greater than Itachi's.

"His hand seal speed... is actually above mine?"

Amidst the flames, Itachi frowned deeply. In a ninjutsu clash, he had actually fallen into a disadvantage.

"In that case—"

He flickered, stepping back half a pace, and flicked his fingers. Several kunai shot out rapidly, cutting through the air with tricky arcs, heading straight for Uchiha Rei's vital points.

"Swish!"

Rei lightly tapped his toes and, with an unbelievable reaction, dodged all the attacks.

The moment the Kunai grazed Rei, it suddenly changed direction!

Chakra threads?

Rei's gaze turned cold, and he flashed aside again, precisely dodging the second wave of attacks.

This wasn't ordinary thrown ninja tools, but a second layer of ambush.

Itachi's eyes flickered, and while the opponent was distracted, he quickly formed hand seals again.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

This time, the fireball was larger, trailing flames, and it sealed off almost all of Rei's escape routes.

Uchiha Rei dodged lightly once more, but the moment he landed, the ground shook--

"Boom!"

An explosion suddenly rang out, and Exploding Tags detonated at his feet, firelight soaring into the sky.

"Swish!"

As soon as he took a step back, a Ninja Sword with a chilling glint met him head-on.

Uchiha Itachi had closed the distance.

His movements were precise and swift, each step like a killing move in a game of chess.

Uchiha Rei chuckled softly and met the attack with a punch!

"Bang!"

Itachi's body was sent sliding back two steps, his left arm numb. His expression shifted slightly.

"Meticulous thinking, swift movements, ninjutsu, traps, ninja tools, all coordinated seamlessly," Uchiha Rei commented calmly. "If the opponent wasn't me, you would have already won."

Before he finished speaking, his figure blurred, and he pressed forward again. The speed was so fast it was almost impossible to discern with the naked eye, and he delivered a fierce kick!

Itachi gritted his teeth to block, but he was still forced back several steps, his back hitting a Utility Pole.

Uchiha Rei pressed his advantage, grabbed Itachi's forehead protector, and with a surge of strength, kicked him flying again!

Itachi landed after somersaulting, but a sense of powerlessness washed over him.

--This person is terrifyingly strong.

It wasn't just the power of his ninjutsu, but a comprehensive suppression. Chakra, taijutsu, combat intuition, even the psychological pressure made Itachi feel as if he were on the edge of a cliff.

"...I'm only thirteen years old." Itachi thought with a wry smile.

On the other side stood a powerful opponent, one who had received complete Uchiha training, was in the same year as Kakashi, and possessed rich combat experience.

"I'm too far behind him..."

A memory from a few days ago flashed through his mind. He and the Masked Man had teamed up to ambush a small squad, and the one who escaped in the end was Uchiha Rei.

He had thought the other party was just lucky, but now it seemed... they couldn't keep him.

"Itachi, the longer you delay, the faster you'll die," Rei said quietly, looking at him.

"...Senior," Uchiha Itachi said in a low voice for the first time, his tone carrying respect.

"Look... behind you."

A sharp glint flashed in Uchiha Rei's eyes. He moved, turning around—

"Caw caw—"

Uchiha Itachi, who had transformed into a crow, dissipated into black feathers in front of Rei. The real him, however, had silently appeared behind Uchiha Rei at that moment.

The Mangekyo Sharingan was quietly activated.

"Amaterasu."

Black Flames ignited instantly, clinging to Uchiha Rei's body in a flash, as if intending to devour everything.

Uchiha Rei showed no panic.

"...Amaterasu?" he chuckled softly.

The next second, the incredibly tenacious black flames rapidly dimmed as if time had accelerated, dissipating into the air like a distorted illusion.

"How is this possible!" Uchiha Itachi's pupils contracted sharply.

"You forgot," Uchiha Rei said faintly, "your opponent is also an Uchiha."

His voice was low and devoid of any warmth.

"Senior... let me show you what the true power of the Sharingan is."

As his voice fell, a strange Chakra surged from his pupils. The aura seemed capable of disrupting the causality and logic of the world.

"Tsukuyomi."

This time, Uchiha Rei didn't dodge. His pupils suddenly constricted, and the world before him twisted violently. He felt his consciousness flicker, the colors around him rapidly recede, and the world turned into interlacing black and white.

He looked down and discovered he had been bound to a Cross Wooden Frame, his limbs tightly secured by Iron Locks, unable to move even a finger.

So that's how it is...

Uchiha Rei watched the black and white space before him, a tapestry of intermingling shades.

"This is Tsukuyomi..."

"Unlike my Yellow Springs, I directly pull the target's body into my space, sealing both flesh and consciousness. Uchiha Itachi's Tsukuyomi, however, uses the mind as a guide, dragging a person's spirit into a Tsukuyomi space constructed by willpower."

"Uchiha Itachi's Tsukuyomi space is indeed incredibly refined, capable of transmitting information. It's a pity that after he joined the Akatsuki, he never brought back any truly valuable intelligence for Konoha."

A cold voice echoed in his ears: "This is the world of Tsukuyomi. The time, space, and even the perception of your body here... are all under my control."

Several Uchiha Itachis slowly appeared before him, each wielding a black Ninja Sword.

"This is not Genjutsu," he said softly, his tone devoid of any emotional fluctuation. "Here, all the pain you endure will be truthfully reflected upon your spirit. For the next seventy-two hours, I will continuously attack you with this sword."

With that, he raised the Ninja Sword high and brought it down without hesitation.

"Swish—"

The tip of the sword sliced through the air, accurately cutting open Uchiha Rei's shoulder. Blood splattered, dyeing the world before his eyes red.

Then came the second blow, the third... each strike rained down like a torrent, piercing flesh and blood. With every swing, Itachi's movements were incredibly precise, as if rehearsed countless times.

Uchiha Rei smiled, looking at Itachi before him.

"I will make you be cut by me ten thousand times within three days," Uchiha Itachi's voice echoed repeatedly through the space.

But the moment the seventeenth blow sliced across his chest, Uchiha Rei suddenly let out a low laugh.

"Your Genjutsu... is too crude."

His left eye snapped open. The black and white world around them violently inverted, as if heaven and earth were being reshaped under his gaze.

"Now, it's my turn."

With a roar, the Tsukuyomi space's heavens and earth changed color.

The originally black and white illusionary world instantly turned blood red, and a thick mist of blood rose between heaven and earth. The person on the Cross Wooden Frame was no longer Uchiha Rei, but Uchiha Itachi.

"...What?" Uchiha Itachi's eyes widened, watching his own body locked onto a cross, blood gushing from various parts of his body.

"This is impossible! How could you—" he roared, frantically activating his Mangekyo Sharingan, attempting to break free from the control.

"Stop struggling," Uchiha Rei stepped forward. "I will reveal your Subconscious, the part of yourself you have never faced."

"Nonsense! This is just Genjutsu!"

Uchiha Itachi's eyes began to bleed, a sign of Mangekyo backlash. His mental strength forcefully tore through the illusion, and the Bloody Illusion began to fade.

But just as he thought he had finally escaped, the Colored Illusion swept over him.

He stood on the streets of Konoha, the sunlight warm. A familiar voice drifted from the distance.

"Why! Why did you kill Father! Why did you kill Mother!" Uchiha Sasuke stood before him, his eyes red.

Immediately after, a short blade fiercely stabbed into Sasuke's back, blood splattering. It was Danzo. He expressionlessly pulled out the blade and walked coldly towards Itachi.

"No!" Uchiha Itachi cried out in terror, only to find his body unable to move.

Danzo sneered and reached for his eyes.

"You are merely a part of our tool."

The next second, his vision plunged into darkness, searing pain coursing through him as his eyes were gouged out. In the Colored Illusionary Realm, Konoha ninjas watched, their faces all wearing mocking smiles.

"Didn't expect this, did you? There are illusions beyond illusions." Uchiha Rei's voice came from the void, so calm it was almost devoid of emotion. "The Colored Illusionary Realm is actually a true reflection of your deepest subconscious."

"You didn't expect that you yourself were already waiting for your own death."

"Every day you live is filled with pain."