Itachi Uchiha stepped into Lin Qing's range.
He waited a second.
Nothing happened.
He glanced back at Konan and Deidara, ten meters away, and signaled with his eyes that everything was under control.
When Itachi turned back again,
a fist bigger than his head was already hurtling toward him.
Boom—
Itachi's body dispersed into countless crows, then reformed a few steps away.
"I knew it."
Itachi pointed at Star Platinum. "I knew you had a trick up your sleeve!"
Last time, Itachi Uchiha had underestimated Lin Qing. He hadn't activated his Sharingan or used any ninjutsu, and one careless move had let Lin Qing seize the initiative and unleash a combo that nearly finished him.
He hadn't said anything about it on the surface, acting as though he'd forgotten the whole thing. But in private, he reviewed the battle every night before bed, wishing he could turn back time to the night of the massacre.
Itachi had prepared the Substitution Technique well in advance. He'd been waiting for this moment. He absolutely wouldn't—
Something was wrong!
Itachi jolted in alarm.
The three Tomoe in his eyes spun rapidly, and he suddenly snapped out of it.
Only then did he realize that a candle-like liquid had somehow appeared on his body. When he looked ahead, Star Platinum was nowhere to be seen. In its place was a sinisterly grinning Whitesnake.
"So you noticed... You're quick to react."
Whitesnake spoke in a mocking tone.
A genjutsu?!
Since when could Lin Qing use genjutsu?!
Itachi had no time to think it over, because Whitesnake's fist was already swinging toward him.
He'd seen what happened to anyone it hit, so he hurriedly raised his Kunai to block.
Huh?
It was much weaker than he'd expected.
Itachi understood. Not every Evil Spirit had Star Platinum's