Amaterasu

The world fell silent. Listen to the sound of space-time twisting!

"Kamui!"

What?

Kakuzu was stunned. Of course, he knew whose technique it was. Even he, an immortal, feared that power capable of distorting space.

He hurriedly retreated, fleeing Kamui's range. Nothing else mattered—as long as he escaped Kamui's range, everything could be dealt with.

But Kamui was faster than Kakuzu could flee. Space gradually twisted.

In just an instant, Kakuzu's left arm was torn off by Kakashi.

After putting some distance between them, Kakuzu's expression darkened.

At least, that was how he appeared to Kakashi and the others. Losing his right arm would greatly affect Kakuzu's combat ability. While Kakuzu had yet to react—

They might as well press their advantage and finish Kakuzu off in one go.

That was Kakashi's current thought. Chidori gathered in his hand as he charged forward. Kakuzu used Earth-Style: Mud Wall to block him, and seeing Kakashi advance, Josuke rushed up as well, intending to claim some battle credit.

Two Flying Thunder God kunai appeared in his hands.

He gripped one in his hand and waited for the right moment to throw the other behind Kakuzu.

A pincer attack from both sides. If this still didn't take Kakuzu down, he wouldn't deserve the Uchiha name. The joy of impending victory filled Josuke's heart.

Akatsuki wasn't all that strong after all.

The Flying Thunder God kunai quickly reached Kakuzu's rear. Just like last time, Kakuzu did not block it, and without a second thought, Josuke teleported over.

Having suffered once already, Kakuzu naturally would not foolishly fall for the same trick again.

He had long thought of how to deal with two opponents. As an old monster who had lived for so long, what storms had he not seen? Even when he had challenged the First Hokage, he had not been afraid.

Had he really arm-wrestled him? He was just a trash-talking old man.

Kakashi's frontal assault silently arrived as well. One of Kakuzu's clones used Earth-Style: Mud Wall to block Kakashi's Chidori.

Kakashi's Chidori blasted a huge crater into the mud wall, but it did not cause any substantial damage. Kakashi immediately gathered another Chidori.

At the same time, behind Kakuzu—

Josuke used the Flying Thunder God kunai he had thrown earlier to appear directly in front of Kakuzu. A Rasengan had already formed in his hand as he charged at him.

Kakuzu had prepared for this. How could he fall for the same trick again?

His left hand immediately rose to block, while the mask unleashed Fire Style to burn Josuke. Josuke grinned. Did you think I didn't know? Sorry, Flying Thunder God: Second Stage!

Josuke appeared in front of Kakuzu using the Flying Thunder God kunai he had thrown earlier. The Rasengan gathered in his right hand and smashed toward the top of Kakuzu's head.

Naive!

The shattering of Kakuzu's mask that Josuke had imagined never happened. Instead, Josuke himself was tightly bound in midair by cords!

What?

How had this happened?

Looking closely, he saw that the cords binding him were actually the threads connecting Kakuzu's right arm to his body. From the very beginning, Josuke and Kakashi had fallen into Kakuzu's trap.

Kamui was indeed powerful, but Kakashi and Josuke had forgotten that even if Kakuzu's arm was severed, he could repair and regenerate it through his masks. As long as he had a mask to repair it, it could be restored.

Kakuzu's original target had been to kill Kakashi first, but who would have thought—

Josuke had delivered himself right to his doorstep.

Then, Josuke, you could only die! Die!

The cords, sharp as swords, were about to pierce through Josuke's chest. Kakashi and the others were immensely anxious as well, but the fire mask stood in front of Kakashi.

They could only watch helplessly from afar!

Was this really the end? Josuke felt as though his life were flashing before his eyes. Maybe he would not die—it depended on where Kakuzu stabbed him—but the odds were still high that he would die. Perhaps he would be brought back with Edo Tensei like Itachi.

Then he would fight the Allied Shinobi Forces. He would probably become some kind of gatekeeper boss.

His life flashed before his eyes. He was so unwilling to accept this!!!

So unwilling!

Ino, I'm sorry... It was all because I underestimated him. Naruto should be here soon. When he gets here, you can avenge me. Sigh, if only I had Amaterasu right now.

I could just burn through these cords...

Perhaps people only understood at the final moment of their lives... Josuke opened his eyes and calmly watched the incoming attack.

His eyes suddenly felt terribly itchy, as though something black were coming out of them.

It seemed to dissolve all of Kakuzu's attacks. What was that?

"Amaterasu!"

More black matter poured from his eyes. It was colorless as it streamed from his eyes, but once it reached its target, it became black, undying flames!

What was going on?

Why?

When had he awakened his eyes?

Josuke could hardly believe it. He was one hundred percent certain that he had truly awakened them. The right arm binding Josuke was burned to ashes by Amaterasu as well.

This left Kakuzu with no possibility of repairing his arm.

Josuke fell toward the ground in free fall, but fortunately, Kakashi summoned a clone in time to catch him.

Mangekyo Sharingan. Kakashi only heard Josuke muttering endlessly. Mangekyo?

Indeed, Josuke's eyes had turned into enchanting crimson Fūma Shuriken shapes. A pair of terrifying eyes—this was Kakashi's first impression.

Crimson blood flowed from both of Josuke's eyes. Josuke knew this was the Mangekyo's backlash. Without obtaining the Mangekyo of a close blood relative and transplanting and fusing it with his own, he would never gain eternal light.

Josuke felt that his eyesight had declined slightly. It was minuscule, but he still noticed it keenly.

"Josuke... are you all right?"

While Josuke was still lost in thought, Kakashi called out, waking him from his dazed state.

That was right. They were still fighting Kakuzu. This was not the time for him to stand around in a daze. Josuke took several deep breaths and adjusted his state. Now that he had Amaterasu, did that mean he had a Susanoo too!!!

Susanoo was the third power unlocked only after awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan, known as the power of the gods. Susanoo symbolized destruction, and the world said: once someone had seen it with their own eyes, death was inevitable.

It was divided into the initial stage, which manifested arms and ribs; the first stage, which took the form of a skeleton; the second stage, where the skeleton was covered with meridians and flesh; the third stage, which added Crow Tengu armor to Susanoo's original form; and the fourth stage, which added a lower body and legs to the original second form. The third and fourth stages were not evolutionary stages of one another.

And finally, there was the Complete Body Susanoo!!!

Only those who had brought the ocular power of the Mangekyo Sharingan to its limit and possessed enormous chakra could awaken the Complete Body Susanoo.

Susanoo's size would become immense, and its chakra would stabilize. Its power could not only easily cleave apart mountains and meteors, but it also possessed the ability to fly. At the same time, it could form hand seals and use the techniques in which its wielder excelled.