Mamba vs. Itachi Uchiha

A crimson world.

Countless crosses.

A blood-red moon.

Gray, lifeless figures.

Countless Itachi Uchihas held blades as they stared at countless Naruto Uzumakis, drawing closer step by step. Next, he would make Naruto Uzumaki, this meddler, pay for interfering.

He said:

"Naruto Uzumaki, for the next seventy-two hours, I will torment you without end."

"I will use these blades to stab your body again and again, without stopping for those seventy-two hours."

"Regret coming here today!"

He stepped forward.

Suddenly...

The world turned upside down.

The blade in Itachi Uchiha's hand turned into the cross binding him, while the bound Naruto Uzumaki broke free.

Everything that had bound Naruto Uzumaki turned into one pitch-black silhouette after another.

"Hm?"

"How could this happen?!"

Itachi Uchiha looked around. The sudden change sent a chill rising from the depths of his heart.

According to Itachi Uchiha's plan, he would torment Naruto Uzumaki's mind within Tsukuyomi, shatter his willpower, and make him collapse completely.

But now...

Why was he, the caster, the one bound to the cross?

Even a genius like Itachi Uchiha could not figure out what was happening.

Still, he had borne the title of genius since childhood. Itachi Uchiha did not panic too badly. He quickly calmed down and began thinking of a countermeasure.

He watched the shadowy figures within the Tsukuyomi world approach him one after another.

Itachi Uchiha clenched his fists and tried to circulate his chakra, trying to undo Tsukuyomi and return his consciousness to the real world.

But it was useless.

This place was like an unbreakable prison, leaving him unable to struggle.

"Stop struggling. You can't break free."

Not far away, the blond boy was no longer wearing Izumi Uchiha's face. He had returned to his original appearance and slowly walked up to Itachi Uchiha, amusement flickering in his eyes.

As expected of an A-rank reward from the system. It could actually control even Tsukuyomi and even turn its effects back on the caster.

Its only flaw was probably that it was a one-time consumable. Once used, it was gone.

"Itachi Uchiha, for the next seventy-two hours, you will be tormented without end."

"No..."

"Not by me."

"By them."

"They will use Mamba's Elbow to strike your body again and again, without stopping for those seventy-two hours."

"Regret casting Tsukuyomi!"

As his words fell, Naruto began controlling the entire Tsukuyomi space. He wanted to see just how much the Genjutsu Modifier could alter it.

The next moment...

Pitch-black figures with Mamba faces rose from the shadows, grinning as they approached Itachi Uchiha.

They shoved the crosses to the ground one by one, then surrounded the trapped Itachi Uchihas.

The ratio was roughly...

One thousand Mambas against one hundred Itachi Uchihas.

Was that too cruel?

Thinking about how Itachi Uchiha had just intended to use a thousand versions of himself to stab one hundred versions of Naruto, Naruto felt that...

It was fine.

Not too harsh!

At first, Itachi Uchiha did not panic. He was still desperately thinking of a solution. As someone upon whom his clan had placed great expectations since childhood, and as an outstanding ANBU ninja, Itachi Uchiha had enough composure to face this situation.

Until...

He felt something touch his leg...

The still-composed Itachi Uchiha suddenly jolted, staring in disbelief at the Black Mambas around him.

Was that how you hit people?

That wasn't right, was it?!

When the Mambas' hands elbowed another spot again, Itachi Uchiha's pupils shook violently. The composure he had developed in the ANBU finally snapped.

He shouted at Naruto:

"Let me out, Naruto Uzumaki! I have more important things to do. Today, I must kill every member of the Uchiha Clan, or the Uchiha will launch a coup. When that happens, the entire village will be finished!"

It was clear that Itachi Uchiha was truly anxious.

But Naruto merely smiled and blinked as he watched the Mambas in the Tsukuyomi world reach out to caress Itachi Uchiha's face, stomach, and chest.

Then they leaned closer...

"Man~ what can I say!"

(Oh my God, what can I say?)

Itachi Uchiha completely lost it. When he felt himself being elbowed, when he felt his clothes being elbowed to pieces, when he felt his back, arms, thighs, and even his mouth being struck by elbows...

He completely lost his mind!

He shouted at the top of his lungs!

"Naruto Uzumaki, everything I told you is true."

"Didn't you notice just now? Even when I fought you, I never intended to kill you."

"Think about the village."

"If the Uchiha launch a coup, what kind of disaster will it bring upon the village?!"

Itachi Uchiha's reasoning bored Naruto.

Weren't you acting so tough just now?

Naruto smiled but said nothing. He was not someone who enjoyed lecturing others. Although, in his eyes, Itachi Uchiha was just a stubborn kid, he had no interest in teaching him anything.

He was not some great villain.

But neither was he some great hero.

So he would not try to guide Itachi Uchiha, telling him he was wrong, that this was wrong and that was wrong, or explaining how he should reconcile the Uchiha and Konoha more rationally, prevent needless sacrifices, and protect everyone as much as possible.

Naruto was not that noble, nor did he have that much saliva to waste on preaching.

Naruto had only one goal: to protect Mikoto Uchiha and Izumi Uchiha through this disaster.

As for Itachi Uchiha's character and all that...

It did not matter.

"Naruto Uzumaki, let me out already!"

Naruto did not answer Itachi Uchiha's plea. All Itachi Uchiha heard was the Mambas' laughter coming from every direction.

Along with the repeated cries of...

"Man."

"HHHH~!"

(Laughter.)

"What can I say?"

(What can I say?)

"Out, man."

(Mamba out.)

The sight was too beautiful. Naruto did not dare keep watching, so he turned to look at the red moon in the sky.

The night was perfect!

If he ignored Itachi Uchiha's frantic screams.

"Stop it!!!"

"Bastards!"

"What are you bastards trying to do?! Let me go!"

"I'm begging you, don't touch me!"

The noise was too loud. Naruto had no choice. In order to enjoy the moon peacefully throughout these seventy-two hours, he could only have the system use singing to drown out the noise in his ears.

System, there should be BGM here!

[Chrysanthemums wither, wounds cover the ground~!]

[Your smile has already faded yellow~!]

[Flowers fall, hearts break. My thoughts lie quietly still~!]

[The north wind rages, the night has yet to end, your shadow cannot be cut away...]

At this moment, with Naruto Uzumaki's help...

No!

With the Mambas' help, Itachi Uchiha had probably temporarily forgotten the hatred and friction between the Uchiha and Konoha. At this moment, he no longer needed to suffer for the sake of peace between both sides.

Mamba was great!

The Mamba spirit would live forever!

The real world.

Uchiha Compound.

Obito Uchiha had already acted, slaughtering every Uchiha clansman in the Konoha Military Police Force. He looked toward the Uchiha Clan head's home.

The explosion that had just erupted there left him deeply puzzled.

"Could it be... Itachi failed to deal with Fugaku Uchiha immediately and ended up fighting him?"

"That shouldn't be possible..."

"Fugaku Uchiha actually fought Itachi?"

Obito Uchiha, whom Itachi Uchiha had asked to help, decided that after gouging out the eyes of the dead Uchiha clansmen here, he would personally go lend a hand.

He really wanted the clan head's eyes.

Elsewhere.

Shimura Danzō, who had long been waiting with his men near the Uchiha Compound, was greatly displeased.

First, because he had also heard the sounds of battle.

Second, Shimura Danzō had received word that two members of the Uchiha Clan had been overlooked. Both were at the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki's residence.

They were the clan head's wife, Mikoto Uchiha, and a Genin named Izumi Uchiha.

"Hmph!"

"Whether it was luck or something else..."

"Did you think hiding with the Jinchūriki would let you escape?"

"Go kill them!"

"B-But..."

"But what?"

"Hyuga Clan head Hyuga Hiashi, Inuzuka Clan head Tsume Inuzuka, Yamanaka Clan head Inoichi Yamanaka, as well as the Nara Clan and Akimichi Clan, are all there. Even... the Third Hokage is heading there as well. We don't dare make a move."

PS: Dear handsome, dashing, suave, and elegant readers, this humble author begs for your votes~!