As Obito rose toward the moon, Orochimaru came to Itachi's side!
Itachi's entire body was limp and powerless, drenched in sweat... merely turning his three-tomoe eyes toward Orochimaru's face exhausted what little strength he had left.
Overcome with emotion, Orochimaru said, "Itachi, the last time I saw you this weak was during your battle with Sasuke in our previous life. It truly feels like a lifetime ago."
Amid his labored breathing, Itachi controlled the relaxation of his diaphragm, struggling to keep his voice functioning normally. "Yes. In my previous life, I saw you as a threat to Sasuke's safety, a thorn in my side. Even on the verge of death, I schemed to eliminate you. Yet in the blink of an eye, you sheathed your fangs and became Sasuke's greatest ally in both his previous life and this one. Even I, his older brother, feel inadequate beside you... cough, cough!!"
As he coughed... two mouthfuls of blood splattered out!
"Enough. Hearing such praise from Itachi, the genius I admired most in my previous life, is the highest honor I could receive." Orochimaru crouched and rested a hand on Itachi's shoulder. "Now, let me lend you my strength as well."
“The Trigger is the blood of Sasuke-kun, Indra's reincarnation, and the Hashirama cells you had implanted after the Fourth Battle. Now that you are on the verge of death, you have fulfilled the conditions for awakening the Rinnegan.”
"However, for someone who is not Indra's reincarnation, even my most advanced techniques can only awaken one Rinnegan. I already informed you of that... so, have you made your final choice?"
Itachi considered it for a moment, then said firmly, "My choice remains unchanged... I will awaken the Rinnegan in my right eye, the one that houses Ame-no-Uzume!"
"Good... a wise choice." Orochimaru