Entering the fray

"You will become someone I can test my abilities against someday. You have that potential, but as you are now, you aren't worth it. Like me, you have the aptitude to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan. But there is one condition for obtaining these eyes. You must take the friend or relative closest to you and..."

"Kill them."

"When you have the same eyes as me, come before me again..."

Itachi abruptly stopped the speech he had prepared long ago. Only then did he notice that Sasuke's hand, hidden behind his back, was tightly clutching a kunai.

Sasuke, who was already on the verge of passing out in his grasp, trembled all over. His eyes, nearly drained of life, shone scarlet again. That gaze held terror and fear, along with a trace of... anger that refused to be extinguished!

It was like a final rally before death.

Itachi realized he might not understand his younger brother as well as he had thought. At the very least, he could not understand where Sasuke's refusal to give in came from, even when his mind was on the brink of collapse.

"Rasengan!" The sound of a gathering whirlwind suddenly erupted between Sasuke and Itachi. Emerald light rose from below like the sun breaking through the clouds.

Forced to react, Itachi released the arm holding Sasuke and dodged the sudden attack.

He did not immediately counterattack as he dodged. His opponent had called out the technique's name almost as a warning, making it clear that he had not truly intended to ambush him.

Sasuke fell to the ground and coughed violently, barely managing to raise his head toward the newcomer standing in front of him.

As his consciousness faded, the sight of that figure's back became deeply etched in his eyes.

"Naru... to..." Sasuke lost