With his Crow Tengu Susanoo gone, Itachi lay on the ground, utterly drained.
At that moment, his tiny figure looked like an ant beneath the thirty-meter-tall Wooden Man's feet.
Susanoo, a forbidden Sharingan technique, inflicted tremendous backlash even when used with the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, let alone by someone as terminally ill and close to death as Itachi.
Even if Naruto did not kill him now, Itachi would certainly live until his final battle with Sasuke.
Looking at the fallen Itachi, Naruto reclaimed the Wooden Man and Wood Dragon with a thought.
That was the downside of Wood Release: unless reclaimed, its creations remained in the real world as physical objects.
After reclaiming the surrounding Wood Release techniques, Naruto strolled over to Itachi.
After a few breaths to recover, Itachi's condition improved somewhat. At least his eyes could focus on Naruto now.
He looked at Naruto, who stood right before him, with a complicated expression. "Before I die, could you grant me a request?"
Itachi's voice was calm, as though he were settling his final affairs.
"If you're asking me to stop, don't bother." Naruto's answer was just as blunt.
"No." Itachi looked away and gazed at the sky, saying quietly, "This battle was meant for Sasuke, but your appearance disrupted my plans."
"I know Sasuke is with Orochimaru in Otogakure. I also know he chose to leave Konoha because of the Cursed Seal of Heaven. Naruto, promise me you'll find Sasuke and help remove his Cursed Seal. Orochimaru has ulterior motives. He wants the Uchiha Clan's kekkei genkai."
"No," Naruto said flatly. "Sasuke didn't want to leave the village and pursue greater power because Orochimaru lured him into it. He did it because he hated you."
Itachi did not deny it. "I had everything arranged for him. I would