Title: Showdown End
...
'The Susanoo!'
Sasuke thought as he observed the forming skeletal figure.
His chakra was already nearing its limit. With the Jutsus he had used coupled with the activation of the Mangekyou Sharingan and his lack of control over it, and then his usage of a low level Shinjutsu, his Chakra reserves were nearly emptied.
And now, observing his brother who didn't seem to be affected despite the number of attacks he had received, Sasuke began questioning whether he had become stronger or whether his brother was just stronger.
'No...he's also at his limit. What unbelievable will power. As expected of Nii-san.' Sasuke thought while bracing himself, his Mangekyou Sharingan, still activated.
As Itachi walked, his skeletal Susanoo gradually grew muscles that wrapped around the bones before flesh and then armor was fully created.
He continued to walk while his body swayed from left to right, dragging the Susanoo along with him.
As he neared Sasuke, Itachi raised his hands and the Susanoo followed suit, mirroring his every movement. In its hands was the Totsuka Blade that could seal whatever it cuts into the gourd on the hilt.
Itachi's cold walk continued with Sasuke's back against the wall. Around him was a flaming wall of black flames, with the wall in particular being the only part of the hall still standing.
Watching his brother walk towards him, Sasuke couldn't help but sweat a little due to tension. His whole body was prepared to evade as soon as he attacked with the help of his MS ability.
However the more he observed his brother, the more he noticed that there wasn't any intent behind his action, allowing him to calm down a little.
And true to his deduction, Itachi had no ill Intent behind his walk. He just walked up to Sasuke and with his bloodied right hand, he tapped him on the forehead.
"I'm sorry, Sasuke...but I'm truly tired."
After saying this, he fell upon Sasuke, his head on his shoulder with all his energy leaving his body.
At that moment, Itachi let the fatigue run its course as darkness welcomed him.
And as though witnessing the end of such a great man, the skies began to cry.
...
What?! You thought he did? Please, he just fell unconscious.
...
"I guess that settles it. Uchiha Itachi is dead." White Zetsu said with a tone that nearly sounded like melancholy.
"Hm, I'll report to Madara. You keep watch." Black Zetsu said and separated from their shared body and sank into the ground.
Kisame by the side merely sighed and remained standing.
As for Shun... He was actually still standing between the Zetsus and Kisame, as for why he didn't stop Black Zetsu from leaving, it was so that he could bring Obito to him.
He still had a use for the boy. With Itachi not actually dying and Sasuke already aware of the truth, there was no way he could manipulate him.
Still, Shun needed Sasuke up and about. He didn't want him to end his career like this and return to the village. No, the boy and his team still need to wreck some havoc.
Attacking Killer B is something akin to a nexus event in this world.
Without him doing that, Ay wouldn't call the Kage Meeting, and without the Kage Meeting, Madara(Obito) won't declare war on Shinobi, and without this setting in place, that prophecy of mine from centuries ago won't hold any longer.
To summarize...I need Obito here.
Not long after Black Zetsu left, Shun looked at a spot in front of Sasuke. There had been a shift in space there. From the looks of things, Obito was seemingly observing the area from his dimension before he popped out.
Shortly after that, a swirl appeared right in front of Sasuke who had also gone unconscious. He observed the two for a good while before he made to make contact with Itachi.
However,
"Oh-ya? I was not the only one observing their battle?" Shun's curious voice rang out as he seemingly appeared out of nowhere and held Obito's hand.
Obito, in question, was quick to turn intangible and jump back in fright, if the emotion he was giving off was anything to go by.
Since he had his mask on, one could get a reading on his face after all.
"You...it's you." Obito said after he observed the new arrival.
"Yeah, it's me. Resident genius. A fan perhaps? Need an autograph of something?" Shun asked as he searched himself for a second before looking regretfully at Obito. "I'm sorry, didn't come out with my pen."
Obito didn't react to Shun's behavior and just kept watching. With Shun behaving like he does when he dorns the 'Tobi' persona, he knew for certain that this guy was dangerous.
Not minding their initial meeting 16 years ago, just being in his presence alone, Obito could tell that this guy was trouble.
He cast a glance at Itachi and Sasuke while feeling a bit regretful at the prospect of losing some important pawns. After being Madara for close to 20 years, he had fought his own fair share of people and had come to understand how to gauge someone's strength from first impressions.
In front of this guy, despite having the cheat ability of the Kamui, he felt it would be wise to retreat, after all, 16 years ago, this guy was fast enough to notice him despite hiding behind the veil provided by Space.
As he made to make a connection to his dimension...
"Nuh-uh." He heard the man say while wiggling his finger right at his face.
"Wha-" in his shock, he bent backwards and aimed to deliver a kick at the man only for his Kick to pass through the man, causing him more shock.
And so the kick passed through his head, the man caught it. "Don't bother, you can't beat me." He said and released his leg.
Stabilizing himself, Obito took a few steps back and asked. "Who are you?"
"Me? Boku wa Tobi." He said, imitating the way he used to introduce himself. And feeling the wave of annoyance coming off the masked Uchiha, Shun waved his hand. "I'm just joking. I thought I had met a kindred spirit. I guess the saying: "Unlike terms attract and like terms repel" is actually true."
Shun had a regretful look on his face as he said that causing the annoyance coming from Obito to thicken.
"As many know, I go by the name...Shun." Shun said, taking a dramatic pause before his name. "Why the dramatic pause?' you may ask. Simple, I want you to actually pay attention and not forget."
"What do you want?" Obito asked in a deep voice, characterized by his current impersonation...Madara.
"Simple, I need you to go with the brothers."
"Eh?"
Shun said, causing Obito to reel back in shock.
"Yup. Leave with the brothers, in fact, try your best to manipulate them to do your bidding. If they prove to be headstrong, tell them I approve."
"What? You can't be serious now..."
"But I am." Shun said, his demeanor immediately changing from his playful one to that of someone with power.
"I've known of your little game little Uchiha...for quite some time actually. And I approve. Whether your way, or Nagato's...I approve." Shun said as the distance between the two visibly shrank, allowing Shun to grab Obito by his right hand.
"This hand... It had Hashirama's cells within." Shun said.
"How does that relate to this?" Obito snapped out of his shock and withdrew his hand from Shun.
"Who do you think you are to call me little Uchiha? Tell me what to do? To even have the audacity to command me!" Obito seemed to be pissed off by Shun's method of speech. "I! Uchiha Madara!"
"..."
Shun speechlessly looked at the guy in front of him without a change in expression. For a moment, he debated whether he should give Obito a run down of his last just to prove a point. However...
"I see...Seems like we got off on the wrong foot." Shun said, "How about this? I've heard of the tales of Uchiha Madara. According to our records, you're arguably amongst the top five strongest of your time."
"Where are you going with this?"
"A dance. You and me. A dance that will determine who will do what the other person wants. Interested?" Shun proposed.
"Not at all. What makes you think I'll be interested in something like that? And what qualifications do you have to propose a dance with me?" Obito asked, crossing his hands across his chest.
From the tone Shun used, he could tell Shun had some use of him. He wasn't here to fight or eliminate him per se. He just needed to find out what that is before leaving here.
Although he couldn't access his dimension, he still had faith in Zetsu. Zetsu ought to have noticed that something was wrong. Whether they were in an illusion or not, Zetsu should be able to pull him out of here.
"Qualifications?" Shun asked before bursting out into an uproarious laughter. "Because I'm the strongest."
Obito almost did a spitake at the obnoxious claim of the young man in front of him. What happened to him? What happened to Nagato? What happened to Konan?
These were people he actually saw as strong, but this guy? He hadn't even heard of him. Yes, he had heard of the ghost but...That's right!
"You're the Ghost!" Obito said as realization hit him.
"Eh? Oh! Yeah..." And immediately changing his voice while dorning his mask, he said. "I'm batman."
"Now I'm interested." Obito said, "unfortunately, I've come to understand that you need something from me, right?" His single eye peeking from behind the mask squinted as he observed the Ghost.
Remembering his previous claim on the Ghost being insignificant, he couldn't help but want to slap himself in the face. How was this guy insignificant?
It was a good thing Madara had told him not to mess around with this clan. They were just unreasonable.
As an Uchiha, you think the Mangekyou Sharingan was unreasonable? Have you met these guys with their domain?
Here he was, the only self proclaimed invincible man on the planet, unable to access his dimension just because a Tengen had his domain activated.
He was sure as hell he wasn't in an illusion, so this can only be a domain.
"Well, you're right, but you just said I didn't have the qualifications to order you around." Shun pointed out.
"That still stands. I only need to hear your proposal. Then I'll decide whether you're worth working with." Obito said without a hint of shame.
"Shameless." Shun muttered inaudibly. "Anyways, I have come to know about your eye of the moon plan and I'm quite interested in it."
"The Eye of the moon." Obito repeated. "How-"
"I have my ways. Just know that I am interested." Shun interrupted but Obito, being the intelligent manipulator he was, glanced at Itachi before looking back at Shun.
"I see. So?"
"I know you will probably use Itachi's body to blackmail Sasuke into working for you after you've told the boy how his brother suffered." Shun said while Obito chose to remain silent.
"Unfortunately, Itachi isn't dead." Shun pointed out, causing Obito's emotions to fluctuate once again.
"I even know how you killed Itachi's teammates all those years ago to enable him to awaken his Sharingan...was that a test on your part or part of your plan?" Shun asked
"That's out of point." Obito replied, but still answered. "It was a test. I was trying to figure out what makes the Sharingan tick. Back to the matter. Itachi. How is he alive and what do you propose?"
"Hm. Itachi's life has been... burdensome. I'm thinking of allowing him to get back to the woman waiting for him before you unleash your Eye of the moon." Shun said, causing Obito to freeze.
"You know..."
"Of course I do. I'm all for it though." Shun replied, causing his threat level to rise in Obito's heart.
The eye of the moon plan was something only he, Zetsu and Madara knew. The plan the Akatsuki were aware of was that of World Domination.
With the gathering of Nine Tailed Beasts, they could create a weapon of mass and unimaginable destruction, and with it, they could stop all wars.
"What I need is for you to use Sasuke as you would have done. He and his teammates should be wonderful pawns in your hands." Shun said. "As you're already aware, their team possesses the strength to go against any one of those beasts."
"This doesn't sound like a negotiation. What is it that you desire?" Obito asked. "We're supposed to give and take."
"Unfortunately, you won't be able to give me what I want." Shun said with a forlorn expression. "All will be revealed in due time. All you need to do is carry out your plan in perfection."
Shun retracted his domain, allowing Obito to reconnect with his dimension and with a crack in space, Shun's body disfigured and gradually disappeared, leaving a few words to the masked Uchiha.
"I'll be waiting...on the day you declare war on the world."