"This kid had Totsuka's blade all along? Crafty one. I can't let things end here, though."
Danzō approaches. He finally makes his move, only to be interrupted by one Sai's little ink creatures. A rat, carrying intel. Danzō takes out a small scroll and lays it open on the ground. Generally, Sai is the one writing messages, but he leaves a few of his ink drawings to his colleagues, in case a message needs to be relayed in secrecy without risking a carrier; the ink drawing is faster and blends far easier. In this case, and birds are already known for carrying messages, so everyone in the vicinity is wary of such things, let alone an owl in midday. The little ink rat jumps into the empty middle of the scroll, turning into a character. That will hint at which creature to summon, carrying the message.
"Owl. A message from the Owl Division spy, huh." A Root double agent in one of ANBU's main divisions - Owl - who specializes in intel gathering and sensory.
[Summoning Jutsu]
The owl is summoned, with a message attached to his claw. Danzō opens it up and reads it swiftly, then sends it back.
[Reverse summoning Jutsu]
The whole process took less than 10 seconds, he was quick after all, having done this sort of covert information sharing for longer than he can remember, only that this one was unusual. And the very subtle, half smile that showed on his face can only mean he received some convenient and important news. Having finished his quick business, he gets back to helping Orochimaru.
"Tostuka's blade... I've been looking for it everywhere. You had it all along, Itachi." Orochimaru watches as he gets melted and absorbed by the blade. Itachi edges closer to him and makes him panic.
"STOP! Don't come closer!" Orochimaru makes a few desperate moves.
[Sharingan]
"What are you trying to accomplish with this baby Sharingan?"
[Mangekyō Sharingan]
Itachi shows him the difference in their level, without even using one of his Mangekyō Sharingan abilities, he simply makes the weak and laughable genjutsu backfire. Then lifts his fingers as Orochimaru approaches.
"These eyes... I'll take them back." Itachi threathens to pluck his Sasuke's eyes away from the body Orochimaru stole, just before he gets sealed.
"STOOOP" Orochimaru wails and... Yank.
One eye down. One crow conveniently shows up on Itachi's shoulder and takes it away.
"Next..." He aims for the second one.
[Wind Style : Vacuum Sphere (Fūton: Shinkūgyoku)]
Danzō interrupts.
[Susano'o : Yata Mirror]
A futile attack. But one that nonetheless created an opening.
After moving his Susano'o for quite a bit, Itachi violently coughs blood again.
"You can't do much more than this. Itachi. You've done everything you could. You can't fight anymore. The village will be in good hands; and its peace undisturbed. And the flowers or war plucked before they bloom."
'Flowers of war plucked before they bloom... That was my mission..." Itachi thinks before answering in an intense gaze
"What do you know... about peace, war or village ?"
"Far more than you do, Itachi. Peaceful ideals never worked and never will."
[Amaterasu]
He violently vomits another pool of blood for casting it, and the bleeding eye wasn't helping.
'I only have chakra for 2 or 3 more moves now.' Itachi mentally reviews his situation. Danzō's body is being covered in dark flames, but that doesn't stop him from speaking or unsheathing his right arm, revealing an insulting amount of Sharingans.
"The all-consuming black flames of Amaterasu, known to burn fire itself. But fate is cruel, and you'll die by power of the eyes of your own clan... "Then reveals his right eye. "And the eye of your old friend, Shisui."
A thought popped in Itachi's head.
'If I was a Jinchuuriki, I would have lost control right about now... Just like Sasuke's friend back then. I wonder what he would have done in my situation... Naruto, huh. I would like to meet you again. As reckless and idiotic as you are.'
But he wasn't like him. Itachi is calm, cool-headed and analytic. But none of these qualities mattered right now, because....
[Izanagi]
Danzō uses a forbidden Uchiha Jutsu to come back to life. Then rushes the open spot in Itachi's weakened Susano'o, who temporarily paused the process of sealing Orochimaru to focus his attention on Danzō; Orochimaru still writhes in pain, waiting for a result. Itachi's Susano'o's left arm ravages a tree to land a hit on Danzō.
[Wind Style : Wind waves (Kazanami)]
But the latter succeeds in stopping the attack. His wind style as fierce as ever. He attack back.
[Wind style : Serial Wind Waves (Fūton: Shinkū Renpa)]
A hail of wind waves assault Susano'o from all directions. A few are parried, most are blocked by Yata mirror, a handful remaining ones manage to nick away at its armor, further opening the hole that was in. It's now big enough to fit Danzō, who doesn't waste a second and claims the territory.
[Wind Style : Vacuum Blade (Fūton: Shinkūjin)]
Still time-efficient, Danzō reading his vacuum blade and rushes at Itachi to deliver the final blow.
"It's over." He aims the long sword at Itachi, who clearly is outranged if he responds with a Kunai; even if he pulls out his old Tantō. Even with that disadvantage, Itachi does pull out a Kunai and exchanges blows with Danzō's vacuum blade in a skillful dance, managing a deadlock.
"Magnificent swordplay as ever. You're really a prodigy. A shame you had to die." Danzō praises Itachi. Before breaking the deadlock, then rushing back, which will inevitably result in Itachi's loss. At last, that what's Danzō thought; Itachi's body makes a full turn, parrying the lethal attack and stabbing Danzō in the forehead.
"Wonderful." Says the latter. Who turns out to be an illusion. The real one appears behind Itachi, finally stabbing him properly, straight through the heart. One minute is up. One of the Sharingans on his arm closes.
"Izanagi again... I see..." Itachi bleeds out. This is surely his end.
"Sleep now."
Itachi explodes into a thousand clones, flooding Danzō's vision, who seems to not have moved from his spot. He looks at his arm. The eye that closed is still opened.
"What?"
[Amaterasu]
Itachi violently vomits another pool of blood, again. The eye's bleeding as well.
[Izanagi]
Danzō escapes being burned to death with Izanagi again.
"What is going on ?"
Itachi's Susano'o's left arm ravages a tree to land a hit on Danzō.
[Wind Style : Wind waves (Kazanami)]
"It's happening again"
[Wind style : Serial Wind Waves (Fūton: Shinkū Renpa)]
He rushes in again.
[Wind Style : Vacuum Blade (Fūton: Shinkūjin)]
He reads Itachi this time, and stabs him first.
Itachi explodes into a thousand crows again.
"You have to review your entire philosophies, Lord Danzō. They never worked before and will never bring anything but distress to the village."
The situation is back to where it started again.
'Finally got you.' Itachi thinks.
[Izanami]
Danzō is trapped in Izanami.
"Now... Back to you..." Itachi turns to continue where he left things, sealing Orochimaru and getting his brother's eyes back in the process. His body weak, his Susano'o dissipating by lack of chakra, and his left eye going blind after using Izanami; light extinguished out of it. He extends his fingers.
[Super God Imitating Drawing : Ashura's Four Hands (Chōshin Giga : Ashura Shide)]
Sai summons his two drawing deities Raijin and Fūjin to send Itachi flying away from Orochimaru, stopping the sealing and eye extraction. Itachi is weakened by lack of chakra, overuse of Mangekyō Sharingan, and his disease on top of that. Coupled with Orochimaru's desperate attempt in living, as well as Sai activating his curse mark at the same time, one final burst of chakra made it release...
[Curse Mark : Second Stage]
... the second stage of his curse mark. His skin turned dark-grey and his hair grew and turned dark blue with grey eyes. Additionally, he grew a another pair of arms looking like an Ashura of legends, making his stronger, faster, and able to draw more potent and numerous drawings.
Itachi finds himself in a pinch and decides to retreat. Running into the shade of woods. Sai attempts pursuing him, equally as weakened from Tsukuyomi. He leaves a few creatures to watch over the messed up Orochimaru and completely immobile and hypnotized Danzō to resume chase on to Itachi. After a little while of tired running from both parties, Itachi tries to hide before a clump of rocks and inevitably gets caught by ink snakes. Sai catches up.
"Got you, now. It's fascinating to think I get to kill both remaining Uchihas. Prodigies, no less."
With two hands holding him tight, another drawing a tiger, and the last one wielding the Tantō: Sai unleashes his tiger to bite off Itachi's neck while he stabs his heart. Itachi is dead.
He turns into a thousand crows, one last time. That was the last of his chakra.
"He escaped... No wonder he was at the top of ANBU at 13. He knows how to maneuver in this forest. Well then, that's a disappointment, but at least Lord Orochimaru and Lord Danzō are still alive. " Sai undoes his curse mark and heads back to them.
-------Outcome------
Orochimaru : Lost one Sharingan. Got back his arms and Jutsus.
Danzō : Trapped in Izanami's recurrence.
Itachi : Escaped. Lost one eye to Izanami. Retrieved one of Sasuke's Sharingans.
---- Chapter 19 : End ------