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Facing Gensou's casual and seemingly effortless gesture, Itachi did not respond verbally. Instead, he locked eyes with Gensou and immediately tested the waters with genjutsu.
"Magen: Kasegui no Jutsu" (Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique)
Within the newly formed genjutsu space, Itachi was about to drive large stakes into Gensou's body.
Gensou, however, looked at him calmly.
Crack!
The sound of shattering glass echoed once again.
In less than a breath, the two returned to reality.
Having been on par with Madara during the Warring States period, Gensou was well-versed in countering genjutsu. Now, with his real body present and his power at its peak, breaking free from genjutsu like Kasegui no Jutsu, or even Tsukuyomi itself, was a simple task.
This was why Gensou had no fear in meeting Itachi's gaze directly, despite knowing the dangers of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Itachi, after the brief encounter, quickly understood this as well.
He refrained from using Tsukuyomi again. Considering that Gensou had already dealt with an Uchiha before, and as his superior, likely possessed similar techniques, Itachi knew that every use of the Mangekyō Sharingan's abilities strained his vision and body.
Facing someone like Gensou required using every bit of his strength wisely.
With a swift flick of his hands, Itachi launched eight shuriken toward Gensou, targeting his vital points.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound echoed as the shuriken clashed with something as hard as steel, failing even to scratch Gensou's skin. He didn't even bother to look at the small weapons.
"Let's not waste time with pointless tests."
He raised his eyelids slightly and said in a calm tone,
"My time is valuable. If you won't take this seriously, I'll give you a push."
As his words fell, Gensou stepped forward with his right foot.
Boom!
The ground shook.
As the earth beneath his feet cracked like a spiderweb, Gensou moved, almost teleporting, covering dozens of meters in an instant and appearing right in front of Itachi.
Unlike his clone, who used a dazzling array of techniques, Gensou simply extended his right hand, curled his fingers into a fist, and rotated his hips.
Even an ordinary person could predict the trajectory of such a simple, straightforward punch.
Under normal circumstances, Itachi, with his Mangekyō Sharingan, could have easily evaded or countered this punch in a hundred different ways.
But this was Hagoromo Gensou.
Recalling the reports about Gensou's abilities and the results of their earlier exchange, Itachi didn't dare to take this seemingly simple punch lightly. He crossed his arms in front of him, intending to block the punch and counterattack.
Boom!
A sudden, violent shockwave exploded outward, physically shaking the surrounding air.
Itachi, who hadn't expected such immense power behind Gensou's punch, felt as if he had collided with a giant of legend. With a deafening sonic boom, he was sent flying uncontrollably, crashing through over a dozen trees and carving a deep trench into the earth before finally coming to a stop, blood spilling from his mouth.
Pure strength can often overpower skill.
Unlike when he used his clone, which relied on the precision of the Mangekyō Sharingan, the real Gensou fought with a direct, powerful, and efficient style.
Just like now.
Even against someone with the Mangekyō Sharingan, he didn't bother with flashy techniques. A single punch, regardless of whether the opponent blocked or dodged, would ultimately land on his terms.
This was the advantage of immense strength and defense.
Not even the Mangekyō Sharingan could negate it.
"The force behind that punch rivals the legendary strength of the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade."
Itachi's hands trembled as he quickly rose, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. His pupils narrowed slightly as he felt a surge of disbelief.
In all the intel he had gathered about Gensou, there was no mention of his overwhelming physical power.
"Has he made another breakthrough?"
Itachi wondered as he noticed Gensou, brimming with an oppressive aura, closing in on him once more. He didn't hesitate any longer.
Susanoo!
A massive, orange-red skeletal frame enveloped Itachi, encasing him entirely.
But before Itachi could even prepare a follow-up—
Gensou, now right in front of him, didn't hesitate. He threw another punch.
Crack!
Itachi's Susanoo shattered, a massive hole appearing in its structure.
Itachi's eyes widened in shock as he quickly retreated.
The ground where he had just stood erupted into a crater as Gensou's punch drove into it.
As the dust settled, Gensou calmly straightened up, brushing the dirt from his fist. With a casual wave of his hand, a gust of wind blew the remaining dust away.
As his vision cleared, Gensou turned to face Itachi.
The Susanoo that had been shattered was now restored, but this time, it had evolved into a more complete form. The skeletal structure was now covered with formidable armor, resembling a fearsome tengu.
"Third form... is this all?"
Gensou's tone was laced with disappointment.
To others, seeing Itachi's Susanoo in this state might have been awe-inspiring.
But Gensou had once witnessed Uchiha Madara's fully evolved Susanoo.
Compared to that towering, blue colossus that could rival mountains, the Susanoo before him seemed underwhelming.
Itachi, hearing Gensou's words, remained unfazed. Calmly, he stepped forward, guiding his colossal red Susanoo, now radiating immense power, as it charged toward Gensou.
Gensou observed the approach, shaking his head slightly. He stepped forward as well, once again delivering a powerful punch toward the Susanoo.
But this time, Itachi was prepared. His eyes flickered, and Susanoo's left arm swung up, summoning a massive shield, as reflective as a mirror, between itself and Gensou.
Boom!
The ground trembled once more.
But Gensou's punch, reinforced with Steel Release and monstrous strength, which could topple even the mighty Wood Dragon, had no effect this time.
Not only did the Susanoo remain unmoved, but a familiar force from the mirror-like shield rebounded toward Gensou.
"Huh?"
For the first time, Gensou took a step back.
"Yata no Kagami?"
Feeling the force of his own punch rebound into his hand, Gensou raised an eyebrow.
The Yata no Kagami, as recorded in the history of the Uchiha clan, was a famous ethereal artifact. It not only possessed all chakra nature transformations, allowing it to nullify any chakra-based attack by changing its own properties, but it could also reflect all physical attacks.
In terms of pure defense, it was even stronger than the Fivefold Rashomon, which was hailed as the ultimate defense.
(End of Chapter)