Gensou had grown quite accustomed to being called "senpai" by now.
Seeing Kisame acting so respectful, Gensou didn't trouble him. After casually waving his hand, he sat on a large stone, listening to the sounds of battle from Naka Shrine and asked Kisame:
"You followed all this way just to see Itachi off on his final journey?"
Seeing that he was temporarily safe, Kisame knew that the best option was to comply with the wishes of this powerful figure before him, but he glanced in the direction of the shrine and still grinned:
"The fight isn't over yet. Whether it's his final journey or not remains to be seen."
Gensou looked at Kisame and smiled faintly, "You're quite interesting."
Gensou didn't elaborate on what was interesting about Kisame.
Instead, he looked towards the shrine, speaking in a calm tone: "From the moment Itachi stepped onto those stairs, whether he acted on his own or I pushed him, his fate was sealed."
Kisame's heart sank upon hearing this.
He understood what Gensou meant.
Even if Itachi somehow emerged victorious, this man would still ensure his end.
Such a display, treating Itachi—who was infamous across the shinobi world for exterminating the Uchiha clan—as a mere fish on a chopping board...
"So dominant!"
Despite Gensou not doing much, Kisame felt an indescribable sense of pressure just from interacting with him.
'What would happen if I fought him?'
To other shinobi, Jinchuriki were like fearsome monsters, undefeatable, but to Kisame, they were just obstacles that required some time to deal with.
Kisame had always been confident in his strength.
Yet now, facing Gensou, who was as famous as Uchiha Madara, Kisame found that he had little desire to wield his blade.
Moreover, Kisame reached out and touched Samehada.
The massive sword, wrapped in bandages, was trembling slightly.
Samehada was scared.
Kisame was stunned.
Samehada, which was unmoved even by tailed beasts, was now visibly trembling.
Since he had taken up this living sword, it was the first time Kisame had seen this reaction.
Was Gensou really that terrifying?
Gensou was well aware of Kisame's subtle actions but didn't pay them any mind.
After all, Kisame was a formidable tool for capturing tailed beasts, and he was a shinobi who truly embodied the spirit of professionalism.
Gensou quite appreciated such a straightforward and diligent individual.
Moreover, Gensou, having already considered the Akatsuki as his own resource, didn't want to deplete its strength unnecessarily.
Even cannon fodder had its uses, not to mention someone whose strength was comparable to the Five Kage.
At this moment, the sounds of metal clashing from Naka Shrine were gradually diminishing.
It wasn't that the battle was coming to an end, but rather that the fighting style had escalated.
Gensou sensed highly active fire-based chakra.
"They're getting serious... It seems I might not need to intervene."
Gensou looked in the direction of the shrine, a smile playing on his lips.
Inside the spacious main hall.
Compared to the empty space at the beginning, the tatami mats were now filled with embedded kunai and shuriken, and many areas bore the scorched marks left by Fire Release.
The Uchiha clan's fighting style was vividly reflected in the battle between Itachi and Sasuke, along with the other Uchiha members.
Currently, Sasuke's entire body was surging with Lightning Release chakra as he engaged in close combat with Itachi, alongside Jin, Izumi, and two other Uchiha with three-tomoe Sharingan.
As for the other companions, some were injured and had been moved to the back, while the rest kept their distance, ready to use ninjutsu to support Sasuke and the others at any time.
The three-tomoe Sharingan was not easy to awaken.
Even with their deep-seated hatred, the Uchiha from Jomae Village were young, and not all of them had the three-tomoe Sharingan.
For this mission, aside from the elderly Kei, every Uchiha had joined, totaling fifteen.
Six of them had the three-tomoe Sharingan, while the others had the two-tomoe.
However, upon seeing Itachi, two Uchiha members experienced such strong emotional stimulation that their Sharingan evolved to the three-tomoe.
The plan from the beginning was for those with three tomoe to engage in close combat, while those with two tomoe would support from a distance with ninjutsu.
As for why the two-tomoe shinobi wouldn't join the battle?
Facing their hated enemy, these clan members—who had yearned for vengeance day and night—weren't willing to stand back, just as Sasuke hadn't held back with only two tomoe back then.
Convincing them otherwise was impossible.
Since that was the case, they would fight to their heart's content in true Uchiha fashion!
Before long.
In just a few minutes.
The battle at Naka Shrine became particularly fierce.
Despite their greater numbers, Sasuke's side had already lost three three-tomoe shinobi.
Even so, neither Sasuke nor Jin and the others showed any concern, and their fighting spirit only grew stronger.
Though Itachi had taken down three three-tomoe Uchiha, it hadn't come without a cost.
Looking at Itachi's Akatsuki uniform now, several slashes had torn through it, and blood was faintly flowing from within.
Sasuke smirked and said, "He's weakened!"
Compared to the scene in the Tsukuyomi world where Itachi had massacred the Uchiha, Sasuke realized that Itachi's reactions were much slower now.
"His vision is poor," Jin, who had specifically tested Itachi earlier, confirmed.
It seemed unbelievable to many that someone with the highly perceptive Sharingan could have poor eyesight.
However, Sasuke and the others, already aware that overuse of the Mangekyō Sharingan could lead to blindness, knew that Itachi's current condition wasn't an act.
"In that case, proceed with Plan B!"
As the leader, Sasuke decisively gave the order. He then took out a prepared sealing scroll, and with a "poof," accompanied by white smoke, a massive Fūma Shuriken appeared in his hand.
With Lightning Release chakra crackling around it, Sasuke hurled the Fūma Shuriken with great force, the shuriken surging forth with the sharp power of lightning.
This was just the beginning.
One after another, Sasuke continued to throw Fūma Shuriken, the electric glow weaving into an impenetrable net aimed at Itachi.
The other Uchiha didn't remain idle. They either threw tools or performed ninjutsu to block all of Itachi's possible escape routes.
"Have you come this far already?"
Itachi sighed slightly, looking at Sasuke.
Due to the distance, Sasuke's familiar face became blurry in his vision.
It wasn't just his eyesight that had deteriorated—his body was also failing.
If the fight had been only against Sasuke earlier, he might have gone easy on him.
But being outnumbered, Itachi couldn't afford to hold back.
It wasn't just Sasuke—the strength of the other Uchiha had also surprised Itachi.
Excluding his Mangekyō abilities, he had given it his all.
"Still not enough... still not enough..."
With his life entering its final countdown, all Itachi wanted was to help Sasuke one last time.
At this moment, as he looked at Sasuke, who appeared as a blur among the illusions in his sight, his Mangekyō Sharingan began to spin like a windmill.
(End of Chapter)
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