Genzuki nodded with a calm smile.
The truth behind the Uchiha massacre—he knew it all too well.
Itachi had taken the blame for the orders given by Konoha's higher-ups. Caught between his clan and his village, he had chosen to protect the village.
To prevent an all-out war between the Uchiha and Konoha, he had slaughtered his own clan with Tobi's aid.
The only one he spared—was his younger brother, Sasuke.
"Itachi, no matter what, I won't let Sasuke die," Genzuki said firmly.
Sasuke was Itachi's greatest weakness. Hearing Genzuki's words, for the first time, he felt a slight sense of relief.
As a rogue ninja, Itachi had no way of openly protecting Sasuke.
Though Hiruzen had promised to look after his brother, Itachi had never been at ease.
But if Genzuki truly could—
"Itachi, what are you hesitating for?" Kisame's voice cut in impatiently. "Our orders were to kill this guy. Don't forget that!"
Itachi exhaled slowly and nodded.
In an instant, his Mangekyō Sharingan spun.
"Tsukuyomi!"
Itachi attempted to drag Genzuki's mind into his genjutsu, challenging him in a battle of illusions.
But Genzuki didn't even acknowledge it.
His Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan was far superior—this level of Tsukuyomi meant nothing to him.
"An opening!"
Kisame seized the chance. Knowing how troublesome Genzuki's jutsu was, he lunged forward, swinging Samehada to devour his chakra!
Genzuki dodged effortlessly, but Kisame grinned wickedly.
"Doesn't matter if you dodge—my blade has already taken a bite out of your chakra!"
Genzuki smirked. "Yeah, I know."
In the next moment, Kisame's eyes widened—Genzuki's body melted into water!
"A water clone?!" Kisame scoffed. "You dare use Water Release against me?"
All around him, multiple Genzuki clones formed, surrounding him.
"You think your Water Release is any match for mine?" Kisame sneered.
As the strongest rogue ninja of the Mist, Kisame had mastered Water Release to an extreme degree.
Being mocked like this only fueled his anger further.
"Kisame, stay calm," Itachi warned. "Our intel already told us—Phantom's Water Release is on another level."
Kisame knew. But that didn't mean he had to like it.
"Water Release: Water Prison Shark Dance!"
A massive water sphere formed around Genzuki's clones, sealing them inside!
"Samehada Fusion Form!"
Kisame merged with his blade, his shark-like transformation enhancing both speed and power!
Genzuki's clones were systematically torn apart—he couldn't even use ninjutsu inside the prison!
Back when Deidara fought Kisame, this very technique had left him completely helpless.
And unlike Deidara, Genzuki couldn't breathe underwater like Kisame could.
This was Kisame's strongest Water Release jutsu—one that not a single person had ever escaped.
"You're finished!" Kisame bellowed. "No one gets out of my water prison alive!"
"Is that so?"
Genzuki's icy voice rang out.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Boom!
A massive explosion erupted as a fireball larger than the entire water prison pierced through the top!
This wasn't a normal Great Fireball—this was a wildfire!
Genzuki's fireball was bigger than Kisame's entire water dome!
It instantly shattered the technique, dispersing the water!
"This level of Fire Release… Even I am surprised," Itachi murmured, his normally calm voice betraying a hint of shock.
Even among the Uchiha, a clan that excelled in Fire Release, no one had ever demonstrated such power.
Kisame was stunned, but he refused to give up. His fusion form remained intact!
"Hahaha! Samehada just absorbed a massive amount of chakra from that fire!"
"My strength is even greater now!"
Dubbed the Tailed Beast Without a Tail, Kisame's strength was terrifying.
Samehada not only absorbed chakra, but it also enhanced his regeneration to near-tailed beast levels.
He lunged at Genzuki, aiming to drain his chakra with direct contact.
"Close combat?" Genzuki sneered.
Suddenly, his entire body was cloaked in lightning.
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode!"
Genzuki's speed surged past the limits of human perception.
It was as if he had activated Flying Thunder God.
Kisame's eyes barely tracked his movements before a devastating kick slammed into his gut!
Boom!
Kisame was sent flying across the battlefield, crashing into the ground with a violent thud.
"Ugh…"
That single strike had nearly knocked him out cold.
Kisame struggled to his feet, wheezing. "Itachi… a little help here?"
Most of his trump cards had been countered—he was running out of options.
At last, Itachi opened his eyes.
A deep, ominous red aura enveloped him.
"Phantom, to defeat you… I'll have to rely on Susanoo."
Standing tall behind him, his red Susanoo materialized in full form, radiating overwhelming power.
Unlike other Susanoo, Itachi's was wielding three divine treasures:
Totsuka Blade – A sword that could seal anything it pierced. Yata Mirror – A shield that nullified all chakra-based attacks. Yasaka Magatama – A projectile attack with unparalleled destructive force.
Genzuki narrowed his eyes.
Those three treasures—he wanted them.
If only he had exchanged for them in the prestige shop earlier…
Next time, he would.
"You're out of moves now, Phantom!" Kisame grinned.
Itachi's Yata Mirror could reflect all ninjutsu—Genzuki's entire arsenal of jutsu was nullified.
Even he had to admit—Itachi was troublesome.
Even with his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, he wasn't getting past that mirror easily.
Still—
"Do you really think I've run out of options?"
Genzuki smirked.
He imbued his shuriken with Kamui's distortion power and threw them at Yata Mirror.
"Kamui Shuriken!"
The warped space-time energy surrounding the shuriken swallowed the mirror whole.
Even Kaguya had been restrained by Kamui.
A mere Yata Mirror was nothing before this power.
"What…?" Itachi's normally emotionless expression twitched.
A second later, Genzuki vanished—reappearing directly behind him.
Blinding arcs of black lightning surged in his palm.
From a distance, Kakashi gasped as he watched the technique form.
That was—Raikiri?!
No.
Something more sinister.
Genzuki's Lightning Blade crackled, merging with Kamui's power—the distortion energy devoured even the surrounding light.
"Kamui Raikiri!"