Uchiha Kiyo was pulled into the Tsukuyomi space.
In the world of red and black hues, a towering cross stood silently, and Uchiha Kiyo was bound tightly to it. In front of him, Uchiha Itachi loomed—expressionless and silent.
Uchiha Kiyo showed no fear. Instead, he curiously surveyed the space around him.
"So, this is Tsukuyomi?"
Uchiha Itachi remained unmoved, his Sharingan spinning slowly, watching without speaking.
Kiyo, unaffected by the silence, continued inspecting everything within the illusion. The sensation of this world—although clearly artificial—felt oddly tangible. His spiritual form was fully aware, and the environment exhibited traces of spatial manipulation.
"Only a brief moment outside... yet forty-eight hours pass within?"
Itachi's pupils narrowed. His eyes, usually calm, now flickered with unease as he stared at Kiyo.
He understands the mechanics of Tsukuyomi... so deeply?
No—what truly unsettled Itachi was that Kiyo not only stayed calm under the effects of Tsukuyomi but also appeared familiar with its principles. The more he thought about it, the more Itachi recalled Tobi's warnings—this individual may have abilities built upon knowledge and observation. One of his eyes possibly evolved through intelligence gathering.
A strong sense of foreboding crept into Itachi's heart.
"But still... this is merely an illusion," Kiyo muttered.
Itachi flinched. Though Kiyo's tone was casual, it struck something deep within him.
Kiyo finally turned his full gaze toward Itachi.
"This space yanks the consciousness into a fabricated dimension, exposing the victim to relentless psychological torment for what feels like forty-eight hours. Indeed... Tsukuyomi is terrifying. Unless one's willpower is far beyond average, the mind would collapse instantly upon release."
Despite the creeping anxiety, Itachi maintained his composure. He did not believe anyone could simply break through Tsukuyomi. Coldly, he declared, "Your arrogance will be your downfall. Within this space, I control all. I am the god of this world."
As he spoke, a crimson blade materialized in the air before him and slashed forward.
Kiyo didn't dodge.
"Oof... so impatient."
The blade cut into Kiyo, and he groaned, enduring the searing pain.
"Hah... even the pain is enhanced. Double the intensity!"
He clicked his tongue, half-impressed.
"Truly, Tsukuyomi is the pinnacle of genjutsu. It's no exaggeration."
Then, with a cold smile, he added, "But every technique has its weakness."
Itachi's eyes widened as Kiyo's figure flickered—disappearing from the cross and reappearing meters away, unbound.
"This illusion world may bend to your will, but with sufficient power... even that can be overturned."
Kiyo made it sound simple. It wasn't. Overpowering Tsukuyomi, forged from the essence of the Mangekyō Sharingan, required more than raw strength. It demanded power capable of disrupting space itself. Normally, the victim's power would be suppressed within the illusion.
It wasn't a matter of actual suppression—but rather a perception imposed by the illusion. Victims believed themselves powerless, and thus became powerless. Even if they realized this truth, acting against it required impossible mental resistance.
Unless... an external force intervened.
It's well-known that genjutsu can be broken with outside assistance.
Although Tsukuyomi defies such standard measures, in rare cases, it too can be undone—if the external force possesses sufficient power.
"Dragon Vein Chakra."
Kiyo's trump card.
From the moment he was pulled into Tsukuyomi, Kiyo had been analyzing the space. It may have been illusionary, but the space's existence was tangible, if fragile. Tsukuyomi, while not true space-time ninjutsu, mimicked its effects via illusion. However, the constructed space was inherently unstable.
Kiyo himself didn't command spatial jutsu, but the chakra of the Dragon Vein flowed through him.
The Dragon Vein—a naturally occurring source of spatial-temporal energy—imbued his body with rare, high-grade chakra mutations. Space-enhancing, high-density chakra.
That was precisely why he had visited the Dragon Vein before luring out Itachi.
If he could kill Itachi after Konoha's affairs were settled, he would have. But breaking Tsukuyomi—this was the real opportunity.
"How… how is this possible?!"
Itachi's heart clenched.
Tsukuyomi… had been broken.
Though they were still within the illusion, Itachi knew. He could no longer control the narrative, no longer guarantee dominance.
Realizing this, Itachi chose to end the technique. Tsukuyomi was not something that could be cast repeatedly under his weakened state.
As they exited the genjutsu world, Kiyo sighed, a tinge of disappointment on his face.
"Though illusionary, it was still a space... a private, exclusive dimension. I barely had time to study it. If only it hadn't been exposed so soon."
He truly regretted it.
If he could have examined that illusion-generated pseudo-space more thoroughly, perhaps he could've devised a way to replicate it using the Dragon Vein Chakra.
A self-developed dimensional technique...
If he managed it without significant drawbacks, wouldn't it be an unmatched advantage?
"Amaterasu!"
Barely had Kiyo returned to the real world before Itachi unleashed his next Mangekyō technique.
Unlike Sasuke's wild, unstable version, Itachi's Amaterasu was refined—though it came at a price. Blood and tears dripped from his eyes, the strain evident.
Black flames consumed Kiyo instantly.
But instead of agony, there was... elation.
No, not madness—just satisfaction. His years of effort had finally borne fruit.
This was the moment he'd been waiting for.
The Fire Sealing Technique—the first advanced sealing method he'd learned—was now complete.
He formed seals with practiced precision, capturing the devouring black flames into a storage scroll.
With a final sign, the scroll snapped shut.
"I'll examine this later. With Amaterasu's perpetual nature and destructive force, I might uncover useful insights."
If nothing else, its corrosive nature and unquenchable quality promised breakthroughs. Perhaps its effect was fueled by natural energy—a source that made the fire seemingly inexhaustible.
By studying it, Kiyo's Fire Release could evolve dramatically.
But while Kiyo calmly performed this, Itachi's expression twisted into despair.
He's too well prepared. He knows too much.
Even with the crow implanted by Shisui… is there still any hope of winning?
Itachi hesitated. He glanced at the sealed eye he carried.
Does he know about this too?
What is Kiyo Uchiha's strength?
Unpredictability. Especially when facing formidable opponents.
When fighting Danzo, Kiyo had destroyed Shisui's eye with terrifying precision. In a life-or-death battle, he never followed the expected path. He shut down techniques before they could even be triggered—like the Four Symbols Seal.
Now, facing Itachi, he used a similar approach.
Other gods?
Not a chance.
Substitution Teleportation!
Kiyo's form blurred and flashed beside Itachi.
Their eyes met.
The moment—it was now.
A crow materialized on Itachi's shoulder, its left eye spinning into Shisui's Mangekyō pattern.
Other Gods—Kotoamatsukami!
Kiyo's left eye burned with pain as he instinctively raised his hand to it. But with his right hand, he swung.
A blade of chakra cleaved across Itachi's torso—shoulder to hip.
"Why?!"
Blood spilled, and Itachi's eyes widened in disbelief.
Why didn't Kotoamatsukami activate?
Despite the agony, Kiyo endured.
Another slash.
This time—clean across the neck.
No hesitation. No second chances.
Itachi's head tilted back, severed cleanly.
Kiyo collapsed to a knee, clutching his eye, panting heavily. His right hand moved with eerie calm—plucking out Itachi's remaining Mangekyō and transferring the Shisui eye from the crow into a nutrient capsule.
The whole exchange had happened in seconds.
To the others, it looked like Kiyo had teleported in and executed Itachi in two swift strikes.
But one observer understood more.
From the shadows, Obito watched in disbelief.
It wasn't that simple.
He saw it. The crow. The eye. He recognized Shisui's Mangekyō.
How did it fail?
That crow—it was Shisui's final gift. Obito knew the technique.
Damn you, Shisui. You revealed too much.
"So what happened in that instant? Did Uchiha Kiyo activate another ocular technique? One that can counter Kotoamatsukami?"
Obito's suspicion deepened.
Until recently, everyone believed Uchiha Kiyo's ability was support-oriented. But now... it revealed something else.
Maybe not a direct attack—but the ability to neutralize even Kotoamatsukami?
Such power... terrifying.
Kiyo's only sensation now was overwhelming pain.
The price?
He had reversed time on the crow.
Normally, the recoil wouldn't be so severe. A little chakra, a little strain.
But this time, the crow had activated Kotoamatsukami.
And that meant one thing—
He had interfered with the laws of time... while an absolute genjutsu was being executed.
And the backlash was just beginning.