"Hmph! Don't use your narrow perspective to measure the chasm between us. And if the real Uchiha Madara or Senju Hashirama were alive today, do you think they'd cower before the threat of other Shinobi villages invading Konoha?"
Seeing that Uchiha Itachi's stance had finally wavered, Uchiha Yue's tone relaxed just a bit, but his eyes remained sharp, a mocking sneer still tugging at his lips.
After all, perhaps due to his perfect integration of Hashirama Senju's cells, his body and chakra reserves were rapidly evolving. His physical energy and life force surged daily, not unlike how Madara had once extended his own life after implanting Hashirama's cells into himself. In theory, if nothing interrupted his current progression, Yue's growth trajectory could mirror that of Hashirama's prime—and then surpass it.
Even more significant, his Mangekyō Sharingan was also benefiting from the same cellular enhancement. The massive vitality from the First Hokage's chakra had nurtured his ocular power, reinforcing his Mangekyō to the point where its potency had quietly surpassed the conventional limit. It now rivaled—if not exceeded—the strength of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, despite technically still being a standard Mangekyō.
In other words, even if he halted all further strengthening right now, Uchiha Yue was already on the verge of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with legends. The likes of Senju Hashirama or Uchiha Madara would no longer be abstract peaks—they'd be predecessors. And Yue, their successor.
And more terrifying: though he hadn't yet fully awakened or refined the complete extent of either power, his strength even now eclipsed that of the average Kage-level shinobi by far. He was already standing on the precipice of an entirely different tier.
Combine that with his incomprehensible ocular abilities—his illusionary realm that had completely overwhelmed both Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Obito—and suppressing a seemingly mighty Konoha, which was strong in reputation but hollow at its core, wasn't impossible at all. In fact, it was entirely feasible.
"Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara? You dare mention them so casually…" Itachi muttered, his eyes flickering toward the corner of the battlefield where Uchiha Obito lay paralyzed, his Mangekyō Sharingan sealed, his will broken. "So you've been hiding this much power all along."
"Enough games. Your questions have been answered. Now—what's your choice?" Yue's voice cut through the silence, clear and domineering. "Will you keep resisting and be utterly crushed beneath my feet, or will you surrender your and Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan willingly? If you do, you may yet witness Konoha reborn under Uchiha rule—greater than its past, perhaps even transcendent."
A long silence followed.
Itachi didn't immediately respond. Pride warred with pragmatism. His clenched fists trembled slightly, but his expression remained stoic.
Yet, as his gaze returned to Yue's fully formed, half-body Susanoo, and the oppressive domain that made even breathing feel strained, he knew the truth.
He had no chance of winning—not here, not against this.
Moreover, something inside him had shifted. The iron-clad conviction that had once fueled his actions had begun to crack. He didn't want to die—not yet. He wanted to see what Yue would do next. And… perhaps, he still wished to see Sasuke again.
So, after a long pause, he finally said:
"I will surrender my and Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan… but only under one condition. You must accept it. If not—" his eyes narrowed, "I'd rather destroy them."
As he spoke, his voice was calm but steely. There was no fear—only determination.
"Speak. As long as it's not unreasonable." Yue replied coolly, already half-expecting the answer.
"I want your word that you won't harm my parents… and that you won't lay a finger on Sasuke."
Itachi's voice was quiet but firm.
Though Yue was still just another Uchiha clansman on paper, his strength and vision guaranteed that he'd soon seize the reins of the entire clan. And when that happened, the consequences of Itachi's past actions would inevitably ripple outward. He couldn't allow his family to be caught in that wave.
"Tch… Coming from the man who once planned to slaughter his entire clan, that's rich." Yue laughed scornfully. "Still—Fugaku may have been a weak leader and an indecisive father, but he doesn't deserve to die. Your mother, Mikoto, is just a civilian. And Sasuke…"
Yue paused, his Sharingan spinning slightly.
"He's a child now, but not just any child. He's the reincarnation of Indra Ōtsutsuki. The Sage of Six Paths still watches from the shadows. It'd be… unwise to strike before I reach that level myself. So—fine. I agree."
Itachi finally relaxed. "Then I will keep my end of the deal."
With a flick of his hand, he performed a summoning. A large black crow appeared with a burst of smoke. Inside its right eye socket spun a scarlet Mangekyō Sharingan—Shisui's.
Carefully retrieving it, Itachi then reached toward his own eyes and—without hesitation—extracted them with chakra precision. There was no scream, no groan. Just calm resignation.
He handed all three eyes—his own and Shisui's—to Yue without a word.
And in that moment, even blind and broken, Itachi looked more at peace than he had in years.
"A wise decision. But even if I choose not to kill you, it's not my forgiveness you need." Yue said as he stored the eyes, layering them with intricate sealing formulas. "You'll have to face the rest of the clan. The ones you nearly doomed."
"That's fine. The blame is mine alone. Whatever judgment awaits, I'll accept it."
With most of his chakra gone and his Mangekyō sight severed, Itachi was a shadow of his former self. Yet his words rang with rare conviction.
"You'll have to repeat that before the victims themselves." Yue replied simply, then turned his attention to Obito, still paralyzed nearby.
With a minor hand seal, Yue temporarily released the bindings.
"You… how did you do it? Why didn't Izanagi work?" Obito's voice trembled—not in fear, but genuine confusion. "I activated it with a Three Tomoe Sharingan… but even after the illusion ended, my Mangekyō never returned. It was like… like it never existed."
He had expected Izanagi to erase his defeat and restore everything.
But instead, his backup Sharingan had burnt out, and the Mangekyō stolen by Yue never reappeared.
"Heh… confused, are you? Uchiha Obito. But I'm not going to explain it to you." Yue chuckled.
Then, with a casual motion, he tore off his mask.
Obito's eyes widened. "You… know who I am?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Yue replied evenly, weaving another seal. With a flare of chakra, he permanently severed the last of the restraining chakra still attached to Obito's body.