Naruto grinned wide, baring his teeth. "What's wrong, Sasuke? Are you scared?" His smile radiated confidence, his tone filled with provocation.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his voice like ice. Fear? That word didn't exist in his dictionary. No—what shook him wasn't fear. It was surprise. Surprise at how far Naruto had come.
But then Sasuke's expression hardened. His Sharingan spun, the three tomoe slowly twisting into a new, ominous pattern.
Gasps erupted from the crowd. "The Mangekyō Sharingan!"
Whispers spread like wildfire.
In the ninja world, the three-tomoe Sharingan was nothing rare. Every Uchiha, whether gifted or mediocre, would eventually reach it. But the Mangekyō… that was different. To awaken it, one had to endure unbearable grief, witness the death of someone they held dear, and have their very soul scarred.
And the cost was devastating. Overuse would erode the body, its power eating away at the eyes themselves, leading to inevitable blindness—unless one became a child of Kamigakure and received the God Tree's blessing.
Yet here stood Sasuke, only fifteen, his eyes blazing with the Mangekyō's dreadful pattern.
He had no tailed beast. No protection from the God Tree. But he had still reached this height. His growth was staggering.
On the stands, Itachi's chest tightened. This was both what he had hoped for—and what he feared most. He wanted Sasuke to be strong, strong enough to stand on his own, strong enough to never again be manipulated by men like Danzo.
Danzo.
Itachi's fists clenched at the thought. That man had orchestrated their clan's destruction, twisted everything into a nightmare. Itachi remembered all too vividly the moment he accepted the mission to slaughter his own family. Konoha in one hand, his clan in the other. He had chosen the village. And yet… was it really the right choice?
He had never regretted it. But the Konoha he had sacrificed everything for no longer existed. He had been deceived, used, blinded.
Now, only Sasuke mattered. If Itachi had to burn his life away to protect his little brother, he would.
Beside him, Kisame glanced at Itachi. He rarely saw him display emotion, but when it came to Sasuke, the truth always slipped through—the desperate love of an older brother.
And Kisame thought of the rest of Akatsuki. They were all wanderers, betrayers of their villages. Each carried shadows the world never saw. The more carefree they seemed, the heavier their secrets.
Like Tobi. The fool behind the mask, always pretending to be clumsy, playful. Who would have guessed… that he was Obito?
Meanwhile, Kamigakure grew stronger under Kaede's leadership. Strong enough that soon, perhaps, it could erase every other nation. What was Akatsuki, in comparison? Just a band of outcast rogues. Their strength was real, but against Kamigakure, it might not amount to much.
Kisame sighed inwardly, his shark-like grin hiding the thoughts that swirled in his mind. He was not as savage as he appeared. He could be brutal, yes—but deep down, he thought far more than he ever admitted.
And now, on the battlefield, Naruto's grin still lingered as Sasuke's Mangekyō blazed to life.
The fight was far from over.
(End of Chapter)
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