Itachi no unmei -イタチの運命-
(The Destiny of Itachi)
Part 12 : The destiny I have chosen
The blade of Totsuka shone brightly. The chakra forming it intensified, creating an aura of sun-colored flames.
I was ready to attack Madara at any moment. I could extend the blade at will and choose what shape I wanted it to take by manipulating my chakra. Then, the blade extended until it was just a few inches away from my opponent.
— Are you threatening me?» Madara said.
— Move and my blade will pierce you.»
— Are you sure about that?»
— Of course...»
Even for an immortal like Madara, getting hit by Totsuka would be fatal. I'd fashioned this new blade to match my Tsukuyomi, and anyone pierced by it would find himself in a perpetual genjutsu. In the end, it acted a bit like fuinjutsu, the art of sealing.
Madara was defended by the armor of his Susano. But, from what I could see, it didn't seem any more powerful than mine. What's more, Totsuka could easily pass through the Susano to penetrate Madara. I had calculated everything.
He smiled slightly. That... That wasn't really a good sign.
— Interesting... You really... planned everything...»
«Darkness World»
Suddenly, everything went totally black. He had transported us into his dimension of darkness. Our Susanos vanished instantly, leaving a void all around us.
Madara had closed his eyes. It was therefore no longer possible to see him in the surrounding darkness. He had the advantage. Or so he thought.
— A destiny... Really... Very interesting...» he murmured close to me.
— Shut up.» I cut him off.
— What are you going to do about it? You're... Within my reach.» he chuckled.
— This... That's what you think.»
My sharingan reactivated, turning into Mangekyou Sharingan.
«Tsukuyomi»
Suddenly, everything returned to normal. We found ourselves back where we started, in my house.
Madara was on the ground, exhausted. He was holding his right eye, which was bleeding.
— I see... So you guessed...» he said.
— Yes... From the beginning, I knew this technique was a genjutsu. I saw it in the flow of chakra, and besides, I don't see what else it could have been... Too bad you won't be able to show me all the facets of this ability...»
He was completely exhausted. But I knew it was temporary. He would soon regenerate his eye and recover all his chakra. That was the disadvantage of facing an opponent resurrected by Edo Tensei...
— Your pupil hurts, doesn't it?» I asked him.
— Tsss...» he grumbled as he slowly got up.
— According to Uchiha legends... You ripped out your little brother's eyes... To cover the light. In other words, you now possess your brother's pupils in addition to your own, which prevents this kind of weakening. Unless... The legend is lying... Or... By some happy coincidence...»
— So, did you guess correctly?»
—These aren't pupils, you stole them. I can see that... In reality, you don't yet know how your dark world technique works, otherwise, earlier, you wouldn't have stooped to mocking me... You would have acted directly.»
— And? Then what?»
«Amaterasu»
Suddenly, huge black flames sprouted up all around him, trapping him in a dark circle. He was trapped.
— Do you really think I'm going to let you talk to me calmly without taking advantage of your weakness?» I said.
— Bastard...»
The flames intensified. With one last effort, causing a long trickle of blood to flow from my left eye, I made flames appear directly on him. They then began to consume him.
— You're too old to move quickly, certain movements could be fatal for you. I only realized this recently... When I saw that you preferred to move using your dark dimension rather than in the normal way.»
— You had it all planned out... didn't you?» Madara growled, beneath the black flames.
— Since your pupils are weakening him and you're physically very weak, it's easy to turn the situation to my advantage. The only thing you still have complete control over is "Susano"... But I can still counter that, if that's all.»
— Indeed... That's normal. Once acquired through the Mangekyo Sharingan, Susano becomes an innate ability in the user's genes. Furthermore, I still possess the same ability. However... With old age, the nerve of the Edo Tensei, and my less powerful pupils, I am quickly limited. I can no longer even resort to its ultimate form...»
— Are you admitting your weaknesses now?»
— Thanks to Edo Tensei, I am immortal. Furthermore, I cannot die due to old age... Similarly, I should be able to dodge your black flames without any trouble. However... There's more to it than that... Isn't there?»
— You're not answering my question, but yes, that's the case.»
— All right... So my defeat is assured. Go ahead... Pierce me with your blade.»
— I find it hard to imagine that you would give up so easily...»
He gave a nervous grin, which turned into a thunderous laugh.
— I have finished crafting my puppet, just as I wanted. Madara should be operational now. I did not plan to be resurrected just yet, nor in this manner... From the outset, I anticipated that I would be revoked.»
— But to what end?»
He had just piqued my curiosity. And that wasn't all...
— How come you don't have your old pupils anymore?»
— So many questions... Which I have no intention of answering. I think I've cornered you enough. You've abused your pupils too much... Now the disease will overwhelm you. In the end, you'll succumb to it. I've won.»
— Stop messing with me... Talk.»
I felt a strong sense of irritation rising within me. So many mysteries... That monster... I had to stop it at all costs.
— Your destiny is to die young.» he then pronounced «Remember that well.»
Then, suddenly, his body began to disintegrate. He had just decided to leave. Without total control by the user of the technique, a being under Edo Tensei is perfectly capable of revoking itself. But I... I didn't want that to happen. Not now. I was still waiting for answers.
Before disappearing, he had one last laugh.
— Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! You'll see, young Uchiha... You're in for more surprises...»
Then he disappeared. Completely.
It was over. For good.
Despite everything... I still had one last mission left.
— Itachi...»
I was in Madara's lair, well, the other Madara's, in Kiri. He stood facing me, his orange spiral-shaped mask and his Sharingan glowing in the darkness of the room.
— It's over. I took out your sidekick.»
He was surprised.
— Really?»
I nodded my head in agreement.
— What did you come to tell me?»
—I will not complete our mission.»
In this case, however, he was not particularly surprised.
— I knew it would end up like this...» he admitted.
So he suspected it from the beginning...
— I don't have exactly the same goals as my master, hence certain deviations. But that... He didn't quite understand that, fortunately.»
I wasn't particularly surprised. I couldn't see why he would delay his actions... He must have had something else on his mind.
— Know this... I will not attack the village, nor Sasuke. You are not yet capable of defeating me, but your chances of victory are not zero either. I therefore believe it is best for both of us that we do not confront each other.» he said.
— That's fine with me. »
— So... You dismissed the Fourth Hokage?»
— Yes, I asked Orochimaru to use the Shinigami for the confinement. »
— Very well...»
So he turned away. That was the sign that the discussion was over.
— See you next time...» I said to him.
— Yes... See you next time...» he replied.
*****
Obito Uchiha... That man was very mysterious... I couldn't figure out what his true objectives were. No doubt they were similar to Madara's... But then... What means did he intend to use?
Madara Uchiha... Speaking of him... There was also an element of mystery about him. How was it that he had lived so long? That he had survived Hashirama Senju? That he had been sealed by the Shinigami, a technique that was only a decade old? And... How was it that he had eyes other than his own? Where were... His real Mangekyou Sharingan?
So many questions... That would probably remain unanswered. No point dwelling on them... I had other goals to achieve.
I had realized one thing. The solution to all this... would inevitably end in my death. But I wanted that death to make my brother stronger. In the meantime... I had to try to survive at all costs, despite my illness...
My destiny... Was not already written. I was the one who chose it.
📖The End ???📖