#67

"Chidori: True Spear!"

Sasuke Uchiha thrust Raiken forward, sending a spear of lightning straight at Itachi, who stood motionless in place. The crackling energy struck, piercing through his chest and embedding deep into the ground behind him.

Itachi coughed up blood. Bolts of electricity surged from the wound, his body convulsing violently from the shock.

Sasuke felt a brief sense of victory—until he noticed something off.

He turned sharply.

Behind him, Itachi stood unharmed, eyes glowing with quiet disdain.

"You've grown stronger," Itachi remarked, his voice eerily calm. "I almost died by your hand. Almost. But your Sharingan… it's still weak."

Sasuke's heart pounded. He had fallen into an illusion. Just like that. His fingers tightened around Raiken. Was Itachi's Sharingan truly this powerful? Had he been caught so effortlessly?

As if reading his thoughts, Itachi continued, "The Sharingan of our clan evolves through powerful emotional triggers. The stronger the pain, the greater the power."

He took a step forward.

"This is the Mangekyō Sharingan. Born from unbearable loss. From the deaths of loved ones. But it comes at a price. Overuse leads to blindness."

Sasuke's breath hitched.

"And yet," Itachi's voice took on an edge of disappointment, "you still haven't awakened yours. Haven't you suffered enough?"

His eyes darkened, his tone dripping with scorn.

"I always hoped you'd awaken your Mangekyō soon. That way, I could take your eyes. Use them to achieve the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. Then my vision would never fade."

Sasuke's stomach twisted. The words echoed in his mind like a death knell.

He clenched his jaw, his fury boiling over. "So that's why you slaughtered our clan? Killed our parents? Just for power?!"

Itachi remained expressionless. "Isn't that what a true ninja does? Feelings only bring pain."

Sasuke's hands trembled. The last shred of hope he held for his brother shattered. The gentle sibling he had once admired was nothing more than a monster.

The pain in his heart became unbearable. His body felt like it was tearing apart from the inside. His soul screamed.

Kisame watched from the sidelines. He glanced at Itachi, then at Sasuke, gripping the hilt of his sword. But he made no move to interfere.

Then, he noticed something.

Raiken, still in Sasuke's grasp, began to tremble.

A sharp sizzling sound filled the air.

Lightning flickered to life, crawling over the blade like a living entity before spreading across Sasuke's body. The sparks danced over his skin, illuminating his blood-red eyes. But this time, there was something different.

The rings of his Sharingan pulsed—flashes of white lightning intertwining with the crimson glow.

Red and white.

It was a terrifying sight.

Sasuke's voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable edge of fury.

"Wake up, Raiken."

A deafening boom followed.

Endless lightning erupted from Sasuke's body, turning the battlefield into a storm of destruction. Silver bolts lashed out in all directions. The very air crackled with energy.

The entire tent and everything within its vicinity were obliterated.

Itachi and Kisame leaped backward, narrowly avoiding the storm of devastation.

From within the raging lightning, Sasuke emerged.

Raiken gleamed in his grasp. His form had changed.

Behind him, wings of pure lightning crackled and surged. A glowing blue thunder orb hovered between them, pulsating with power. His body was encased in an armor of flickering electricity.

Kisame whistled lowly. "Itachi… your brother's not messing around."

Itachi's lips curled into a faint smirk. "This just got interesting."

Sasuke's gaze locked onto Itachi, his voice a low growl. "You die today."

He raised his blade toward the sky and roared, "My throne is the storm!"

Dark clouds gathered overhead. The once clear sky turned pitch black, roiling with unnatural energy.

Thunder rumbled. Lightning slithered like dragons through the heavens, waiting to strike.

Itachi tilted his head slightly, observing the display. "Impressive." His eyes narrowed. "But let's see how you handle this."

"Amaterasu."

Black flames erupted from his right eye, searing through the air before latching onto Sasuke's shoulder. The cursed fire burned relentlessly, consuming everything in its path.

Sasuke gritted his teeth. His lightning armor flickered. The pain was immense.