Chapter no.29

Chapter 29: Uchiha Madara Is Nothing but a Defeated Dog!

Sasuke, terrified, exclaimed, "That's impossible—he's already dead! Are you playing with me?"

Itachi, eyes closed, replied calmly, "Madara is still alive. Whether you believe it or not is up to you."

Sasuke shouted, "Stop talking nonsense!"

Opening his eyes with a blank expression, Itachi said, "People rely on their knowledge and perception, and they are bound by them. They even call that 'reality.'"

"But knowledge and perception are ambiguous. Everyone lives within their own understanding of the world. Don't you think so?"

Sasuke snapped, "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Turning to face Sasuke, Itachi replied, "Madara is dead. It's only your own wishful thinking that says otherwise."

"Just like how you once believed I was a kind older brother…"

"Everything I did was to test your potential."

Sasuke roared, "What happened that night—for the young me, it could only be seen as a nightmare!"

"Even though I wanted to believe it was just a cruel illusion, deep down I know—it was all real!"

Suddenly, Sasuke turned around and launched a Chidori Spear behind him.

"Now, my eyes are no longer what they used to be!"

"My Sharingan can see through illusions!"

Itachi smirked, "Hmph. Still as boastful as ever. I'll accept that line—for now."

Sasuke stood up and glared at him. "Enough pretending."

Itachi, still expressionless, said, "Sasuke, it seems you still haven't gained the same insight as I have."

"You haven't killed everyone important to you yet, have you?"

"Yet here you are, standing before me with such naïve thoughts?"

Sasuke laughed coldly, "Then come on—use your Mangekyō Sharingan and kill me!"

"Or is it that even now, I'm beyond your ability to measure?"

Itachi sighed and stood up. "You still haven't outgrown that habit of bragging."

The two hadn't physically moved—they were locked in a genjutsu duel the whole time.

[Deidara]: Another genjutsu?! Damn those Sharingan!

[Zabuza]: Seriously, the Sharingan is such a pain!

[Uchiha Izuna]: You'll never understand its power if you don't have one!

[Kakashi]: It'd be great if it didn't drain chakra.

[Obito]: If you don't want it, give it back to me!

[Kakashi]: Come to the Leaf, and I'll return it immediately.

The video continues:

Itachi looked at Sasuke and said, "The Mangekyō Sharingan has a flaw—each time it's used, your vision gradually deteriorates until you go blind."

Sasuke asked, "So that's the price for gaining such power?"

Itachi walked down the stairs. "It seems you've been there..."

Sasuke looked up and asked, "Who exactly is Uchiha Madara?"

Itachi explained, "He was the first man to use those eyes to subjugate others."

"He was both my partner... and my teacher."

"A man who could never be destroyed. The only man to uncover the true secret of the Mangekyō Sharingan."

Sasuke frowned. "A secret? What kind of secret?"

Itachi looked at him. "Let me tell you the story of the Uchiha Clan."

"Madara had a younger brother."

Using genjutsu, Itachi drew Sasuke into a vision.

"Madara and his brother, in pursuit of power, killed those dearest to them and awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan."

"Madara lost his sight from overuse."

"To regain his vision, he took his brother's eyes."

"He fused them and obtained the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan."

"Those eyes would never lose their light."

"Not only that—they gained new abilities."

"However, eye transplants could only happen between clan members."

[Izuna]: That's a lie!

[Izuna]: I developed my eyes through experience!

[Izuna]: Both my brother and I awakened our Mangekyō on the battlefield!

[Madara]: Okay fine, I made that up.

[Young Sasuke]: …

The video continues:

"Madara used this power to unify all the ninja clans. Then, together with Hashirama Senju, he founded the Hidden Leaf Village."

"Later, due to ideological differences, Madara lost in a power struggle against Hashirama. But even now, his will continues to exist!"

"He secretly rebuilt the Akatsuki and hid within it!"

"Sixteen years ago, the Nine-Tails' attack on the Leaf was orchestrated by him!"

"But he was stopped by the Fourth Hokage!"

"In other words… the current Uchiha Madara is nothing but a defeated dog."

"The one who truly stood at the peak of the Uchiha was never that lost stray!"

[Nagato]: That's a lie! I founded the Akatsuki!

[Madara]: Who are you calling a defeated dog?!

[Madara]: Do you want to dance too?

[Onoki]: Damn, that was powerful!

[Tobirama]: I agree with Itachi—Madara is just a broken man!

[Hashirama]: Stop it, Tobirama!

[Izuna]: Shut up, white-haired freak!

[Minato]: It wasn't Madara who attacked the Leaf!

[Minato]: If it were, I wouldn't have been able to stop him!

[Minato]: And during the battle, I noticed—his combat experience was lacking. Clearly, he never trained properly!

The video continues:

Itachi suddenly shouted, "To surpass that man—to surpass Madara—I must reach the true pinnacle!"

"And now, I can finally gain the power to do so!"

"Sasuke! You are my new light. You're my spare!"

"This wretched clan that glorifies power—being born into it means being trapped in a cursed fate!"

"Come, Sasuke!"

"I will kill you—to release you from this clan's fate!"

"We are each other's spare parts!"

Itachi kept provoking Sasuke.

Sasuke ripped off his headband and threw off his cloak.

Facing Sasuke, now standing prepared, Itachi put on his own cloak and said:

"You can't defeat me—you don't have the Mangekyō."

Hearing this, Sasuke unwrapped his bandages.

The battle began!

Both threw shuriken rapidly at each other!

When they ran out, they charged and grabbed each other's arms!

Suddenly, a shadow clone appeared from above and threw three more shuriken!

Sasuke activated his Curse Mark, summoning a snake to shield himself!

Then, using a hidden mechanism, he launched more shuriken at the clone—

Which turned into crows and swarmed Sasuke!

Distracted, Sasuke was caught by Tsukuyomi and knocked back into the wall!

He stood up and prepared to unleash Chidori!

But Itachi rushed forward, pinned Sasuke's left arm to the wall, stepped on him, and punched him in the gut—

Then reached for his eye.

"Forgive me, Sasuke."

[Quiz Time!]

Question: Did Itachi really gouge out Sasuke's eye?

[Kakashi]: No, he used Tsukuyomi!

[Itachi]: As expected from Kakashi-sensei.

[Kakashi]: I still remember it clearly. It was strange. Let's keep watching.

[System]: Correct!

Reward: Lightning-style Jutsu—half chakra cost, double activation speed!

[Cloud Ninja]: Why does Konoha always get the rewards?!

[Mist Ninja]: Yeah! The videos, the prizes—it's all about the Leaf!

[Madara]: If I had been Hokage back then, the whole ninja world would've belonged to Konoha!

[Hashirama]: …

[Onoki]: As annoying as it is, I can't argue with that.

[Orochimaru]: I told you—Konoha's rules are law now.

[Minato]: Orochimaru-sensei, you should just focus on your research.