Kumogakure.
Itachi and the Fourth Raikage faced off. The Raikage was extremely confident in his own strength. Perhaps Susanoo was powerful—but he was stronger.
"Uchiha Itachi! Let me test your Susanoo!"
A streak of lightning tore across the battlefield as the Raikage threw a devastating punch. However, Itachi reacted swiftly. With his Sharingan's ability to track motion and his own exceptional reflexes, he raised Susanoo's left-arm shield just in time to block the attack.
A thunderous boom erupted.
Itachi staggered backward several steps. The Raikage had the upper hand in raw strength.
Yet the Raikage did not pursue. Instead, he stood firm and declared with dominance, "As I thought, I am the strongest."
"That remains to be seen," Itachi replied calmly. His right eye spun, and a cluster of black flames erupted at the Raikage's position.
"Useless!" The Raikage vanished into a blur, his voice echoing from another direction.
"Your Amaterasu can only burn what's in your line of sight. But my speed is beyond your eyes' ability to track." Even in the original timeline, Amaterasu failed to burn the Raikage in his second state—let alone now, when he had entered his third.
Susanoo responded with a sweeping attack, but the Raikage leaped into the air and aimed a punch at its shoulder.
A powerful shockwave followed. Itachi quickly turned his head, his Mangekyō Sharingan meeting the Raikage's gaze.
Tsukuyomi!
For a split second, the Raikage's mind wavered, but he immediately regained focus. His mental state was slightly shaken, yet not significantly affected.
"Uchiha Itachi, so this is your Tsukuyomi?"
"Too bad. My will is as unshakable as a boulder. A mere illusion won't break me."
Tsukuyomi was formidable, but it had its weaknesses—it was less effective against opponents with unyielding resolve.
The Raikage possessed a will of steel, further reinforced by the Five-Tails' chakra. Using Tsukuyomi on him felt like a waste—Itachi found himself more mentally drained than his opponent.
"Itachi, should we call in Deidara?" Seeing Itachi at a disadvantage, Kakuzu asked urgently.
Itachi shook his head, remaining as composed as ever.
"No need. I'm strong enough."
His eyes widened slightly, increasing his chakra output. The fully armored Susanoo underwent another transformation.
Its crimson wings unfurled, and its massive form became even larger. Unlike the incomplete version before, this was a true embodiment of the God of War—holding the Totsuka Blade and Yata Mirror. Compared to this colossus, the Raikage was no more than an insect.
But the Raikage didn't see it that way. He looked up at the giant, eyes filled not with fear but exhilaration.
"Excellent! Itachi! Only this level of power excites me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he transformed into a streak of white-purple lightning. His attack landed on Susanoo before his voice even reached the crowd's ears, creating a sensation of time itself being warped.
Crack!
The bones of Susanoo's left leg fractured, followed by the relentless spread of black flames.
The Raikage quickly withdrew, dissatisfied that his attack hadn't broken through entirely.
Several shuriken wrapped in Amaterasu flames shot toward the Raikage, sealing off every possible escape route with Itachi's precise throwing skills.
Hiss! Steam hissed as the Raikage, shrouded in lightning, zigzagged through the flaming projectiles. His speed was so extreme that he utilized the split-second gaps between each shuriken's arrival to evade.
Seizing an opening, he launched himself once more, delivering another devastating punch toward Susanoo.
The Yata Mirror moved to intercept, but the Raikage feinted. Using the Five-Tails' steam-enhanced agility, he twisted midair and slammed his fist into Susanoo's ribs.
Crack!
This punch landed even harder—Susanoo staggered, its ribs shattering, the force nearly reaching Itachi himself.
Fwoosh!
Amaterasu flared again. Itachi's eyes desperately tracked the Raikage's movements, but he was always a step—sometimes two—too slow. The Raikage embodied the philosophy of absolute speed.
"Hmph! Uchiha!"
"I've figured out your Susanoo. That was only seventy percent of my power. Now, I'll use my full strength."
"Your Amaterasu is formidable, but if it can't catch me, it's worthless," the Raikage declared.
"Itachi, why not coat Susanoo in Amaterasu completely?" Kakuzu asked anxiously, sensing the worsening situation.
Itachi shook his head. "Susanoo is too large. I can't cover it all at once."
"If I only coat parts of it, the Raikage will avoid those areas and target others."
"But if I lower Susanoo's level to coat it entirely, its defense won't hold against the Raikage. He'd likely sacrifice an arm just to take me down."
"Then what do we do?" Kakuzu asked, watching the Raikage prepare for another assault.
Itachi remained as composed as ever. "If one isn't enough… then we'll use more."
"Wood Release: Wood Clone Technique!"
The Raikage's eyes widened as four additional Itachis emerged, initially appearing wooden before seamlessly transforming into perfect duplicates.
This was the limit of Itachi's current ability.
The four clones, along with the original, surrounded the Raikage.
"Raikage, you're strong."
"So I will fight you with everything I have."
Wings spread wide, the God of War descended again—this time, four more identical Susanoo giants emerged, encircling the Raikage.
For the first time, the previously arrogant Raikage hesitated.
That mysterious man had warned him that Susanoo was formidable—but he never said it could appear in such numbers!
Amaterasu!
Black flames erupted once more, and the Raikage wasted no time dodging. He blitzed toward one of the Susanoo giants, unleashing his full strength. The clone's Susanoo crumbled under the impact—after all, being a clone, its durability was slightly weaker.
Fwoosh!
Two flaming swords swung from either side, while the fallen Susanoo ignited in black flames.
The Raikage leaped, attempting to escape—but an enormous Yata Mirror slammed down like a frying pan.
Hiss!
Steam billowed as the Raikage struck the mirror, sending it flying backward, but he lost his momentum and began to fall.
Using steam propulsion, he pivoted midair, stepping off a burning sword to launch himself higher, trying to break free from the encirclement.
But he was too late.
A dense barrage of Amaterasu-coated shuriken sealed the entire space.
"Damn it!" The Raikage roared in frustration. Unlike on the ground, he couldn't maneuver as freely in the air, even with steam assistance.
Seeing no escape, he made a final, desperate move—charging straight at Itachi's real body, ready to sacrifice an arm if it meant taking him down.
This time, Itachi coated Susanoo's entire front with Amaterasu.
But the Raikage ignored the flames, barreling forward.
"Steam Release: Gutsy Fist!" With every ounce of his strength, he punched straight through Susanoo, his fist continuing toward Itachi.
"Hahaha! Die!"
Yet, as his attack landed—it passed through air.
Flap! Flap!
A murder of crows scattered.
"What?!" The Raikage's eyes widened in shock.
Before he could react, Amaterasu consumed him whole.
Itachi had won.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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