Note: Don't Forget to join my Patreon.com/flokixy to get access to +50 Advance Chapters or unlock the full story from the shop support so I can bring more Chapters for you
"If anything will do, then... go ahead and cry."
Mujin's words stunned Sasuke momentarily. He even thought he had misheard.
"Yes, you heard correctly. Cry. Think about the most painful moments of your life. Pour all your suffering into it and cry your heart out," Mujin instructed coldly.
Sasuke's expression darkened instantly. "Are you treating me like a fool!?"
Hearing this, Mujin shook his head in disappointment. "Can't even handle something as simple as this? It seems the so-called hatred you cling to isn't as profound as you claim. True, bone-deep hatred would make you despise being human altogether. You'd wish to be nothing more than a soulless tool for revenge—so you wouldn't have to feel pain anymore."
Sasuke pressed his lips together tightly before raising his head to ask, "Is that why the Uzumaki were able to exact their vengeance upon this shinobi world? By turning themselves into tools?"
"ADADADADAAAAA!!!"
Might Guy's fists flew like lightning, relentless and unyielding. Gone were the flashy techniques like 'Konoha Senpuu' or 'Konoha Gouriki Senpuu.' Instead, he relied purely on raw speed and instinct—an absolute mastery of the concept of "fast."
Uchiha Itachi could no longer deal with these former comrades as easily as before.
Guy no longer used predictable moves with long wind-ups. His attacks came from unexpected angles, guided by an almost feral intuition. Kakashi, meanwhile, had abandoned independent thought entirely; he ignored any bait laid out for him and simply focused on assisting Guy in wearing down Itachi's stamina.
Asuma's wind-based ninjutsu was particularly vexing. While Itachi could dodge individual blades of wind or water projectiles, there was no escaping the wide-reaching gusts of concentrated wind. Though they caused minimal physical harm, they compounded the pressure when paired with Guy and Kakashi's relentless assault.
Especially troublesome was how both fighters seemed to sprout multiple arms during battle—five or six punches flying at once, though Itachi could discern the illusions quickly. The constant barrage of mirages and noise drained his already fragile reserves significantly.
This level of strain was immense given his deteriorating health!
However...
When the girl from the Uzumaki clan joined the fray, it disrupted the rhythm between Guy and the others slightly, giving Itachi some breathing room. This made him hesitate about whether to unleash his full potential—for if he did...
Kakashi and the others would undoubtedly suffer severe injuries!
But just then, a pained scream pierced through the chaos. From the very first note, Itachi recognized it instantly—it belonged to his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke!
In his panic, Itachi immediately turned toward the source of the sound, ignoring even the blows raining down on him from Guy.
There he saw it—Sasuke, weeping bitterly.
And beside him stood Mujin, his face brimming with malice.
The sight of Sasuke crying unsettled Itachi deeply, throwing him off balance against Guy's relentless assault.
For his part, Sasuke hadn't expected much from trying to cry—but to his astonishment, it proved far more effective than all his years of effort combined. Realizing this sent him spiraling further into despair, which only intensified his tears.
This development finally solidified Itachi's resolve!
The three tomoe in Itachi's eyes began spinning wildly. Then, in an instant, they transformed into a triangular pinwheel shape—the ultimate form of the Sharingan!
The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan!
Itachi swiftly scanned the battlefield. Guy avoided eye contact entirely, and neutralizing Kakashi wouldn't shift the tide significantly. No, the real complication lay with the malicious figure watching him—Uzumaki Mujin.
So be it. If anyone in this world was allowed to make Sasuke cry...
It would only ever be him!
"Tsukuyomi!" Itachi locked eyes with Mujin, activating the left-eye Eternal Mangekyō. In an instant, Mujin was pulled into the Tsukuyomi realm—a world where Itachi held absolute dominion.
Underneath a crimson moon and shadowy skies, atop blackened earth, Itachi glared menacingly at Mujin, now trapped within a cage.
Mujin's third eye had already opened on his forehead. He squinted slightly, observing his surroundings.
Tsukuyomi was one of the pinnacle genjutsu of the shinobi world, and within its confines, Itachi was god. Time, space, physics—all bent to his will. And most crucially, however long passed inside Tsukuyomi, only a fleeting moment transpired in reality.
Thus, Tsukuyomi was deemed an unbreakable illusion. By the time allies noticed someone trapped in it and attempted to free them, the technique would have long since ended.
"Have you seen enough?" Itachi asked coldly, standing before the cage. "I've never met someone who locks themselves in a cage. Do you really believe this thing can protect you?"
Shockingly, the cage had been created by Mujin himself!
As soon as Itachi finished speaking, the entire space began trembling violently. Cracks started forming along the bars of the cage.
Unfazed, Mujin chuckled softly. Rising to his feet, he extended his palm, and a burst of light shot forth. "Prison? Or city? When I want to leave, it becomes my jail. But when I choose not to, it transforms into my fortress!"
The light morphed into the character for "city," merging with the cage. The cracks sealed themselves, and the structure grew thicker, expanding rapidly—until an unseen force halted its transformation.
A sharp pain suddenly lanced through Mujin's temples, prematurely ending the process.
Itachi forcibly disrupted Mujin's technique using Tsukuyomi's power. After all, this was still Itachi's domain!
Taking a deep breath, Mujin reflected briefly. Perhaps mastering the Eye of Idou hadn't been long enough—but the defense he summoned was sufficient for now.
Itachi narrowed his eyes. The ground beneath them melted into magma, bolts of lightning rained down from the void, and even the fabric of space itself began tearing apart. Yet the half-transformed cage remained stubbornly intact, unaffected by the chaos around it.
Focusing his will, Itachi unleashed wave after wave of destruction upon the cage, gradually eroding its defenses.
It was working—but breaking it completely would take time.
Itachi frowned. Things were slipping beyond his control.
"What is your goal?" he demanded. "This technique specifically designed to counter Tsukuyomi… Are you targeting me?"
At this, Mujin smirked faintly. "Don't flatter yourself, crow. My plans to ignite war across the shinobi nations are vast, but none of them include you. There were countless ways to resolve the conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha, yet you chose the path I find most incomprehensible. Prioritizing the village over family—I cannot fathom what drives such thinking. Did the 'Will of Fire' truly outweigh the bond you shared with your parents from birth?"
"As for my purpose..." Mujin paused dramatically, "...it stems from fear. Fear of Uchiha Shisui's ultimate genjutsu—Kotoamatsukami. A technique capable of altering minds and erasing hatred. Since planning my revenge, I've pondered how to counter it. Eventually..." He tapped the third eye on his forehead, "...I devised a solution. Kotoamatsukami is, at its core, still a genjutsu—one that targets the mind. And the mind falls under the purview of Yin Release. So, if I cultivate sufficient spiritual strength and mastery over Yin Release, couldn't I resist Kotoamatsukami?"
After all, Mujin found it impossible to imagine figures like Uchiha Madara or Kaguya Hagoromo falling prey to such a technique. Thus, perhaps the essence of genjutsu boiled down to a contest of power.
Continuing, Mujin explained, "That's why I orchestrated this encounter—to test my theory against yours, the strongest genjutsu user after Shisui! If I can withstand your Tsukuyomi, it proves my hypothesis correct." Smiling triumphantly, he concluded, "And now, I've achieved the result I sought!"
Itachi's gaze hardened. "You're truly mad. To risk death merely to verify this..."
"Death?" Mujin burst into laughter. "What nonsense are you spouting? Only Yume's Five-Sense Genjutsu could kill me here. Wounds sustained in Tsukuyomi don't manifest in reality. All you can do is torment me until my spirit collapses. But tell me, how long do you think I'll last?"
His eyes sharpened dangerously. "Ha! I'll endure until the moment your Tsukuyomi collapses entirely! Death? How laughable!"