In response to Sasuke's furious outburst, Itachi remained unmoved, his gaze calm as he observed his younger brother. After a moment of silence, he spoke in an even tone:
"Very well. Let me see how much you've grown over these years, to have the courage to face me."
In an instant, Itachi blurred forward, closing the distance between them with alarming speed. His kunai slashed toward Sasuke's neck.
"Clang!"
Sasuke parried with his own kunai, blocking the strike with precision.
"These feints are meaningless," Sasuke said coldly.
But a second later—
"Boom!"
Itachi's form erupted into a violent explosion. The blast hurled Sasuke through the air, blood spilling from his mouth as he hit the ground.
Despite the apparent injury, Sasuke stood up slowly, unfazed by his condition. His expression was cold and resolute.
"I told you—these feints mean nothing."
With those words, Sasuke's Sharingan activated, the three tomoe spinning in his eyes.
The world around him shattered like glass, cracks forming and spreading until the entire illusion collapsed.
As the genjutsu dissolved, Sasuke found himself back in his original position, unharmed. Opposite him stood Itachi, appearing as though he had never moved at all.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Both brothers unleashed massive streams of fire at each other. The flames roared and clashed, the intensity far exceeding what one would expect from a C-rank jutsu.
The fireballs were evenly matched, neither side gaining the upper hand.
As the flames dissipated, a bolt of lightning suddenly pierced through the lingering heat, striking Itachi in the shoulder.
It was Sasuke's Chidori Sharp Spear, aimed with deadly precision.
Holding the crackling spear in his hand, Sasuke smirked.
"These eyes of mine have surpassed yours. Now tell me, why did you massacre the entire clan but spare me?"
Itachi glanced at the lightning wound on his shoulder, his expression unreadable.
"Do your eyes truly see this world clearly?"
Before Sasuke could respond, Itachi's form dissolved into a flock of crows, scattering into the air.
The genjutsu shattered once again.
From Charles's vantage point, it was clear: Sasuke had been standing motionless since his encounter with Itachi, locked in a battle of illusions.
Charles popped another potato chip into his mouth, shaking his head.
"A fight of unseen genjutsu—how dull."
Shifting his focus, he turned to the ongoing battle between Kisame and Naruto.
Naruto, cloaked in the red chakra of the Nine-Tails' One-Tail form, launched relentless attacks at Kisame.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Explosions rippled across the watery battlefield as Naruto's chakra arms lashed out, delivering devastating strikes.
"Vermilion Rasengan!"
Naruto formed a glowing red Rasengan in his hand and charged at Kisame with ferocious speed.
Kisame grinned, hoisting his Samehada in response.
With a single swipe, Samehada absorbed the Nine-Tails' chakra cloak, leaving Naruto's body exposed. Along with it, the Vermilion Rasengan in Naruto's hand fizzled and vanished.
The abrupt turn of events left Naruto stunned, frozen in place as he stared at his opponent.
As Kisame swung his massive blade, Samehada, toward Naruto, the strike threatened to deliver a fatal blow. At that critical moment, Kakashi performed a swift Body Flicker Technique, snatching Naruto out of harm's way and tossing him behind him.
With his own blade in hand, Kakashi intercepted Samehada head-on.
"Clang!"
The immense power of Kisame's strike forced Kakashi to slide back three meters before coming to a stop. Feeling the overwhelming gap in strength, Kakashi decided to hold nothing back.
"Multi Shadow Clones: Lightning Cutter!"
Kakashi quickly created multiple shadow clones, each wielding a crackling Lightning Cutter, and they charged at Kisame with relentless determination.
"Water Style: Giant Shark Bullet Jutsu!"
In response, Kisame summoned a school of water sharks that collided head-on with Kakashi's clones.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The sharks and the clones obliterated each other, clearing the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Kakashi's original body surged forward, the massive lightning current in his hand aimed directly at Kisame.
"Lightning Cutter!"
Kisame countered with a grin.
"Ha!"
A gigantic water shark materialized before Kisame, rushing to meet Kakashi's attack.
Confident in his jutsu's power, Kakashi pushed more chakra into his Lightning Cutter, believing he could cut through the water shark.
But as their techniques collided, Kakashi's expression changed.
"What? My chakra... it's being absorbed!"
Kisame's Giant Shark Bullet Jutsu drained Kakashi's chakra with its unique ability, leaving him powerless.
"Boom!"
The collision sent Kakashi flying. He hit the ground hard, unconscious from the blow.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto roared, his voice echoing across the battlefield.
In his fury, a surge of red chakra erupted from his body again, forming a powerful aura that blew away the surrounding water.
Kisame watched the transformation with gleeful anticipation.
"Four Tails already? This should be fun," Kisame said, speaking to Samehada.
The living blade stirred in his hand, its spines trembling as if in agreement.
"Let's see if his chakra satisfies us."
As the red chakra dissipated, Naruto's form was revealed—a towering Four-Tails Kyuubi, his massive frame radiating raw, destructive energy.
"ROAR!"
Naruto let out a thunderous roar, sending shockwaves through the battlefield. The water terrain Kisame had created disintegrated under the force, scattering into the desert sand.
Rain fell from the sky, only to seep into the ground as the battlefield returned to its natural state.
Kisame laughed, his excitement unabated.
"The Four-Tails' aura rivals even the full form of the Two-Tails. Impressive! Let's see if your chakra can keep us entertained."
Meanwhile, Charles observed from afar, shaking his head.
"Naruto's Four-Tails state is a poor matchup against Kisame. With Samehada's chakra-draining abilities, Kisame has the upper hand unless Naruto can find another way."
Naruto, however, seemed to have learned from his earlier encounters. Instead of attacking physically, he looked toward the sky.
Above him, chakra began to merge rapidly, forming a massive, glowing sphere.
Kisame's grin faded into a serious expression.
"A Tailed Beast Bomb? I'm not going to take that head-on."
Without hesitation, Kisame began to move.
But instead of firing the Tailed Beast Bomb, Naruto swallowed the chakra sphere. His cheeks expanded as the energy surged within him.
"Chakra Cannon Barrage!"
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
Naruto unleashed a series of devastating chakra blasts from his mouth, each one tearing across the battlefield.
Kisame weaved between the attacks with agility, but the blasts pulverized the surrounding dunes, flattening the terrain into a lifeless plain.