Just as Sasuke was about to continue shouting, Itachi Uchiha shook his head in disappointment and said:
"Without the Mangekyō, your capacity remains still insufficient."
"Let me show you the true power of the Mangekyō Sharingan…"
Before Itachi could finish speaking, Sasuke instantly activated his Cursed Seal Level 2, his body transforming as dark chakra surged through him.
"Genjutsu: True Thunder Judgment!"
Sasuke, using his Sharingan, attempted to drag Itachi into a genjutsu of his own making. He wanted to demonstrate that his illusionary prowess was in no way inferior to Itachi's.
Within Itachi's mind, a massive three-tomoe Sharingan appeared, pulling him into a new realm. In the genjutsu, Itachi was suspended midair, his body bound by black lightning crackling around him.
Hovering above him, Sasuke held a bolt of the same black lightning in his hand. Glaring down at his brother, he demanded:
"Tell me the truth about the clan's massacre—about Uchiha Madara and your role in it!"
"And don't leave out the Hidden Leaf. There's no way they could have turned a blind eye to the extermination of the Uchiha Clan."
Sasuke's voice grew sharper:
"I've made my deductions. As the strongest and most prominent family in the Hidden Leaf, even with two Mangekyō Sharingan users involved, it's impossible to eliminate the Uchiha without causing a commotion."
"The Uchiha Clan wasn't some weakling!"
Itachi, calm and unshaken despite being bound in the illusion, glanced around the genjutsu realm. He remarked indifferently:
"So this is your trump card against the Mangekyō?"
"Then let me show you the true power of the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"Tsukuyomi."
The Mangekyō in Itachi's left eye began spinning rapidly, and in the next moment, Sasuke's illusionary world was overwhelmed.
A massive red moon broke through the sky of the genjutsu realm, shattering the environment like glass. The black lightning binding Itachi vanished instantly, as did the black lightning in Sasuke's hand.
Their positions reversed, and now it was Sasuke who found himself unable to move, bound and completely at the mercy of his brother.
Realizing how effortlessly Itachi had taken control of his genjutsu, Sasuke, within the confines of the Tsukuyomi space, broke into a cold sweat.
Itachi stepped forward, holding a long blade in his hand. His gaze fixed on Sasuke, he said:
"The Tsukuyomi space will last for 36 hours here, though only an instant will pass in the real world."
"In these 36 hours, your spirit will be completely under my control."
Desperately, Sasuke summoned his visual power, trying to break free from the Tsukuyomi.
But to his horror, even with his enhanced three-tomoe Sharingan, fused multiple times over, he was powerless to escape the Mangekyō's grip.
In that moment, Sasuke felt the overwhelming terror of the Mangekyō Sharingan for the first time. He also realized that their earlier genjutsu exchange was merely a test, a game, for Itachi.
Sasuke's mind raced, and cold sweat ran down his face.
"This is the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan… the gap between us is insurmountable!"
…
Meanwhile-
At S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters-
As the battle between Four-Tailed Naruto and Kisame Hoshigaki raged on, the chakra detection center's alarms blared to life.
Years of development had allowed S.H.I.E.L.D. to install chakra detection systems across the seven continents and five oceans.
"Alert! Alert! SS-rank chakra signatures detected!"
"Alert! Alert! SS-rank chakra signatures detected!"
On a global map display, two red dots on the African continent were pulsing, their waves radiating outward.
The detection center agents promptly reported the situation to their superiors and redirected satellites to observe the location in question.
Commander Maria Hill rushed into the room as soon as she received the report, "What's the situation?"
An agent quickly stood up and replied, "Commander, the chakra detectors on the African continent have identified two massive energy signatures, both classified as SS-rank."
"Here's the live feed from the satellite."
On the screen, the footage showed a large, red, fox-like creature with four tails, blasting an immense Tailed Beast Bomb across the desert.
The target of its attack, Kisame Hoshigaki, was so agile that he was nearly impossible to track in real time.
Hill observed the footage and ordered, "Slow down the playback, pause, and zoom in on the target."
As the playback slowed, the satellite successfully captured Kisame's movements, enhancing the resolution for clarity. His figure, clad in a black cloak adorned with red clouds, finally became visible.
Hill narrowed her eyes as she muttered, "Kisame Hoshigaki, an S-rank rogue ninja from the Hidden Mist and a member of the Akatsuki organization."
Once Kisame's identity was confirmed, Hill inquired about the other combatant, "What about that four-tailed creature? Do we have any records on it?"
An agent shook their head, "Commander, we have no existing records of this entity."
Hill frowned. A creature of such magnitude, yet completely undocumented, was highly unusual.
"Deploy all available satellites to survey the surrounding areas. Increase the sensitivity of the nearest chakra detectors to maximum. I want to know if there are any other ninjas in the vicinity."
"Understood, Commander!"
At that moment, the doors to the detection center opened, and Nick Fury walked in.
Hill was momentarily surprised by his arrival, as the director had been absent for some time. She greeted him with a quick summary:
"Director, this situation involves ninjas. The Akatsuki's Kisame Hoshigaki has been spotted at the scene."
Fury nodded and turned his attention to the satellite footage. As he watched the battle, his expression darkened.
The sheer power displayed by both combatants was overwhelming.
The four-tailed creature's attacks were akin to small nuclear blasts, with the added danger of high mobility and rapid attack intervals. Such a creature in an urban environment would be an absolute disaster.
Fury noted the creature's massive size and conspicuous appearance.
"At least it won't be able to infiltrate a city undetected," he muttered.
While intrigued by the origin of the creature and its motives for fighting Kisame, Fury saw this as an opportunity to eliminate a high-value Akatsuki member.
The battle's location, the Kalahari Desert, was ideal. The vast, uninhabited expanse of over 630,000 square kilometers meant that deploying high-yield nuclear weapons would cause minimal collateral damage.
As Fury deliberated, an agent called out, "Director, we've made new discoveries!"
Two additional satellite feeds were displayed on the screens.
In the first feed, Kakashi Hatake was seen carrying an unconscious Sakura Haruna, sprinting away from the battlefield with urgency.
In the second feed, captured tens of kilometers away on the opposite side of the desert, Sasuke Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha were locked in a tense standoff.
Fury and Hill exchanged glances, their concern deepening. The situation was escalating rapidly, with multiple high-profile individuals converging in a single region.
Fury folded his arms, his voice low and decisive, "Contact the Avengers. This might escalate beyond even our capabilities."