Ibiki Morino, Konoha's head of interrogation, remained calm as always. Even though the aftershock from the battle was powerful enough to kill them where they stood, Ibiki, telescope in hand, had managed to catch the crucial details. Both Itachi and Kawasaki had bled from their eyes when they activated their Mangekyo Sharingan.
Itachi's condition was far more severe; his face was streaked with tears of blood, and he had already fallen unconscious.
Obito was still reeling from the shock. The sheer force of the collision between their spatiotemporal powers had been immense, shattering his Susanoo to pieces. Fortunately, his ability to become intangible had allowed him to phase through the subsequent shockwaves.
But the man opposite him, Kawasaki, couldn't be faring much better.
As Obito looked up, he was met with a chilling smile. Kawasaki had reformed his Susanoo even faster than Obito had, and in that brief moment, he had already manifested Obito's worst nightmare—the Sword of Kusanagi!
"How is that possible!?"
Panic seized Obito. How could Kawasaki's visual prowess be greater than his? Why weren't his eyes blind yet!? Why!?
This was the first time Obito had truly scrutinized Kawasaki's eyes. Judging by the pattern, it had never been overlaid with another. It should have been an ordinary Mangekyo Sharingan.
But this overwhelming surge of visual power! It was far beyond what a normal Mangekyo Sharingan should possess!
As Obito looked closer, he discovered a horrifying truth. The blood on Kawasaki's face wasn't seeping from his eyes at all!
Kawasaki had been deceiving him!
A cold dread washed over Obito, and the thought of retreat surfaced. A vortex swirled open in the air, and Obito leaped into it with a speed he had never before achieved.
Inside Kamui's dimension, Obito's heart pounded like a drum. He didn't dare stop, moving rapidly through the empty space.
Back on the battlefield, Kawasaki stood his ground, the Sword of Kusanagi in his hand still fully formed. Staring at the vortex where Obito had vanished, Kawasaki's right eye began to transform.
The Eye of Susanoo!
A massive amount of visual power surged into the eye in an instant, causing it to swell and throb with pain, but Kawasaki endured the discomfort. His gaze pierced through the void, and the sky before him blurred, the world dissolving into a primordial state where points, lines, and planes became visible.
A dark, hazy figure appeared in Kawasaki's sight.
It was Obito, who had just begun to breathe a sigh of relief inside Kamui's dimension. Suddenly, a wave of terror washed over him. It felt as if someone was watching him from within the void itself. He was horrified.
How could this be! How!
Faster! Faster! Faster!
Countless thoughts flashed through Obito's mind. He remembered the spare Sharingan he had kept on his arm from a previous experiment. In an instant, it unleashed a bizarre light.
Kawasaki locked his sights on a single point above the ocean's surface. The Sword of Kusanagi slashed down.
As the blade plunged into the water, a sound like shattering glass echoed through the air. The sea was instantly cleaved open, leaving a massive crater. The walls of water on either side hung suspended for two seconds before they finally came crashing back together, sending colossal waves into the sky with a thunderous roar.
The spies watching from the perimeter were aghast at the sight. Was this a feat achievable by human hands? Who could possibly withstand such an attack? How could it be blocked!?
The ninja from Kirigakure, in particular, seemed to recall something utterly terrifying as they stared at the chasm in the sea, and they stood frozen like statues.
Inside Kamui's dimension, an overwhelming sense of crisis descended upon Obito. His vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
...
Panting heavily, Kawasaki deactivated his Susanoo and clapped a hand over his eyes. Red liquid seeped through his fingers, staining his face crimson. Most of the distant spies witnessed the scene.
After a few ragged breaths, Kawasaki seemed to recover slightly, certain that his performance had been seen by all. He was an extremely cautious man, skilled at concealing his true strength. For now, his only overt enemy was Obito, but Black Zetsu and a potentially resurrected Madara lurked in the shadows. There might be other unknown threats as well. He could only be at ease if he had enough trump cards.
He had used the Eye of Susanoo just in time. Any later, and Obito might have used Izanagi. If Obito hadn't implanted another Sharingan, the attack should have destroyed one of his Mangekyo.
Kawasaki looked down at Itachi on the ground and quickly helped him up. Noticing the prying eyes around them, he scooped up the unconscious Itachi and swiftly left the scene. None of the other spies dared to follow. Even if Kawasaki was injured, the memory of his Susanoo's devastating power was still fresh in their minds. No one was willing to make a reckless move.
Kawasaki found a relatively safe location and created two Shadow Clones to stand guard. He then began to check on Itachi's condition.
Itachi's face was streaked with blood, and he was completely unconscious. Unlike the fake blood on Kawasaki's face, this had flowed directly from Itachi's eye sockets. He was in a truly miserable state.
Kawasaki shook Itachi gently and realized his injuries were more severe than he had anticipated. It seemed that using divine weapons at the age of sixteen was too great a burden for his body.
Fortunately, Kawasaki was a master of medical ninjutsu himself. When in doubt, a little "healing" would do the trick. Since Itachi was unconscious, he couldn't bite him on his own. Kawasaki pried open Itachi's mouth and stuck his finger inside. With his other hand, he gently lifted Itachi's chin, causing his jaw to clamp down.
A stream of healing energy immediately flowed into Itachi's body. His labored breathing gradually evened out and became calm.
Kawasaki sighed in relief and pulled his finger out. Thankfully, no major problems had occurred.
He dispelled his two Shadow Clones.
"I'll take Itachi back first. I'm leaving the rest to you two."
The two clones confidently puffed out their chests. "Don't worry, we've got this."
Always joking around, even now.
Kawasaki shook his head and looked at the finger Itachi had bitten, now bleeding. He immediately formed a hand seal.
Summoning Jutsu!
A crow appeared instantly. After relaying a message, he sent it flying off. A moment later, Kawasaki and Itachi vanished from the spot. The two Shadow Clones departed to carry out their respective missions.
...
In the Uchiha Clan compound, Iori and other clan members performed a Reverse Summoning Jutsu, bringing both Itachi and Kawasaki back.
"Clan Head!" Iori cried out in alarm upon seeing them both covered in blood.
Kawasaki, holding Itachi, leaped down from the platform. He rushed toward the Uchiha Hospital, giving orders as he went.
"Tell Fugaku and Mikoto immediately. And wake up Sasuke. Tell him Itachi is seriously injured. After you tell Sasuke, send a copy of the report to the Primary Information Office."
Though panicked, Iori remained composed. "Yes, Clan Head!"
As he spoke, Kawasaki casually wiped the "blood" from his own face. It was good enough to fool others, but it wouldn't have deceived Tsunade.
He quickly replayed the entire incident in his mind. While Obito's surprise attack had disrupted parts of his plan, he had long prepared for such contingencies. Itachi overusing his eyes had also been part of the arrangement. He just hadn't expected Itachi to awaken the Yata Mirror and the Sword of Totsuka at such a young age. The toll the two divine weapons took on him was immense; they had nearly drained him dry.
He was glad he possessed Karin's healing abilities; otherwise, the situation would have been truly difficult. It was now late at night, and the clan compound was shrouded in silence.