Thirty-six hours in the Tsukuyomi passed swiftly. During this time, the bond between Itachi and Sasuke was rekindled, and Sasuke's hatred for his brother lessened.
Through Itachi's memories, Sasuke finally understood the truth of his survival—his brother's love and sacrifice.
However, Sasuke still could not agree with Itachi's past decisions. In his view, even if it meant death, the Uchiha should have resisted and directed their fury toward the Konoha leadership, rather than allowing the clan to be slaughtered.
The Uchiha's top-tier fighters either chose surrender or were already neutralized—like Shisui, who possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan but had perished.
Meanwhile, the remaining two Mangekyō users—Itachi and the mysterious figure claiming to be Madara—turned their blades against the clan. Coupled with the involvement of Danzo's Root operatives, the Uchiha's fate was sealed.
Sasuke silently vowed revenge, hoping that those responsible would never make it to this new world. If they did, he promised to turn their existence into a nightmare.
When the Tsukuyomi illusion ended, Sasuke decided to experience its full power, as part of "acting the part." He wanted to truly understand the extent of its devastating effects.
Under the blood-red sky of the illusionary world, Sasuke's spirit was shattered.
In reality, only a moment had passed.
"Argh!"
With a scream, Sasuke collapsed to the ground, his body limp. He couldn't help but marvel: "So this is the power of the Mangekyō..."
…
Elsewhere-
In the dimensional rift-
Charles observed Sasuke's collapse and scratched his chin thoughtfully, "Itachi really went all out this time—didn't hold back at all. He completely wrecked Sasuke."
Charles couldn't see what had transpired within the illusion or whether the brothers had reconciled.
Still, he trusted that Itachi had likely revealed something to Sasuke, either in full or selectively.
…
Meanwhile-
On the battlefield-
Kisame Hoshigaki, wielding Samehada, had successfully absorbed Naruto Uzumaki's Nine-Tails Chakra, reverting him to his original form.
This left Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. wide-eyed in shock. He had initially assumed the one Kisame was fighting was some kind of summoning beast, only to realize it was something far stranger.
"Damn it! That's the brat from earlier!" Fury cursed.
Agent Hill, after a brief silence, voiced her thoughts, "How did he transform into that monster? Is this some kind of ninja technique? Could all ninjas do this?"
Fury shook his head, contemplating as he replied, "It's impossible for all ninjas to have such an ability. If they did, that girl—Sakura Haruno—wouldn't have retreated with Kakashi. She'd just transform into one of those monsters and join the fight."
"Still, we need to figure out what this ability is. Looks like we'll need to pay Kirigakure a visit."
He paused before adding, almost nonchalantly, "I wonder if the Konoha ninjas can arrive in time. If not, they're in for a rough ride."
Despite his words, Fury secretly hoped the Akatsuki would eliminate the Konoha ninjas.
Back on the battlefield, Naruto, stunned by his transformation's undoing, looked at his hands in disbelief. Never before had he encountered an enemy capable of stripping him of his Tailed Beast Form so effortlessly.
Before he could recover, Kisame took advantage of his distraction.
"Boom!"
Kisame delivered a brutal kick, sending Naruto flying across the desert sands. The young ninja rolled to a stop, struggling to regain his composure.
Kisame, meanwhile, inspected Samehada with satisfaction. The sword had absorbed a substantial amount of energy, marking the first significant boost it had received in this world.
"You don't think that without any help, Sasuke Uchiha could be a match for Itachi, do you?" Kisame chuckled as he hefted Samehada over his shoulder.
"Haha, I haven't sensed any chakra activity over there since the beginning. Guess the poor kid got annihilated instantly."
With that, Kisame charged forward, ready to sap some more of the high-quality Nine-Tails chakra from Naruto.
Although they were all under Charles's command and direct killing was off the table, Kisame figured wounding his opponent and taking some energy wouldn't be an issue.
However, just as Kisame was about to land the finishing blow—
"Heavenly Kick!"
Minato Namikaze, using the Hiraishin technique, arrived just in time with Tsunade in tow. Tsunade lashed out with her chakra enhanced strength, delivering a devastating kick.
"Boom!"
Kisame managed to raise Samehada as a shield, but the sheer force of Tsunade's blow sent him flying dozens of meters. He spun midair three and a half times before finally landing, absorbing the impact as best he could.
At that moment, Itachi Uchiha appeared at Kisame's side, steadying him.
Relieved, Kisame exhaled deeply. "You've taken care of Sasuke Uchiha?"
Itachi nodded in confirmation.
Naruto, however, shouted, "Where's Sasuke? What did you do to him?"
Still recalling the fight where Itachi had injured Sasuke, Naruto was visibly distressed.
Itachi glanced at the newly arrived Tsunade, Minato, and Naruto. Without hesitation, he said, "Retreat."
"Amaterasu!"
Black flames erupted before them, blazing toward Tsunade, Minato, and Naruto.
Minato instantly grabbed Naruto and teleported away with the Hiraishin, while Tsunade also managed to evade the attack in time.
Using the diversion, Itachi and Kisame turned and vanished into the distance with a flash of the Body Flicker Technique. In mere moments, the two disappeared without a trace.
While retreating, Kisame grinned.
"Didn't expect them to send these two kage-level ninjas. If it weren't for us being under the same command, I doubt we'd have escaped alive."
"One's Tsunade, one of the Sannin, and the other's the Yellow Flash—legends like these leave folks like the Uchiha and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen in the dust."
Itachi, keeping pace, replied coolly, "If we had fought the Yellow Flash, we would've been killed. Not even a mutual defeat would've been possible."
"Besides, Tsunade feels completely different now. There's a mark on her forehead—Lord Charles must've fused her with a new future self."
Kisame chuckled at this, "Well, good thing we're on the same side now. Still, I'd really like to experience the Yellow Flash's speed for myself—he's like something out of a legend!"
Itachi shot him a sidelong glance, "If you did, all you'd feel is despair."