Sasuke was at full health, while Itachi was nearly depleted. Something was off.
"Summoning Jutsu!" Sasuke's mouth twitched. He formed a hand seal and slammed his palm on the ground.
Boom! A cloud of smoke billowed out, and a colossal creature appeared.
"Yo, you arrogant little brat! What'd you call me out for?" Gamabunta's voice echoed through the valley, shaking the statue of the First Hokage and sending more debris tumbling down. The monument, built to commemorate the great battle between the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara, was now riddled with craters. The repair costs would surely be astronomical.
"Gamabunta, this opponent isn't simple. I'm counting on you."
"Huh? This guy is..." Hearing Sasuke's words, Gamabunta looked toward Itachi, and his pupils contracted. "You arrogant brat, who is this opponent? A jutsu like that is too dangerous! I don't think I can handle him!" Gamabunta swallowed hard.
The Itachi in his line of sight was enveloped in a red Susanoo, the overwhelming chakra making the very earth tremble. Spiderweb-like cracks spread out from where he stood. Gamabunta knew he could handle a Kage-level shinobi, but facing a powerhouse who was approaching a level beyond that was just asking for a beating.
"So you're useless after all," Sasuke mocked mercilessly, then performed another summoning jutsu. This time, after the smoke cleared, Lord Fukasaku and Lady Shima appeared.
"Sasuke, why did you suddenly summon us? Is there an enemy?" The two Sages immediately sensed Itachi's terrifying chakra and their expressions turned serious.
"Yes. My brother," Sasuke said, letting the two Sages perch on his shoulders, his face grim. "He has awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan."
"That's a troublesome opponent indeed. That must be the Mangekyo's ocular jutsu, the Susanoo. It's no weaker than yours," Lord Fukasaku remarked. Back on Mount Myoboku, Sasuke had demonstrated his own Mangekyo abilities. Both his Susanoo and Amaterasu had left a deep impression on the two Sages. But in terms of the Susanoo's strength, Itachi's was slightly superior.
"I'm counting on you," Sasuke said, taking a fighting stance and forming a strange hand seal.
Crackle, crackle, crackle. The sound of a thousand birds chirping suddenly erupted from Sasuke's hand.
"Hmph. Chidori? A low-level jutsu like that won't work on me," Itachi said coldly, the Susanoo swinging the Sword of Totsuka in its right hand.
"You're too arrogant, Itachi. The Sharingan isn't invincible. Never underestimate any jutsu," Sasuke said with a smile. A violent burst of fire-natured chakra coalesced over his Chidori, forming a fiery red Rasengan.
"Chidori Rasengan!" he roared, hurling it at Itachi.
The two Sages on his shoulders simultaneously used Wind Style to create a howling gale behind the projectile. Boosted by the wind, the power of the Chidori Rasengan instantly magnified, its speed increasing three or fourfold. In an instant, it was in front of the Susanoo.
"Such a jutsu? Such power!!!" Itachi's face was a mask of horror. The power of this combination jutsu was enough to destroy half of Konoha!
"Susanoo!!!"
BOOM!
An endless wave of light and heat erupted, engulfing the entire Valley of the End. A force powerful enough to destroy everything spread out. The statues of the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara, the towering cliffs of the valley—all of it crumbled under the sweeping impact, turning into massive, shapeless boulders that plunged into the lake below.
With the continuous splash of falling rocks, the entire lake began to churn with waves. The cascading waterfall seemed to pause, a gap appearing in its flow. Countless waves crashed against the shore. The energy from the explosion continued to spread, swallowing the Susanoo, swallowing Itachi.
When the power of the Chidori Rasengan was finally spent, the Valley of the End had been reduced to a wasteland.
Crack. Sasuke landed on the ruins, his expression unreadable. "One less place to enjoy the scenery," he said with a hint of regret.
The two Sages beside him were speechless. "The power of that combination jutsu is truly terrifying. With that, you've already taken a step beyond the Kage level. Even a shinobi who has surpassed the Kage level would have to dodge that attack."
"But that's the only jutsu of its kind I have," Sasuke said with a frown. "If it's countered, then aside from the Mangekyo, I have no other effective means of attack." He didn't want to admit it, but the Mangekyo was indeed a very powerful tool. It was just that the side effects were too great.
"It's over. The feud of the Uchiha clan," Sasuke sighed, looking at Itachi, who was buried in the rubble. "The Uchiha always tried to integrate into Konoha, but tragically, Konoha never trusted the Uchiha."
"And the Uchiha's proud and obsessive nature made it difficult for them to fit in."
"You willingly became a butcher, moved by your own sacrifice to save others. But in reality, no one was cheering for you. A typical Uchiha move," Sasuke said, shaking his head with a sigh. "From the massacre to this point, Itachi, have you ever regretted it?"
The rubble stirred, and a heavily wounded Itachi struggled to emerge, his Mangekyo bleeding profusely. The Susanoo had been shattered. He looked up at Sasuke. "Regret? I have no regrets."
"The feud between the Uchiha and Konoha had to end one way or another."
"The moment they decided to stage a coup, their fate was sealed."
"We Uchiha are a clan filled with sin. Killing our parents, killing our kin, all to awaken our eyes."
"The existence of family is merely a stepping stone to a higher level of ocular power."
"My failure was only due to a lack of strength. But I don't regret it. If I were given another chance, I would still spare your life and let you grow in hatred."
Itachi looked at Sasuke, his expression weak. "If there was even a sliver of a chance, I would make the same choice, all to obtain the eternal eyes."
The Mangekyo in Itachi's eyes spun again. His battered body swayed, looking as if it would collapse at any moment. "My only regret is that your growth surpassed my plans," he said, coughing up a mouthful of blood. His trembling body managed to close the distance to within five meters of Sasuke. "Don't think you've won. I can still move!"
"The Uchiha clan... sigh," Lord Fukasaku's expression was pained.
Lady Shima also looked sad. They had lived with Sasuke for a time and felt they understood him. He was a boy who was cold on the outside but warm on the inside, extremely proud but with a hidden, caring nature. In their eyes, Sasuke was a good, kind child. But this good child had an extremely tragic past and now had to kill his own brother. It was too cruel. Was this truly the burden the Child of Prophecy had to bear?
Sasuke watched the approaching Itachi with a cold, expressionless face. Itachi stumbled again, as if about to fall. Sasuke's expression remained unchanged, but a ripple of emotion passed through his eyes.
In that instant, a twisted expression appeared on Itachi's face. He seized the opportunity, his right hand shooting toward Sasuke's eyes. "My foolish little brother, give me your eyes!!!"
"Remember! As long as the enemy is not dead, you cannot let your guard down!"
Itachi's movements were anything but fast. In his current state, Sasuke could have easily dodged and killed him in return. In doing so, he would have obtained Itachi's eyes and learned a valuable lesson.
Do not underestimate your enemy!
Itachi had already prepared himself for death.
However, to his shock, Sasuke didn't move. He even closed his eyes.
And so, an extremely dramatic scene unfolded. Itachi's expression was one of bewilderment, his outstretched fingers frozen in front of Sasuke's face. Sasuke stood with his eyes closed, his expression unreadable. The two Sages on his shoulders were stunned, unsure of what to do.
Why isn't Sasuke moving? Why isn't Itachi striking?
The pain never came. Sasuke opened his eyes and met Itachi's bewildered gaze. "Why didn't you do it?" he asked coldly.
The question struck Itachi's heart, and his face grew even paler. He withdrew his hand and stumbled back. He didn't understand. His performance had been perfect. Why had it been seen through? "Why?" he murmured.
"Because I didn't feel any killing intent from you," Sasuke said, taking a step forward and looking at Itachi with contempt.
"Killing intent? Hahaha," Itachi laughed miserably, staring into Sasuke's eyes. "Then why did you do that? To spare my life, so you can continue to be my little shadow?" he tried to provoke him.
But he was disappointed. All he saw on Sasuke's face was a calm devoid of emotion.
"I don't like these eyes. That's all," Sasuke said, turning to leave without a second thought.
Itachi stood up, glaring at him. "Sasuke! After being taught by Orochimaru and Jiraiya, and becoming the summoner of Mount Myoboku, your growth has surpassed my imagination."
"The fate of the Uchiha, your bond with Naruto—all of it has pushed you to become stronger. You cannot stop. You can only move forward."
"Even if you hate these eyes, hate the Uchiha! You can't just give up! Without these eyes, you can never defeat Naruto!" Itachi roared. "Naruto's subordinates are already stronger than you! No matter how much you improve, you can't win against Uzumaki Naruto!"
"You can only choose to obtain the power of the eyes!!"
Hearing this, Sasuke stopped and turned to look at Itachi, whose expression was filled with a crazed desperation.
"Changed your mind? Come on. Reap the rewards of your victory. Give me a quick end," Itachi said, opening his arms and laughing maniacally.
But he waited for a long time, and Sasuke didn't approach. He looked at him in confusion, his expression turning to anger. "What? Why are you hesitating? Is the power of the Uchiha so worthless to you?"
"Gouge out my eyes and awaken the Eternal Mangekyo! That is the power you need to bring Naruto back!!" Itachi screamed.
"Need?" A look of pity appeared on Sasuke's face. "In my opinion, you are the pathetic one, Itachi."
"It's not that I look down on the Mangekyo Sharingan. It's that, in my heart, it is completely worthless."
Sasuke looked toward the southwest of the valley and said coldly, "Come out, Jiraiya-sensei."
"Sigh." Jiraiya's sigh echoed through the valley as he appeared between the two brothers, his wooden sandals clacking on the ground. He looked at Itachi with a complex expression. "Itachi, Konoha has wronged you. Come back."
"Go back? Can I still go back, Lord Jiraiya?" Itachi laughed miserably, coughing up more blood. "My hands are stained with the blood of the Uchiha."
"Guilt and pain torment me day and night. Coupled with the backlash of the Mangekyo, I'm already dying."
"Kill me, Sasuke. Take my eyes and continue to grow stronger in my place," Itachi's voice grew weaker, filled with a pleading tone.
"You want to die just like that?" Sasuke looked at him coldly, his eyes filled with mockery and contempt. "Do you think your guilt will just vanish with your death?"
"Impossible, Itachi!"
"Today will not be your end."
"Even if you die, you will die on the path to reviving the Uchiha clan!!"
Sasuke's eyes suddenly turned fierce. The ground beneath his feet cracked, spiderweb-like fissures spreading out. He looked up at the brilliant sun and suddenly smiled with understanding. "I think I finally understand what Orochimaru-sensei meant by 'resolve'."
To the utter disbelief of Itachi and Jiraiya, his expression became crazed, and he plunged his fingers into his own eyes.
"No!!!" With the horrified cries of Itachi and Jiraiya, Sasuke laughed maniacally as he gouged out his own Mangekyo Sharingan. Two streams of blood flowed from the wounds. His empty eye sockets faced Itachi, who looked on in agony and disbelief.
"In my lifetime, I have finally come to understand that the limit of the Sharingan is extremely finite," Sasuke said, as if he felt no pain at all, his voice calm and conversational.
"To cast aside one's pride, to cast aside the honor one holds dear, to let go of the identity of an Uchiha—that is the true meaning of resolve. From this day forward, I will live for myself."
Sasuke placed the Sharingan in Itachi's hand, a smile on his face. "My foolish older brother, take the Kekkei Genkai you so desire and develop it. You are now the last of the Uchiha. You bear the honor of our clan and the hope of its revival."
"So you cannot die so shamefully. Even if you have to kneel, or crawl, you must live on."
"I want you to feel guilt and pain for me, for the Uchiha, every time you use these eyes. That emotion will continuously stimulate your eyes and give you the so-called evolution you seek!"
"Continue to grow stronger. Only then will you see the true limit of the Sharingan."
"Only then will you see just how vast the gap between you and me truly is."
Sasuke laughed maniacally as he pulled the Shinigami Potion given to him by Orochimaru from his robes. He had gotten it back from Jiraiya a month ago.
"To cast everything aside and live with a new identity—this is my resolve!"
"From now on, I will fight for myself!"
With that, he plunged the syringe into his own neck!