Chapter 472: Uchiha Itachi! You Actually Killed Captain Aizen?!
And so,
Only a wide-range defensive technique capable of shielding the entire body could completely neutralize Aizen's attacks.
Itachi had also discovered that while Aizen's illusions were powerful, his offensive capabilities weren't particularly overwhelming.
In both surprise attacks so far, though not weak, they would have failed to pierce his defenses if Itachi had anticipated them.
Let alone severing his hand and arm.
"So he's a specialized player who sacrificed all other stats to boost Spirit alone?"
Itachi began analyzing the battle ahead.
This was what it meant to be a genius of the Uchiha clan.
After just two exchanges, he had already discerned his opponent's strengths and weaknesses to better respond.
However...
Itachi's expression suddenly changed. He twisted his body.
The slash tore through his Tier 2 (Gold-grade) soul fire defenses like butter and landed squarely on his back.
The wound was deep—down to the bone.
Guh!
Blood poured from his mouth as he fell to his knees, barely holding back the pain. Impossible… my soul flames are extremely durable. Even a swordmaster stronger than me, armed with a dark-gold weapon, would need multiple slashes to breach it.
"That means… this is an illusion?"
For as long as he could remember, Itachi had been the one using genjutsu to toy with ninjas and players with weak spirits.
Now that the roles were reversed, he realized how hard it was to distinguish illusion from reality.
"There's no way I'm wrong."
Itachi, enduring the pain, channeled even more energy into his dark curses, spreading the soul fire across the forest.
"It must be an illusion cast by Aizen to make me think my defenses failed and that I dropped them myself—leaving me open."
This was the most likely scenario.
So rather than heal, Itachi pumped more of his Dark Curses Sorcerer energy into expanding the soul flames.
"An illusion?"
Aizen smiled gently and shook his head. "Is that really your shallow conclusion?"
He wasn't mocking him.
If it were just about combat talent, Itachi was indeed strong—but mentally, he was a broken, obsessive man.
His mind was riddled with darkness, sin, blood—and lies he told himself to keep going.
He was much like the [Hollows] from the world of the Shinigami.
Layer by layer, if peeled away, all that remained was emptiness and cold.
The bloody truth was unbearable. So he filled the hole in his chest with ideals like the Will of Fire—just like the Hollows.
The moment he stopped clinging to it, his spirit would collapse.
"I thought you were interesting. Now I see… your broken mind is less meaningful than the ambition of someone like the Holy Lord."
"How boring."
Aizen sighed and stepped calmly toward Itachi—then slashed down.
Slash—
Blood gushed like a spring.
Itachi collapsed to his knees, eyes lifeless, clutching Aizen's pant leg with a trembling hand.
How…?
My soul fire… didn't work? No. I never even cast it. I just stood there… and let him kill me.
So that's what it was.
A terrifying ability—to deceive the senses.
Itachi's hand fell limp, the light fading from his eyes like a dimming glass bead.
"Now, it's time for me to destroy Konoha."
Aizen sneered, glanced at Itachi's body, chuckled lightly, and turned to leave.
He had only taken two steps—
When a flaming orange warrior, clad in armor, stabbed a glowing Totsuka Blade straight through his heart.
Aizen's body froze. He turned, his face filled with shock and disbelief.
There stood Uchiha Itachi, perfectly intact—his wounds fully healed.
It was as if time had reversed.
Except his right eye had gone dim, his Mangekyō Sharingan dull.
"Aizen Sōsuke… you're a powerful enemy. No matter what your ambition is, I will stop you. I won't let you harm Konoha."
Itachi gasped for breath, still adjusting to having returned from death.
He had used a Mangekyō Sharingan to activate [Izanagi], rewriting reality itself.
It was known as the most powerful genjutsu in the ninja world.
"Tsukuyomi was fake, yes. But Izanagi… turns illusion into truth. My dream—the Will of Fire—will be realized."
Itachi clearly still took Aizen's earlier taunt to heart.
"Is that so?"
Aizen tried to escape, but felt the sealing power radiating from the Totsuka Blade. As an Uchiha, Itachi's Susanoo naturally came with two legendary tools.
Now both had been upgraded to Tier 2, more than enough to seal Aizen completely.
"You let me kill you on purpose… then waited for me to lower my guard and counterattacked with this forbidden technique. Brilliant!"
Aizen's eyes filled with unwillingness, fury, frustration, and regret.
Then, he smirked bitterly. "Still… another Sharingan trick, huh? In the end, it was the Uchiha bloodline that defeated me. Yet you slaughtered your entire clan. Even the abyss would reject someone like you."
"As long as I can protect Konoha."
Itachi's chest ached at the mention of the Uchiha—but his expression remained calm.
He knew Aizen was stalling. He wasn't about to let him escape the Totsuka's seal.
"Once I kill you… I'll report to the Hokage and accept punishment."
He tightened his grip on the blade.
The sealing power surged, consuming Aizen completely.
Before Itachi could catch his breath—
Several kunai landed at his feet.
Members of the [Shadow Organization], alerted by the commotion, arrived and were stunned to see Captain Aizen's bloodstained haori.
"Uchiha Itachi, are you insane?!"
"How dare you—sneak into Konoha and kill Captain Aizen?!"
Their eyes were bloodshot. Fury flared in the air.
Itachi opened his mouth. "It was all a lie. Aizen was a disguised enemy trying to destroy Konoha."
"I think you are the enemy!"
"You heartless traitor! Captain Aizen read your classified file! He told the Shadow Organization that you were a hidden hero—loyal to the village despite your crimes—and he even asked the Hokage to pardon you!"
"Captain Aizen even spent his own contribution points to help get you back into Konoha—and you killed him?!"
A wooden vine emerged from the ground, binding Itachi tightly.
Among the team, Yamato's eyes welled with tears. He shouted, "You monster! Captain Aizen always defended you! He pleaded with the Hokage, gave his points to help you return, and this is how you repay him?!"
Itachi frowned.
The words in his throat were stuck.
He had meant to tell them the truth—that he had become a rogue to prevent a Uchiha rebellion…
But now, he realized they already knew.
And the one who told them—
Was the fake Aizen… the one he had just killed.
How can I explain this now?
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