"Megumi, now, right here!"
In the final instant before the earth-shattering pressure of the Totsuka Blade's full-power strike fell upon Makoto's head, his call rang out.
A brilliant white light shot up from one side of Konoha Village, streaked across the sky, and headed straight for the god-like Third Form Susanoo that Itachi had manifested.
Yet that white light was insignificant compared to the sword pressure unleashed by the Totsuka Blade.
Comparing it to a duckweed against the full moon would hardly be an exaggeration.
Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan caught sight of that wisp of white light.
He frowned slightly… the light was coming straight at the Totsuka Blade's sword energy.
'Madness?'
The thought had barely crossed his mind when the next moment caused his pupils to contract sharply.
That white light passed through the Totsuka Blade's sword pressure like a mirage, heading straight for him.
"What?!"
For the first time, undisguised shock appeared on the weasel's face.
Even Obito, who had been watching coldly since the battle began, changed his expression drastically behind his mask.
This technique... reminded him of his own Kamui… a move that could also penetrate physical attacks.
"That is!?"
Black Zetsu, the millennium-old mastermind, was the first to catch on.
But before he could speak, the white light had already pierced through the Third Form Susanoo and reached Itachi's side.
Only then did Itachi see clearly… it was a girl without feet, translucent like a ghost.
Kato Megumi!
"Spirit Transformation Technique!?"
Kakashi blurted out the name of the technique.
He had once heard from his former classmate, Kato Shizune, about a secret technique of the Kato Clan called the Spirit Transformation Technique.
It was an extremely difficult S-rank Ninjutsu.
This technique allowed the user to separate their body and spirit, penetrating physical attacks and defenses for long-range assaults.
In this state, the user as a spiritual entity was virtually invincible.
But such power came with immense risk… the user's body would be completely defenseless. If discovered, they would surely die.
'Could that girl named Kato Megumi be a descendant of the Kato Clan?'
But Kakashi was overthinking. It was merely a coincidence of surnames.
However, Megumi did possess exceptional talent for learning stealth-type techniques… mastering this S-rank Ninjutsu in just a single month.
At this moment, Megumi was lying in spirit-separation state on the floor of Makoto's house within the new Sarutobi Clan's compound.
Her teammates, Ran and Utaha stood guard beside her.
On the battlefield,
In the instant Itachi was stunned, the spiritual-form Megumi entered his body like a possession.
This was the Spirit Transformation Technique's method of attack… invading the target's body to destroy their spiritual world.
Of course, if Itachi were at full strength, even Megumi's technique would have little effect.
But the problem was that after continuously using his Mangekyo's Dojutsu, Itachi's stamina and Chakra were nearly depleted.
Megumi's attack power was sufficient.
"Guh—!"
The next second, Itachi clutched his head, his expression twisted in agony. He staggered and fell to one knee.
The Third Form Susanoo covering his body rapidly shed its armor, retreating from Third Form to Second Form, on the verge of returning to First Form.
"Get... out!"
Itachi snarled, forcefully expelling the spiritual-form Kato Megumi.
By now, Susanoo had reverted to its skeletal First Form.
The spiritual-form Megumi began to fade. She turned to Makoto, her tone apologetic: "I'm sorry, Sensei."
"It's okay. That's enough."
Makoto laughed heartily and charged toward Uchiha Itachi. He reached out to ruffle the ghostly Megumi's head… though he felt nothing at all.
Itachi gasped for breath, using his last ounce of strength to control the First Form Susanoo. The skeletal giant's hand swung toward Makoto.
[Item: Mangekyo Sharingan (Uchiha Fugaku Version) – Activate!]
"Whoosh—!"
Gray-black Chakra blazed from Makoto's body like flames, forming a shield of ribs that blocked the oncoming orange-red skeletal hand.
At this sight, everyone… Obito, Black Zetsu, and White Zetsu watching from above, Kakashi, Kurenai fighting Otogakure and Sunagakure Ninja in the distance, even the Aizono sisters and Mrs. Yukinoshita, who had retreated far away… stared with wide, disbelieving eyes.
Hachiman, shielding Saika, had his mouth agape wide enough to fit a fist. "Th-That's..."
Eriri's voice trembled. "C-Could it be..."
Yukino murmured blankly. "He also has..."
The moment the words fell, the gray-black ribs around Makoto rapidly grew a massive skull and skeletal arms.
It was exactly like the skeletal giant enveloping the weasel across from him.
Susanoo: First Form!
Seeing this, Itachi was also stunned.
The next moment, he suddenly remembered the scene from four years ago… his father's eyes, dug out.
"Yeah, I took them."
Makoto grinned as his Chakra blazed wildly. Chakra Threads like sinews emerged from the gray-black skeletal giant, rapidly forming flesh.
Susanoo: Second Form!
"How is that possible..." White Zetsu shouted in shock.
Their purpose in coming to Konoha was twofold: to gauge the strength of Nishikawa Makoto, the prodigy who had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, and to uncover who had taken Fugaku's Mangekyo back then.
Frankly, if it had been Makoto, it wouldn't be too surprising.
Even though he was only eight at the time, it wasn't entirely impossible.
After all, Itachi had been to war at that age.
But the problem was… how could he freely switch between the transplanted Sharingan and his normal eyes?
It was known that a non-Uchiha who transplanted a Sharingan could never turn it off, constantly draining Chakra, like Kakashi.
Obito didn't answer.
He immediately activated Kamui and charged forward.
Earlier, he had thought it wouldn't matter if Makoto took Itachi's Mangekyo… in his eyes, these two fighting each other meant he, Uchiha Obito, would benefit regardless.
Moreover, Itachi's Mangekyo was nearly used up, so even if Makoto got it, he'd only get a couple of uses out of it.
But now that Makoto already possessed Fugaku's Mangekyo, the situation was entirely different.
If he also got Itachi's Mangekyo, he could fuse them into a new Eternal Mangekyo.
That would make Makoto a major obstacle to his Eye of the Moon Plan.
Just then, Makoto made his gray-black Susanoo punch the orange-red Susanoo across from him.
It shattered with one blow.
Second Form Susanoo was on a completely different level from First Form, and Itachi was barely maintaining First Form.
"Alright, hand over your Mangekyo."
Makoto reached toward Itachi's eye sockets.
"I'm afraid I can't allow that."
In that instant, Obito appeared beside them.
The distant spectators jumped in surprise again, 'When had he gotten there?'
Makoto glanced at Obito.
'Kamui... what a troublesome ability.'
He had to admit, Kamui was one of the most troublesome of all Mangekyo's Dojutsu.
Kotoamatsukami was also broken but had the glaring flaw of a long cooldown.
Kamui had none.
Moreover, it was extremely versatile… from Obito using it to deceive many of the Ninja World's top experts early on, to Kakashi using it against Kaguya later… a testament to its power.
Honestly, this ability would be highly useful even in the Dragon Ball World.
That's why there was a saying among fans in his past life:
It wasn't Wood Release that was strong… it was Hashirama.
It wasn't Obito that was strong… it was Kamui.
Why could Obito deceive so many of the Ninja World's top experts with ease early on, yet after his mask broke during the Fourth Great Ninja War, he was evenly matched even against Kakashi?
Rather than attributing it to Kakashi's 'evenly matched' trait activating-
It was more accurate to say that Kakashi understood Kamui best and knew how to counter it.
Kamui was indeed less effective against Kakashi.
And without Kamui's help, Obito's true strength was on par with Kakashi's.
Currently, Makoto didn't have a good way to deal with Kamui.
But that was fine.
Sometimes, winning isn't about what happens on the board.
Victory can also be found outside of it.
"Obito."
Makoto suddenly spoke, his tone casual.
"You wouldn't want your identity to be exposed, would you?"
At these words, Obito, who had been about to intervene, changed expression drastically.
His movement faltered for a moment.
And in that moment—
Makoto's fingers dug into Itachi's eye sockets.
"Gah—!"
Even with Itachi's immense endurance, the pain of having his eyes gouged out made him cry out involuntarily.