stonecrandall Page 57
Page 57
He was too arrogant. Because of his arrogance, he estimated Sasuke's strength based on his own judgment, and even rashly fought Sasuke before he had a clear understanding of Sasuke's current situation.
He even wanted to have a coaching match with Sasuke, unaware that he had already committed a cardinal sin for ninjas.
He wasn't particularly skilled in taijutsu to begin with, while Sasuke's taijutsu was already quite good, and with the added advantage of the Eight Gates, it was normal for him to dominate him.
"Sasuke, it seems you've been focusing on taijutsu all these years. But you've gone down the wrong path. The Uchiha's reputation has never been based on taijutsu!" Itachi said slowly.
In his view, Sasuke had gone down the wrong path; the true strength of the Uchiha clan lay in their ninjutsu and genjutsu!
He wants to use this battle to help Sasuke correct his ways.
“Uchiha Itachi,” Sasuke’s voice was as cold as ice scraping, “your narrow understanding of the Uchiha clan is the root of your downfall. True power cannot be confined to one place. You say fame doesn’t lie in taijutsu?”
A tremendous burst of chakra energy erupted from his body, blowing his bangs high and creating a dent in the river water beneath his feet. His blue and white clothes fluttered in the wind.
"Then today I'll show you with your own eyes just how fragile your proud ninjutsu is in the face of mine!"
Before he could finish speaking, Sasuke's hands had already become afterimages, "Fire Release: Great Dragon Flame Bullet!"
What he spewed from his mouth was no longer a blazing white dragon, but a fire dragon that had condensed to the point of almost turning golden!
Its power, temperature, and condensation far surpass any Fire Release technique Itachi had ever used before!
This is the result of mastering fire-style chakra to its ultimate level!
The golden fire dragon roared, and although it was not large, it carried an aura of destruction that could burn everything, and rushed straight at the weasel on the shore!
Itachi's eyes changed drastically; Sasuke's Fire Release technique was far more powerful than he had imagined!
He endured the excruciating pain in his arm and made a hand seal with one hand: "Fire Release: Great Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Itachi's Dragon Flame Bullet is exactly the same as Sasuke's Fire Dragon.
He also cultivated the fire attribute to its ultimate level.
Wind Release: Thousand Faces Wind!
Sasuke raised one hand, and a gale arose. With the help of the wind, Sasuke's fire dragon became even more powerful. With an absolutely fierce posture, it tore apart Itachi's fire dragon head. The remaining golden flames continued to rush towards the shore with the momentum of burning everything!
The astonishment in Itachi's eyes deepened!
Sasuke's ninjutsu was so refined and powerful that it completely exceeded his expectations.
Has Sasuke not only specialized in taijutsu, but also mastered ninjutsu to such a high level?
How did he do that?
Of course, he wouldn't know that Sasuke had an even more talented and hardworking Naruto by his side.
Naruto shared his training experience with Sasuke without reservation.
With the constant Shadow Clone Technique training and sparring with Naruto, Sasuke's progress is perfectly normal.
He didn't have time to form hand seals to unleash a stronger ninjutsu to block, so he could only quickly twist his body to dodge Sasuke's ninjutsu attacks.
The golden flames almost grazed his back, the heat from which burned his skin. A large section of the riverbank behind him instantly turned into a molten, glassy depression, flowing with dazzling red light.
Ignoring the excruciating pain in his arm and the churning of his blood, Itachi's Sharingan spun at high speed, instantly capturing Sasuke's next jutsu seal that was about to take shape amidst the rising steam—[Tatsumi]!
Water Release: Water Severing Wave!
Sasuke's low shout pierced through the steam!
This is a powerful Water Release technique created by the Second Hokage.
The high-pressure water jet, condensed to its extreme and finer than a senbon needle yet capable of cutting through steel, silently and with extreme speed sliced towards the spot where Itachi had just landed!
Itachi's three-tomoe Sharingan was operating at high speed, anticipating Sasuke's attack.
He dodged ahead of time, but the water line didn't dissipate immediately. Under Sasuke's exquisite chakra control, it pursued him like a living thing!
With a hissing sound, it cut off several strands of the weasel's flying black hair, and even carved a straight crack several meters deep and more than ten meters long in the forest behind him!
Earth Release: Earth Rising Spear!
Sasuke's pursuit never stopped!
Before the water subsided and the waves dissipated, he used the force to push off the water's surface, instantly creating some distance and forming another hand seal!
The hard ground beneath Itachi's feet suddenly softened, turning into a swamp in an attempt to trap him. At the same time, several extremely sharp rock spikes, gleaming with a metallic sheen, burst forth from the ground, their target aimed directly at his vital points!
Despite the rock spikes attacking from all directions and the mud beneath his feet, Itachi's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.
His physical movements were clumsy, but his crimson Sharingan eyes gleamed with a cold and efficient light of calculation.
Chapter 89 Sasuke VS Itachi (3)
He used the Sharingan's insight to its fullest extent!
He didn't try to fight back or escape the swamp, as that would only make him a target for Sasuke's next technique.
Instead, it stomped down suddenly and sank in!
At the same time, he instantly completed three basic hand gestures with one hand!
"Earth Release: Earth Current Wall!"
A much smoother and stronger earthen wall than ordinary earthen walls suddenly rose diagonally above his head!
It looks more like a giant skateboard!
Several rock spikes were driven firmly into the sloping earthen wall. The enormous impact instantly shattered the earthen wall, but also successfully redirected the destructive power of the rock spikes in other directions, with some even being bounced away.
Just then, a rock spike landed in front of Itachi.
With the help of the rock spike, Itachi was propelled out in an arc, like a surfer, following the mud and debris that crumbled from the earthen wall!
Moreover, the timing coincided perfectly with a lull in Sasuke's attacks!
The moment Itachi was propelled through the air by the impact, the hand seals were already complete.
Fire Release: Phoenix Claw Red!
Several high-speed spinning shuriken, enveloped in intense flames, precisely pierced through the misty air, emitting sharp whooshing sounds, and shot towards Sasuke's current location and several possible landing points along his evasive trajectory!
These flaming shurikens are not only incredibly fast, but more importantly, the trajectory of each shurikens is unpredictable.
"Hmm?" Sasuke's pupils contracted rapidly.
Itachi's timing was impeccable.
It was a brief period of adjustment after his previous series of ninjutsu attacks, and it also served to both inflict damage and blockade!
Sasuke's Sharingan's insightful perception allowed him to instantly see the deadly trajectory of the Flaming Shuriken.
He swayed rapidly, his toes dipping sharply on the water's surface, narrowly avoiding the three bullets aimed at his vital parts.
However, the other missiles seemed to have eyes, anticipating his movements and blocking his sides and rear.
boom! boom! boom!
Some of the fire shurikens hit the water or the shore, exploding into scorching waves and splashes.
The air instantly became scalding hot and filled with a restless, chakra-like energy.
Just as Sasuke was focused on dodging Itachi's ninjutsu attacks.
A flock of crows cawed and appeared before Sasuke with half of Itachi's illusory body. Itachi's Sharingan eyes spun rapidly.
Sasuke's mind went on high alert instantly!
He tried desperately to look away, but it was too late.
But Itachi's genjutsu had already invaded his optic nerve!
The scene before my eyes suddenly distorted!
Itachi's figure seemed to split into multiple parts in an instant, attacking him from all directions like ghosts.
The chilling killing intent was almost tangible, and Sasuke's muscles seemed to be bound by invisible chains, slowing his reaction by more than half a beat!
"It's over, Sasuke!" Itachi's icy voice seemed to echo simultaneously behind all the illusions.
Both Itachi and Sasuke had the Sharingan with three tomoe, but Itachi's genjutsu only made Sasuke freeze for a moment before Sasuke broke the genjutsu.
However, taking advantage of the cover of the flaming shuriken and the momentary stiffness created by the genjutsu, he appeared behind Sasuke as if tearing through space!
The kunai he gripped tightly in his left hand gleamed with a deadly cold light, and he stabbed towards Sasuke's vital neck like lightning!
This is the real counterattack!
Taking advantage of the brief gap after Sasuke's fierce attack, she distracted him with multiple attacks and then instantly activated her most proficient genjutsu, hiding it in a crow, creating a fatal opening.
Even with his arm and body injured, Itachi's battle intelligence remained top-notch, and in the blink of an eye, Sasuke was in a life-or-death crisis.
Suddenly, a powerful arc of electricity erupted from Sasuke's body. The unexpected attack forced Itachi to pause his attack and quickly distance himself from Sasuke.
Itachi had to praise Sasuke, saying, "You've really gotten stronger, Sasuke."
"However, it seems you didn't acquire these eyes as I instructed." The three-tomoe Sharingan in Itachi's eyes quietly transformed into the Mangekyou Sharingan.
"The difference between a regular Sharingan and a Mangekyou Sharingan is like the chasm between heaven and earth. You should have realized that. You've disappointed me too much, Sasuke," Itachi said calmly.
Sasuke looked at Itachi, his eyes growing colder. Itachi always had a calm expression, even after killing his clansmen and parents.
He seemed devoid of emotion, forever maintaining his rationality.
If someone is an enemy of the itch, it's terrifying.
But if it were Itachi's family or friends, this kind of rationality would be chilling.
Because you don't know whether Itachi considers you family or a friend.
It's like Sasuke once treated him like a good older brother, but Itachi killed their parents in the blink of an eye.
"Is that so?" Sasuke shook his head slightly, making a crisp sound, and looked at Itachi with a mocking gaze: "Then try to defeat me with your Mangekyou Sharingan."
Itachi frowned slightly. Sasuke needed to work on his arrogant personality, or he would suffer when facing enemies in the future.
But he never considered that he himself actually had this kind of personality!
When it comes to arrogance, Itachi is the most arrogant. He never trusts anyone else and only wants to do things according to his own ideas.
When he wiped out the Uchiha clan, he didn't even inform the Third Hokage beforehand and took action on his own.
When the Uchiha clan was massacred, the Third Hokage was completely unaware. If Naruto hadn't informed the Third Hokage beforehand, Danzo could have reaped the benefits and harvested a wave of Sharingan eyes.
Sasuke glanced at Itachi's eyes briefly before looking away.
[It is currently known that one of Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan abilities is the genjutsu Tsukuyomi, but the other one is still unknown, and I cannot reveal my trump card for now.]
So we need to find a way to force out Itachi's other ability!
With that thought, Sasuke's chest puffed out: "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Itachi didn't hesitate either, responding with a Fireball Jutsu.
The two began to pool their chakra.
Although Sasuke's chakra has entered a period of explosive growth, compared to Itachi, who had already awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan, his chakra is still inferior to Itachi's.
Uchiha clan members who awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan experience an inhuman surge in chakra.
Because the eyes can give birth to a third kind of extraordinary power!
This is why there is such a big difference between the ordinary Sharingan and the Mangekyou Sharingan.
It's not just the difference in their eyes, but also the difference in their chakra levels.
He watched as his Fireball Jutsu was gradually suppressed by Itachi's ninjutsu.
Sasuke didn't hesitate; his blood boiled again, and his fair skin turned red. "Gate of Death, open!"
His chakra surged again, but this was followed by intense pain throughout his body.
Sasuke frowned slightly, enduring his physical discomfort, and increased his chakra output.
His Fireball Jutsu, in turn, suppressed Itachi's ninjutsu.
Chapter 90 Sasuke VS Itachi (4)
Seeing the suppressed Fireball Jutsu, Itachi was slightly taken aback. "Even your chakra surpasses mine?"
Sasuke, your progress has truly exceeded my expectations.