A fierce wind swept past, and in the line of sight, roaring arcs of lightning surged like the violently churning emotions of a single person.
Figures clashed ruthlessly, the cold glint of weapons slicing through the slanted sunlight as the floor cracked apart, electric sparks sizzling at their feet.
Logan realized he had said the wrong thing the moment he saw the furious charge directed at him.
His classic line, 'It's for your own good', had undoubtedly caused even greater harm. Those words were useless. For Sasuke, shrouded in the shadow of his clan's massacre, such a statement could only provoke defiance, not understanding. Rushing here in haste, Logan had overlooked that.
Clenching his fist, he knew regret wouldn't change the facts.
Boom, boom, boom!
Chakra erupted violently in the air as two figures bearing the Uchiha Clan's crest on their backs clashed, exchanging over a dozen blows in an instant.
He had to do something.
Clang!
After the Chidori, the Kusanagi Sword scraped across the ground, sending shattered tiles flying in all directions. Itachi stepped onto the blade's back, throwing a hook punch straight at Sasuke's face.
Zzzzt…
With a furious roar, Sasuke unleashed a web of Chidori currents, and with a bang, both were sent flying back.
A shadow flickered abruptly as Sasuke pulled out a scroll from his sleeve, yanking it open with force. Countless shuriken spun through the air, thin wires clenched in his grip, as an endless barrage of projectiles rained down like a storm!
Dozens of weapons also appeared in Itachi's hands, who flung out with a cold expression.
On the ground, in the air, kunai collided, shuriken embedded themselves into the rooftop. The relentless clang-clang-clang of metal striking metal never ceased in Logan's ears, denser than a torrential downpour, more ferocious than a swarm of locusts.
This was the Uchiha's Shurikenjutsu… silver threads weaving through the air, bodies darting with no reservations, their killing intent starkly displayed on this stage.
Logan knew the two were pushing their limits, the intensity escalating to a level where an ordinary Ninja wouldn't last half a minute.
Boom!
After another separation, Sasuke and Itachi formed hand seals without blinking, flames erupting.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Two massive fireballs, each seven or eight meters in diameter, collided with devastating force. Crimson flames roared, illuminating the battlefield in a blinding glow, as if determined to reduce the other to ashes.
The scorching heat and tremendous shockwaves forced Logan to narrow his eyes.
This was an unreasonable fight, an unreasonable struggle to the death. Both of them truly wanted the other dead.
Sasuke's expression was strained, his youthful eyes filled with nothing but ruthless resolve, his gaze brimming with an insatiable desire.
Itachi remained cold and rigid, his eyes looking down with supreme detachment, yet in the flickering firelight, there was only hollow silence.
Sweat trickled down their faces.
The searing heat stung their skin. Watching the two brothers, Logan understood the love and hatred laid bare between them, the bonds and torment expressed in their clash.
He realized now, truly, what Itachi had meant by 'power'… something no outsider could interfere with or comprehend.
The younger brother, who had trained diligently under his guidance since childhood, had surpassed all his peers through sheer effort and willpower. They both had something they were willing to stake everything on.
The heat of this Fire Release also burned with the intensity of their hearts.
But humans are selfish.
Like how Itachi bore the weight of sin for Konoha, yet harbored a small, selfish desire to protect his brother.
Like how Sasuke fled the Valley of the End to cast aside useless bonds, willing to become a Missing-nin for power, yet couldn't bring himself to sever the most obstructive bond of all, Naruto, on that rainy night.
So, Logan thought the same way.
Boom!
Sparks scattered as lightning surged past its limits. A flash of blade light, fueled by the utmost output of chakra, sliced straight into the raging collision of the two fireballs!
The air shrieked unnaturally as Logan poured every ounce of his swordsmanship into this strike. Darting between the two, his draw cut was so fast it seemed to vanish, a white flash like a sweeping blade aura, forcibly splitting the two Great Fireballs in half.
The slash sucked away the oxygen, causing the flames to halt for a split second.
With cold expression, Logan slammed his hands onto the ground.
Boom!
Two Rashomon gates erupted from the earth.
Amid the rumbling of the land, he stood surrounded by flames. He would stop these brothers. Even if some destinies were meant to be fulfilled through death and greatness, while others endured through hardship… he refused to follow that script.
At the very least, he would be selfish this once.
The flames, after a brief pause, surged back to life, crashing violently against the two towering barriers.
But given their current states, simply separating them wouldn't be enough. No one would listen to reason. He had to knock them both down.
Crackle… crackle…
The flames licked at the air, their sound gradually fading as the fire weakened.
The towering gates blocked their line of sight, causing both Itachi and Sasuke to frown. They eased their technique, eventually dispersing them entirely.
Bang!
The summoned gates, now charred and blackened, dissolved into smoke.
This sudden intervention brought a brief lull to the battlefield.
"Haa…" Sasuke exhaled deeply, steadying his erratic Chakra. Lowering his hand from his mouth, he glanced at Logan, 'What is he doing?'
Before he could analyze the meaning behind the man's actions, his expression suddenly shifted, as a figure burst through the smoke, charging straight at him!
Clang! A blade came slashing down. Sasuke barely raised the Kusanagi Sword in time to block, but before he could react further, a shadow-fast kick slammed into his side.
Damn it!
Recognizing Logan as the one attacking him, Sasuke's eyes hardened with fury. The piercing screech of birds erupted as he used Chidori Current!
This technique served him well in countless close-quarters battles, however, Sasuke's pupils constricted… the sound of a thousand birds grew even louder.
His opponent's body also crackled with wild electricity. The two currents clashed, neither able to overpower the other.
Sasuke grunted as the kick connected with his ribs, "Tch... So you really are on Itachi's side. Should've just attacked from the start instead of pretending. Pathetic."
Even while taking a hit, Sasuke's arrogance didn't waver. He sneered, barely holding back from rolling his eyes in disdain.
"You two..."
Bang!
Logan ignored him. Without pause, he threw another punch, this time sending Sasuke stumbling back… forcing him to actually look at him sideways.
Crashing into a pile of rubble, Sasuke suppressed his fury and immediately sprang back up, Kusanagi Sword slicing through the air, only to cut nothing. He blinked in surprise, expecting a follow-up assault.
Rubbing his jaw, Sasuke quickly locked onto Logan's figure again, only to freeze in shock.
After knocking him away, Logan had turned and charged straight at Itachi.
"…"
"Senpai..."
Itachi and Logan exchanged a single clash, kunai meeting blade with controlled force.
"Stop this. Don't do it."
The attacks came relentlessly, forcing Itachi into retreat. His feelings about Logan interfering in his fight with Sasuke were complicated.
His first instinct was to make him leave, as he didn't want to cross blades.
Punches collided. Kicks landed. Wind pressure scattered as blades locked mere inches apart. Under this storm of strikes, the coldness in Itachi's eyes deepened.
'Senpai wasn't holding back.'
"Why?" Itachi asked as the sword with Chakra attached to it chopped together firmly, making a crackling sound and emitting sparks.
He couldn't understand. First attacking Sasuke, now him.
In that moment of hesitation, Logan answered, "Nothing much. I still stand by what I said."
"Itachi, I know you won't agree."
In a deep voice with a bit of clarity, he said, "Let me put it simply. I'll beat both of you down, until you can't move, until you're out of Chakra, until neither of you can lift a finger. Then I'll explain things properly. To Sasuke. And you'll just sit there and listen."
"Got it?"
With a crackle, lightning flashed suddenly, and Itachi barely raised his arms in time before the impact sent him crashing through a wall.
The old structure crumbled as Itachi's body embedded into the rubble, skin scraped raw. He stared at his oldest friend, his expression shifting into something detached.
"...I see."
He understood what Logan said, and his originally conflicted mentality turned into calmness.
"If that's how it is..."
Slowly, Itachi stood. Dust slid from his clothes as his gaze cold, unwavering locked onto Logan's.
"Even if it's you, Senpai... I will fight you."
"…"
Logan exhaled, lips quirking into a helpless smirk.
He glanced up at the sky. Then, with a resigned sigh, he beckoned, "Come."