"Kaede… I'm sorry."
"After tonight… my children will once again carry the pride of the Uchiha."
Fugaku silently repeated this in his heart.
Wrapped in the armor of Susanoo, he walked step by step toward "Kaede," lying motionless in the crater.
He still hadn't realized he was trapped in Kyōka Suigetsu.
That power from another world was simply too incomprehensible for ninja like them to detect.
Especially since Kaede had "graciously" transferred most of his spiritual energy into Fugaku's body.
In the pit, "Kaede" didn't move a muscle.
Fugaku, face filled with sorrow, controlled Susanoo's arm to rise…
And then, without hesitation, he smashed it down upon "Kaede"!
BOOM!
The impact made the few remaining buildings around them tremble violently, as if the shockwave would destroy them all in the next moment.
But Fugaku's eyes went wide in disbelief.
"What?!"
His Susanoo hadn't struck Itachi—instead, it was stopped midair by a blood-red chakra barrier.
There was no mistaking it. That was Susanoo!
"Kaede" had only awakened his Mangekyō recently, and he could already use this ultimate dōjutsu?
It had taken Fugaku years of study and effort to unlock the full power of his own Mangekyō.
At that moment, Itachi slowly stood up from the crater.
In that split-second of near-death, his own Susanoo had awakened.
And along with it—his final Mangekyō technique: Amaterasu.
Now, he could turn the tide.
He could even… kill Fugaku in a single strike.
"Forgive me, Father."
A dark red skeleton formed instantly around him, then began rapidly evolving to the next phase—muscle, armor, and more.
Itachi's Susanoo raised its sword and slashed toward Fugaku's.
"Second stage?" Fugaku's pupils shrank.
Without hesitation, he evolved his own Susanoo to the second stage as well.
BOOM!
The clash sent another violent shockwave through the area!
This time, the surrounding buildings finally gave way and collapsed into rubble.
From afar, Kaede turned his gaze toward the battle.
"Tch tch… a clash between two Susanoo—what a rare sight."
In the original timeline, many versions of Susanoo appeared, but there had never been a direct duel between two users.
At most, Itachi and Sasuke fought side-by-side against Kabuto.
"Die already!"
Hiruzen wouldn't miss such an opening!
Noticing Kaede distracted, he swung his golden staff toward him.
"Heh…"
Kaede casually summoned his first-stage Susanoo, raising an arm to block with ease.
Kaede sneered.
"Trying to sneak attack someone in Susanoo? You really are going senile."
Hiruzen didn't flinch. He grunted coldly.
"Hmph! Today, I'll kill the one who disrupts Konoha's peace!"
Kaede laughed. "Yo yo yo, back to being all righteous again?"
Hiruzen's hypocrisy was on full display.
Just moments ago, he had been pleading for peace with a kind face. Now he'd flipped into a bloodthirsty killer without missing a beat.
But then, Kaede raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm? That was fast… the battle's already been decided?"
…
The duel between Fugaku and Itachi was truly spectacular.
Just a few exchanges had already turned half the Uchiha compound into ruins.
If they kept going, they might end up leveling all of Konoha.
But Itachi had no intention of dragging this out.
He needed to preserve strength—for Kaede.
Fugaku was gasping for air, blood seeping through his fingers as he clutched his eyes.
Itachi wasn't faring much better.
Even with Mangekyō, sustaining such intense combat was taking its toll.
"But I've still won!" Fugaku grinned.
"Kaede" was beginning to falter.
Their physical bodies may have remained unharmed, but "Kaede's" Susanoo was showing signs of collapse.
Just a few more exchanges, and it wouldn't hold.
With that thought, Fugaku ignored the pain and launched another attack!
Itachi raised the Yata Mirror in defense.
As expected, after the next clash, "Kaede's" Susanoo became unstable.
It trembled as if it would dissolve at any moment.
"I've won!"
Fugaku roared and charged forward, refusing to give Itachi a moment to breathe.
Susanoo's arm raised high—and Itachi's Susanoo began to regress to its first stage.
He wouldn't be able to block this blow!
But history teaches us: unless your power is overwhelming, a single moment of carelessness could spell death.
Just as Fugaku's Susanoo was about to strike—
A golden light pierced upward through him!
In that instant, Fugaku's body froze.
It felt as if his soul and body had been torn apart.
Totsuka Blade!
The divine sword that could seal anything!
It was a trap Itachi had set since the start of their duel.
Feigned weakness—just for this final blow.
Kaede, still fighting Hiruzen, saw the strike and couldn't help but admire it.
"As expected of Itachi… you really can't underestimate him."
But then a strange smile crept onto his lips.
"Well, I'll let father and son say their final words… and collect what I came for."
With a thought, Kaede released Kyōka Suigetsu from Fugaku.
Back in the battlefield—
Time seemed to freeze.
The world in Fugaku's eyes—no, the people in it—suddenly changed.
His eyes were filled with disbelief.
"You… why… are you… Itachi?"
Those words struck Itachi like a dagger to the heart.
In an instant, everything became clear.
Fugaku had been on his side… but had mistaken him for Kaede.
And so, he fought with everything he had… to kill his own son.
"Kaede!!" Itachi roared to the heavens.
Kaede had orchestrated everything from the shadows—and now he had made Itachi kill his own father!
Seeing Itachi's reaction, Fugaku instead showed a relieved smile.
"So that's how it was… Kaede… you truly are terrifying."
"I wasn't a good clan head, nor a good father. Maybe… this ending is for the best."
Susanoo faded rapidly, and Fugaku looked softly at Itachi.
"Itachi… protect Sasuke…"
The Totsuka Blade began to withdraw, and Fugaku's body turned fluid, flowing along the blade into the sake gourd.
Itachi tried to stop it—but he had just awakened Susanoo, and couldn't control it properly.
He could only watch helplessly as his father was consumed.
But then—
"You should leave the clan's legacy behind before you go."
Kaede appeared in an instant, and without mercy, thrust his fingers into Fugaku's eye socket!
…
(End of Chapter)
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