Chapter 100: Victory
"WAAAAHHH——!!!"
Another roar erupted from that miniature Nine-Tails' mouth, shaking the surrounding air! Four-Tails Naruto suddenly raised one crimson giant claw and, with terrifying earth-shaking force, slammed it down viciously on the ground before him!
RUMBLE!!!
The earth let out an agonized wail under the unbearable load! Centered on the claw strike point, a visible, terrifying ripple mixing violent chakra with substantial shockwaves surged toward Uchiha Itachi like a tsunami as she clutched her eyes, trying to ease the severe pain and blurriness from the Tsukuyomi backlash.
Uchiha Itachi's vision was blurred, but her danger instincts instantly sensed the deadly threat approaching. She endured the sharp pain shooting through her eyes and the double vision in her field of view, gritting her teeth as chakra exploded beneath her feet and her form rapidly leaped backward!
Whoosh
However, just as she was airborne with nowhere to find leverage—
Pop!
A menacing claw made entirely of crimson chakra burst out of the ground she had just leaped from without any warning!
The chakra claw grabbed hold of Uchiha Itachi's leg before she could completely dodge.
"!?" Itachi's expression changed drastically.
The next moment, an completely irresistible, extremely violent force suddenly transmitted from the claw!
"Gah—!"
Uchiha Itachi felt the world spinning as the giant claw swung her around and slammed her down toward the hard ground below with tremendous speed.
CRASH!!!!
A teeth-grinding heavy thud rang out. Her body collided violently with the ground without any cushioning. The massive impact made her internal organs feel displaced, her throat turned sweet, and she couldn't help but spray out a mouthful of bright red blood that scattered across the scorched earth.
However, Four-Tails Naruto apparently didn't intend to smash her into pulp just yet. After delivering one devastating blow, the claw suddenly flung the temporarily incapacitated Uchiha Itachi—who had lost her ability to resist due to severe pain and impact—far toward that patch of still-intact forest.
Whoosh—BANG!
Uchiha Itachi's body traced an arc through the air, crashing heavily among the trees and breaking several branches in succession before finally coming to a stop.
Itachi endured the excruciating pain throughout her body and the nauseating discomfort of her displaced organs, struggling to prop herself up from the ground.
Blood continuously flowed from the corner of her mouth, dripping onto the scattered fallen leaves.
Her hands rapidly formed seals before her, chakra pouring out regardless of consumption.
The next moment, several shadow clones suddenly appeared and, like moths to flame, launched a desperate charge toward that crimson miniature Nine-Tails from different directions.
Watching these clones rushing toward him, Four-Tails Naruto didn't even move, simply manifesting several more flexible, tentacle-like crimson claws from his boiling chakra cloak to precisely grab those clones.
Just as the chakra claws were about to touch the clones—
Rather than dodging, those clones actively moved forward to meet them, and at the moment of contact, pre-set traps within them suddenly detonated.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Intermittent but exceptionally violent explosions rang out in succession! These shadow clones were all explosive clones!
Intense firelight and shockwaves instantly engulfed Naruto's several chakra claws. This was one of the most powerful conventional attack methods Uchiha Itachi could deploy without using her Mangekyou Sharingan, especially when genjutsu seemed completely ineffective.
However—when the explosion's firelight and smoke slowly cleared, revealing the scene within, Itachi's heart sank to the depths.
Those chakra claws that had been bombarded at point-blank range by the explosive clones showed no damage whatsoever aside from their surface chakra seeming slightly more active. Not even the tiniest gap had appeared.
'As expected, it's no use...'
But she didn't give up. Almost simultaneously as the explosive clones drew attention, her main body had already completed the seals for her next technique.
"Katon: Hōsenka Tsumabeni!"
She took a deep breath, infusing large amounts of fire release chakra into dozens of prepared kunai, then hurled them with force!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!
Dozens of kunai burning with scorching flames rained down like meteoric fire toward various parts of Four-Tails Naruto's body, attempting to find possible weak points in his defense.
However, these kunai coated with high-temperature flames—the moment they contacted that layer of boiling crimson chakra cloak—
Sizzle—! Like ice cubes thrown into a furnace.
All the kunai along with the flames burning on them were instantly melted and vaporized by that extreme heat and violent energy, transforming into barely visible wisps of smoke that dissipated without a trace.
The attack was once again futile.
Then, under Uchiha Itachi's intensely focused gaze, that menacing beast head made entirely of crimson chakra turned toward her. On that face that should have shown only bestial savagery, a distinctly human... playful expression now clearly emerged.
"ROAR——!!!"
The next instant, Four-Tails Naruto's form moved. Only a circular shockwave that instantly exploded and a massive crater remained where he had been.
Everywhere he passed, merely the aftershocks of his charge vaporized and destroyed everything in his path.
Almost the moment Itachi realized he had launched, that menacing, terrifying miniature Nine-Tails face made of boiling chakra—carrying suffocating heat waves and pressure—abruptly filled her entire field of vision.
So fast...!
This thought had barely surfaced in Itachi's mind, and she didn't even have time to mount any effective defense or evasive action.
BAM!!!
An indescribably heavy punch had already slammed viciously into her abdomen.
"Bwah—!"
Uchiha Itachi felt an utterly irresistible force penetrate her body. She violently spat out a large mouthful of blood as her body flew backward rapidly like a kite with its string cut.
Intense pain instantly swept through her entire body. She clearly felt that at least several of her ribs were broken, her internal organs severely damaged, and each breath became extremely difficult, bringing waves of heart-rending agony.
If Uchiha Itachi could activate Susanoo at this point, Naruto's four-tails power would be completely insufficient. But now, having awakened her Mangekyou Sharingan not long ago—even Amaterasu had only awakened last night—with genjutsu proving ineffective, Itachi was no match at all.
'With this... last night's debt is settled. I won't take your life. As for how to deal with you afterward... I've already agreed with that guy—we'll leave it to Shisui to decide.:
The flying Uchiha Itachi crashed heavily to the ground, rolling several times before stopping. She struggled to get up, only to discover she had completely lost her fighting capability—even lifting a single hand had become incredibly difficult.
She watched that crimson demon slowly approach, its shadow completely enveloping her.
She still had one last resort—expending her final bit of chakra to cast Amaterasu on the Nine-Tails jinchuriki at point-blank range. Those black flames might be able to...
But this thought was snuffed out by herself the moment it arose.
No... if Amaterasu truly worked, and he couldn't break free... Konoha would lose its critically important jinchuriki.
Once the Nine-Tails—their ultimate deterrent—disappeared, the major nations freed from the Ember organization's threat might immediately launch new wars against Konoha... At that point, Shisui's wish to protect the village would be...
Her mind flashed back to the scene of the Nine-Tails jinchuriki protecting Satsuki, those careful, gentle chakra claws...
Finally, exhausting all her strength, she slowly closed her eyes and abandoned any thought of final resistance.
'Next... I'll be killed, won't I... What a... failure... I'm sorry, Shisui... In the end... I still disappointed you...'