Naruto crossed his arms into an X in front of him.
[Wind Release: Rasenshuriken!] He channeled all his chakra into the attack, attempting to block the sharp tendrils. But where the chakra was most concentrated, the tendrils abruptly changed direction, bypassing the gaps in wind pressure and striking him head-on.
The impact slammed him backward, though fortunately he wasn't pierced by the tendrils. At least his defense had offered some protection. But he couldn't tell how much longer he could last.
Just then, he noticed Sasuke had somehow broken free from the demon's genjutsu—and hadn't moved an inch the entire time.
"He escaped the illusion? What about me, then?" Naruto wondered. "Right! He's also trapped inside this genjutsu! We're both trapped in the same illusion!"
That explained why they thought he was interfering.
He wasn't caught in both Itachi's and Sasuke's illusions at once. Instead, each of them was locked in their own mental battle against the other. Their minds were linked—their battle unfolding in everyone's thoughts at once!
Realizing this, Naruto needed to act fast or risk being an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire.
"Come on, think! How do I escape?! There's got to be a way! No jutsu is truly unbreakable, no fighting style completely invincible!"
Sasuke had grown tired of this reunion with his older brother and ripped off his hooded cloak.
"It's over. Time to finish what I came here for."
"You say you've seen my death," said Itachi calmly, as though stating the obvious. "But surely you understand—I am not the one destined to lose. I possess the Mangekyo Sharingan, while you, Sasuke, still have a long way to go."
Itachi's words didn't provoke Sasuke. He knew actions spoke louder than empty words.
"Then show me what your Mangekyo Sharingan can really do. My hatred will make your illusion real—and that reality will be your end."
Hardly had those words left his mouth when Sasuke and Itachi began hurling shuriken at each other, so many it was dizzying to watch.
Finally, they charged at each other simultaneously, clashing midair, both blocking the other's assault.
The force and speed of the shuriken were incredible, clashing with thunderous intensity.
To Naruto's astonishment, Itachi didn't just deflect Sasuke's attacks—he redirected the shuriken back at Sasuke immediately after impact.
Such precise timing and angle control amazed Naruto, who felt woefully inadequate in comparison.
At first, he hadn't even believed such a feat possible—until he found himself dragged into the fray and sliced by several shuriken. Only those aimed at his vitals did he barely evade.
Itachi Uchiha was no mere legend.
After being grazed by dozens of shuriken, Naruto realized a grim truth: Sasuke could keep attacking Itachi freely, but every strike Itachi blocked would be redirected straight toward Naruto.
The battle would rage until Naruto fell, regardless of whether it was real or illusion.
A Shadow Clone materialized behind Itachi, lashing out with a kunai at Sasuke, but a snake shot out unexpectedly, blocking the strike and shielding him.
Itachi's Shadow Clone pivoted toward Naruto, but before their gazes could lock, Naruto launched the sword like a spear aimed directly at Itachi's heart.
Itachi dodged by stepping sideways. In that instant, Naruto executed the Substitution Jutsu, exchanging positions with the soaring blade midair. He summoned another Shadow Clone, which swapped with the sword mid-flight, giving him the chance to grab it again before launching another assault on Itachi.
Itachi's Shadow Clone parried the strike with a kunai, while Naruto's other clone slunk silently toward the real Itachi.
At that moment, Sasuke burst forth from the serpent's protective coil, wielding a Fuma Shuriken and unleashing an attack on both of Naruto's clones.
As the giant shuriken neared the golden-haired clone, his grin stretched wider. He used the Substitution Jutsu once more, exchanging places with Itachi's vulnerable clone—which was immediately hit by the shuriken.
The clone burst into a flurry of crows, exploding outward and encircling Naruto, his clone, and Sasuke.
Itachi's figure wove through the storm of black feathers, swiftly dismantling Naruto's Shadow Clones and, as he had three years prior, kicked Naruto away with tremendous force.
Just before Naruto hit the ground, he abruptly halted mid-fall, emitting a thunderous roar of fury to fight off the pain.
Itachi impaled Naruto's hands to the ground with kunai, ripping clean through his gloves instantly.
On the other side of the room, Sasuke let out a piercing scream of agony.
Itachi nailed him to the wall and plucked his eyes from their sockets.
Sasuke triggered the Cursed Seal's power, temporarily driving back Itachi in order to withstand the agonizing torment of losing his sight.
The unbearable suffering of blindness felt impossible to endure. Naruto believed no one in the world could silently bear such torment—whether real or just genjutsu.
"Itachi's genjutsu is truly amazing…" Naruto thought to himself. At that moment, he felt wooden stakes pierce his body—arms, legs, torso, none were spared.
He felt like his body was being ripped limb from limb. Screaming in pain, he shouted, "Damn it! He's controlling me with his eyes again!"
Naruto was receiving a crash course on how to use the Sharingan to escape dangerous situations, though he definitely didn't enjoy this method of learning.
"My chakra reserves are nearly depleted… I need to shatter this illusion. My sanity is unraveling."
Suddenly, he found the answer.
Just as he realized earlier, within the basic illusions of dojutsu, his consciousness, Itachi's, and Sasuke's were all connected.
His consciousness.
If there was anyone here who understood his mental state better than himself, he was doomed.
If he had been skilled in genjutsu, he would've become a master long ago.
But genjutsu required extremely precise chakra control, and his talent in that area was far inferior to his skill in taijutsu.
Three full hours—that was the time Maki spent explaining the fundamentals of genjutsu theory to him while he waited for his wounds to heal after her surgery.
She had shown him her favorite genjutsu and made him memorize key points and intricate details. It was precisely this knowledge that allowed him to hold his ground against Sasuke and Itachi until now.
But now, thanks to his combat experience, he had not only come to realize that he was ensnared in an incredibly intricate genjutsu, but he still maintained enough awareness to resist—at the very least, preventing Itachi and Sasuke from seizing control of his consciousness in the critical first few seconds.
Naruto was a threat that couldn't be ignored. They had to treat him with the same seriousness they showed each other.
His long-term coexistence with the Nine-Tails had granted Naruto powerful spiritual resistance.
The bloodthirsty beast continuously attempted to manipulate him through whispered intrusions into his mind, yet it was precisely through this struggle that his spirit had been forged stronger, allowing him to withstand even the most advanced illusions.
After years of development, Naruto's inner spiritual realm had taken the form of a perfect replica of Konoha. If he chose to, he could even harness this realm to craft hyper-realistic illusions.
Now, aided by the Sharingan, he had finally attained the ability to perceive the true essence of illusions. It was time to shatter the illusion and break free.
Gritting his teeth, Naruto forced himself to focus and scrutinized his surroundings. Sasuke seemed close to collapsing.
"I have to get out of here fast. If Itachi succeeds, Sasuke is finished—and then he'll come after me."
Ignoring the pain in his body, Naruto looked around. This place was where the three of their consciousnesses converged. So, where exactly was his part?
Under the observation of the Sharingan, Naruto discovered that the illusion was shattered into countless fragments, like inkblot patterns shaped by each individual consciousness.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>