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No!
Uchiha Itachi suddenly became alert.
He had just realized something was wrong—Uchiha Haru, who had been standing in front of him, had disappeared.
Gone.
What did that mean?
Once someone is caught in his Tsukuyomi, there is absolutely no chance for them to move.
He was one hundred percent certain.
In other words, his Tsukuyomi hadn't worked on Haru at all.
Itachi's expression turned solemn.
At that very moment, a figure silently emerged behind him, pressing a kunai against his back.
It was Uchiha Haru.
Itachi froze, disbelief flashing across his face.
"You lost," Haru said calmly.
The Root operatives and Anbu watching the fight were all stunned.
What had just happened?
Moments ago, Uchiha Haru seemed to be caught by Itachi's Tsukuyomi. Then he vanished, only to reappear behind Itachi, turning the entire battle on its head.
But none of them could comprehend how it had happened.
Only the masked man's single eye narrowed with caution.
Others may have missed the truth, but he had not.
As a Kage-level shinobi wielding the Mangekyō Sharingan, it would be disgraceful for him to overlook it.
The truth was that the one fighting Itachi had only been Haru's shadow clone.
Everyone knows that a shadow clone possesses only a fraction of the original's power and vanishes immediately upon taking damage.
That was why Haru had disappeared.
The real Haru had been hiding in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment—the instant Itachi let down his guard—to end the fight.
What terrifying strength. What terrifying calculation.
Even the masked man hadn't realized the truth until Haru revealed himself.
But what shocked him even more was the fact that Itachi—with his Mangekyō Sharingan—had been completely deceived by a clone.
It was something he would've once deemed impossible, yet it had happened before his eyes.
This raised an alert deep within him.
Though Haru had injured him previously due to a moment of carelessness, the masked man had remained confident in his own power.
With Kamui at his disposal, few could hope to defeat him.
Haru was strong, but surely not one of those few.
Now, he wasn't so sure.
His organization needed new blood, and he had been considering Haru.
But what use was a subordinate he couldn't control?
If he couldn't dominate Haru with overwhelming strength, then trying to recruit him might only invite disaster.
He still had trump cards—weapons that could obliterate nearly anything in their path.
But those weren't meant to be used lightly.
Better to forgo the risk than gamble with a force he might not be able to leash.
Inside the prison, Uchiha Itachi did not surrender after being restrained. Instead, he immediately performed a jutsu.
"Substitution Technique!"
As expected from Uchiha Itachi—a super genius of Konoha, rarely seen in a century. His adaptability, rapid thinking, and seal speed were all top-tier.
Haru had seen many Kage-level shinobi in battle simulations, but only the reincarnated First and Second Hokage could compare to Itachi in these areas.
Danzo and Orochimaru came close, but fell short.
Seeing the technique activated, Haru didn't hesitate.
He thrust his kunai forward, the cold steel glinting ominously in the dim prison light.
At such close range, missing was nearly impossible.
Especially with Haru's Otsutsuki-enhanced body—his raw physical strength alone placed him firmly among Kage-level fighters.
Escaping him was no easy feat.
But even he was surprised by Itachi's casting speed.
It was nearly instantaneous.
In less than a tenth of a second, his blade lashed out—but something was off.
He felt no resistance, no sensation of steel piercing flesh.
Then, Itachi's form shimmered and dissolved into a cloud of crows.
Illusory. Ethereal.
Haru immediately accelerated the thrust.
Bang!
A round wooden barrel clattered to the ground, a kunai embedded deep in its surface.
Blood trickled down from the blade—Itachi's blood.
Not far away, the scattered crows reassembled, forming Itachi once more.
He stood, pale-faced, his once composed expression marred by streaks of blood-tears flowing from both eyes.
Covering his back with one hand, he faced Haru, warily holding his ground.
Just moments ago, Itachi had taken advantage of Haru's assumption of victory to activate the Substitution Technique.
Though he had narrowly escaped death, he had still been wounded.
Between the earlier cost of casting Tsukuyomi and this injury, he no longer had the strength to fight.
He executed a Body Flicker Technique, disappearing into the shadows.
Haru made no move to pursue.
Now was not the time for an extended conflict.
He also needed a quiet environment to complete his final simulation.
The surrounding members of the Anbu and Root organization were in shock.
Indeed, Uchiha Itachi was extremely powerful.
That much was evident from the battle just now.
If any of them had to face Uchiha Itachi, they wouldn't stand a chance. Most likely, they'd be killed instantly.
But even a genius ninja like him—was defeated.
Defeated by Uchiha Haru.
Although they didn't fully grasp the details of the fight, the result was as clear as day.
Uchiha Itachi had lost.
And the one who defeated him—who exactly was Uchiha Haru?
The masked man's gaze grew more serious, a dark light flickering in his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Every time he encountered Uchiha Haru, the man surprised him. First, there was the raw physical prowess when he annihilated Kuroki Raiga. Then, during their first meeting, Haru had managed to wound him by exploiting a moment of carelessness and even disrupted his Kamui.
And now—he had defeated Uchiha Itachi.
And not with brute strength alone. His skill in genjutsu, ninjutsu, combat strategy, and timing had reached an almost absurd level.
Such a man, if used correctly, would be an immeasurable asset.
But could such a force be controlled?
That question loomed over his thoughts.
...
"What?!"
"Uchiha Itachi was defeated?!"
Danzo's voice trembled with shock, unable to hide the disbelief in his tone.
This was Uchiha Itachi—a rare prodigy not only of the Uchiha clan but of all Konoha.
He enrolled in the Academy at six, graduated in a single year, became a Chūnin at ten, joined the Anbu at eleven.
By thirteen, he was leading an Anbu squad.
He awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan at a remarkably young age.
To be blunt, Uchiha Itachi had reached a realm even Danzo struggled to comprehend.
Yet he had lost.
How could this be possible?
On the other side of the room, the usually composed Third Hokage stared intently at the report in his hand, deep in thought.
This incident had clearly shaken him as well.
"Did Itachi fight at full power?"
Danzo narrowed his eyes, suspicion and coldness blending in his expression.
This was the only explanation he was willing to accept.
Uchiha Itachi must have let his guard down.
Otherwise, how could he lose?
This was the Mangekyō-wielding Uchiha Itachi, Konoha's prodigy. How could he fall to Uchiha Haru, who only wielded a fully matured Sharingan with three tomoe?
It seemed impossible.
In front of Danzo, a few Root and Anbu shinobi who had observed the battle exchanged glances. Hesitation clouded their faces.
That level of combat was far beyond their understanding.
They couldn't tell whether Itachi had underestimated his opponent or not.
After a moment of silence, one of the shinobi spoke up, "Lord Danzo, in my opinion, Uchiha Itachi didn't seem to be holding back."
"We saw Uchiha Haru nearly kill him with our own eyes."
The others nodded in agreement. Even recalling that moment sent chills down their spines.
If that was acting, then it was far too convincing.
"Uchiha Itachi was injured?"
Danzo asked coldly.
"Yes, sir," the ninja confirmed. "Uchiha Haru stabbed him in the back with a kunai. And after using the Mangekyō Sharingan, Itachi was already drained. I believe he was seriously wounded."
"Hmph."
Danzo nodded slowly, brows furrowed.
The Third Hokage sat in silence, deep in contemplation.
No wonder Itachi hadn't returned to make his report. It made sense now—he was injured.
Unlike Danzo, Hiruzen had absolute trust in Uchiha Itachi.
He believed Itachi would serve the village with all his might.
He also believed that Itachi would never fake a defeat.
If he lost, then it meant he truly lost.
There could be no deceit.
His thoughts began to drift in another direction.
How should they handle Uchiha Haru?
Should they watch him get recruited into the masked man's mysterious organization?
Or should they find another way to neutralize him?
Neither option felt ideal.
After everything that had happened, Uchiha Haru likely no longer held any allegiance to Konoha.
In fact, it would be optimistic to think he wouldn't become an outright enemy.
Would someone like that keep Konoha's secrets?
Allowing a potential enemy of the village to remain free was a massive liability.
Killing him would solve everything.
But killing the man who defeated Uchiha Itachi wasn't something they could accomplish easily.
The price would be enormous.
Danzo remained silent, clearly lost in his own swirling thoughts.
He too was wrestling with the same problem.
Who would have thought that, just as the night of the Uchiha clan extermination drew near, such a dangerous complication would arise?
It was going to be... difficult.
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