Let It Burn: Life [Sasuke Uchiha]

Chapter 28

The threat that surrounded Sasuke vanished in an instant. The ninja could feel himself returning, opening his eyes to stare at the enemy, who was stoic as ever.

"I take it you saw my true self clearly," Itachi said.

It had been nothing more than a dark illusion. Taking it all in, the teen discarded his cloak and the head wrappings that had once been needed from the wound when fighting Deidara.

"It was all for this moment, huh?" Sasuke questioned. "Finally, it all ends here."

"You said that you see my death, but you cannot win against me because I have the Mangekyou Sharingan."

However, the comment didn't seem to faze the rogue ninja as he began unwrapping the bindings around the wrists.

"I'm afraid your goal will stay an illusion since you do not possess it."

"You can use your eyes as much as you want. But with my hatred, I'll turn the illusion into a reality. And that reality is your death."

Sasuke's arms sprung up, crossing one another at the wrists so the palms hovered over the newly revealed area of skin. Two summoning symbols were in place as a weapon appeared in his grasp. Itachi anticipated the attack, two of his own weapons deflecting his brother's midair. There were hundreds that followed as the brothers drew closer before coming to a deadlock. Suddenly, a clone of Itachi appeared from the side, throwing a kunai with deadly accuracy that made Sasuke's teeth clench.

A snake manifested from his body, wrapping around the teen out of protection. Itachi retreated, watched the animal carefully before it quickly pulled away. A shuriken infused with Chidori ripped through the young man's clone. The attack didn't seem to bother the Akatsuki member in the slightest. As his younger brother engaged head on, Itachi easily tossed Sasuke into a wall. It to crack on impact. The teen became pinned as the fingers reached for their prize.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke."

Itachi ripped the eyeball from its socket. Sasuke screamed in agony, clutching the wound as he slumped to the ground. Just the sight of the blood made him wretch. His body trembled from the searing pain.

"I warned you. Without the Mangekyou Sharingan, you don't stand a chance against me," Itachi said. Now for the other one."

The cursed mark expanded to consume its host. Protect it. Itachi lunged out of the way seconds before getting caught up in the half transformation that affected the younger Uchiha. Now at a distance, Itachi took the eye he aquired and dropped it into a container for safe keeping.

"This is the gap between our powers," Itachi said. "And the gap between our eyes."

From the shadows that cast against the wall behind Sasuke, stood a clone. It caught up the rouge in a headlock as the brother approached to take the second eye. The curse mark consumed the host. Preventing Itachi from moving forward. Sasuke became paralyzed, fingers inches from his face. Then the scene began to glitch and warp, fracturing. The Genjutsu veil was broken and Sasuke came back to himself.

His eye continued to burn from the Genjutsu as reality focused. No longer was this a multilayered illusion. He was able to see properly from the once black hole that threatened to drive him mad. Hatred consumed the teen taking in the full effect of Itachi's Tsukuyomi. The side effects made Sasuke sink to his knees to catch his breath. Clearly, it was not a power to be taken lightly. But at the sight of Itachi grasping his own eye a bit further away, teeth clenched in pain, the teen smirked.

"You..." the young man breathed.

Sasuke stood. He had not been hit by Itachi's Tsukuyomi, but overcame it. He managed to direct it back at his brother with just a regular Sharingan. Itachi wasn't expecting that.