Gift of Pein
Summary: Itachi was Pein's and Konan's favorite, everyone knew that. He was the youngest Akatsuki ever, even if Deidara joined later. They see him as more than a member of their organization. So how far will Pein go to prevent Itachi's supposed inevitable death and what are the consequences?
Itachi was not caught off guard when his ancestor lunged and instead met him half way, a kunai in each hand, easily blocking Madara's scepter as they clashed. Madara had a feral grin on his face as they locked their weapons like this for a long minute, measuring their physical strength, before they both sprang apart, making identical hand seals as they fell back from each other.
''Katon: Gokakyo no Jutsu!'' The two giant fireballs met half way, the heat of both attacks actually catching the Tree and a few cocoons fell down, only for the Tree to catch them again. The two Uchihas paid it no mind, both running to the left of the fire they had started, once again making hand seals, but this time, they were different, not that they were bothering to decipher consciously which jutsu the other was preparing. Their Sharingan registered it for them, anyway.
''Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku!''
''Suiton: Suiryū Sanrendan no Jutsu!'' The wave of fire was met with three giant dragons made of water, the steam the collision of such attacks blinding Madara for a second, a second that Itachi used to use the Sairento Kiringu to sneak up on him. Still, before he could deliver a deadly blow, Madara sensed him and turned around, meeting his kunai with a block of wood that grew from his palm and blocked the blade. When Itachi twisted around to slash at him with his other kunai, Madara jumped back, making a new set of hand seals.
''Katon: Ryūen Hōka no Jutsu!'' Itachi started running, dodging the dragon shaped fire projectiles heading straight for him, being careful not to let them land despite knowing that he could easily absorb them. He wanted to keep his new abilities a secret from Madara as long as he could so that he could use them to surprise the man. So instead he formed hand seals in the quick succession he had learned no one can follow for his next jutsu.
''Suiton: Kaisui Hōdan!'' Madara looked up when he felt chakra kneading right over his head, surprised to see a giant ball of water above him. He didn't even have the time to curse as it crashed down on him, but Madara wasn't going to let the attack get through, so he used his Rinnegan's abilities to absorb it. When the attack was entirely absorbed, he turned to look at Itachi with an impressed grin on his face.
''I am impressed with your mastery of water techniques, Itachi. After all, Uchihas are born with fire in their blood, yet you can so easily control water.''
''I thank you for the compliment, but I would like to remind you that while I normally don't use my Sharingan to copy techniques, it still sees, registers and memorizes them.'' Itachi replied, taking out his katana that was hidden by his cloak. Madara's eyes grew wider in delight and he strapped his new scepter onto his back, picking up his own katana that he had discarded nearby, excited at the prospect of once again clashing blades with a worthy opponent.
''One usually has to concentrate on doing that, but then again, you are special.'' Madara said, getting into the proper stance and preparing for battle, studying Itachi as the ex ANBU did so, too. ''You could learn techniques by seeing them just once without the Sharingan. You wouldn't need to concentrate much, not with your perception.'' He lunged again as soon as the words were out of his mouth and Itachi met him, easily blocking his first attack, whirling around and twisting his katana so that he forced Madara to step pass him, exposing the older Uchiha's side for a clear shot. Madara saw it from the corner of his ye and twisted himself so that his back was to the younger, Itachi's blade meeting Madara's scepter and stopping him from doing any damage before Madara jumped away, twisting in the air to face Itachi again, who was the one to lunge again, Madara meeting each of his swift blows with a just as quick defense.
Not that far away on the Tree and down bellow, Obito and the four Hokage watched the fight, the two Senju admittedly impressed with the fight Itachi was putting up for Madara while Hiruzen and Minato had somewhat proud and wondrous looks on their faces. This was the little boy they had each known as a child. To Minato, it was like a slap in the face how the little five year old he had last seen had grown up so powerful while Hiruzen felt like he had been punched in the gut as he watched, unable to prevent the need for Itachi to fight his own clansmen yet again.
''That must be Uchiha Itachi, the brother Sasuke told us about.'' Hashirama all but whispered, feeling that it would be a disrespect to the spectacle before them if he were to talk any louder. Not that he could. His breath was knocked out of him as he watched Itachi match Madara blow for blow, parrying the older Uchiha like no one's business with an ease that even he had to envy. Madara was no joke to fight against. Hashirama and many of his clansmen (who were not so lucky to escape the Uchiha's blade or fire) could testify to how tough of an opponent Madars can be. The long, wild haired Uchiha had only ever lost to Hashirama, only two times with most of their battles always being ties, and each of the wins Hashirama had fought so hard for had been close calls. Even Hashirama struggled to fight Madara. Itachi's ease with fighting Madara could be written down to him also possessing the Sharingan so they were both able to read each other's movements, but the Sharingan is useless without skill. And the younger battling Uchiha had quite a bit of skill.
''He's talented.'' Tobirama begrudgingly admitted, unable to look away as Itachi forced Madara down against a Tree branch just for the ancient Uchiha to use his Wood Release to be able to sink into the wood and reappear behind Itachi, who me this sneak attack as though he had been expecting it. Something about the young man's awareness of his surroundings was strange to the Nidaime. He himself had extraordinary sensory skills, being able to identfy a person's clan just by sensing their chakra and he knew a sensory type could feel an enemy behind them, but Itachi was no sensory type. It's also something a born sensory type can feel. Yet some of Itachi's actions suggested he could perfectly well feel Madara.
Sarutobi let out a startled and bitter laugh, surprising his old mentors at the sound. ''That boy- no, that man is perhaps the most talented shinobi I have ever met, a perfect ninja. And I knew you two and Minato, also a genius. And Kakashi and many, many more.'' Sandaime looked up to where Madara seemingly made a fatal blow to Itachi, only for that Itachi to burst into dozens of crows and reappear behind him and in two more places, all three lunging at Madara. Two were immediately destroyed but the crows succeeded in their mission and blinded Madara long enough for Itachi to rush him, pushing them both off of the Tree and hurtling down towards the ground. Itachi held on tight to his ancestor as they nose dived towards the earth, Madara unable to shake him off. Itachi suddenly took out some wire and wrapped it tightly around the elder before wrapping his own arms around Madara's waist and starting to spin them in the all too familiar Omote Renge.
The Hokage all winced as Madara slammed into the ground, head first and Itachi jumped away. ''That must have hurt.'' Minato observed as he joined the first three, observing as Itachi made the same hand sighs Madara had not so long ago and released a wave of fire on the ground where Madara had been, only for the fire to be absorbed. Madara stood up, only a bit worse for wear but otherwise perfectly fine, his immortality still all too clear. He might have become human again when he forced Nagato to revive him when he had revived everyone who had died in Pein's Assault on Konoha that day, quite a few months ago, but he had been first called back as an Edo Tensei summon, meaning that his body was immortal. He could only bleed now. That was the only real difference. That, and he wasn't dependent on the Edo Tensei summoner. He could feel pain but no mortal wound could kill him.
Itahi was disturbingly enough reminded of Hidan and his own immortality. Which meant he'd have to seal Madara. Or break the connection between him and the Juubi. Jinchuuriki of the Juubi or any other biju, a Jinchuuriki still dies when their biju is wrenched out of them.
Madara chuckled at his descendant, throughly impressed with the fight so far. Taijutsu, bukijutsu, kenjutsu, doujutsu, ninjutsu ... So far, he had yet to force Itachi to use his specialties such as genjutsu and shurikenjutsu, but the fight was still young. He had still managed to make him use his crows and Madara considered that a great win. His Karasu Bunshin were formidable substitutions. He had not been this excited since he had first used his perfect Susanoo against Konoha and Hashirama.
He suddenly had to dodge as several kunai flew his way, not at all surprised when they rounded back, Itachi's unique style of shurikenjutsu allowing him to control kunai without even touching them with small bursts of chakra placed into each of his weapons so he can control their trigonometry even after they were thrown. He never used it frequently before, since it had been a waste of his rather small chakra reserves, instead using other kunai or shuriken or ninja wire to do the bending, but now that he was healthy ... It would seem that Madara has finally gotten Itachi serious enough if he was going to use his shurikenjutsu to its 100% capacity, something very few had seen or experienced. Or lived to tell about it, for that matter. The older Uchiha grinned, feeling excitement going through him like the greatest high in his life as he used his Shinra Tensei to repel the weapons. He knew it would be useless to do anything else. Not when Itachi was directly controlling them. He turned around back to face Itachi and quickly made hand seals yet again, Itachi quick to follow him, knowing this can't be good.
"Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku!'' Madara released another wave of fire at Itachi, the younger Uchiha having made seals for a defensive barrier. Hidden behind the wall of flames, Itachi put away his katana, tension stiffening his body when he felt it, the black receiver. He growled under his breath and prepared his chakra, knowing that the Chibaku Tensei was forming right over his head. Itachi allowed his red Susanoo to form and grow ans grow until the full Susanoo stood around him, Itachi inside of the jewel on the ancient looking warrior's forehead. Just in time for him to use the chakra apparition to catch the meteor that Madara had made, the Susanoo not buckling but the ground under it cracking up. Still, Itachi alone had been able to stop it where Gaara and Onoki had failed, despite being Kage.
Madara grinned, glad his opponent could stop such an attack. But his grin turned feral as two more Chibaku Tensei created meteors crashed down on top of the first one. This, there was no way Itachi could survive. The red Susanoo did buckle under the weight of these planet destroyers and Itachi hissed as his right eye bled under the strain. He quickly formed extra arms for his Susanoo, now six of them holding up the weight but it wouldn't be enough. Yet he had to stop this. If he didn't, Naruto-kun, Kakashi-san, Kisame, his little brother and that Sakura girl will all die when these three meteors hit the ground. Sasuke was right down there, for Kami-sama's sake! All that stood between the purple Susanoo dome he had made and certain destruction was Itachi and his Susanoo. If Itachi fell, so did they, and if they died, the world was doomed.
'I guess I have no choice,' Itachi thought, feeling his chakra rise in him in a manner he had only practiced before but had never actually tested. A black orb formed in his outstretched hands and Itachi focused on putting quite a bit of destructive power before thinking. The best option would be if he sent it to the middle boulder. The collision of two different black receivers ought to cause a big enough shock wave of energy to utterly and completely destabilize the other two and make the meteors crumble to nothing more than dust and debris. Or a big explosion might take place. Either way, the three meteors will be destroyed and his brother and everyone under the purple Susanoo will remain safe. So Itachi sent the black receiver, seeing Madara's eyes widen in confusion and his mouth fall open in shock as the black receiver slammed into the middle boulder.
A second later, a great explosion with an impressive shock wave rattled the Tree, knocking Madara out of it and forcing Itachi to dissipate his Susanoo. Still, Itachi used Shunshin no Jutsu to appear over Madara, startling the Rinnegan user. The Tsukuyomi master gave him no time to recover and gathered a great deal of concentrated chakra in his right fist before slamming it right into Madara's gut, ten feet before they hit the ground. The force of the impact created a crater as big as the arena for the Chuunin Exams in Konoha, shaking the ground the four Hokage were standing on, making the five awake living shinobi wonder what the hell was going on outside of their little protective shell while Obito only watched with fascination this course of events. There was no way anyone had survived an combo like that!
And yet Madara had, saving himself by forming his own dark blue Susanoo at the last second. Both he and Itachi were panting but Madara now had a half glare, hf excited look on his face. "You have the Rinnegan, too?"
"A gift of Pein," Itachi replied, no longer hiding the faint purple glow of the three rings within his red irises. Madara could see them, could feel their power and ge wondered how he had not noticed before. Oh, this only made things even more interesting. Someone who shared the same powers as him? That someone being Itachi?! He could not have asked for more. "When he revived me, he transfered some of his powers to me, insisting that I am the only one who can stop you. That only I can end this bloody cycle of war. And I intend to live up to his expectations."
"You must have exceeded them by now." The wild haired Uchiha replied with admiration. "But that won't save you. Not by a long shot. This attack has already greatly weakened you. How will you fight," the blue chakra around the white haired Uchiha grew and took shape, easily becoming a full body Susanoo, Madara's pride and joy. "When I do this?" The Susanoo drew out two swords and Itachi felt their power even from where he was standing. ''You're exhausted, Itachi. You know my Susanoo is superior. Not even your great chakra control can last you forever. Not even the powers Nagato gave you will save you. You're not a full fledged Rinnegan user. You should just give up.''
Itachi looked up at Madara with a bored look on his face. His red Susanoo just as easily spread around him but Itachi knew Madara was right. He couldn't stretch any amount of chakra reserves forever. But what Madara didn't know was that Itachi could now absorb chakra just like Madara can. The only problem with that would be that if he tried it with Madara, the other would win in their little tug of war for that energy. After all, Madara naturally had bigger chakra reserves than Itachi so it would be easier for him to tug back his own chakra if Itachi were to try and suck it out. It could even turn out for the worse with Madara taking his own chakra.
'It would seem I once again have no choice,' Itachi thought, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He allowed the foreign energy to start coursing through his body, wondering if Madara will even notice the change. He felt instantly better and stronger when the new energy gave his chakra a boost and he would have smiled at the calming feeling of it had he not sensed a shift in power on Madara's side of the battlefield.
He opened his eyes to see Madara and his blue Susanoo moving towards him, both blades raised and ready to strike him. Itachi moved to intercept him, moving away from his brother's and partner's location, materializing three Yasaka Magatama and firing them at Madara, who countered by repelling them with a strong wave of Shinra Tensei. That moment of distraction was enough for Itachi to quickly materialize his weapons of choice and the two Kusanagi met a Totsuka and a Yata Mirror, the two Uchiha meeting once again in a clash of wills and power.