Hannibal the Bahamut: I'm glad you enjoy the story. I'll try to be better with uploading faster.
Guest: No sugarcoating things in this story. Yes, the missions will continue after this and go along with the first season. And if enough people want it, I'd be happy to do a second and third season too. I already have ideas for it.
Guest: Everyone has a right to their opinion, but you're gonna have a hard time convincing me that any member of the Justice League could actually defeat an s-rated shinobi from Itachi's world. But I'm open-minded and can have my opinion changed. That's one of the things I love about this fandom.
TheAcceptance: As you'll read in this chapter, yes Itachi still has the Yata Mirror and Totsuka Blade and they play major factors into the outcome of this fight. And no, Wrath doesn't have the EMS, but he doesn't really need it thanks to his healing of any damage done unto him on a cellular level.
Anime hotty lover.18: The Masked Stranger and Wrath are the real deal as it comes to villains. They don't hesitate. You're still the best by the way.
Andresskorskiruiz: hey now, you just want to be a possible spoil machine, huh? Lol, it's all good. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.
1968: Oh, you ain't seen nothing yet if you want epicness. Read this chapter.
Marouan: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Yeah, it unfortunate but time and time again the hero needs that one lass that send them over the edge and into battle. RIP Hal.
Djberneman: I can neither confirm nor deny because of risk of spoilers. But I love your thinking.
Kh fan: It's always great hearing from you. You have definitely a mind for this.
Kinaki747: So many questions, so little time. If last chapter was the gut punch, this one is definitely the knockout haymaker.
Animefreak112097: War is often a cruel thing that can go either way as you'll read in this chapter, but it always has a way of balancing itself out in the end.
Lurker: Bingo, Bingo, Bingo! It took a while, but someone finally got who Wrath is, primarly but not completely, modelled after. Good on you mate. Also, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter
Redflash2008: thanks for the love and support. I'm glad you enjoy this story so much.
Lux arcadia: Thanks, I appreciate it.
Zakriping: definitely some atoning has to be going on. Well, for James more than Carson.
Itachi and Wrath charged straight on as they both were inside of their perspective Susanoo. Itachi's gave out a wild shriek as it made the first strike but executing a wide sweeping uppercut. Wrath's Susanoo quickly side-stepped the move and evaded it. While Itachi's Susanoo was still in the middle of its attack motion, Wrath took advantage and used the new angle he created when he dodged the attack to launch a counterstrike on Itachi's Susanoo by using his own to deliver a powerful left roundhouse kick to the head. Itachi was able to read the attack and quickly counter by having his ultimate weapon check the kick. He then snapped the leg down and landed a powerful right cross the chest of Wrath's Susanoo that knocked it into an abandoned building. Wrath quickly recovered and got into a defensive stance as he mentally prepared for the challenge that was fighting Itachi Uchiha.
'Even when he's pissed off, Itachi is still methodical when he fights. To turn a wild charge into a sophisticated counter that knocked me back despite being at a disadvantage is next level genius. Anyone else would have gotten caught with that kick of mine. Even though he's injured I still have to play it safe. I overused Katamarimasu during my fight with the Lanterns and my control over it has severely dipped. I need to hold out long enough for my chakra to recover so that I may fully use Katamarimasu again. Until then, I have to play defense.' Wrath cerebrally thought.
Itachi eyed his clone down from behind his mask as his Susanoo got into an offensive stance. He wasn't going to let up and allow Wrath room to breathe. Itachi's plan was to smother Wrath with attacks so that he would prevent the clone from using either of his special abilities.
Itachi's Susanoo resumed the assault by launching a volley of punches at Wrath. The clone had no choice but to parry, weave, block, and dodge the attacks. After a short stalemate, Itachi was eventually able to break through when he feinted an overhead right to get under Wrath's defenses and land a small leg sweep. The black Susanoo fell to the ground, but was able to roll with it and get back up. Wrath decided that he would create distance by running away. Itachi's Susanoo didn't let up on the clone and relentlessly chased after Wrath's Susanoo while unleashing a crazed yell.
From the top of Waynetower, Robin and the others witnessed the onslaught being unleashed by Itachi as building after building fell as Itachi's Susanoo rampaged after Wrath's. They didn't know what scared them more; all of the destruction being caused or the rage filled shriek Itachi's Susanoo was letting out.
"This is bad. Very, very bad." Artemis said as she watched the fight unfold. Itachi was currently hot on the trail of a fleeing Wrath throughout the city. The other members of the Team arrived at Waynetower just as another tremor was felt. Artemis ran to hug her friends to show how relieved she was that they were safe.
"I'm so glad you guys are alright. The city has been in chaos and Itachi…Itachi…" Artemis couldn't finish her sentence because of the pang of sorrow in her heart.
"Itachi's in pain…so much pain. And not the physical kind too. His heart is broken. I can feel it all the way up here. Our friend is in agony." M'gann sadly said with tears in her eyes.
Carson started crying when she heard that. She would trade anything to take the love of her life's pain away. She hated knowing that he was in this much pain and forced to fight like this.
"Is there anything we can do to help him? There has to be someway other than standing here." Conner complained.
"At the moment, this is all we can do to help him. We'd only be a liability if we joined the fight. Wrath got us all good. Now all we can do is sit here and hope our friend wins the fight. If he doesn't…he'll be killed." Robin answered.
"We did the best we could by clearing out most of downtown Gotham. Itachi has a clear battlefield. He will not have to worry about civilians getting hurt like how Green Lantern did. We must have faith that our friend can defeat this evil." Aqualad informed.
"Itachi's got this. He's the strongest guy I know. Not to get off topic, but what are those two doing here?" Kid Flash asked as he noticed Carson and James. The whole group turned to look at them now that Wally had brought them up. Carson started to feel subconscious with all of these eyes on her, not to mention that all of them were superheroes. James rolled his eyes at their late observation.
"They were with Itachi when Wrath first struck. Itachi was seriously wounded from protecting them and isn't at 100% because of it. Itachi is practically fighting with one arm." Artemis explained.
"Luckily, Itachi's Susanoo offsets that handicap. But he needs to be careful. Wrath has been ahead of us every step of the way. This attack has gone exactly the way Wrath probably planned it. This means that him fighting Itachi like this was what he wanted all along. I bet he's not just running away from Itachi. My instinct is telling me that this is also a part of his plan." Robin stated.
"What are you saying?" Zatanna asked.
"I'm saying that Wrath isn't running away from Itachi. He's running towards something. And I'd bet anything that whatever that something is that Wrath's running to will lead to something bad happening to Itachi." Robin answered.
"Just great! Is there any way this situation could get worse?!" Wally shouted. And like perfect irony, something else did happen. The group all felt shockwaves from the sky and looked up to see Superman punching the Masked Stranger as they both fell from the sky. The pair fell onto a Lexcorp building that was still under construction with such a great impact. That the foundation of the building they were on even shook. Somehow, the unfinished Lexcorp building was still standing though.
"Me and my big mouth." Wally said as a new fight had just arrived in Gotham.
The Masked Stranger and Superman both crash landed on top of an unfinished Lexcorp building. The impact hurt the Stranger more than it did Superman based on the broken bones the villains was feeling before the chakra mode healed the injuries. The Stranger knew that the fight was just getting started and that it would a vaunting task to face a furious Superman. Said hero was glaring at the Stranger as he struggled to get back on his feet.
"I take it you're finally getting serious based off that trip you just took us on. I can feel the rage permeating from you." The Stranger noted.
"You murdered my friend. Hal did nothing to deserve that. And Billy…what you did to Billy was cruel and evil. Who does that to a child?!" Superman demanded.
"Itachi Uchiha…that's one for starters. This is war, Superman. Stop making this personal. Hal Jordan's fate was sealed the moment he decided to take on Wrath. What's happening to this city isn't in vain. This will lead to a better world." The Stranger stated.
"Don't take you killing my friends and all of these people personal? How am I supposed to take it? This isn't a war any of us asked for!" Superman said as the rage oozed from his voice.
"Look at you. You're filled with such anger and vengeance. Is this is really who the world turns to for hope? Don't you know that nothing ever comes from anger or from vengeance? Only disaster is born from that. Stop looking at the trees and gaze upon the forest for once in your life, Kal-El. How is it that you have the best eyes in the world and yet you still see nothing? Doing things the way you heroes have been doing them has only handicapped this world. I will break those chains, reset the world, and truly make the world a better place." The Stranger said as the villain's bones were close to being healed up.
"You honestly think killing innocent people will make this world better?" Superman asked because he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"These innocent people steal, kill, bully, rape, torture, neglect, oppress, and enslave others. These innocent people have no value for the gift of life, or for its cost. They need rules written in ink just so that they know not to be evil, and yet they still commit those sins anyways. Life is nothing but a cycle of sin that is doomed to repeat itself. The cycle must be broken. You coddle that cycle and hope it'll fix itself. You're more of a villain than I could ever be. You're an enabler who doesn't even know who he's fighting for." The Stranger accused. The shinobi's chakra made started growing stronger.
"I've had enough of you and your lies. I know who I fight for. I fight for the living who cry out in fear to the likes of you! I'm not holding back anymore. You wanted me, well now you got me." Superman declared as he stood up strong and tall.
"Fools like you are the reason why my son was killed. This world needs to change or else it'll always be like this. If you threaten to stand in my way, then I'll show you no mercy. I'll create a world that will be truly good all on its own. Not because heroes like you force it to be good, but because people like me and Wrath let's choose it for themselves." The Stranger declared.
The masked shinobi started levitating as the surrounding chakra cloak grew stronger. Superman knew this fight just got tougher with the Masked Stranger being able to fly now.
"What you see now is my Chakra Mode in its purist form. Its output is so great that even the surrounding gravitational field around me is bending to it; thus allowing me the ability of flight. You say you fight for the living. Well I fight for the dead." That was the last words of the Stranger before Superman flew at him with great speed.
The Kryptonian lifted the villain high into the air and delivered a blow that was so powerful that a shockwave could be seen and felt. The Stranger countered with a kick that did little to no damage to the full powered kryptonian. It created very little distance between the two opponents and Superman wasted no time in closing that distance with his charge. It was almost like a dance with how they were flying at and dodging each other but eventually Superman got the advantage when he kicked the Stranger far enough to mount an attack.
The man of steel then delivered a pair of crushing blows that sent the Stranger flying across several blocks. The Stanger recovered and flew away before a third punch could land. Despite the head start, Superman was able to follow the villain.
'His cloak leaves a trail of lightning when he flies. I won't let him get away from me.' Superman thought as he turned the corner to see that the lightning trail had stopped. The only problem was that the Stranger was nowhere to be found.
"Where'd he-" Superman was attacked from behind by the Stranger who had elbowed the caped hero into a building. Superman didn't stay down long as he charged back at the Stranger and drove the villain down into the ground and drug the villain for about a block or two before being kicked back into the sky. The Stranger didn't let up on the attack and used a red lightning enhanced fisted to punch Superman so hard that he went through at least ten buildings.
'None of his earlier attacks were that powerful, so why did this one hurt so much more?' Superman thought after he went through the eighth building. After going through a few more buildings, Superman was able to stop his trajectory just before he went into another building. It didn't matter because he was hit with a devastating jutsu from behind.
"Fire Style! Twin-Headed Dragon Flame Jutsu!" A gigantic flame in the shape of a two-headed dragon crashed into Superman and sent the hero hurdling into the Gotham River. The Stranger landed right on top of the water and weaved hand signs for the next jutsu.
'Wrath, I've led Superman down here just like you wanted and made sure the other Leaguers won't interfere with your fight with Itachi. After this next technique, that'll be it for me. The future of this world will rest on you. I believe in you.' The Stranger thought after the last hand sign was woven.
"Lightning Style! Limelight Jutsu!" Several streams of lightning shot from the Strangers body and went up into the sky. The streams of lightning combined to form a massive ball of lightning that was sent hurdling into the Gotham River. The result was a massive electrical explosion that engulfed where the Stranger and Superman were fighting. When the light dimmed down, it revealed a facedown Superman that was floating in the river along with dozens of dead fish in the immediate area. The hero was badly damaged, but still breathing. The Masked Stranger saw the hero stirring and was amazed.
"You just won't die. Well by the end of this, you're going to wish you had." The Stranger ominously said before teleporting away. With Superman currently down for the count and the Stranger gone to a hidden place, the fate of the world would be decided by either Wrath or Itachi. And their fight was still far from over.
The battle for the future of the world raged on as Itachi's Susanoo had finally caught up to Wrath's. The orange behemoth charged at Wrath's Susanoo and launched a volley of punches and kicks that halted Wrath's progress. Because he still was trying to recover from his previous fight with the Green Lanterns, Wrath had no choice but to block and dodge. Itachi was relentless with his pursuit though and was able to land a strong roundhouse left kick that dropped Wrath's Susanoo to the ground after an intense jab-cross-hook combination. Itachi's Susanoo quickly got into a full mount so that he could strike down his defenseless clone.
'Look at everything that has happened because of my foolish decisions. All I'm ever good for is watching people around me die. That's all these eyes are good for; watching. I never should have trusted my teammates and waited. I should have gone with my first instinct and fought you all alone from the very start. But I left it to others like Hal Jordan and it got him killed. I'm a failure here just like I am in my own world. I wish I had just stayed dead. None of this would have happened I wasn't brought back to life.' Itachi angrily thought as his Susanoo struck Wrath's in the face. The blow was so strong that part of the Susanoo's face was unrecognizable. Wrath had a stoic look as he could feel the tormented thoughts Itachi was thinking. M'gann could hear them too and cried at how hard he blamed himself.
"Itachi is in so much pain. I haven't seen him in this much emotional turmoil since he said goodbye to his brother after leaving his village. He thinks this is his fault and that we blame him. He wants to go back to being alone in the darkness. Itachi even wishes that he was dead and thinks we should too." M'gann sadly informed her friends.
"No, he's wrong! We don't blame him and we don't want him to die. Itachi is and always will be my friend. And when he wins I'm gonna knock him upside his head for even thinking that. Doesn't he know we all think of him as family? How much we care about him?!" Artemis proclaimed.
"Yeah! He's gonna win and fix all of this." Wally added that mostly every agreed with. Two people had different thoughts; M'gann and Carson. Carson didn't know what to think. She only hoped that Itachi lived through this so she could apologies for what she did. M'gann had even darker thoughts.
'Yeah, Itachi may win and undo the damage done here. He's definitely strong enough to. But that's not Itachi fighting Wrath, not the one we know at least. This is more like the Itachi of the Akatsuki. His heart is just as dark and lonely as it was back then. It's scary. Itachi may be able to fix all of this, but how on Earth are we ever going to be able to fix everything that's broken in his heart?' The Martian thought as the battle continued.
"Why are you so angry? This is your fault. All of this death is happening because you forgot who you really were. You're not the Crow. You are Uchiha." Wrath said to himself.
'I gave Naruto horrible advice back then. To lean on others for help when fighting men like Wrath is cruel. I am cruel. Now because I got the others involved in a fight that stemmed from my choices back in my world, the people of this world are paying the price with their lives. Is this why the Sage of Six Paths sent me here? All these people have to protect them is a failure like me. It's my fault all these people lost their lives. It's because I wasn't strong enough to do what was needed!' Itachi thought as he launched a pointblank Fireball Jutsu that nearly incinerated all of the black Susanoo's face off. Itachi's Susanoo roared in rage of seeing that Wrath was still alive.
Wrath knew that if he didn't act soon, he would be killed. Luckily, he had a few surprises in store for Itachi. The first surprise being that his healing, along with the abilities of his Mangekyo Sharingan, was back and ready for use. Steam erupted from all of the spots that Wrath's Susanoo was injured. Slowly, the black monster was healing itself.
'I should have killed you back when Klarion had separated the adults from the children. No, when I first learned about you I should have used your scythe to cut your head off when I had the chance. I…was foolish enough to think that I could be a hero that refused to kill like Batman or Superman. It was a choice…a choice that I will regret for the rest of my life. I am a murderer…I've been that since I was four years old. Hal Jordan and all of these people of dead because I was too much of a coward to accept that I could never be a hero or have peace for once in my life. But even with that weighing on me, I refuse to take all of the blame for this. This blood is on your hands too, Wrath!' Itachi's Susanoo shrieked as it summoned Itachi's two most dangerous weapons; the Yata Mirror and the Totsuka Blade.
"I am going punish you like how you punished these people. And then I will seal you away with my Totsuka Blade to suffer in Hell for the rest of eternity." Itachi declared as he got ready to attack again.
'Exactly what I wanted you to do! Now this fight can really begin!' Wrath thought as his Susanoo executed bridge to knock Itachi's off balance and used a hip escape to disrupt Itachi's full mount and create a big enough gap to launch a counterattack. Itachi's Susanoo tried to grab Wrath's to reestablish dominance, but Wrath's Susanoo was too fast and kicked Itachi's Susanoo off of it with a Katamarimasu enhanced kick. The kick was so strong that Itachi's Susanoo lost its grip on both of Itachi's ultimate weapons and sent the masked vigilante and his Susanoo into a nearby building.
Itachi didn't stay down long as his Susanoo quickly got back up and launched a shovel uppercut towards Wrath. Wrath's Susanoo veered towards the left to not only dodge the strike, but also so he could go for one of Itachi's ultimate weapons. Itachi saw Wrath going for his Yata Mirror and reacted accordingly.
"Fire Style! Flame Flower Jutsu!" Three gigantic fireballs were shot at Wrath, who had too used a gigantic wall made of Hedoro to block for his defense. When the clone lowered his wall he saw that Itachi had maneuvered so that he was at the best angle possible to strike. Wrath's Susanoo leaped at the last second and dodged just as Itachi's Susanoo caused a giant created from where its punch landed. Itachi rolled with it and continued his attack only this time Wrath was able to move at his full capacity. Wrath blocked and parried every strike from Itachi's Susanoo until the moment he was waiting for happened.
Itachi's Susanoo led with an overextended overhead right to try and take the Black Susanoo's head off. Thanks to his Sharingan, Wrath read it like a book and used Katamarimasu to harden his Susanoo's left hand to deliver a devastating counted that connected clean with Itachi's Susanoo and its jaw. Itachi refused to let that deter him as he summoned his Susanoo's curved blade and used it, along with the now close proximity thanks to Wrath's counter, to cut open Wrath's Susanoo and send the behemoth airborne. When Wrath's Susanoo landed, its entire midsection was exposed all the way down to its ribcage thanks to the cut.
"Just a few more inches deeper and Itachi would have cut me open as well." Wrath noted as his Susanoo tried to get back up. Before he had time to recuperate, Itachi has shot an attack at him. Itachi was deadest on showing no mercy.
"Yasaka Magatama!" Itachi shot off the power jutsu of his Susanoo with every intention of it killing Wrath. Wrath thought fast and summoned another wall of his Hedoro to act as a shield as he rolled out of the way of the attack. Wrath's Susanoo was back on its feet, but Itachi was right on him with a barrage of mighty strikes from his Susanoo. Wrath's Susanoo was hit with a quick right jab that was followed by a snapping right back fist. When Itachi went to use his left hand for a punch, Wrath's Susanoo performed a duck under and got to the back of Itachi's Susanoo. It was the same position he had Hal Jordan in when he changed the direction of that fight too. It was too bad for Wrath that Itachi saw and analyzed this thanks to his Sharingan. Now the masked vigilante was able to counter accordingly.
'Using the same move in back to back fights? Some clone of mine you are. This nightmare ends now. Fire Style! Fireball Jutsu!' Itachi weaved his hand signs and had his Susanoo fire the fireball towards the ground beneath them before Wrath could establish a good grip on him. The explosion as a result of the blast sent both of the humanoid avatars airborne, but it was Itachi's Susanoo that took advantage of it and was able to land right on top of his opponent. Itachi got right back into full mount just like before and began to rain down punches on Wrath's Susanoo. For some reason though, Wrath simply settle for covering up and blocking as much as possible. He didn't even try to use either ability of his Sharingan.
Itachi's friends began to cheer at the sight of this. It was looking like Itachi was on his way to winning this fight after using that genius counter. Conner had a serious look on his face though which Robin noticed and asked him about.
"What's up? Itachi is about to beat this creep into the ground. Why do you look like it's the other way around?" Robin asked.
"The Earth is rumbling." Conner answered as he tried to pinpoint why that was. Wally was quick with his smart mouthed response, "Yeah, that's because Itachi is caving that clone's face into the ground. We're about to win this!"
"Oh no, this isn't good," Conner said as he figured out why he felt that rumbling and why it was so familiar to him. Everyone got concerned now and asked Conner to explain was going on, "Guys, the last time I felt rumbling in the ground it was because Wrath had summoned his Susanoo right below us."
"Are you saying that Wrath is aiming to take this building down?" Kaldur asked. Conner shook his head and pointed to where the battle was unfolding between Wrath and Itachi.
"No, the rumbling isn't coming from below us like last time. It's coming from the build right behind Itachi." Conner revealed. They all watched in fear of what happened next.
Itachi's Susanoo was still striking Wrath's when a black light started to flash from the behind him. Itachi got the shock of his life when the building behind him tumbled down and a second black Susanoo emerged from the rubble with his Yata Mirror in hand. He saw that the second Susanoo had leapt into the air but was too slow to react as it knocked him off of Wrath using his own shield. Itachi recovered to launch a Fireball Jutsu that was blocked by the Susanoo using his shield.
Wrath had recovered himself and conjured his Shinigami Scythe to mount his counterattack in conjunction with his second Susanoo. Itachi was put on the defensive as both the behemoths ganged up on him with synchronized attacks that his Susanoo was too slow to block. Whenever one went for his legs, the other would attack his body or head. And since they were using weapons the damage being inflicted was very critical. The second Susanoo did a spinning backhand strike using the Yata Mirror that connected with the head of Itachi's Susanoo as Wrath used his Shinigami Scythe to undercut Itachi's right leg to knock timing of Itachi's off. Wrath followed with a front kick to the midsection of Itachi's Susanoo to keep it from regaining its base. The two Susanoo then swapped weapons to confuse Itachi so that his Sharingan couldn't come up with a counter.
Now Wrath held the Yata Mirror and his second Susanoo had the Shinigami Scythe. Itachi shot off a Fireball Jutsu to get some space, but its accuracy was off thanks to a last second shot to his Susanoo's head by Wrath using his Yata Mirror. The fireball missed its target and Itachi had no choice but to cover up and wait for an opening as his Susanoo kept sustaining heavy damage. Both of Wrath's Susanoo were lighting Itachi's Susanoo up with coordinated attacks.
'If I don't think of something fast, I'll lose my Susanoo's humanoid form. Wrath is using one of the weaknesses of the Sharingan to his advantage. Our eyes aren't as effective in handicapped fights as they are in one-on-one fights. And to avoid me coming up with a counter Wrath is constantly switching his fighting style to throw my eyes off. I just need a second in order to take one of them out but they're constantly moving. When I try to attack one, the other comes from my blind spot and knocks my aim off. They're only still long enough…when they switch weapons! That's it! Whenever they have switched weapons Wrath has them both pause for the millisecond it takes to catch the weapons and resume attacking. That's my opening. I'll get him the next time he switches weapons. This fight isn't over yet.' Itachi thought as he got a jutsu ready for when his opening arrived.
After Wrath continued with his barrage of strikes, he had both his Susanoo get ready for a weapons switch. Itachi had seen his opening when his opponents went for another weapons switch. Itachi unleashed a Fireball Jutsu that took out Wrath just as he caught his scythe. That left Wrath's second Susanoo to fight since Wrath and his original Susanoo were currently down for the count. Itachi wasted no time and started attacking the second Susanoo. Though the fight was now one-on-one, Itachi found out that it didn't mean that it would get any easier. The second Susanoo fought like Wrath was at the helm of it, though it was slower possibly from not having Wrath to directly control it.
After an exchange of blows, Itachi decided to end things before Wrath recovered and joined the fight. The vigilante used the black flames of his Amaterasu to try and burn down the current Susanoo. Seeing that Itachi was firing from inside his own Susanoo's head, Wrath's second conjuring countered by using its hand to divert the direction of Itachi's Susanoo and avoid the black flames. The flames wound up hitting the surrounding buildings instead of their intended target. Itachi's Susanoo was then punched in its chest by its opponent and then tackled into a building altogether. Itachi noted a few things as he got his counter ready.
The first was that even though this Susanoo didn't have a controller in its vicinity, it still is able to make strategic maneuvers on its own. It held the head of Itachi's Susanoo away to avoid being hit with black flames and was using its body to block Itachi from moving about without being crushed. It is also using its free hand to break though his Susanoo's armor to get to Itachi. Itachi guessed that Wrath could still have control over it despite not being in or on it. Itachi would be impressed by that feat if it wasn't for the fact that he was currently fighting for his life because of it. The second thing he noticed was that this Susanoo had yet to use either of Wrath's special abilities. Itachi knew that Wrath wasn't one to hold back so that must mean that the limit of this Susanoo is that it can't use either of them while another Susanoo is being used. That meant that it had the defense of a normal Susanoo and could be destroyed like one.
"Fire Style! Flare Blitz Jutsu!" Itachi's Susanoo then unleashed a wave of fire from its body that was so hot that it bisected the second Susanoo like a knife through butter. Itachi then kicked it away so that he had a clear path to Wrath whom has just recovered from Itachi's attack.
"Fire Style! Flame Flower Jutsu!" Itachi launched three gigantic fireballs at Wrath since he felt that he now had the upperhand in their fight. Wrath grabbed his Shinigami Scythe and used them to cut down two of the three fireballs. The third one was too close to cut down and as a result Wrath had to quickly summon a wall of Hedoro to defend himself. When he brought the wall down, Itachi came charging in with his Yata Mirror in hand. The world watched as Wrath met Itachi head on as both powerful weapons clashed.
Sparks flared as the two Uchiha both knew that the end was near. They were both on their last legs. This fight, along with an entire era, would soon come to an end.
The members of the Team were all anxiously watching the stalemate. It was a back and forth fight that didn't have any indication towards how the fight might end. Most of them were optimistic but some had more of a pessimistic view point.
"I don't know if Itachi can win this." Robin muttered. The others all turned to him and stared like he had grown a second head. Robin went ahead since he knew that this would take some explaining, "Itachi isn't fighting like how he usually does. He's not fighting to his normal level of skill."
"Yeah, that's what happens when you start off fighting with one arm. That tends to hinder someone in a fight." Artemis retorted with a hint of annoyance at his opinion.
"Yeah, but don't you think that Itachi still is fighting…weirdly. We've seen Itachi fight when he was virtually blind and put up a better showing than this. I'm just pointing out what I see is all." Robin said in defense of his take.
"In Itachi's defense, he's never had to fight another Susanoo before, let alone two of them with one having one of his weapons. And despite all of that, Itachi has just as good as a chance of defeating this nightmare as anybody else. He calmly analyzed the situation and waited for his moment to strike and was able to defeat one of the Susanoo. Who is to say that he cannot finish the other one off and defeat Wrath?" Aqualad responded.
"He's not fighting to defeat Wrath. Itachi wants to kill him." M'gann sadly said.
"Stop it! Itachi isn't a killer. He's a hero…my hero. I can't tell you how many times he has saved me. He just has to win." Carson said in defense of Itachi.
"We're not saying he's not a hero. He has saved all of us too at one point or another. We're saying that Itachi has had a dark life and sometimes you just can't grow out of that." Robin said trying to soothe Carson.
"What are we going to do about those two? We can't just take them with us after this fight is done, especially with James being the responsible for the creation of Wrath. But we also just can't leave them be because of that same bit of information. What do we do?" Robin telepathically thought to Aqualad.
"We'll wait till after the fight when Itachi wins to make any decisions on that. For now, let's just focus on making sure our friend makes it back home." Aqualad replied.
"Darn it! I just wish there was something I could do. I hate sitting here like a child while our friend is out there literally fighting for all of our lives and is suffering. What point is there to having this 'S' on my chest if I can't do anything to inspire hope?!" Connor vented.
M'gann was about to calm her boyfriend down when a new voice appeared that served as a new beacon of hope that this just might actually turn out okay. Connor looked up to see that the voice came from none other than Superman. Though by the looks of it there was nothing super about his appearance. His suit was torn all over and his was covered in wounds.
"You've all done more than enough by being here for support of your friend. You helped clear out most of the city which is giving Itachi a fighting chance. You need to keep staying here and away from Wrath. That's the best help you all can offer him. Wrath and this Masked Stranger have no problem using, hurting, or killing people if it means they can get to Itachi. I found that out the hard way…" Superman said with sorrow in his voice.
M'gann was getting a strange feeling and decided to peek through Superman's mind. What she say truly shook her to tears, "No, not him. Please tell me it's not true."
"I'm sorry but it is. I couldn't prevent it. All I could do was watch. I don't even know if he's alive or not. And to make things worse, the Masked Stranger got away. I see no traces of that murderer anywhere. I couldn't stop that monster from hurting him, but maybe I can save Itachi from Wrath." Superman said.
"What's he talking about?" Zatanna asked.
"It's Captain Marvel…he's been hurt really bad by the Stranger. He could die from it. There was so much blood on the ground and it all came pouring from out of his neck." M'gann answered with tears in her eyes. The members of the Team all felt like they were just punched in the gut, but none more than Wally. He really enjoyed the company of Captain Marvel. Not just because he tended to do whatever Wally asked, but because he looked up to Wally as a hero and not like some sidekick like the other heroes. Wally had no way of making a silver lining out of this news. He was truly devastated.
"What are you doing?!" Conner demanded as Superman began to levitate off of the ground. They all thought that there was no way he could be of any help in the condition he was in. Wrath would just use the hero to get to Itachi.
"I'm going to help Itachi. He's been carrying this burden by himself for far too long. It's time someone helped shoulder the load with him. I know now that I'm he only one who can. Even if it's just as moral support so that Itachi knows that he's not fighting all alone. I'm proud of every single one of you for the heroes that you all have grown into. You make the League proud. Now keep making the League proud." Superman said as he flew off to assist Itachi in any way he could.
He didn't know what he'd be able to do against someone like Wrath, but he knew that he was done failing for the day. Clark felt it was time for him to earn his title of Superman.
The battle raged on between the two Uchiha. Both the Yata Mirror and the Shinigami Scythe were discarded after the giant clash of the weapons. Despite all of the deceit, the lies, the revelations, the understandings, the murders, the heartbreaks, and the rage; it all boils down to one Uchiha versus another Uchiha.
Wrath had Itachi on the defensive while he was against a building. Anybody watching could see that Itachi was losing this fight right now and would be killed if something didn't change fast. Wrath's Susanoo was landing any hit he wanted on Itachi's Susanoo and thanks to his Katamarimasu hardening ability; each hit dealt devastating damage.
Itachi's Susanoo got hit with a jab-cross-uppercut combination. Itachi covered up to try any block the blows, but Wrath countered that by striking the body of Itachi's Susanoo. It did enough damage to cause the Susanoo drop its arms in recoil which gave Wrath the opportunity it needed to unleash a barrage to the orange Susanoo's head. Wrath's goal was to knock its head off and crush Itachi.
Itachi knew he was in trouble and that he needed to counter or else his Susanoo would get destroyed. Too bad that was a lot easier said than done, 'I need to do something. Wrath is a lot better at taijutsu than when we last fought. He may even be better than me. And his hardening ability only makes this harder. It's unstoppable. But I refuse to give up. Every jutsu has its weakness. Wrath may be better at taijutsu, but I know I'm better with the Sharingan.'
Wrath threw a jab-jab-cross combination at Itachi's Susanoo. Both of the jabs successfully landed, but Itachi was able to have his Susanoo shift its head to dodge the cross from Wrath's Susanoo. Itachi countered with a powerful front kick that pushed Wrath's Susanoo back several feet. Itachi's eyes had finally gotten a read on Wrath's fighting style which meant that the masked vigilante could finally mount his counterattack. Wrath got into his fighting stance and stalked Itachi's Susanoo down, but Itachi knew exactly what was coming.
'He's going to perform a level change at the last possible moment to try to either take me down or push me back against the building to wear me down. He's counting on me to stay passive, but that's how I'm going to defeat him. It's time to go on the attack.' Itachi thought.
Just as Itachi had predicted, Wrath's Susanoo was in the process of changing its level at the last second. Itachi was ready for it and countered by changing his level first and delivering a piercing right cross to left hip of Wrath's Susanoo that was so powerful that it stunned the behemoth. Itachi added on to that with a devastating combination via an overhand left to the crown of Wrath's Susanoo, a right uppercut that knocked the giant back, another level change to undercut its left leg with a hook punch, and ended it with another front kick with enough force that it put the Susanoo on its back.
Everyone watching cheered when they saw the orange Susanoo proceed to pick up Wrath's Shinigami Scythe so that Itachi could deal the final blow. The young heroes reluctantly looked on as their friend was about to kill someone. Carson could barely look at the type of person Wrath had turned Itachi back into. What she felt she helped turned Itachi into.
'Is killing Wrath really the only way to end this?' She just hoped that after Itachi ends this fight that she'll be able to repair any damage she might have done to her bond with Itachi. The other's hoped that Itachi wouldn't kill Wrath, but it seems that the darkness in Itachi had finally come back and taken over the kind boy that was once their friend.
It finally seemed like this nightmare would end. Wrath and his Susanoo lay on the ground as the final strike was about to come. He eyed the upper half of the Susanoo that was bisected slowly crawling towards him. It was still moving and hadn't deteriorated so that meant that it still could serve one final purpose.
Itachi raised the scythe up to kill Wrath but halted when he eyed the bisected Susanoo crawling towards him. It grabbed one of his Susanoo's ankles and hardened the grip so that Itachi couldn't escape. Itachi turned towards Wrath who had a smile on his face.
'It can harden even without Wrath in it?! Wait it's eyes,' Itachi thought as the second Susanoo's cold yellow eyes flared up. He then noticed that the eyes of the current Susanoo that Wrath was in were lifeless, 'He must have switched control to the Susanoo I cut down, but why?'
Then the next event that happened changed the entire playing field of the fight.
"Game over!" Wrath yelled as the bisected Susanoo started to spark in a black light. Then before Itachi could react, a giant pike made of Hedoro sprouted from that bisected Susanoo. It easily towered over even Waynetower. The members of the Team looked on as the fate of their friend was unknown. All that they saw was Wrath's Susanoo impaled and at the very tip of the pike.
"Where's Itachi?!" Carson asked as they looked on at the giant pike. It was eventually Conner who spotted their friend after a few minutes of looking thanks to his Kryptonian vision.
"He's a few kilometers south of Wrath, towards the middle of the pike. It looks bad. Both the right arm and left leg of his Susanoo are basically gone." Conner said.
"I'll go get him!" M'gann said as she started to fly but Robin stopped her.
"You can't go out there! Wrath will kill you. Superman is already on his way and he hasn't even made a move yet. We have to wait till we know for sure that we won't hinder Itachi before going out there." Robin said as he tried to reason with M'gann.
"But it looks like Wrath got it worse than Itachi. He's not going to hurt anyone else ever again." Wally said.
"Yeah, but there is a problem. That pike came from Wrath's attack. Why would he perform an attack that would cause him more damage than Itachi? That is not the Wrath we've been fighting for all of this time." Kaldur surmised.
"What are you trying to say?" Zatanna asked.
"He's saying that Wrath isn't done. This is all a part of his plan. Wrath doesn't believe in ties. That monster wants total annihilation. He must have a way to continue fighting after this. He'd never risk such a desperate move otherwise." Robin concluded.
"Looks like you're right," The others turned towards Conner as he looked on at the pike. They saw the gloomy look on his face and knew that bad news was coming, "Wrath is moving again."
Back on the pike, Itachi looked on as he tried to regain his bearings. He knew that Wrath would try his best to kill him, but he never thought that he'd risk killing himself in order to do it. As Itachi tried to assess the damage done to his Susanoo, he saw that miraculously Wrath had survived despite his Susanoo being completely impaled.
'My Susanoo seems to be missing an arm and a leg, but at least this fight is over. But I still have to kill Wrath to be sure that this nightmare finally ends.' Itachi thought as he got ready to move again.
Wrath was preparing his last move of this fight, "This next move will end this fight one way or another. I'm sorry Itachi, but there is no next time for you."
Wrath then exited his Susanoo and dropped towards where Itachi's Susanoo was stuck. He then initiated his final move. Itachi saw his clone be swallowed up in a black light that eventually formed Wrath's Susanoo in humanoid form.
'A third Susanoo?!' Itachi thought as the giant yanked Itachi's Susanoo from the pike, removing the arm and leg that were trapped inside in the process, and prepared to slam the Uchiha straight to Hell. Itachi tried to resist, but with his Susanoo having only one arm he could only do so much as his Susanoo's face was driven into the pike during the freefall. When they both impact with the ground again, a giant cloud of dust could be seen for miles and when the dust settles, Wrath was on top.
"It looks like I win," Wrath conjured an armored blade that grew from his new Susanoo's hand. It would deal the final blow to Itachi. Itachi was out of ideas and quickly running out of time. His Susanoo was hanging on by just a thread and if it isn't destroyed by Wrath with this next attack, Itachi's almost depleted chakra will dematerialize it for sure. Itachi's only hope was his Totsuka Blade which, by some miracle or stroke of luck, was just a few feet away, but there was no way Itachi could go for it with Wrath's Susanoo on top of him. But just when all hope was lost, a hero came to save the day.
"Enough is enough!" Superman used his heat beam to melt away the armored blade before I could kill Itachi. Superman was done waiting and decided to try and talk some sense into Wrath before this got any worse. The news helicopters zoomed in to get better audio on what was being said.
"You proved your point, Wrath. The world of heroes is a flawed one. We need to be better in order for the world to truly be safe. The people don't deserve to have this happen to them…what happened to your family all those years ago. You want justice for your family right? Well this isn't the way. Vengeance only breeds more vengeance. I'm the one who is responsible for the state of the world. It is because of me that its villains are still allowed to run free. I have failed in being Earth's protector, but I believe in second chances for everyone. You can get one too, but only if you stop this madness and work with us for a better future. Nobody is too far gone, not even you." He said while trying to reach into Wrath's humanity. This wasn't Superman talking to Wrath. It was Kal-El talking to him. He knows that Wrath came from Itachi so that has to mean that a part of Itachi's kindness is within him too. He held his hand out as lifeline for Wrath to grab before he drowned in the blood and darkness.
Wrath's Susanoo got up off of Itachi's Susanoo and turn towards Superman. Wrath's expression was unreadable. Clark took that as a sign that his words were getting through to him. Behind Wrath, Superman could see that Itachi had retrieved his Totsuka Blade and was getting it ready strike Wrath.
"I agree with you Superman…this madness should stop. I also agree that people deserve second chances; why should I be any different?" Superman exhaled as it was looking like his words might have actually gotten through to Wrath. He saw that Itachi was getting ready to use his sword to end this and seal Wrath away. Itachi took advantage of Superman's distraction and thrust his Totsuka Blade towards Wrath so that he could seal him up forever.
Wrath turned at the last second and caught the blade with a Katamarimasu armored hand. Itachi, Superman, and everyone who knew of the blade couldn't believe their eyes. Wrath's face sported an evil smile as the final step to his plan had been realized.
'He blocked it with his hardening ability. This isn't good.' Itachi thought as he desperately tried to pry his blade away from Wrath's grip. But the armor he had on it made the grip unbreakable.
"I know all about the abilities of that Totsuka Blade. If the blade pierces a person, that person will be sealed away in a hell-like genjutsu forever. Too bad it can only do that by piercing the target. You didn't let me finish, Itachi. I agree in second chances. I tried to kill the both of you once and failed, so why shouldn't I get a second chance at it right now. And I'm going to use your blade to do it!" Wrath's Susanoo then elbowed Itachi's in the head to make it lose its grip on the Totsuka Blade.
Everyone watched in terror as Wrath rip the weapon from Itachi's Susanoo's and plunge it right into Superman's chest. Superman coughed up blood as he felt his life being drained away. He gave Itachi one last look to apologize to the Uchiha before being sealed away into the gourd of the Totsuka Blade to suffer in genjutsu for all eternity.
"Nooo! Superman! Wrath, what have you done?!" Itachi yelled as Superman's cape was left flying in the wind. The world's greatest hero was gone. Itachi summoned a curved blade of his Susanoo to try and attack Wrath but with low chakra, one arm and leg, and a dangerously low level of blood the attack was useless. Wrath easily dodged the attacks and kneed Itachi's Susanoo in the head to drop it to the ground.
"Is this your savior?! The man sent by God to show you the way! Is this really your savior?!" Wrath yelled for all to hear. Everyone watching around the world had just seen what was basically the death of Superman, and pretty soon Itachi was going to join him. All of the young heroes on top of Waynetower had tears in their eyes and fear in their heart at the scene. Even Conner couldn't hold back the sadness he felt from watching his brother die. Artemis, M'gann, and Carson were shattered at the current state of their friend. Even the Masked Stranger watched the scene from far away with an indescribable feeling running through the villain's chest. They all had the same thought, but no one was willing to dare speak it until James eventually spoke up, "Itachi…he's…he's gonna lose."
Itachi tried to muster the strength to get back up, but Wrath delivered a devastating armored punch that dropped his Susanoo again. And to make matters worse, Itachi's Susanoo was beginning to deteriorate due to a lack of chakra needed to sustain it. Wrath picked up Itachi's Susanoo and held it so that they were face to face. Wrath delivered a massive headbutt to Itachi's Susanoo that brought it down to its hands and knees as a sign of dominance. To cap off how bleak the situation was looking, Itachi's Susanoo reverted back to its skeletal form with a badly hurt Itachi who was hacking up blood like back when he was dying from his disease.
"The Crow, the man who is supposed to bring peace to the world and defeat this so-called great evil. Him?! Well in my eyes, the Crow is the great evil! He's supposed to protect you! Look at this weak coward graveling on his knees. Does this man look like he can protect anybody?! He can't even protect himself from his own lies and past! Look at what he let me do to heroes like Green Lantern and Superman! What he let me do to Gotham and its people! What type of savior is he?! What type of God sends a failure like him to save you?! He failed to save his best friend, his lover, his parents, his village, and even his own brother! This man is no hero! He is an absolute waste of time, and I'm done dealing with him!" Wrath shouted as he turned the Totsuka Blade towards Itachi.
Wrath summoned a tower of Hedoro right underneath Itachi's Susanoo. It completely obliterated Itachi's Susanoo and sent the Uchiha airborne. Itachi's mind went blank and time sent by slowly as he fell from the sky. He thought back on his life and how it all played out. Even though he has been here twice before, Itachi still had a hard time accepting that he was going to die.
'Probably because unlike the other times, I still feel like I have so much to do. My mission isn't over. I wasn't good enough to finish it. I couldn't protect the people I cared about. I'm sorry Carson, Artemis, Ms. Yumi and all of the others. I have failed.' That was Itachi's last thought before Wrath rammed the Totsuka Blade through Itachi's chest.
"NOOO!" Artemis and Carson yelled as Itachi was absorbed into the gourd. The reality had finally set in; Itachi was dead. Carson fainted into James's arms as the others watched Wrath drop the gourd of the Totsuka Blade. The entire world looked on in fear and silence as Wrath picked up his Shinigami Scythe and looked towards the horizon. The nightmare seemed to only just be beginning.
"No, I'm your savior. And from now on, this world will change to fit my image. The era of superheroes and supervillains running amok is over!" Wrath said as he rammed his scythe down on the gourd, completely destroying it and sending it back to the Pure Land from wince it originated from.
Wrath smiled with joy as he felt that a big weight had been lifted from his shoulders, 'Did you see that mother, father, and little brother. Everyone in the Uchiha Clan can finally rest in peace for their executioner has finally been punished. Now the world can finally move forward and become better. Our dream of freedom and equality can finally be realized.'
"Justice has been served!" Wrath shouted as his Susanoo roared in victory.
In an unknown world, Itachi stepped forward onto a bridge that hung over a dark liquid. Itachi saw that a woman was at the center of that bridge and walked over to her. As he walked, it started to sink in to Itachi that he was defeated by his clone and would spend all of eternity here as his punishment. Itachi had an unreadable look on his face as he noted his surroundings. Itachi still felt numb even though none of his injuries from the battle seemed to follow him into the genjutsu world. It was like Itachi was missing something, but he just couldn't figure out what it was.
When he got to the girl, Itachi quickly realized who she was by the smile on her face. Itachi could live for a thousand years and never forget that smile, "Izumi."
"So you do remember me, I'm touched." She responded with that same smile on her face.
"I could never forget you. I've thought about you every day of my life after that fateful night. You're even in my dreams…my nightmares." Itachi softly said.
"I'm here because of you," Izumi's smile turned into a leer of rage. Blood started flowing through her eyes, nose, mouth and ears and her eyes turned black as well. Her skin started to decay like a corpse that had been dead for several years, "You made me like this. I loved you."
"I'm sorry. I thought it was my only choice. I had to save-" Izumi snapped at him to cut him off.
"Save who?! Your brother, because he wound up trying to destroy the shinobi world all because of your influence! Madara got a hold of him the moment you died, like a snake in the grass. Your village, because the moment you died Pain wiped out our entire home. You murdered us for nothing! Gotham? Yeah, because you sure did a good job with that. How many people did you let Wrath kill? Or is it this Carson girl I've been replaced with? You just made her watch you die. You are a failure at saving people, Itachi. The only thing you seem to be good at is dying." Izumi harshly said.
"You're just a genjutsu. You're not real. I killed Izumi long ago. I don't have time for this." Itachi harshly said as he walked away. He needed to find Superman and figure a way out of this mess he was in so that he could stop Wrath, 'This isn't over.'
"But it is over. Wrath destroyed the Totsuka Blade after he sealed you away. You're stuck here with me and the others for all eternity." Izumi revealed with her smile again. This time the smile felt evil. Itachi felt all hope disappear after hearing that bit of news. Itachi turned to look at her and saw that the horrible, bloody corpse that she used to look like was back to being his childhood love. Itachi did notice that she said others and asked her about it.
"Who are these supposed others that I'm stuck here with?" Itachi asked. Izumi pointed down below. Itachi looked and saw that the dark liquid that the bridge was over reveal itself as blood. He didn't need his Sharingan to tell him that there were a lot of corpses in the sea of blood too.
"Oh, who you ask? Just everyone who has ever died by you or because of you. They all have been waiting to drown you in the blood and pain that you caused for them. It's what this sea is made of. The blood of all of your victims. You do have a lot of bodies to answer for and thanks to Wrath; we all have all the time in the world with you." Izumi said as she stepped forward.
As she began to step forward, the sea of blood began to rise. "The sea is started to fill more and more as the blood of those who lost their lives to Wrath pour into it. You will drown in blood just like you made all of us do."
Itachi suddenly couldn't move as the sea of blood got to his neck. He felt multiple hands grab his throat and yank him down into the blood. It started with Izumi and his mother and father, but soon the number started to get higher and higher. Before long, thousands of corpses pulled and yanked Itachi at all directions as he went deeper and deeper into the sea. Itachi closed his eyes and resigned himself to this torture for failing time and time again. He felt it was time he received his punishment.
As Itachi drowned in the sea of blood, a hooded figure watched on with great interest. The hidden person stepped onto the sea of blood and prepared to take action, "You're not alone, Itachi. No matter what you tell yourself; you have never been alone. I'm getting you out of here if it's the last thing I do in my wretched life. You still have a world to save, chosen one."
Whew! That's it for this chapter! I know I know. Where the hell have I been? Well, the Navy has taken up a lot of my time and energy. It's not an excuse for this coming out like two months after the last chapter, just a reason. It will never take two months for me to upload a chapter again. I'm not giving up on this story. You all have been to supportive of me for me to do that. Now, I know I'm going to get some major heat and blowback for Itachi losing to Wrath, but honestly this is the only way the story can progress forward. How can a character truly develop if they don't have a fall from grace to climb out of? This isn't an OP character story. It's a storytelling and character development type of story. I understand if you don't want to read because it's not your cup of tea but I won't lie or mislead you into thinking that this is something that is it not. Now for those who read this and do like it, thank you very much. You're the reason I still do this and will keep doing this. I promise you that the payoff will be worth it. Wrath and the Masked Stranger will get theirs. And Itachi isn't as alone in that genjutsu world as he might think. I wonder how many of you can guess who this new hooded character will be. We're in it for the long haul, baby! Thank you for all of the reviews, favorites, follows, and PMs. You guys are the best a guy could ask for. Now let me know what you think of this chapter. Whether it's how much you like it or where you think I could improve. I read it all and take it all into consideration when writing these chapters. I try to never have the same complaint two chapters in a row. Before I go, I want to shout out readers like Kinaki747 and comedyfreak94 for checking up on me. I'm glad there are readers who care about this story to PM me to get my behind in gear and upload a chapter. It keeps me motivated. I'm gonna get started on the next chapter right away cause you guys deserve it! Thanks for all of your love and support. Until next time guys and gals!