Anime hotty lover.18 – There's always an endgame to why Ayumi does what she does. Stabbing Carson was definitely not done in vain. And thanks for the compliment!
10868letsgo – I'm glad I was able to surprise you. Thanks!
Andresskorskiruiz – Thanks! You don't know how much that means to me. Oh and just wait till you get to the end of the chapter.
AUfan62 – yeah, sorry for the wait. Life is rough sometimes, lol.
Schullek – I'm glad the surprise got you too. And nice theory! Not all the way right but not all the way wrong either.
NarutoUchiha2055 – Thanks and I'll definitely try to.
Devingo1999 – Oh, I hope you did well on your exams! I hope you liked this chapter because it was deep and fun to write.
Groman17 – Oh just read till the end ;)
Keybladelight – We got a short flashback this chapter but the full origin story comes next. It will definitely fill all of the cracks.
Orion399 – Oh trust me this will get finished. Too many people have supported me for me to let them down. As for a sequel, just read till the end.
Entity9silvergen – Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed my spin on the ending!
Gabe – Yeah, it's always the ones we let get the closest that seems to plunge the knife the deepest.
(Months Ago)
All the way back before Wrath laid destruction on Gotham, Itachi first went to check in on Ayumi. They didn't know it at the time, but it would be the last time they would see one another for a long time. Itachi came to tell Ayumi to leave since he didn't know how the day would end. He also wanted to say goodbye to the woman who had become like a mother to him ever since he first woke up on this Earth.
She always believed in him, even when he stopped believing in himself. The only other person who had come even close to that type of faith in him was Shisui. Even after berating him for his self-doubt, Ayumi wound up giving him sage wisdom and installing belief in him that Itachi didn't feel he deserved. It was always unraveling to him.
"Why do you believe in me so much? All I've ever done is fail the ones I love the most." Itachi sadly asked.
"Because Itachi…I care about you like you were my own son. That is what you mean to me. Itachi Uchiha…my son." She said as sincerely as she could. Itachi was almost moved to tears by her words.
"Thank you. You don't know what that means to me. I'm going to leave now to get Carson and end this nightmare. Please stay safe while I'm gone." Itachi said as they hugged one last time.
"I'll be waiting for your return. Don't let the hate consume you. The Uchiha's are infamous for letting their love turn into hate and allowing it to devour them. The person who wins this fight between you and Wrath will be the person who is finally able to let go of their hatred. The world is counting on you." She said as she released him from the hug.
"I won't let you down. You've been like a mother to me. After the massacre, I thought I had lost my mother forever, but I still feel her love for me. I feel it in you and you will never know how much that means to me…what you mean to me. I won't let you down." Itachi said before disappearing. If only he knew how much of a goodbye this conversation really was…
(Present Day)
Itachi glared upward at Ayumi's Susanoo as the monster kept ascending. Itachi could feel his blood boil with rage and hatred towards the woman he once considered his second mother. The stanchion he stood on blew up in a red explosion as his Perfect Susanoo formed and started soaring right at Ayumi with the Totsuka Blade in hand. Itachi used his Amaterasu to shroud the sword in black flames go add even more power to the attack. Only one thought ran through his mind as he got his attack ready, 'I swear it! I'll kill you!'
Itachi's Susanoo flew at Ayumi and attempted to plunge it's blade through her Susanoo's head. Ayumi countered by using her Susanoo's free hand. Its hand became engrossed in gold electricity before it shot out a bolt of lightning right as Itachi's sword was about to make impact. The result of the clash saw both behemoths being blasted out of the sky and landed down hard into the Gotham River.
Back on the Westward Bridge, the remaining members of The Team had recovered in time to watch the giant clash of between the titans right before both of them fell to the river. Artemis looked on in fear for both of her friends' safety. Conner went over to James to shield him from any of the cars that could possible land and crush him. He saw that the young man was missing a leg thanks to Ayumi and sighed with sadness. Robin came running in with Zatanna to try and stop the bleeding. She used her magic to check the wound for possible infections as Robin got a tourniquet kit ready. James had passed out due to the pain but not before asking about his sister. They didn't even know if Carson was still alive or not.
M'gann and Wally were currently with Carla and the corpse of her husband, Phil. He died instantly from having his throat cut open. Carla grieved over him even as a giant explosion rocked the bridge and had cars falling out of the sky. She made no attempt to move from her spot. M'gann had to quickly fly over and phase her through so that nothing could crush her. Wally couldn't believe all of the blood that was on the woman. He could tell that none of it belonged to her. It was truly a sad scene.
Kaldur and Rocket watched at Ayumi's Susanoo stood up first. Itachi's was slower to get up but it, too, found its way back to its feet. Now that they were both on ground level, the heroes could clearly see that Itachi would be fighting an uphill battle. At large as Itachi's Perfect Susanoo was, Ayumi's clearly towered over it. That didn't deter Itachi as he charged forward with his sword. He repeatedly tried to cut Ayumi's Susanoo down with his blade but none of his attacks landed thanks to a lightning shield that the woman had summoned. After the third attempt, Ayumi blew Itachi away as the shield expanded. Itachi got up just in time to get hit with a gold bolt of lightning that was shot from Ayumi's Susanoo that sent the shinobi flying across the Gotham River. His Susanoo was badly damaged from the attack and he found it hard to move.
Ayumi looked on at her son's futile attempts in sadness as she progressed ahead. She knew that Itachi had better switch his strategy up soon or else he'll wind up seeing Carson die today too. Itachi sported a glazed look on his face as his thought about just how things got to be this way.
'Ayumi…you really were lying to me from the very beginning. I still can't believe it. All this time talking about being a mother to me and me being a son to you. You spoke of love with me as if you truly felt it, but in the end you were only playing me for a fool. Seeing me struggle and get beaten down by life must have been one sick joke to you. I wonder how much you laughed at my suffering. I truly thought of you as a good woman and someone I did love. I still do. You were kind and sweet, and always saw the best parts of me even when I was shrouded in darkness. I would have given anything in the world to truly be in your life forever. Ayumi, you felt closer to me than my own mother did.' Itachi thought sadly.
As Ayumi got closer and closer, she noticed that Itachi's friends were making futile attacks towards her Susanoo. Artemis and Robin were launching their explosive projectiles at the villain, but the Susanoo showed no sign of even being affected by it. Carson, whom was still being held by Ayumi's Susanoo, could feel Itachi's pain and made a last ditch to reach him but using the last of her strength, "Itachi!"
It was almost as if Itachi could feel Carson's worry for him and found the strength to move his Susanoo. He also found the will to keep moving forward, 'A part of me is glad that you wore a mask. You probably were laughing at me from the very beginning. The genius Itachi Uchiha; fooled into thinking he could have peace. The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he didn't exist. But I know he exists. His name is Uchiha. Our first name doesn't even matter, as long as Uchiha blood flows through our veins we will always strive to see the world suffer. Our bloodline is tainted. And you are the Mother of Uchiha? That means we truly are related. The fact that a part of me actually comes from you disgusts me. So that means this evil had to have started with you. Throughout the history of mankind, it's only us who seek to see the world burn. We're a disease…a cancer to all life. I swear that I'll end this disease. I'll do it…by killing you!'
Itachi's Susanoo got up and charged up a jutsu to launch at Ayumi, "Fire Style! Blaze Ball Jutsu!"
Ayumi's Susanoo unsheathed its sword as the black fireball was flying towards it. It shined a great golden color, similar to the sun. That was until Ayumi accessed one of the unique powers of her Susanoo, "You're not the only one with a legendary sword! Go, Masamune!"
Ayumi's blade then turned from gold to black. It gave off the sounds of screaming men as the blade grew stronger and stronger. The Susanoo performed a slicing cut to counter the Blaze Ball Jutsu. A black wave from the sword was unleashed that resulted in the jutsu being completely obliterated. Not only that, but Itachi caught the aftereffects of the blast as his Susanoo got sent flying across the river just from the shock waves.
"That was my Masamune in its Fate Mode. A completely defensive technique that allows me to redirect any attack back at my opponents, only with double the devastation I would have gotten. Give up, son. You don't want to see my blade in its Fury Mode." Ayumi warned.
'All of the powers, yet none of them are useful. I need to save Carson, fast. I can't believe she has the Masamune. That blade's legend is known across history. It's even mightier than my Totsuka Blade. If Fate Mode does this much damage as just a defensive technique, I can only imagine what its offensive technique looks like. There's only one thing I can think of that could help me win this. But before that, I need to save Carson.' Itachi thought as his Susanoo struggled to get back up.
Ayumi's face scrunched up in disappointment as Itachi's Susanoo made it back to its feet. She had no desire to hurt Itachi, but him fighting back only forced her hand. She couldn't use her blade's Fury Mode because it would kill Itachi and reduce the city behind him into ash. Ayumi decided that her Masamune's regular state would have to be enough for now, 'I'll just cut off the limbs of his Susanoo and drag him out.'
She drew her blade and had her Susanoo charge at Itachi as she prepared to follow through with her plan. Itachi saw this and decided that enough was enough. He declared that he would not move nor run away from her. Itachi swung his legendary sword as well as both blade met in battle and clashed as lights of gold and red filled the air.
Ayumi was slowly but surely overpowering Itachi thanks to her Susanoo's overwhelming power and size advantage. She wasn't even using both hands and still was slowly beginning to make leeway in the battle. Itachi took note of this and formulated his plan.
The others watched as Itachi's Susanoo was brought down to a knee as Ayumi's stood tall. It was looking like Itachi would soon lose if this kept up. Miss Martian gasped out of nowhere and quickly flew over to Superboy to relay a message to him. He nodded at her before leaping away somewhere. That confused everyone as they wanted to know where he was going at a time like this.
"Don't worry guys. Itachi has a plan." M'gann reassured.
"Does that plan include losing because that's all that I see happening for Itachi at the moment? That thing towers of Itachi's Susanoo and that sword it has isn't helping much. How can Itachi win against that?" Rocket questioned.
"By using a weapon even more power than one of legend." M'gann replied. That confused the others. The point of being legendary is that there is none above so what could possibly help their friend in a situation like this. Artemis voiced her concern to M'gann, "But how? Itachi's doesn't have another sword to fight hers with. What's even stronger than a weapon of legend?"
"A weapon of God." M'gann answered as they saw Itachi's plan begin to activate. He had his Susanoo hold the Totsuka Blade with one hand as he held it's free hand out towards Ayumi. She didn't know what he had planned but she did not intend to find out, "I'm ending things now! Fury Mode!"
Her Masamune went from gold to red. Screams could once again be heard coming from her sword. Only this time, instead of the sounds men screaming, the blade now sounded of women and children screaming. Itachi decided that it was now or never, "Asura Path!"
The free hand of Itachi's Susanoo began to shift into something completely new. Its fist began to turn into a mechanical cannon and was now aimed directly at the midsection of Ayumi's Susanoo. Itachi powered up his cannon and went on the offensive, "Chakra Cannon!"
Itachi's Susanoo blasted a hole through Ayumi's as the behemoth's sword powered down into its normal state. Ayumi looked down in shock since she didn't know that Itachi even had access to that part of the Rinnegan considering he's never used it before. Itachi didn't stop there as he used another path of his eye, "Animal Path!"
A giant crow that bore a Rinnegan and Sharingan similarly to Itachi emerged from the Gotham River and attacked Ayumi. It soared in the air as rained down multiple fireballs at Ayumi. She managed to cut down a few of the fire attacks, but most of them got threw her defense and did serious damage to her Susanoo. Ayumi had had enough and started to pursue the giant crow. But before she got far, Itachi pulled her back with another one of his eye's abilities, "Universal Pull!"
Ayumi's Susanoo was quickly brought back down to the river, causing a giant wall of water to rise up in response. Itachi's crow added to the assault by launching another fireball at Ayumi before she could recover. It was looking like Itachi was turning the tide of this battle finally. Ayumi was not having any of it and exploded forward with her Susanoo's hand filled with gold lightning, "Lightning Style! Thunder Joust!"
A joust of lightning burst from her Susanoo's hand and tried to pierce through Itachi's defense's, but Itachi reacted fast and summoned his Yata Mirror to stop the attack before it could do any real damage. Itachi followed that up by using the Yasaka Magatama to send her airborne where Itachi's crow was waiting for her. It charged right at her and bit her Susanoo on its right shoulder. Ayumi tried to get it to release her but its grip on her was like iron. Its eyes lit up and the crow let out a pointblank Fireball Jutsu that sent the woman's Susanoo several feet away.
She tried flying away to regroup but Itachi hit her from the ground with the Water Bullet Jutsu. It halted any progress she made and stopped her in her tracks. He continued his water attack from below as his crow continued its fire attack from above, trapping Ayumi in a deadly jutsu combination.
The combination would have defeated most shinobi from Itachi's world, but Ayumi is no mere shinobi. She is the Mother of the Uchiha Clan. She came to the conclusion that holding back wasn't an option for her anymore, "Vapor Style! Steam Blast Jutsu!"
A familiar hot steam was emitted from Ayumi and acted as a shield from both Itachi and his crow's attack. She then got her Masamune ready for a counter attack, "Fury Style! Soul Seal!"
Her blade started to glow red again as she swung it towards Itachi's crow. Itachi watched in shock as he saw his summoning get obliterated from the inside out. Ayumi then performed another jutsu that was aimed at him, "Fire Style! Solar Tsunami!"
A wave of fire was unleashed towards Itachi that forced him to get airborne in order to avoid it. The result was that the Gotham River got hit instead and got so hot from the flames that the river started to boil. Itachi acted fast and used the Asura Path to form another Chakra Cannon for his Susanoo, but once he fired it at Ayumi the results were not the same as before. Her Masamune went from red to black as she slashed towards the chakra blast, "Fate Style! Counter Barrage!"
The chakra blast was cut through and redirected right back at Itachi thanks to Ayumi's blade. Itachi would have gotten hit by it if not for his Rinnegan's Petra Path. It absorbed the blast before Itachi could take any damage from it. Itachi glared up at Ayumi as he thought of his next move, 'All of my jutsu will be redirected by her sword's attack and since her Susanoo is so much larger than mine, physical attacks won't work either. And genjutsu is out of the question with another Sharingan user. If I can get Carson away from her I can use my Amaterasu to burn her Susanoo away but she isn't leaving me with much room to do that either. If only I…that's it! I still have a chance to save her and end this. I just need to time everything just right and hope she doesn't notice what I see.'
Itachi drew out his Totsuka Blade as his Susanoo roared in a fit of rage. Ayumi shook her head in disappointment as she saw him begin to soar towards her with a frontal attack, "Such an attack like that is beneath you my son. If that's how you want to play it, then fine. I'll end you with Masamune. Go, Fury Mode!"
Her blade turned red as she got ready to cross blades with Itachi. The Team watched on in wonder of what Itachi was planning. They had no idea why Itachi was going with such a direct attack considering that Ayumi could blow him away with one attack.
"What is he doing? Does he want to die?" Rocket asked as she saw Itachi get closer and closer.
"No, he's taking a gamble." M'gann replied, "He knows that Ayumi can kill him if she wants to, but he's gambling on the hunch that she actually doesn't want to. She'll pull back in the end."
"So what you're saying is that Itachi thinks this is one big game of 'chicken'?" Robin asked incredulously.
"How can you be sure of that?" Superboy asked. M'gann gulped before answering, "Because Itachi is. I have to believe that he will win."
They saw the scene play out as Itachi's Susanoo finally got to Ayumi's. The mad woman was about to swing at her blade but pulled back at the last second, proving Itachi's gamble correct. At the end of the day, no good mother could bring themselves to killing their children. Her Masamune went from red back to its original gold color as Itachi kept pushing forward. But before his Totsuka Blade could pierce her Susanoo, Ayumi's Susanoo parried it away.
"There was no way an attack like that could get to me. What is going through your head, Itachi?" Ayumi asked.
"That wasn't the attack that I wanted to land, only a diversion." Itachi replied as Ayumi raised a brow at that. Then, before she could react, Itachi's Susanoo stabbed hers through its left shoulder with a black chakra receiver. It paralyzed her Susanoo and caused it to start to freefall. Itachi kept with the onslaught and stabbed her Susanoo with another chakra receiver through its left forearm. She gasped as she felt its grip on Carson start to slip.
"So that's what you were after. And you used the Rinnegan to do it." She lamented.
"I have no idea why you're doing any of this, and at this point I don't care. But from one Uchiha to another, allow me to give you some advice. Next time you hatch a plot to see the world burn, make sure it all doesn't hinge on me unlocking the Rinnegan." Itachi coldly replied.
She tried using her sword hand to get some distance from him but Itachi blocked it with his Totsuka Blade before it could make contact. Itachi's Susanoo gripped the left arm of Ayumi's Susanoo before Itachi launched his next attack, "Almighty Push!"
Ayumi and her Susanoo were blown back towards the ground with such force that its left arm was ripped off completely. A giant geyser of water erupted from the impact of her crash. He had dealt his first major blow to Ayumi but more importantly, he had saved Carson. He tossed the arm over by where his friends were in hopes that they would save her. M'gann caught on quickly as she flew up and phased through the falling arm in order to retrieve Carson and bring her back to the others. She laid Carson down next to her brother James as Zatanna started used her magic to try and heal her wounds. They were both unconscious due to the amount of blood they both lost in Ayumi's surprise attack. Artemis looked down at both of her friends and shed tears.
"One lost his legs and the other has a hole in her chest. You guys are just a tragic pair of siblings, aren't you?" She asked. Wally came up to her side and gave her a look of support. The tender moment didn't last long as Ayumi's Susanoo resurfaced, now one-handed thanks to Itachi, and looked ready for a counterattack.
"Darn it! What does Itachi have to do in order to destroy that thing?" Wally asked in frustration.
"Itachi will figure a way out. Just have faith. The Masked Stranger has to have some sort of weakness. No one is invincible." Aqualad replied as Itachi flew back down to ground level. Superboy thought of his words and came up with an idea, "You're right. She does have weakness…a blind spot. And the best part is we already know what it is, or I should say who it is."
"You mean Itachi? What are you trying to say?" M'gann asked her boyfriend. Conner smiled as he fleshed out more of his plan. He had M'gann use their psychic link to call Itachi over to them before he went into another charge. Though reluctantly, Itachi did what was asked and flew over to where his comrades were at. Conner leapt up to the shoulder of Itachi's Susanoo to speak with Itachi personally.
"What was so important that you called me here while in the middle of battle?" Itachi asked.
"I think I have a way for you to defeat her and finally end this nightmare. You game?" Conner responded.
"I'm open to suggestions. What do you have in mind?" Itachi stood by as Conner relayed his plan. It was risky, but Itachi had to agree that it was the best shot he had at defeating Ayumi. Superboy leapt off of the Susanoo's shoulder but not before Itachi gave him words of gratitude for his help, "When we first met, all you ever did was rush into battle and rely on your own strength. Now you've learned to used your head and rely on your friends. Superboy, you're a hero in your own right now."
Conner smiled at his words. Hearing those words come from Itachi meant the world to him. Itachi drew out his Totsuka Blade and started walking towards Ayumi. She couldn't believe that she lost Carson like that, 'I needed that girl for my plans after the reset. If I don't get her back, things will get complicated. But first, I have to handle my son. Not being able to kill him makes this much more difficult than it should be. It's like I'm fighting with one arm. Now thanks to Itachi, that really is the case. My only hope now is to rip Itachi from his Susanoo and escape. If the rest of the league somehow gets here before I have Itachi, I could lose my only chance of getting him. I can get Carson later, but Itachi has to be taken now. He still needs to learn the truth about his family and why I'm doing this.'
Itachi glowered at Ayumi as both of their Susanoo were slowly walking towards each other. Itachi thought of everything that led them here. The love, the lies, and everything in between that led them to this death fight crossed Itachi's mind and made him sigh, 'Why did it have to be this way? Ms Yumi, what were you thinking this entire time? I guess it doesn't matter at this point. You'll have plenty of time to answer for yourself once I seal you away in my Totsuka Blade. This will be the final exchange of this fight so prepare yourself.'
It was as if Ayumi could hear Itachi's inner thoughts because just as he finished that thought, her Susanoo took flight and exploded forward towards Itachi. Such a frontal attack threw Itachi for a loop because of her Susanoo's blinding speed. Before he knew it, Itachi was being tackled to the ground and his Totsuka Blade went flying out of his Susanoo's hands. It landed behind them and was rendered out of play at the moment. Ayumi decided not to give Itachi any time to recover and used her Masamune. She drove it down several times with the intention of piercing through the skull of Itachi's Susanoo. Itachi used his Sharingan to read the attacks and dodge but with them being at such a close range, he knew he wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer unless he got her off of him.
'I have to get her off of me before she manages to pierce through my Susanoo.' Itachi thought. He had his Susanoo get into an X-guard defense. This way Ayumi would have to overexert herself is she truly wants to get at his head. After two more stab attempts, Ayumi lost her balance and Itachi saw his opportunity for counter attack. He used the wings of his Susanoo to keep her lone arm occupied as he weaved hand signs for a jutsu attack, "Fire Style! Fireball Jutsu!"
At the close range that they were in, the blast did massive damage to Ayumi's Susanoo and knocked it off of Itachi's. Itachi quickly got up and saw that Ayumi already had her Masamune ready. She charged at him with the intent of decapitating his Susanoo. Itachi created a chakra receiver to counter her blade. The result was that they both clashed against each other. Even though Itachi's Susanoo had two hands and a weapon of the Rinnegan, Ayumi's Susanoo was starting to overpower his.
"Give up, Itachi! You can't win. You're my son. I know everything about you, including how to defeat you." Ayumi declared.
"You have had your eyes on me this entire time. Watching and waiting in plain sight. You think you know and see everything about me. That doesn't make you strong, it makes you weak." Itachi responded.
"How so? Because in a few seconds, I'll decapitate your Susanoo and take you back with me. My eyes have already foreseen this to happen." Ayumi warned.
"Your eyes are so focused on me that you forget the first rule of being a shinobi; know the terrain of battle." Itachi said with a smirk.
"What are you-" She couldn't finish as Itachi initiated his plan to crush her, "Universal Pull!"
"What are you-," Before she could react, she felt her Susanoo get pierced by a blade. Ayumi was confused because the chakra receiver still hadn't touched her. It wasn't until she looked down that she saw Itachi's true plan begin to flesh out, "The Totsuka Blade?! But how?"
"When you first tackled me, my blade went flying. That wasn't an accident. I threw it away." Itachi revealed. Ayumi felt her Susanoo get weaker from the Totsuka Blade trying to seal it away. But from sheer force of will, it was able to resist the sealing process. Itachi was both impress and prepared for this, "I see you can resist my blade's sealing powers. Let's see you resist this."
Itachi's Susanoo tripped Ayumi's and brought it to the ground. He drove a chakra receiver into its chest to further add to Ayumi's problems. She now had to now resist both the force of the Totsuka Blade and the infusion of chakra that was coming from the chakra receiver. She had her Susanoo flailing about trying to get it free. She attempted to go airborne to try and wedge free of Itachi's clutches. Before Ayumi got far, Itachi formed and drove another charka receiver into her Susanoo. Her Susanoo quickly crashed back down into Gotham River as the others cheered. Ayumi was getting desperate as parts of her Susanoo began being sucked into Itachi's sword.
"I can't believe it. Itachi's gonna win!" Wally cheered. They all heard Ayumi's Susanoo wail in pain from another chakra receiver being driven into and saw the behemoth stop flailing. It could only muster a meek crawl.
"Of course he's about to win. There's no way he could lose to her." Robin added. They all saw Itachi take the brutality to another level when he used the Amaterasu to burn the wings off of Ayumi's Susanoo. It truly looked like the end was near for Ayumi Uchiha. Everyone looked on with hope that it would finally be over, all except one. Conner had a look of worry on his face for some reason that no one noticed except for Robin.
"Why the long face? Superboy, it's about to finally be over. This masked creep is as good as done for." Robin inquired.
"It about the prophecy Doctor Fate told us about. Something isn't adding up." Superboy said.
"What about the prophecy? This Day of Golden Light was nothing but her Susanoo. And Itachi has firmly defeated it. We're good." Robin retorted to try and put him at ease. Just as he said that, Ayumi's Susanoo let out a deafening shriek that filled the air. Itachi and the other heroes thought it was just because Ayumi knew she was about to be defeated but in reality, It was a precursor for ominous events to come.
"That was loud. She's getting desperate. But what worries me is that her Susanoo wasn't the only thing mentioned in the prophecy. There's the thing of this Great Convergence. The emergence of her Susanoo was supposed to signal both heaven and hell to strike this planet and destroy all of the barriers being held in place to prevent the next convergence." Conner explained.
"Yeah, we were all there when the sky basically cracked open and damn near blasted us off of the bridge. The Stranger's plan has already been defeated." Robin declared to him. The others were beginning to catch wind of their conversation.
"No, I'm also afraid that it hasn't even begun yet." Zatanna said with dread. Just as she said that, Ayumi's Susanoo took a strong grip of the Totsuka Blade and stopped trying to crawl since all of the chakra receivers made it useless to begin with. Itachi found it strange but decided that there was nothing she could do now, 'Just give up!'
Robin gave Zatanna a worried look after she eluded that there was worst to come, "Zatanna, what are you trying to say?"
"We need to get Itachi out of there and leave city, now." Zatanna said as she realized something. Conner let the others in on a theory he had, "You guys weren't close, so you couldn't hear their conversation. But before we got there, The Stranger said that she had been waiting for Itachi for over two lifetimes. And back when the bolt of lightning that hit us from earlier, that was mostly pure chakra. According to Itachi, chakra can't just be stored at random. It had to have been placed there in the sky. And that was the part of the prophecy about heaven striking the planet, but there's more."
"If your theory is correct and she was storing chakra based off the prophecy, then that means the sky wasn't the only place she hid chakra away." Artemis said.
"Heaven striking us down was one lifetime of chakra, but what about Hell? Where has she been storing the other lifetime of chakra to signal for hell to break loose?" Rocket wondered, but Aqualad knew that the answer was in her question.
"Hell, the depths of Hell. She's been storing chakra beneath the Earth's surface. Which means-," Aqualad got his sentenced finished by Conner, "It means that we're all standing beneath another explosion that's waiting to happen."
Just as Conner said that, the Gotham River started to boil. Steam could be seen being emitting across the entire body of water. Conner looked down and saw a massive heat signature that was climbing at an alarming rate, "Oh no, it's happening. She's about to unleash the chakra."
"Itachi! Get away from her!" Artemis yelled but it was too late. Ayumi smirked as she weaved the hand signs to complete the prophecy and open the gateway for the next great Convergence to happen, "Demonic Resurgence Jutsu!"
Itachi had no time to react or pull his blade away because of her Susanoo's grip on it. All he could was watch as an explosion of chakra emerged from beneath them and swallowed both of them in the blast. The explosion took out several piers and the bridge that the young heroes were on. Thankfully, M'gann called her Bioship just in time for help shield them. Itachi, wasn't as lucky as the blast completely eviscerated his Susanoo all the way back to its skeletal form. Ayumi's, on the other hand, rose up now fully regenerated thanks to the second surge of chakra and quickly drew out its Masamune to finish the job.
"And now it has begun!" Her Susanoo let out a shriek as it started to decapitate Itachi's Susanoo. Once it was done, it reached down from inside and took hold of an unconscious Itachi before placing him next to Ayumi in her Susanoo. When the explosion died down, the others saw Ayumi take Itachi from his Susanoo before it wound up flying away.
Artemis looked heartbroken at seeing her friend get taken and immediately went to try and fly after them. The others completely agreed with her, there was only one problem. The rest of the Justice League got there just as Ayumi left with Itachi and halted the Bioship from going after them. Superman flew right in front of it and shook his head. Green Lantern, Red Tornado and other superheroes joined him as they signaled for the ship to turn around.
Batman landed on the hull of her ship and was met by Robin and Artemis. Before they could get a word in, Batman already got his point across, "You have injured civilians on your Bioship that need immediate medical attention and you are all hurt from recent battle. Most importantly, even if you caught up to them, there's nothing you could do to help Itachi in your current states. We will go after them, but give you minds and bodies time to recover first."
Artemis glared at him with all of her soul but even she knew he was right. She broke down in tears after realizing this. Superman went over to comfort her as he relayed the bad news to the others. They were not happy about it, with Conner wanting to just fight his way through until M'gann calmed him down. In the end, they all acquiesced. But they all swore that this fight wasn't over and that they would get their friend back, whatever it took.
Their fight now was getting James, Carla, and Carson the treatment they needed so that Itachi wouldn't come back to more dead friends of his. They knew that he would only blame himself for it and wanted to avoid that at all cost.
"No one should have to lose two people they love in one day." M'gann said as the Bioship left with the rest of the Leaguers to regroup at the Watchtower.
Hours later, Carson woke up after having treatment done on her chest. The heroes were able to stabilize her and hook her up to painkillers to help manage the pain. She turned to the side and saw her brother was also in a medical bed. His legs were bandaged up. It reminded Carson that Ayumi did in fact severe them off. Thankfully, James was still unconscious or else he would have seen his sister crying in her bed.
It wasn't long before Artemis, Wally, and Carla came walking into her room. Artemis and Carla ran up to their friend while Wally stayed back to watch the scene.
"Carson, we're so glad you're okay. After the state we found you in, I didn't know if we could save you in time." Artemis said.
"James…his legs…" The girl started. Carla stopped her before she could say anything else, "Save your strength. The hero who treated your brother said he should survive. They were able to treat him right away. He's only unconscious from the drugs. Phil, though…he didn't make. The cut that Ms Yumi made to his neck was too deep."
Carson saw that her friend was starting to get emotional again and took hold of her hand, "I...I'm sorry."
"To think the sweet old woman that Itachi adored was secretly trying to kill him. It sickens me. He didn't deserve that betrayal." Artemis vented.
"Where is Itachi? Is he okay? I need to see him," Carson frantically said. The room got eerily silent as the three of them hesitated on what to say next. In truth, they didn't expect for her to wake up this soon. They were hoping to have gotten Itachi back by the time she had awoken. After seeing their downdraught faces, Carson grew worried, "What's going on? Where is Itachi?"
Wally stepped up and delivered the bad news to her, "Um, Carson, I hate to be the one to say this, but Itachi isn't here. The Masked Stranger got him. We haven't had contact with him for over 24 hours."
"What? What do you mean? How could Itachi lose to her? And why haven't you all gone after him? He's supposed to be your friend! If it were the other way around, Itachi would be searching all over for you!" Carson said as she lashed out.
"Carson, please calm down. You'll mess with your stitches if you keep moving about. Trust me, we wanted to go after him but the Justice League didn't let us. We had just been through a big battle before we even got to the bridge so going after them, especially after everything The Stranger did, would have been suicide. Plus, we had to get you and your brother to our medical facility." Artemis said in their defense.
"I know I know. I just don't want Itachi to go through this alone. Ms Yumi, she sounded psychotic back then. Said something about being Itachi's mother and being the only one who truly understands him. I think she plans twisting his mind for her evil cause. Don't let her take him away from us." She begged.
"I swear, Carson. We will get him back. But please rest. I want Itachi to have someone to come back to. You got the hard part." Wally said with determination.
"Okay. I'm trusting you on this…uh what's you name again?" Carson asked. Wally blush from embarrassment. Artemis stepped up to give him a save when she placed her hand in his and spoke, "This is Wally West. He works with Itachi and me on the Team. Also, he's my boyfriend as of today."
"Boyfriend…oh. Well, congratulations. I'm really happy for the both of you. And he also works with Itachi too. I take it he's a hero as well," They both nodded. Carson smiled, "Well Wally, it's nice to meet you. I'm Carson. I'm Itachi's…I'm his something."
Her smile went away and she sunk down into her bed. Carla gave an understanding look as she knew what brought Carson's mood down, 'I guess Itachi still hasn't been able to put a title on them. And seeing her friend with someone that is secure in their relationship has to sting.'
"Well, let's give her some time to rest. She may be in the clear, but I think overexerting herself could still be dangerous." Carla urged.
Artemis and Wally agreed to leave. Artemis walked up to her friend to hug her and say she was glad she was alright. Wally doubled down on his promise to get Itachi back for her. With that, they left and only Carla and Carson were left alone. No words were exchanged by them. Carla sat next to her friend and they both cried. The events of today had truly caught up to them and they grieved on what they both lost.
"I'm sorry about Phil. We may not have been on the best of terms, but he didn't deserve to die like how he did. No one does." Carson said through tears.
"I wish I had one more day with him. I'd like to say that he died a hero. I'm just sad that…that we couldn't reconcile beforehand. Don't be like me, Carson. Make your days with Itachi count while you still can because at any moment, they can all fade to darkness." Carla said to her friend.
"I know. Itachi…I want him back. I want him safe and in my arms, I want what Artemis and Wally have, and I want for the fighting to end. I don't know how much of it I can handle. I don't even know how my James can move past this. This all sucks." Carson vented.
"James will grow past this. He's a fighter and a hero like Phil. And you heard the heroes. They promised to get him back. We just have to have faith in them. They won't let Itachi be lost for long. He is their friend." Carla said to try and ease Carson's worry.
"Yeah…do you mind letting me sleep? I…I'm exhausted." Carson let out. Carla understood and left her friend. When the room was empty, Carson started weeping. There was one thought going through her head as she cried herself to sleep, 'Itachi, please come back to me.'
Itachi woke up suddenly after being unconscious for who knows how long. He saw that his hands and feet were bound and he felt like his chakra was unstable for some reason. Itachi looked around and took in his surroundings. There were trees all around him so he picked up that he was in a forest of some kind. It didn't take much time for Itachi to remember how he got here. Itachi thought of his plan to save his loved ones, the battle against the Justice League, him leaving his friend behind, making it to the bridge, Ayumi's reveal as the Masked Stranger, his heartbreak and rage, and finally his fight with her. Itachi sighed at how his day went.
'She really has betrayed me,' it was then that Itachi noticed something odd, "Where is she?"
Just as he asked that, Ayumi reappeared before him. Itachi saw the now young woman and immediately felt his rage begin to boil again and he activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, "Amaterasu!"
The effect was not what Itachi was expecting. The markings of a Curse Mark spread across his body as his eyes surged with pain and Itachi could feel blood drip from his eyes. Not only that, but it also felt like his entire chakra network was on fire. Ayumi saw this and immediately went to him to try and help, "Itachi stop! You're only hurting yourself."
"What have you done to me?" Itachi asked as he deactivated his sharingan. The pain subsided but the memory of that feeling remained, "I'm sorry, Itachi. It was the only way to make sure we could stop fighting and just talk. I placed a Curse Mark on you. It keeps my chakra flowing through you and attacks your network whenever you try to use jutsu."
"Your chakra…is inside my body? But how?" Itachi asked. Ayumi sighed as she sat down next to him, "That much was your doing. Back during our fight and when you plunged your chakra receivers into my Susanoo you started transferring your chakra into my body to paralyze me. Well, gateways work both ways. So when I activated my Demonic Resurgence Jutsu, and sent my chakra flowing back through me, a portion of it got transferred to you thanks to the gateway from the receivers. And with my Curse Mark keeping you from filtering my chakra out, I can finally talk to you without fearing a fight from you. I can tell you the truth."
"I already know the truth. You're evil and mean to erase all of life. There's no justifying that, Ayumi. I thought…I thought that I was like a son to you." Itachi said sadly.
"You are my son, but please understand. Things have been going on that were set in motion decades lifetimes ago. You think this is some thriller or horror story, but in reality this is a love story. A love of a mother and her son and how everyone, even God himself, tried to tear us apart. There is much more for you to learn. Right now, all you know is what the Sage of Six Paths has told to you, but now I will show you the truth. The truth about how the Uchiha came to be and how our cycle of hatred started." Ayumi said as she started a fire to set the mood.
"Why should I believe a word you say? You've done nothing but lie to me." Itachi responded.
"Because now I speak to you without my mask. You've had questions ever since you first woke up in this world, right? This truth will answer all and expose your Sage for the fraud and horrible scum he really is. But more than anything, it will bring us together so that you can finally understand what I want. All I ask is that you reserve your judgment of me and my actions until after you hear my truth." Ayumi said with conviction.
"Fine, just get on with it." Itachi answered. The fire before them turned blue as the scene around changed from the forest they were in to a foreign looking land. Itachi knew this was a genjutsu, but had no idea what she was showing him. Ayumi saw the wonder in Itachi's eye and smiled, "I take it you're wondering where this is. This is our world, long ago. My truth started when I was ten years old. This is the truth about Ayumi Uchiha; the tragic Mother of the Uchiha Clan."
And FINALLY! I know I know, where the heck have I been, right? It's been two months since the last update. Well, work has slaughtered my time and energy. Plus, I was in writer's hell with all of the writer's block I was experiencing. But thankfully, I got past the slump and was able to finish this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed the Ayumi vs. Itachi fight. Itachi almost had it, but in the end it was Ayumi who came out on top…this time. Also, Carson and our heroes just can't seem to catch a break. Now they have to try and rescue Itachi from the clutches of possibly the most dangerous person on Earth. And isn't poetic justice that now Itachi will have a truth told to him for a change? It's his turn to see how certain events unfold. I want to say thank you to all of the fellow supporters of this story for sticking with it for so long. You truly are the best. With that being said, I have decided to go forward and start drafting up ideas for this story's sequel. It will be based off of season two's storyline so standby for more news on that in the future. If you haven't already, please give this story a favorite, follow, or review or just PM me if you want a more in depth answer. Thanks again and I promise next chapter won't take as long to write as this one did, lol. Till next time guys and gals!