Chapter 41- Itachi Vs Tid
Me: Well, this is basically going to be Tid and Itachi sparring for old time's sake.
Itachi: Who wins?
Me: I can't tell you that. Anyway, I don't own the rights to Naruto Shippuden or My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
I woke up the next morning with a start. I knew something bad was going to happen today. I couldn't risk Rarity's life, especially not after what happened yesterday. I walked into her room to find her already awake. She was looking out of the window, gazing upon the ponies prancing by. "Hello, Tid." She said seeing my reflection in the window. "Hello. Is something wrong?" I asked. "I've just been thinking lately, Tid. Is this how we are going to be living from now on?" She asked. I walked up behind her. "Unfortunately, yes. I'm sorry, but I'm trying the best that I can." I said. She turned around. "I know you are, darling." She said placing her hoof on my shoulder. I remained silent for a while. "Rarity, I've been thinking about something recently." I said. "What is it honey?" She asked. "I'm concerned, now more than ever, for your safety. I thought our defenses were impenetrable, but now I see that I was mistaken. Therefor, I would like to move you to the base, for security measures." I said. "Move me to the base?" She asked. I nodded. "I'm sorry Tid, but I don't think so." She said. "What?" I asked. "I'm not going to live in that base. I'm sorry, but that's how it is." She said. I churned the thought in my mind. "Alright." I said finally. "I think there may be a way to let you continue living here." I said. "And that would be?" She asked. "I'm going to have to increase the security measures around your house." I said. "Oh?" She asked. I nodded. She thought about it for a while. "Alright, I think I can live with that." She said. "Great. I'll get to work on it right away." I said. With that I walked out of her house.
After I was done getting Rarity's house fully protected, I headed to the base to wait for Itachi to return. Before I entered the base I noticed a strong surge of power enter the town. "I know that power signature." I said. The sky began to darken with storm clouds, flashing thunder and lightning. In a wisp of smoke Princess Luna appeared before me. "Luna, what are you doing here?" I asked. I noticed something different about her appearance. She was wearing a silver armor all over her body. Her wings seemed to have grown as well. She reminded me a lot of the transformed Queen Chrysalis. "I've come to tell you something." She said. "A lot of people have told me a lot of things these past few days. What could you possibly say that's any different?" I asked her. She smiled. "It's a shame you're not on our side." She said. "Yeah, for you." I said. She nodded. "You know, if you were to come to our side, you could protect your precious Rarity." She said. "I can do that here." I said. "Can you? Can you really ensure her safety? Look at what happened just a few days ago. You thought you had all of your bases covered, not a single weakness showing. Remember how that turned out? Sure, you may have added extra precautions since then, but will it really be enough?" She asked. I remained silent. She did have a point, there was no way I'd be able to ensure Rarity's safety. "I'll never join you." I said after a while. She smiled again. "Just think about my offer. It's always open." She said and vanished. The surge of power disappeared. I turned back toward the base and shivered. That was nerve wracking. I entered the base as calmly as I could, keeping what she said in mind.
A few hours later Itachi returned. With him was a blue unicorn with an almost silver mane. She had on a cape and pointed hat with stars on it. "Ah, so you've returned Itachi." I said. He nodded. "Yes, and he's come with the Great and Powerful Trixie!" She said. "Right. Anyway, we've recruited you for an invasion mission." I said. She walked forward. "Yes, I know." She said. "Alright, then I'm assuming you also know who you are to invade, and what you are to do once you do so?" I asked her. "Actually, I don't know that." She said. I sat back in my chair. "Right, then let me explain. You see, we are planning an attack on a few districts in the Changeling Empire. However, we estimate that with their current army size, we would be outnumbered three to one at any one of the districts. This is where we need you. You were recommended to us by Princess Twilight." I said. "Wait, Twilight's a princess?" She asked. I nodded. She slammed her hoof on my desk. "How?! I'm supposed to be the greatest in all of Equestria!" She said. "Unfortunately, it doesn't appear as if that's the case." I said. "No! I refuse to accept this!" She said. "You know, if you complete this mission, you may prove that you are better than Twilight." I said. "Is that so?" She asked. I nodded. "Alright, I'll do it!" She said. "Hold on, you don't even know what you're supposed to do yet. You are to approach the Changeling Empire as one of their wounded. They will take you in, and it will then be your job to thin out their ranks from the inside, and get out." I said. "Seems fairly straight forward." She said. "Would you rather I make it more complicated?" I asked. "No, no. That won't be necessary." She said. I nodded. "Good, now you'll be leaving at dusk. We want to get this war wrapped up as quickly as possible." I said. She nodded and left. Itachi remained in my office. "Is there something I can help you with?" I asked him. "I've just been thinking, since you're cooped up in here all day, why don't we give you a little exercise?" He asked. I looked up at him. "What are you suggesting?" I asked. "Why don't we spar, for old time's sake? We can even invite the others to watch." He said. I contemplated the idea. "Sounds great." I said. He smiled. "Good." He said.
Later that day Itachi and I met in the sparring area I had setup when I sparred against Applejack. The others joined us and watched. Itachi and I raised two fingers in front of us, the sparring symbol. After that we got into our fighting stances. Itachi just stood there while I assumed a position similar to the Hyuga's stance, even though I couldn't use the Gentle Fist. We stood there for a few seconds, looking at each other. Eventually he smiled and I ran at him. I attempted to hit him but he dodged it and counter-struck. He hit me in the ribs and sent me flying. I landed on my feet and charged at him once more, this time releasing chains around me. The chains surrounded him and bound him, making him immobile. "Nice work, but do you think that'll be enough?" He asked me. He widened his eyes for a second and was behind me. "Genjutsu." I said. He smiled and spun around, pulling a kunai on me. I spun around at the same time and blocked it with my own kunai. I brought my leg up and kicked at him. He blocked it with another kunai, but I spun my body and kicked him in the face. "Taking moves from my fight with Sasuke, are you?" He asked. I nodded and charged at him once more. I activated my Mangekyou Rinnegan. I saw immediately that the one I was charging at was a clone. I looked around for the real one but couldn't see him. I'm in Genjutsu. I thought to myself. I stopped and put my hands together. I attempted to disrupt the flow of my Chakra. At that moment the world turned black and white and started to break. Eventually it shattered, revealing Itachi standing in front of me. "You... Broke through the Tsukuyomi?" He asked. "I thought Tsukuyomi was unbreakable?" I asked. "I thought so too." He said. I grinned. With Itachi's Tsukuyomi now moot, this fight would be a lot easier. I charged at him once more. He released a flock of crows from his cloak and they began flying at me. I shielded myself as they flew past. I rushed him again as the last crow flew past. I drew a kunai with an explosive tag attached to it and threw it at him. He blocked it and it exploded, engulfing him in a cloud of smoke. I ran behind him and as the smoke cleared I grabbed him and put him in a Full Nelson. "Well done, Tid." He said. I grinned. "However, this still isn't over." He said. Just then I felt a hand grab the back of my cloak and throw me. I landed on my back some distance away. I got up and saw Itachi and his clone standing there. "I see what you did there." I said. This time instead of rushing blindly at him I decided to take a long range approach. I weaved hand signs. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" We both said at the same time. The two fireballs collided in mid-air. I didn't even see him weave hand signs. I thought. Had Itachi mastered this jutsu to the point where he didn't need hand signs? When the two fireballs cleared I found his clone rushing at me. I blocked his strike and kicked him in the stomach, making him disappear in a puff of smoke. I weaved hand signs once more. "Earth Style: Eight Pillar Prison!" I said. Eight pillars of earth erupted from the ground around Itachi and formed a wall around him. "It's over." I said. "I wouldn't be too sure of that." He said. I watched as black flames burned through the wall. I flinched in surprise. It seemed like this fight had no end. "Fine, then." I said. I released more of my chains. "I'll end this now!" I opened the Third Gate and ran at him. I wrapped him up and kicked him into the air, reversing the order of which the technique was normally done. I grabbed him and spun rapidly, pile-driving him into the ground. I stood up and jumped away from the crater we had left. Itachi rose to his feet, albeit slowly, his Susano'o activated. "Resorting to that?" I asked. He nodded. I grinned. It seemed like I had the fight in the bag. I drew a kunai and charged at him once more, dodging a Phoenix Flower Jutsu he had used. "It's over!" I said thrusting my arm out to stab him. I was then stopped in my tracks. The world melted away and I saw my arm about to impact nothing, a clone of Itachi stood behind me with a kunai held to the back of my head, and Itachi stood in front of me, a kunai held to my throat. "I win." He said. I put my arm down and grinned. "Heh, and to think I thought I'd actually win this time." I said. "Wait, what do you mean you thought you'd win." Twilight asked. "Well you see, in all of the years that Itachi and I have been partners, we've sparred many times. However, I've never once beaten him." I said. Their eyes widened. "You're saying that he has beaten you every single time?" Rainbow Dash asked. I nodded. They looked at Itachi, then at each other, then back to Itachi. "Wow." They said. We all laughed. "Come on, let's go get something to eat." I said. "Loser's treat." Itachi said. I flinched. "Ah, alright." I said. I said. The others laughed again and we all left the arena.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Me: As you can see this was just a fun chapter.
Tid: Now everyone knows I'm not all-powerful.
Me: That's right. Anyway, as always, favorite, follow, and leave a review! I'd love to hear your feedback! See you next time!