(The Soul's End)
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The sky was dark and thick with cursed energy as Itachi, Yuji, Megumi, and Nobara continued their mission, cutting through waves of curses that seemed to swarm around them. Each curse varied in size and strength, but together, the team dispatched them efficiently. Yuji's raw strength, Megumi's shikigami, Nobara's nails, and Itachi's precise strikes made quick work of the cursed spirits.
"It feels like these curses are getting stronger the deeper we go," Yuji noted as he wiped sweat from his forehead.
"Stay sharp," Itachi warned. His Sharingan was active, analyzing every cursed spirit in the area, and he could feel something off. The oppressive weight of cursed energy in the air was growing, like a storm brewing just beyond the horizon.
Megumi summoned another shikigami to scout ahead, his gaze serious. "Something big is coming. I can feel it too."
Suddenly, an unsettling, mocking laugh echoed through the air. The laughter sent a chill down everyone's spine, Yuji stiffened, recognizing the sinister voice all too well.
"Mahito," Yuji growled, clenching his fists.
From the shadows of the cursed energy emerged a figure with a disconcerting, twisted smile on his face. Mahito's patchwork body seemed to writhe unnaturally as he stepped into the open. His mismatched eyes gleamed with malicious amusement as he surveyed the group.
"Well, well," Mahito began, his voice dripping with malice. "What do we have here? A little group of sorcerers and… something different." His gaze shifted to Itachi, and his smile widened. "You're not like the others. I can sense it."
Itachi said nothing, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed Mahito. He had read about the curse's abilities—Mahito could manipulate souls, reshaping both living and cursed beings with just a touch. A dangerous opponent.
Yuji stepped forward, rage burning in his eyes. "I won't let you get away this time, Mahito!"
Mahito's grin twisted even further as he looked at Yuji, clearly enjoying the boy's anger. "Ah, Itadori Yuji. Still seeking revenge for your friend? How noble."
Before Yuji could charge, Itachi raised a hand, stopping him. "He's mine."
Yuji looked at Itachi in surprise. "But Itachi—"
"It's too dangerous to let you engage him directly. His technique targets the soul, not just the body," Itachi explained, his tone calm but firm. "I've dealt with beings like him before. I'll handle this."
Mahito's laughter grew louder, echoing across the cursed landscape. "You think you can fight me alone? I manipulate souls, human. You can't stop me."
Itachi's Sharingan spun, his expression unreadable. "You underestimate me."
Without another word, Itachi moved, his speed almost impossible to track. In an instant, he was in front of Mahito, his hand reaching for his blade. Mahito reacted quickly, attempting to morph his body to avoid the strike, but Itachi's Sharingan tracked every movement with perfect clarity.
The fight began with a deadly intensity. Itachi's precise strikes, combined with his Sharingan's ability to predict Mahito's movements, allowed him to keep the upper hand, but Mahito's cursed techniques were relentless. His ability to reshape his body and manipulate souls made him a slippery opponent, constantly shifting between offensive and defensive stances.
"You're quick, I'll give you that," Mahito said, his voice now tinged with frustration as he tried to land a hit on Itachi. "But let's see how you deal with this!"
Mahito's body shifted, and in an instant, his hand reached out toward Itachi, attempting to reshape his soul with a single touch. But before he could connect, Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan flared, casting a powerful genjutsu that halted Mahito in his tracks.
For a brief moment, Mahito was disoriented. He blinked, trying to shake off the illusion, but the world around him had already begun to change.
Mahito sneered, trying to fight against the illusion. "You think this trick will stop me? I manipulate souls, not the mind!"
But Itachi's Sharingan wasn't a simple illusion. This was something far more powerful.
"You won't escape," Itachi said, his voice echoing in the shifting landscape.
Mahito's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. The sky above him twisted, and the ground below his feet crumbled into an endless void. The world around him darkened as massive, twisted trees rose from the earth, their branches coiling like serpents. The stars blinked out, leaving only an oppressive, eternal night.
"You're in my world now," Itachi said quietly. "Tsukuyomi."
Mahito struggled, trying to reshape his form, but found himself completely trapped within the genjutsu. In the realm of Tsukuyomi, Itachi controlled time, space, and reality itself. For what seemed like days, Mahito was subjected to endless torment, his body and soul stretched to the breaking point.
"What… what is this?" Mahito screamed, his voice raw with terror. "You can't… this isn't possible!"
Itachi stepped forward, his expression calm but cold. "You manipulate souls. But you've never faced something like this. Here, I control everything. Every moment you spend in this place is an eternity of suffering."
Mahito's mind reeled as he experienced countless lifetimes of agony within the span of mere seconds. No matter how he tried to escape, Itachi's control was absolute. Mahito was helpless, his once-gleeful grin now twisted into a mask of horror.
"It's over," Itachi said, raising his hand.
Back in the real world, the others watched in awe and fear as Mahito's body stood frozen, his eyes wide and empty, trapped in the infinite torment of Tsukuyomi.
Yuji could barely speak. "What… what's happening?"
Megumi's eyes were focused on Itachi. "Itachi trapped him in an illusion. But this… this is something else."
With one final gesture, Itachi ended the Tsukuyomi. In the real world, Mahito's body collapsed, his mind utterly broken by the experience. Itachi approached the fallen curse, his Mangekyō Sharingan still active.
"There's no coming back for you," Itachi said, his voice devoid of emotion.
In one swift motion, Itachi drew his blade and pierced Mahito's heart. The curse spirit let out one last, ragged breath before disintegrating into nothingness, his cursed energy fading into the night.
The silence that followed was heavy, the weight of the battle sinking in.
Yuji stood still, staring at where Mahito had fallen, his fists clenched. "It's over… Mahito is finally gone."
Nobara and Megumi exchanged a glance, both of them still processing what they had just witnessed.
Gojo, who had appeared in the distance, casually strolling toward them with his usual carefree smile, clapped his hands. "Well, that was quite the show, wasn't it? I knew you had it in you, Itachi."
Itachi didn't respond. He simply sheathed his blade, his expression unreadable as always.
Yuji walked up to Itachi, his voice quiet. "Thank you… for finishing him. I don't know if I could've done it."
Itachi glanced at Yuji, his gaze softening slightly. "You'll have your own battles to fight, Yuji. But this one wasn't yours. It was mine."
With Mahito dead and the cursed energy around them dissipating, the mission was finally over. But as the team turned to leave, Itachi couldn't help but think of the world they had yet to face. More powerful curses, more dangerous battles, and more darkness lay ahead.
But for now, one threat was gone. And Itachi, the shinobi from another world, had once again proven his strength.
