Chapter XIX:Gyatsō's Abilities
Itachi's black flames quickly spread, searing through the air, their cursed heat racing toward Gyatsō. The white-haired shinobi reacts instantly, launching himself upward with a swift leap. But the flames pursue him relentlessly, following his every movement like an unholy specter.
Gyatsō smirks, his crimson eyes gleaming with intrigue. "So, you can control Amaterasu's path more precisely than I anticipated. Very interesting," he muses aloud, dodging the flames once more, his body flowing through the air with the grace of a seasoned fighter.
Itachi stands still, arms crossed, observing Gyatsō closely. His mind whirs with calculations. Using the Tsukuyomi might be effective, the Uchiha thinks, considering his Shaolin isn't immune to genjutsu. However, his countermeasures are swift and precise. I'll need to rely on ninjutsu if I'm going to break through his defences.
Without a moment's hesitation, Itachi makes a series of hand seals with fluid precision. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" he declares, unleashing a massive ball of searing fire from his mouth. The fireball blazes through the air toward Gyatsō with devastating speed, its heat distorting the air in its wake.
Gyatsō doesn't flinch. He smirks, his demeanor calm as ever. With a simple, casual motion, he extends one arm outward, facing it toward the incoming fireball. Itachi's keen eyes spot the quick, ominous change in Gyatsō's eyes. Was that... the Rinnegan?!
"Almighty Push."
A wave of force suddenly erupts from Gyatsō's position, a shockwave of pure air pressure that crashes into the fireball with brutal force. The fireball disintegrates on contact, its flames scattering like ash in the wind. Itachi grits his teeth, more shocked than frustrated.
"You have the Rinnegan as well," Itachi says, voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and disbelief. "You are a truly dangerous shinobi, to possess both Shaolin and Rinnegan."
Gyatsō chuckles softly, his smirk widening as he speaks. "I gained this Rinnegan after my first ever fusion. And after I defeat you, I'll be gaining a third visual jutsu. They'll be no one alive who can stop me then."
Itachi's eyes narrow as he tries to anticipate Gyatsō's next move, but before he can react, Gyatsō vanishes from sight.
What?
Itachi's heart skips a beat as his senses sharpen. His eyes scan the surroundings, looking for any sign of the Osore leader. The silence in the room is deafening, broken only by the sound of his own breathing. Moments stretch into eternity as Itachi remains on alert, muscles tensed, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.
Then, with no warning, Gyatsō reappears directly in front of Itachi. His hand shoots out, grabbing Itachi by the neck with terrifying strength. Itachi gasps, his throat constricting as he struggles to pry Gyatsō's fingers from his windpipe. His vision blurs as he claws at the iron grip, but it's no use.
"This next jutsu... is a Shaolin genjutsu in which your Sharingan won't be able to counter," Gyatsō murmurs, his Shaolin glaring into Itachi's eyes. "It's all over... Genjutsu: Armageddon Chains."
A sudden, overwhelming sensation washes over Itachi. His vision flickers and fades, the world around him dissolving into a kaleidoscope of vivid, swirling colors. He's trapped. There was no escaping this genjutsu.
The crosses within Gyatsō's pair of Shaolin spin rapidly, each one moving in sync with the other, faster and faster until they blur into a dizzying vortex. Itachi tries to move, but his limbs feel heavy, sluggish, as though they are bound by invisible forces. He gasps, Sharingan darting around him, and his heart sinks when he notices the chains.
Several chains—dark, ominous, and impossibly fast—are spiraling around him, their movements mirroring the speed of the spinning crosses in the Osore leader's eyes. The chains shimmer with dark chakra, their edges razor-sharp, and they coil tighter and tighter, constricting around Itachi with crushing force.
Itachi grits his teeth, the cold, iron grip of the chains tightening around his body, each movement tightening their hold on his very being. He's immobile, caught in Gyatsō's relentless illusion, unable to move, unable to escape. The world around him feels distorted, wrong, and it was only a matter of time before Gyatsō's power completely overpowered him.
"You can never defeat my Shaolin, Itachi!"
The chains snap all at once, their cold, metallic links breaking with a sudden, violent force. Within the distorted realm of the genjutsu, the sensation is magnified, distorted, and stretched to an unbearable extreme. Itachi feels each link give way with horrifying clarity, as if every fracture reverberates through his very bones. The sharp, biting sound of snapping metal echoes in his mind, amplified a thousandfold, drowning him in a deafening cacophony of destruction.
The pressure from the chains vanishes for an instant, only to be replaced by an intense, searing pain as the links disappear, leaving Itachi's body wracked with phantom sensations. The abrupt release of tension seems to draw his muscles taut, making every movement feel more excruciating than the last, as if the very air around him is now filled with an unbearable weight. Each broken link is a jolt of agony.
Tell me, my Uchiha sacrifice. Has it sunken in yet? The terrifying depths of my visual prowess? Gyatsō's voice rings inside Itachi's mind, chilling and mocking. The oppressive weight of the genjutsu slowly fades, and with a thought, Gyatsō deactivates it.
Itachi's vision snaps back to reality, but his body shakes with the aftershock of the illusion. His muscles tremble, as though they're still trying to move in a world that no longer exists. He steadies himself, his breath coming in slow, deliberate gasps.
Gyatsō's pale hands begin forming several unfamiliar hand signs, his movements smooth and unhurried. "Now to finish you off,"he says, a cruel smile spreading on his lips. A small, pulsating ball of dark, writhing energy materializes in his hands, its presence almost suffocating.
Suddenly, a powerful red aura bursts around Itachi's body, intense and dangerous. The very air seems to sting as Gyatsō leaps back, eyes narrowing with surprise as the ball in his hands slowly vanishes. The aura intensifies, burning with an unnatural heat, its pressure forcing Itachi's limbs to lock.
From the crimson blaze, a skeletal figure begins to take shape. The bones are massive and imposing, towering over Itachi. Despite his weakened state, he forces himself to his knees, his body trembling with the strain. Yet, a dark chuckle escapes his lips, one born from determination.
"The only one who's finished... is you,"Itachi says through clenched teeth, his eyes unwavering.
Gyatsō raises an eyebrow, a challenge in his gaze. "Is that so?"
The skeletal figure begins to grow, the red aura swirling around it as armor materializes, piece by piece, enveloping the form. The figure's size increases, growing to monstrous proportions, and Gyatsō feels the full weight of the threat before him. From the gourd on its back, the Totsuka Blade manifests, the ethereal weapon gleaming with deadly intent. With a flick of the arm, the blade slices at the air, sending out a shockwave that rattles the ground beneath them.
Gyatsō squints upward, a wide grin forming on his face as he watches the immense Susano'o in all its glory. His hair whips back in the force of the wind, the energy radiating from the monstrous form almost overwhelming.
So, you had this up your sleeve, Gyatsō thinks, his eyes gleaming with unrestrained amusement. Such tremendous power...! Itachi, you alone are the one worthy... of giving me my Mūgetsu Shaolin!
"Gyatsō Mataba! This Susano'o will be the end of you!" Itachi roars, his voice carrying the weight of finality. "You shall die here, and so too will your Project Eyes of Immortality!"
With a slow, deliberate step forward, the ground beneath Itachi's feet cracks, the very earth groaning under his power. His eyes burn with the intensity of his conviction. Gyatsō remains standing where he is, unfazed, his arms crossed over his chest, a mocking laugh escaping his lips.
"Even if you defeat me, it won't do you any good," Gyatsō yells back, his voice unwavering. His stance is relaxed, almost as though he isn't standing in the midst of an oncoming storm.
"Do you honestly think foolish remarks like that will help you now?" Itachi's gaze intensifies as his Mangekyou Sharingan spins to life, the power within it radiating with deadly intent. "I will show you that the Sharingan is not to be underestimated, even against the Shaolin! No matter the difference in visual prowess!"
Itachi's resolve hardens as his armor-clad Susano'o grips the Totsuka Blade tightly in its hand.I would have liked to extract more information about the Hidden Dark Nation out of him, but he's far too dangerous to be kept alive for a second longer. I'm finishing this now...
With a single, swift motion, Itachi's Susano'o slices through the air with his Totsuka Blade. The ethereal weapon slices toward Gyatsō, its flaming edge coming into direct contact with the white-haired shinobi. In the next moment, Gyatsō's body begins to twist and warp, molding into the blade as if being consumed by its power. His body contorts, the form of the blade melding with him, slowly sealing him away within its confines.
Moments later, Gyatsō is completely sealed within the Totsuka Blade, his struggles futile against the overwhelming force that now controls him. The battle ends in silence, with only the echo of the final blow lingering in the air.
Itachi lightly smiles as he disperses his Susano'o, feeling the immense strain it caused on his already fatigued body. His knees buckle, and he drops to the ground, his breath coming in short, labored gasps.
"Damn that Orochimaru," he mutters under his breath, irritation lacing his words. "This time, he didn't give us unlimited stamina in these bodies. I suppose he tweaked the Reanimation jutsu even more than Kabuto had..."
The weight of the situation bears down on him as he struggles to maintain composure. His body aches, the toll of the battle leaving him physically drained.
A sudden sound breaks the silence, sharp and deliberate—a series of slow, mocking claps echo throughout the room. The noise reverberates, filling the space with an eerie sense of anticipation. Without warning, black and red flames swirl around Itachi, encircling him in a fiery cocoon. Itachi's eyes snap wide open in surprise.
"I have to say, that battle was certainly a thrill to watch," a young, unfamiliar voice calls out from the darkness, thick with amusement. Itachi's grits his teeth as he looks ahead, searching through the shadows for the source. Only a figure cloaked in blackness is visible, the faint glint of his Shaolin standing out against the obscurity.
"Is that you, Gyatsō?! I thought I—"
"Oh, no, I'm not Lord Gyatsō," the voice interrupts. "I am, however, the one who will finish you in his stead."
The figure steps forward, moving with calculated grace, the fire flickering around him. As he emerges into the light, a young man's face comes into view, a knowing smile stretching across his features.
"My name is Zuko Taisega," the stranger announces, his voice filled with quiet certainty.
Itachi's eyes widen in shock. The name strikes him like a blow to the chest, his mind racing to piece together the information.
Zuko Taisega... he's the one Gyatsō told me about. The last Taisega clan member, who already possesses Mūgetsu Shaolin. This isn't good. I'll have to be even more cautious when dealing with this one.
Zuko's Shaolin dangerously activates, evolving into its second stage, a visible and threatening manifestation of power. Itachi immediately rises to his feet, his muscles protesting the movement, but he doesn't lower his guard.
"Unlike Gyatsō, the Shaolin is your birthright," Itachi states, his voice calm yet laced with a steely edge. "As such, your visual prowess could very well be stronger than his."
Zuko's smile deepens, his arms crossing over his chest as he regards Itachi with an amused expression.
"My visual prowess will never surpass Lord Gyatsō's," he responds nonchalantly, remembering the drubbing Sebbech gave him for the crime earlier. "So, you can stop with the flattery." He pauses for a moment before continuing, a touch of mirth creeping into his tone. "Speaking of my lord, he's still alive."
Itachi's eyes widen, his mind racing to process the words. "What are you talking about?" he growls, his voice tight with disbelief. "I just sealed him into an infinite world of genjutsu with the Totsuka Blade."
Zuko throws his head back, laughing uncontrollably, the sound echoing off the walls. He clutches the right side of his face, as if trying to stifle his amusement.
"Such pathetic visual prowess, after all. With that Sharingan, I'm disappointed you didn't notice by now," Zuko says, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "What you actually sealed... was just a clone of Lord Gyatsō!"
The words hit Itachi like a shockwave, the realization crashing down on him. His fists clench, a cold fury rising within him, but there's nothing he can do to undo the mistake. It seems the battle was still far from over.