"Don't be in such a hurry, my dear little sister."
Sasuke's expression changed drastically as she realized Itachi had somehow appeared behind her.
"Chidori Stream!"
The lightning spear instantly transformed into a high-frequency current, surging from around Sasuke like a spiked porcupine.
Facing the violent electricity, Uchiha Itachi chose to retreat.
"Hair Needle Senbon!"
Sasuke's waist-length black hair surged out like a waterfall, tangling around the retreating Itachi.
"Hmph?"
Itachi struggled slightly but found that though it was hair, it was unexpectedly strong.
"Earth Release: Swamp!"
Sasuke formed the hand signs again and pressed her palm onto the rooftop.
In an instant, the roof turned into a swamp, engulfing Itachi's legs.
"Uchiha Itachi!"
Sasuke's eyes turned blood red, the tomoe spinning rapidly as chakra boiled across her body.
The next moment, lightning leapt from her right hand, while a miniaturized storm appeared in her left.
"This is just for you—!"
Rasengan! Chidori!
Before Itachi could escape the Swamp, Sasuke thrust both hands forward.
The Rasengan infused with Chidori collided violently within Itachi, blasting him dozens of meters away and smashing through several buildings.
Sasuke watched Itachi's flight path tensely, not letting her guard down for a moment.
She knew very well that this was an illusion; Itachi had not truly been defeated.
"Come out. I know you're not dead!" She spread her chakra, sensing every corner, trying to find a flaw in the illusion.
But unfortunately, this illusionary space was too realistic, with almost no weaknesses.
She wasn't a Jinchuriki and couldn't let another chakra flow disrupt her, so she had to rely on the most straightforward method.
Clap clap clap.
Suddenly, the sound of clapping echoed, and Sasuke whipped her head around.
It was Uchiha Itachi who suddenly appeared beside her, completely unharmed. He clapped his hands and smiled.
"Not bad. Your growth is fast, a bit beyond what I expected. But it's still not enough."
As he spoke, Itachi melted into the shadows.
"It's the ability of the 'Hanged Man' pathway!"
Sasuke recognized it instantly. The opponent had used a Beyonder Ability. Without hesitation, she summoned a fierce wind around her, lifting herself into the air.
With her current strength, she could barely maintain flight for half an hour, but it allowed her to observe the situation more clearly from above.
"Where? Where are you?!"
Sasuke searched frantically for Itachi's figure, unaware that a shadow had silently fallen across her back.
"Looking for me?"
A teasing voice came from behind. Before Sasuke could react, she felt a sudden blow to her head.
Bang!
The terrifying force shattered her defense, slamming her from mid-air into the ground.
Dizzy and struggling to get up, Sasuke's chest was crushed by a foot, pressing her mercilessly into the earth again.
Boom!
The street split and crumbled around them.
Sasuke sank almost into the hard soil, the foot on her body twisting relentlessly, inflicting unbearable pain.
"Do you know why it's not enough?"
Itachi crouched slightly, grinning. "Because your hatred isn't strong enough, my dear little sister."
Sasuke's eyes glowed golden as she tried to use her words to escape, but Itachi anticipated her move. His fingers curled into a fist and slammed hard into her abdomen.
Bang!
Dust rose all around, and shockwaves rolled outward.
The blow left Sasuke writhing in excruciating pain, curling herself up on the ground.
Yet Itachi showed no mercy. He grabbed her by the collar and dragged her across the ground, humming a lullaby as he headed toward the Uchiha mansion.
Sasuke, dragged along the dirt, was powerless to resist. Blood marked a long, shocking trail across the muddy, grimy street.
"I've always liked you, my dear little sister."
Uchiha Itachi had no intention of killing Sasuke. He dragged her all the way to the main house, then grabbed her by the hair and lifted her roughly.
He bent down and whispered in her ear, "I've thought about this for a long time. Why isn't your hatred strong enough? I understand now. It's because you've never seen it with your own eyes—how I slaughtered the Uchiha clan, right?"
Sasuke seemed to guess his intent and struggled in pain. "You monster!"
"Hahaha, exactly why I came for you."
Itachi forced her eyes open, making Sasuke look straight ahead. He whispered softly, "Look carefully. That woman… she is your mother, Uchiha Mikomi."
Sasuke was forced to watch the scene. It was clearly a memory of young Itachi, holding a kunai.
The woman lying in front of him was crawling forward with difficulty. Her belly was large, clearly seven or eight months pregnant, yet even so, she couldn't escape the demon behind her.
Itachi, seemingly curious, slowly tormented her with the kunai.
The woman screamed in pain, yet didn't stop crawling. Her bloodied face was set with extraordinary determination.
"Do you see it now?"
Itachi whispered in Sasuke's ear like a demon. "This is how I, little by little, cut away her flesh. She was so resilient. She crawled for half an hour, and yet… you survived. It's truly a miracle!"
"Ahhhh—!!!"
Sasuke's heart was filled with hatred. Her eyes turned blood red. "I'll kill you! I will kill you ahhh!"
But her struggle was easily controlled by Itachi, who wore a satisfied smile. "Yes, that's it. Your hatred isn't pure enough, not strong enough, so you couldn't defeat me. But don't worry… the best part is still coming."
Next, he made Sasuke witness how her mother used a kunai to forcefully deliver her from her womb.
She held the bloodied, barely breathing infant and trembled as she handed her to Uchiha Shisui.
"Sasuke… her name is Sasuke!"
After saying this, Uchiha Mikomi, her mother, finally closed her eyes.
"Ahhhh—Uchiha Itachi!!!"
Extreme negative emotions flooded Sasuke's mind. Her murderous intent became almost tangible. "I'll kill you! I swear I will kill you!!!"
Looking at the suffering Sasuke, Itachi laughed toward the sky. "Hahaha, exactly like this. Remember this hatred!"
Blood tears streamed from Sasuke's eyes. The three tomoe of her Sharingan spun at incredible speed, almost forming a single line. The special chakra born from her negative emotions surged into her eyes, finally breaking the invisible barrier and transforming it into a petal-like Mangekyō!
Perhaps it was extreme hatred that caused Sasuke to collapse immediately after activating the Mangekyō.
"Hmph."
Looking at the unconscious Sasuke, Itachi Uchiha sneered, then the faint glow in his eyes faded.
In the next moment, they suddenly appeared inside the wooden cabin.
Sakura was still lying on the wooden bed, and the entire cabin seemed untouched, as if nothing had happened—it was all an illusion.
Itachi glanced at Sasuke, who had collapsed and was shedding blood tears, and the corner of his lips curled slightly.
"Not enough yet. Grow a little more. Only then will you be worthy of being devoured by me, my beloved sister."
Then, Itachi strode out of the cabin without a care.
*******
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