Starting with rogue ninjas, building the insect kingdom.

Chapter 497 Itachi Uchiha Dies for the First Time

Itachi Uchiha's body was burned by the flames, and his speed immediately slowed down.

Sasuke saw that the flames were still burning, but he didn't dodge. He immediately controlled all the flames and withdrew them. This was the ability of Tsuchigu Kasume. Only with him was Amaterasu complete.

"Why? Why didn't you dodge! You could have dodged!" Sasuke demanded. "So what the mysterious man said was true..."

"No, Sasuke. The ninja world is far more complex than you think. The Uchiha rebellion will only make Konoha more chaotic and give the enemy more opportunities. Father's departure back then will also expose Konoha's weakness. So resent me. It was all my idea, and it has nothing to do with Konoha."

"What nonsense are you spouting?" At this moment, Sasuke was completely enraged. A murderous intent rekindled in his heart; he was determined to kill this bastard.

He swung his fist and charged forward again, but Itachi did not fight back. He simply dodged, retreated, and blocked. He did not want to hurt Sasuke.

But Sasuke fought with all his might in every attack, as if the person standing in front of him was not his brother, but his mortal enemy.

"Why did you let me go?!"

A punch landed on Itachi's arm, and Itachi took a step back.

"Why should one person bear all of this?!"

A kick landed on Itachi's waist, causing him to stagger.

"Why won't you let me die with you?!"

Finally, he spoke his deepest thoughts, and then, with all his might, punched Itachi Uchiha in the face, hoping to wake him up in this way.

"Boom!" Itachi's body was sent flying, crashing through three large trees before finally coming to a stop.

He lay on the ground, blood spilling from his mouth. Sasuke rushed over, raised his fist, and wanted to deliver another punch.

But Itachi reached out and gently deflected his fist. Then, that blood-stained finger touched Sasuke's forehead.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment. Itachi Uchiha smiled gently, but the blood in his mouth could not be stopped. "You defeated me."

"Forgive me, Sasuke." Itachi smiled, a smile as gentle as a spring breeze in March. "This is the last time."

On his fingers, his eye power surged into Sasuke's brow like a tide. Sasuke's pupils contracted sharply, and Itachi Uchiha stopped breathing in front of him.

Impossible! How could he be so far away? How could I possibly kill him with my fist?

His hands trembled, unable to believe his blood-stained fists. Pain spread through his mind at that moment, and his eyes, which were originally just three-tomoe eyes, spun rapidly and instantly connected to form a windmill.

However, the changes did not stop. The kaleidoscope in his palm, the kaleidoscope in his eye socket, and the eye power injected by Itachi—three forces surged wildly within him, eventually merging together.

Eternal Kaleidoscope, Awakening.

At the same time, the insect medicine he had taken earlier took full effect. Sasuke's body began to grow taller, transforming from an eight-year-old child into a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy.

His muscles became more defined, his bones more robust, and the childishness on his face completely disappeared, replaced by a bewilderment that was incongruous with his age.

"Ahhhhhh!" Sasuke shouted, his voice a mixture of pain, despair, and anger.

"Why? What gives you the right to decide my life again!"

But Itachi Uchiha couldn't hear him anymore; his hand slowly fell. His eyes were closed, and a faint smile remained on his lips.

It was as if I were saying, "My little brother... has grown up..."

Sasuke knelt on the ground, staring silently at his brother's lifeless body. He reached out and closed Itachi's eyes. "Brother..."

"Your ideas... are ridiculous."

"What protection of Konoha... what saving of the ninja world..."

"I'm going to destroy it."

He stood up, formed hand seals, lifted the soil, and placed Itachi's body inside. Handful after handful of soil covered Itachi's body, covering that eternally gentle face.

"Goodbye, brother." With that, he turned and ran wildly towards Konoha.

The mound of fresh earth behind him rose slightly.

Not long after, a white Zetsu emerged from the ground, enveloped Itachi's corpse, and slowly disappeared underground.

-

In the province of demons, the shrieks of a hundred demons were deafening.

Zabuza Momochi, wielding his Executioner's Blade, was trapped in the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons by the three witches. Countless demons rushed at him from all directions, rendering his exquisite swordsmanship useless. The only things that might be effective were his lightning and fire techniques, both ninjutsu, but unfortunately, he knew neither.

The bull-headed demon charged forward and slashed him in the chest with his blade, blood splattering everywhere. The six-armed centipede woman wrapped her arms around his legs and dragged him to the ground.

Zabuza struggled to stand up, but his soul had already begun to be pulled outward by the formation.

"Haha, are they finally going to die?" Zabuza laughed loudly. In fact, he knew the future from the very beginning. Black Zetsu was just using them as pawns.

Lord Hozuki Reitsu, so why did we defect in the first place? Or rather, why did we defect and come here?

He should have had his own thoughts long ago, but after that, he couldn't leave.

The soul was forcibly ripped from the body, and the translucent phantom showed no fear, but rather a sense of relief.

Perhaps this is the fate of a ninja; he killed hundreds of people, yet he still couldn't escape it in the end.

The demons swarmed forward, tearing at Zabuza's soul.

"Aaaaaaahh ...

The screams echoed across the wilderness before abruptly ceasing.

I'm seeing hallucinations. Have you come to take revenge on me?

Zabuza Momochi, a member of the Akatsuki organization, was the second to die in battle.

On the other side, Kisame Hoshigaki was still fighting. In fact, with his ninjutsu level, he could have run away, but as an honest man, he chose to fight to the death.

"Water Release: Big Explosive Water Wave!"

"Water Release: Senshi Sharak!"

The water-style ninjutsu bombarded the hundred demons, but the demons would reassemble after being cut down, making it impossible to kill them all.

Fortunately, a body of water formed in this wilderness, allowing him to merge with the Samehada in his hand, barely gaining the resistance to be pulled away by his soul.

However, his movements soon became sluggish; the ghosts were releasing cold air, and his waters were freezing.

At this moment, the high priestess raised her bone staff and shouted, "Seal the pillar!"

A massive stone pillar descended from the sky, and Kisame Hoshigaki was grabbed by the vengeful spirit, frozen in place, and finally pinned down beneath it.

The sealing talisman spread from the stone pillar, wrapping around Kisame's hands, feet, and neck, locking him tightly in place.

Kisame struggled twice but couldn't break free. He panted heavily, looked at the high priest slowly approaching, and grinned, "Looks like... I'm not going to be leaving today."

"That's settled then." Kisame closed his eyes, and the seal was complete.

Kisame Hoshigaki was captured alive.