Chapter 201 : Let Him Go!
Crimson chakra surged from Uchiha Itachi, erupting across the surface of his body like a burst of flame.
The flame shifted from red to deep crimson, then began to condense.
First came the skeletal frame, forming from nothingness into reality.
Then flesh and blood grew over the ribs. Red muscle tissue intertwined and layered over the skeleton until it finally took shape.
Susanoo, second form.
It only had an upper body; it had no legs, and everything below the waist was empty. Its arms were long, and in its hand, it held a long chakra blade. The blade was deep crimson, with a dark red glow flowing along its edge.
Itachi's hair was blown back by the chakra shockwaves, his clothes snapping wildly in the wind. Blood wept from his eyes, seeping from the corners and trailing down his cheeks before dripping onto his collar, blooming into a small, dark red stain.
His eyes remained wide open, the three-bladed shuriken pattern spinning slowly within his blood-red pupils.
Opposite him, green chakra surged from Uchiha Shisui.
That flame was an emerald green, bright like the tender shoots of spring, condensing around his body.
Similarly, the skeleton formed first, followed by flesh and blood. An equally massive half-body Susanoo materialized around him, wielding a spiral sword. The blade was long and twisted, resembling a giant drill.
The two Susanoo stood face-to-face, less than thirty meters apart.
The crimson one was dark and murky, like coagulated blood.
The emerald one was bright and vivid, like newly sprouted leaves.
The air between them felt as heavy as if it had solidified.
Neither wasted another word. In the next moment, the Susanoo moved.
The emerald arm raised, and the spiral sword carved an arc through the air, slashing toward the opponent.
The blade tore through the air with a piercing shriek. The spiral patterns on the sword gleamed in the sunlight, spinning like a massive drill.
Itachi remained silent, and his Susanoo moved as well.
The crimson arm swept upward, the long blade rising to meet the strike. The edge of the blade clashed against the spiral sword.
Boom!!!
A deafening roar erupted. A shockwave exploded from the point of impact, pushing outward in all directions like an invisible wall.
Dirt and gravel from the ground were swept up by the blast, scattering like shrapnel.
The flying debris pelted the surrounding tree trunks, punching holes straight through the wood.
Unable to withstand the immense pressure, the ground beneath the two Susanoo began to fracture.
Fissures spread outward from their feet, covering the earth like a spiderweb.
The two Susanoo battled amidst the forest.
The crimson giant swung its blade at the emerald giant's neck. The emerald giant dodged sideways, thrusting its spiral sword at the crimson giant's chest. The crimson giant raised its left arm to block, and the tip of the spiral sword pierced into the flesh of the arm. Green and red chakra violently clashed, emitting a harsh, sizzling sound.
They fought as they moved, clashing from the edge of the woods to the center, and then to the far side of the forest. Behind them lay a trail of pulverized earth, shattered trees, and crushed boulders.
Before them, massive trees were as fragile as twigs, snapping at the slightest touch and splintering upon impact.
The sound of snapping trunks echoed endlessly like a string of firecrackers, while wood splinters rained down from the sky like snow.
The shockwaves radiating from their clash devastated the forest. With every collision, a blast swept through, uprooting trees and peeling away the top layer of the earth.
Ten meters, twenty meters, thirty meters—the zone of destruction continuously expanded, growing from a few dozen meters to over a hundred.
They clashed dozens of times, each strike more ferocious than the last.
Susanoo consumed a tremendous amount of visual prowess.
Every swing of the blade, every movement, every absorbed attack drained their ocular power.
Itachi's eyes grew redder by the second. Tears of blood streamed endlessly from the corners of his eyes. His breathing grew heavier, his chest heaving violently. His arms trembled slightly—not from fear, but because his body was reaching its absolute limit.
Shisui's condition was no better.
His eyes were also bleeding, the crimson drops seeping out and staining his collar. His face was deathly pale, and he looked as though he had been submerged in water for hours. His sweat-drenched clothes clung to his skin, revealing his lean frame.
Yet neither took a single step back.
The crimson Susanoo took another slash from the emerald one, its left arm nearly severed, hanging on by only a thin membrane of chakra.
The emerald Susanoo also took a hit from the crimson one, a long gash torn across its chest. Green chakra spilled from the wound, flowing down like blood.
The battle raged on.
This forest was only a few miles away from Konoha. Although it was outside the village's perimeter, ninjas frequently patrolled the area or carried out missions nearby.
The commotion was simply too massive, loud enough to be heard miles away.
The roaring, the crashing, the splintering of trees—it all blended together like a barrage of artillery fire.
Wave after wave of shockwaves rippled outward, causing faint tremors in the ground that could be felt even within Konoha.
The ninjas patrolling or running missions nearby immediately sprang into action, rushing toward the source of the disturbance.
The first to arrive was a three-man squad. They wore Konoha flak jackets, their forehead protectors securely tied, and their ninja tool pouches bulging at their waists.
They emerged from the woods and hid behind a massive tree, peering toward the battlefield.
Then, their expressions drastically changed, as if they had witnessed something forbidden.
Two Susanoo stood in the center of the devastated clearing—one crimson, one emerald, both towering over ten meters tall.
Their bodies were covered in blade marks and fissures, with chakra bleeding from the cracks and drifting into the air like mist.
Yet they were still swinging their blades, slashing and colliding, each impact sending out another violent shockwave.
"It's the Uchiha!"
One of the ninjas blurted out in shock.
"The Uchiha clan's Susanoo!"
His voice carried an uncontrollable mix of astonishment and fear.
He was a ninja who had lived through the battle outside Konoha ten years ago. Back then, he was still young, just a Chunin, watching the fight from afar.
In that battle, the golden Susanoo and the blue Susanoo had left an indelible mark on his memory.
Because he recognized the technique, his expression grew even more grim.
Soon, over a dozen more ninjas arrived one after another.
They approached from different directions, stopping at the perimeter of the battlefield. Watching the two brawling Susanoo, every single one of them wore a heavy expression.
Some reached for their ninja pouches, some began weaving hand signs, some crouched behind trees, and others climbed up into the branches.
But no one entered the battlefield. No one dared. A battle of that caliber was far beyond their ability to intervene; stepping in would mean certain death.
"What do we do now?"
No one answered.
Then, someone recognized the figures inside the two Susanoo.
"It's Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi!"
"Why are they fighting?"
Again, no one answered.
A Jonin stepped forward from the crowd.
He was older than the rest, with a scar on his face and sharp eyes. He stared at the two Susanoo in the battlefield, remained silent for two seconds, and then spoke.
"Go inform Lord Hokage!"
Someone immediately broke away from the group to deliver the message.
The Jonin spoke again. "Uchiha Shisui is a member of the ANBU. Uchiha Itachi is with the Police Force."
He pulled his gaze from the battlefield and looked at the surrounding ninjas.
"I have reason to believe Uchiha Shisui is carrying out a mission."
He paused, as if making a final decision.
"Everyone, be on guard against Uchiha Itachi!"
Hearing the order, the ninjas immediately fanned out.
The two combatants in the battlefield had clearly noticed the crowd gathering on the perimeter.
Shisui glanced toward the group. His expression didn't change, but his brow furrowed slightly.
He turned his head back to look at Itachi.
"Itachi! Come back with me!"
Itachi looked at him, his face completely devoid of emotion.
"I refuse."
Two words. Brief, yet incredibly resolute.
The moment he said those words, he drove his Susanoo forward, charging straight at Shisui's.
The crimson Susanoo surged ahead, raising its long blade high above its head. The dark red glow on the edge flared brighter, like a blade heated to a burning red by fire.
Boom!!
The two Susanoo collided.
But this time, after the impact, the crimson Susanoo didn't step back. Instead, it exploded.
White smoke billowed from the blast, completely obscuring the area.
Uchiha Itachi vanished along with it.
His figure disappeared into the white smoke as if he had never been there at all. All that remained in his place was a shallow footprint and a pool of dark red blood.
Shisui was the first to react. He tore his gaze away from the center of the battlefield and instinctively looked in another direction.
His Mangekyo Sharingan spun rapidly in his sockets, catching even the slightest disturbance in the air.
That direction was west.
Far off in that direction, a figure was rapidly retreating. It was Uchiha Itachi.
Shisui watched his retreating back, but he did not give chase.
Among the crowd on the perimeter, the Jonin was the quickest to react. He waved his hand and shouted to the men behind him.
"Pursue!"
Hearing the command, the ninjas immediately dashed out from their hiding spots.
"Everyone, stop!"
Shisui called out instantly.
They halted in their tracks, turning to look at Shisui with confusion.
Shisui took a deep breath and dispelled his Susanoo.
The emerald chakra receded from his body like an ebbing tide, sinking from the air to the ground, and from the ground back into his body.
The massive form of the Susanoo shifted from solid to ethereal, from existence to nothingness, dissolving into a cloud of green mist that scattered into the wind.
Shisui stumbled, taking two quick steps forward before steadying himself. He regained his balance, raised his head, and looked at the ninjas who were still waiting for his explanation.
"Let him go. I will personally report this matter to Lord Hokage."
The ninjas stood rooted to the spot, exchanging uncertain glances, but no one moved.
The Jonin looked at Shisui, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded.
No one pursued.
Uchiha Itachi's silhouette simply vanished into the depths of the forest.
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