31 Chapter 31

"There are only 10 seconds left!" Kaito reminded calmly.

Itachi remained silent, but his body trembled.

The panicked group of clansmen tried to sway Itachi emotionally.

But Itachi stood firm.

"5!"

"4!"

***

Kaito initiated the countdown, and the group cursed Itachi as they crumbled.

"You ungrateful wretch, Itachi!"

"You father and son duo, even in the afterlife, I won't let you off!"

"You'll join us soon in the afterlife!"

Kaito initiated the countdown, and as the group collapsed, they directed their anger towards Itachi.

Kaito clicked his tongue.

"It seems you're quite uneasy about this! In that case, I'll humour you and bring your brother here to join the fray!"

As he spoke, the space around Kaito suddenly distorted.

"Wait a moment!" At that moment, Itachi halted Kaito, his expression filled with concern.

Gritting his teeth, he looked at Kaito and forced out a sentence: "I choose my brother!"

"Oh?" Kaito raised an eyebrow in immediate response.

He then sighed, "I didn't expect such selflessness from you, willing to trade your brother's life for this group. Quite admirable!"

"Then I'll kill your brother!"

"No, wait!" Itachi hastily interjected again.

Taking a deep breath, he solemnly declared, "I choose my brother."

As Itachi finished speaking, Kaito burst into laughter.

Then, in a deep voice, he asked, "Do you understand the consequences of your choice?"

"With Sarutobi Hiruzen and these elites gone, Konoha will plunge into chaos, losing nearly half its strength! The other four major countries can easily invade the Fire Country's borders, plunging it into turmoil, possibly leading to Konoha's destruction!"

"You claim you desire peace, yet you're willing to condemn millions in the Land of Fire to war?!"

Kaito mocked Itachi with a disdainful expression.

Itachi simply lowered his head in silence.

Observing this, Kaito curled his lips in contempt, "Seems you've finally come to terms with yourself?"

Prepare yourselves, the three of you!" Kaito's actions were not just a taunt towards Itachi. In a swift move, he consumed several military ration pills, boosting his chakra reserves to 40%.

Itachi stared at Kaito in disbelief as he processed the sudden surge in power. 

"Are you surprised?" Kaito smirked, "I did mention this was

 a possibility."

Despite his mastery over the mirror space, Kaito needed chakra to manipulate it effectively. With his chakra levels now replenished, he focused on conserving it for the crucial battle ahead.

Itachi's fury surged as he witnessed Kaito's swift response, the flames of Amaterasu engulfing the space between them.

At that moment, a sense of powerlessness washed over Itachi, his mind racing as Kaito materialized beside him with a speed that seemed almost supernatural, his sword poised menacingly at Itachi's neck.

But Fugaku, anticipating the danger, swiftly closed the distance to Itachi, his kunai drawn to intercept Kaito's sword.

Meanwhile, Obito aimed a swift strike at Kaito's waist.

"As holders of the Mangekyo Sharingan, your teamwork is commendable, but your speed leaves much to be desired!" Kaito sneered."

He didn't need to use 'God's Presence' to handle the situation. With a quick gesture, he summoned a handful of kunai with his left hand.

Itachi swiftly dispelled Amaterasu and prepared to strike Kaito with his kunai, but Fugaku intervened, causing Itachi to retract the blade just in time. Fugaku's quick thinking saved the day as Kaito's appearance shifted to Fugaku narrowly avoiding a fatal blow.

However, Kaito managed to sneak up behind Fugaku and disappeared with him before Itachi and Obito could react.

Itachi, alarmed, called out for his father and quickly located Kaito and Fugaku. Determined to rescue them, he sprinted towards their location, with Obito following closely behind.

Kaito seized Fugaku by the neck, hoisting him into the air with a fierce grip.

"I will take your eyes,"

he said with a chilling smile, his fingers tightening around Fugaku's throat.

Fugaku's eyes widened in fear, feeling paralyzed by the gravity of the situation. As Kaito's hand approached, Fugaku could feel his blood going cold.

Fugaku found himself unable to utilize his Mangekyo Sharingan abilities for defence, forced to witness as Kaito's hand drew nearer and nearer.

"No!"

Fugaku screamed in terror, feeling immobilized by the heaviness of his own body, unable to budge an inch.

In one swift motion, Kaito gouged out Fugaku's eye sockets, leaving them empty!

"It's finally done!"

Kaito murmured joyfully, holding the two Mangekyo eyes in his hands.

"Absorbing these Mangekyo will enhance my mirror space even further! I wonder how powerful it will become! I'm eager to find out!"

Then, with a sense of accomplishment, Kaito gripped the Mangekyo Sharingan in his hands Reflecting on his newfound power, he tossed Fugaku aside and contemplated the potential of his mirror space.

"Father …" Itachi, who was rushing toward the scene, came to a sudden stop, staring blankly at the gruesome act unfolding before him. He couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow and defeat.

Obito approached Itachi with a heavy sigh, his demeanour reflecting a sense of resignation as he reached out to pat him gently on the shoulder. Meanwhile, Kaito regarded them both with a calculating gaze, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips as he proposed,

"Itachi, how about we make a deal?"

Kaito's words snapped Itachi back to reality in an instant.

He shot a fierce glare at Kaito, his voice laced with suspicion as he demanded, "What game are you playing?"

Kaito's smile remained, his gaze sincere as he addressed Itachi, "I assure you, I genuinely wish to negotiate with you this time."

Itachi's breaths were ragged, with each breath, he fought against the weight of the air surrounding him. Kaito's attack had disrupted Itachi's calm demeanour, leaving him feeling unsettled all night.

Yet, Kaito seemed unfazed by Itachi's reaction, displaying a lack of restraint he rarely showed. However, there was only one thing that made him cautious.

The Shisui eye embedded within Itachi's crow posed a considerable threat. 

Kaito wasn't completely vulnerable to this technique, but if hit by it, his ability to think clearly would undoubtedly be impaired for a while.

This disadvantage could be deadly when confronting five opponents of equal skill at once. However, in a one-on-one battle against Itachi, Kaito would undoubtedly have the advantage.

"What kind of deal are you proposing?"

At that moment, Obito noticed Itachi's silence and immediately asked.

"It's quite simple," Kaito replied with a shrug.

"I've heard that Itachi possesses Shisui's other eye. If he's willing to hand it over to me, I'll leave without further ado."

"As for the individuals currently trapped in this space, including the gravely wounded Fugaku, Danzo, and Sarutobi Hiruzen, I'll release them."

After Kaito finished speaking, he couldn't help but inwardly sigh.

With only a little over 10% of his chakra remaining, continuing to engage in a stalemate with Obito and Itachi would leave him with little chakra left for victory. Moreover, departing Konoha with the Uchihas and others would require a significant amount of chakra.

Hence, he devised this compromise—a way to depart openly while securing some benefits.

As for whether Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others would trouble him upon recovering—Kaito found the notion amusing. At this point, he could easily overcome the combined efforts of Hiruzen Sarutobi. As for any potential consequences, they were insignificant.

Following this battle, Kaito gained a deeper understanding of the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Once he devoured Shisui's and Fugaku's eyes, he was confident he would ascend to the pinnacle of the Mangekyo Sharingan.

With the system's automatic upgrade to the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, Kaito's strength would skyrocket rapidly, inching him closer to the levels of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju.

As a result, Konoha would face destruction at Kaito's hands multiple times over in the blink of an eye, if Kaito wanted.

****

Enjoy