Hyuga Gakuya appeared in a flash above the Five-Tails. Countless violet sealing chains surged out from the void, snaking around the beast's massive body, binding it tightly in place.
Without hesitation, Hyuga Gakuya thrust out his fist. A tremendous surge of senjutsu chakra erupted and swirled around his hand.
"Goodbye..."
He punched through the air.
In the blink of an eye, a gigantic chakra-formed fist crashed down like a mountain, smashing into the Five-Tails with overwhelming force. The sheer power behind the blow was enough to obliterate anything in its path.
A deafening boom tore through the battlefield, shaking the very earth beneath them.
The Five-Tails' colossal body was slammed into the ground by the immense force, pinned down and unable to move.
The damage was so immense that both the Five-Tails and Han were forcibly knocked out of their fully transformed tailed beast state. The impact was evenly shared between the two, and they both lost consciousness in an instant.
"Not bad. That's some serious firepower. Definitely worthy of six paths-level taijutsu," Gakuya remarked with satisfaction, admiring the result of his handiwork.
Just as the guidebook described: a senjutsu strike powerful enough to shake the heavens.
Gakuya summoned a puppet hawk and had it grab Han's unconscious body, sending it flying toward the area where Itachi and Kisame were waiting.
Elsewhere, the Three-Tails had also been successfully captured, unconscious and floating on a lake. Deidara was busy tying it up, prepping it so his clay bird could drag it across the water.
Kisame, meanwhile, was gathering his weapons. His traitorous sword Samehada lay next to the Three-Tails, weeping like a baby.
Gakuya deactivated most of his abilities and walked over to Itachi.
"Where's Uchiha Obito? That guy's going after the Tailed Beasts. He's definitely going to be a major threat to the organization down the line."
"He escaped," Itachi replied. "His space-time dojutsu is difficult to counter. But at least we got the Three-Tails."
"I see. That was your brother earlier, wasn't it? Haven't seen him in years—his strength's grown a lot," Gakuya commented casually. "But it seems like he still doesn't understand your intentions, huh?"
Even without taking his past life into account, Gakuya, once a member of Konoha's ANBU and Itachi's former squad captain, knew exactly what Itachi had done and why.
His words sounded sincere… but there was a deeper layer to them.
"He's the last hope for the revival of the Uchiha," Itachi said simply.
"Placing the future of your clan on a single person... is that really wise?" Gakuya asked, sitting down on a large boulder like they were just chatting over tea.
"No matter what, this is the path I chose," Itachi said, his gaze fixed on the horizon. There was a flicker of resolve in his eyes.
Gakuya nodded slightly. He understood—Itachi had borne immense pain and pressure all these years. To protect both the village and his younger brother, he'd made unthinkable sacrifices.
"Maybe one day, Sasuke will understand everything you've done for him," Gakuya said, pretending to offer comfort.
There was a beat of silence before Itachi suddenly spoke.
"You're one of the few who knows the truth. If Sasuke goes down the wrong path after I die… I want you to guide him back."
His voice was calm, but his eyes betrayed a hint of helplessness and sorrow.
Gakuya tilted his head with feigned confusion.
"And what exactly is the right path? Revenge against Konoha? Or becoming Hokage?"
Itachi gave him a long look before answering slowly.
"To become Hokage. To protect Konoha. To revive the Uchiha. That's the future I want Sasuke to walk toward."
"You're an older brother too," he added. "So I think you can understand how I feel right now."
His voice carried the weight of a deep love for his brother and unwavering dedication to his clan.
Gakuya gave a mock look of sudden realization, then grinned.
"Ah, I get it now. So if I help you with this... what's my reward?"
Itachi hesitated for a moment, then quietly said, "A pair of Mangekyō Sharingan."
Gakuya's eyes narrowed, a small smile curling at the corner of his lips.
So that's where Fugaku's Sharingan had ended up.
Using it now as a bargaining chip to pave the way for Sasuke... truly a practical use of a valuable relic. It was almost comedic.
"Which pair, exactly?" Gakuya pressed. "Don't tell me… you mean Uchiha Fugaku's eyes?"
Itachi nodded slightly, confirming it without words.
He knew Gakuya had the ability to absorb bloodline powers—and Mangekyō Sharingan like Fugaku's would certainly be tempting.
What he didn't know was that Gakuya had already fused Obito's Mangekyō and achieved the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
Gakuya teased, "Aren't you worried I'll just betray you, absorb Sasuke and your precious Sharingan?"
The air suddenly turned heavy with tension. Both men clearly had their own agendas.
But Itachi replied, "Your word is still trustworthy, Hyuga Gakuya."
Time was running out. Using the Mangekyō had worsened Itachi's bloodline illness. He needed to leave one final safety net for Sasuke, and Gakuya—one of the few who knew the truth—was the best candidate for the job.
Gakuya extended his hand with a smile.
"Deal. Looking forward to our collaboration. I'll keep your promise, and guide Sasuke onto the right path."
I always keep my promises, Gakuya thought to himself. As long as the outcome doesn't change, the detours don't matter.
"But first," he added, "you'll need to give me the eyes."
Itachi hesitated briefly, then pulled out a sealed container. Inside were none other than Fugaku's Sharingan.
Gakuya accepted the container, carefully examining the contents.
They looked like ordinary three-tomoe Sharingan on the surface, but he could sense the dormant power hidden within.
More importantly, these eyes carried significance—they were a tool. After Itachi's death, Gakuya could use Fugaku's Mangekyō to manipulate Sasuke into following his plan.
"Don't forget your promise," Itachi reminded him one last time.
"Relax. I always keep my word," Gakuya replied with a slight smirk.
But when Itachi saw that smile, an uneasy feeling crept into his heart. The deal was done, and there was no going back.
Of course, Gakuya the master playwright had already prepared Sasuke's most dramatic script.
Obito might be dead soon—but there was still an Uchiha Sasuke, wasn't there?
Not to mention, he'd just handed Sasuke a major upgrade. If, after all this training and dual Mangekyō fusion, Sasuke still got one-shot... well, that was on him.
...
At that moment, Deidara finished securing the Three-Tails with ropes. His clay bird dragged the beast across the lake's surface.
Deidara walked up to Gakuya and gave him a hearty pat on the shoulder.
"Gakuya! That punch earlier—absolutely beautiful. I acknowledge your art!"
Gakuya chuckled. "What an honor."
Compared to all the mind games with Itachi, Gakuya much preferred Deidara's simple, sunshine-for-brains personality. It made him feel like he was still an innocent young man.
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Just dropped a new fanfic! It's a chill, easy-to-read story with a fun twist, the main character has the Flame-Flame Fruit in the Naruto world. The powers are cool and used in interesting ways, but don't worry, he's not insanely overpowered. There's a good balance, solid pacing, and some nice character moments.
Highly recommend checking it out.
You can find it by the title In Naruto with the Flame-Flame Fruit or just head to my Webnovel profile!
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo