Kabuto dazedly touched his aching cheek, disbelief clear as he looked towards Itachi, lost in thought.
“What…
is going on.” Kabuto froze, a frown on his face as he murmured.
Looking at Itachi, he had a strange feeling that all of this was eerily familiar.
“Bansho Tenin!” The emotionless voice of the man in black came from behind him.
The next moment, a powerful pulling force from behind swept over Kabuto’s entire body, dragging him backward.
Kabuto stopped resisting, like a wooden doll letting himself be pulled.
*Crack!* A white horn broke off his head as it hit the ground, falling near him.
Kabuto froze again.
Mid-air, as he was being pulled, he touched the horn on his head with a very odd expression.
Why, my horn had already broken.
How did it break again…
*Slap!* The man in black grabbed Kabuto, who had been pulled over, and slammed him onto the ground.
He pinned Kabuto down with his knee on his chest, the immense strength pressing him down so hard he couldn’t move, only watch the man in black helplessly.
Kabuto managed to swallow, his Adam’s apple trembling as he looked into the man in black’s eyes and asked: “What did you do to me?!” The man in black gave Kabuto a look of distaste, saying nothing more.
At this point, Itachi, standing not far away with the Kusanagi Sword, spoke up to explain things to Kabuto.
His voice echoed through the cave: “You’ve fallen for my eye technique!” Itachi held the Kusanagi Sword, with Sasuke standing silently behind him like a soulless puppet.
“Impossible!!” Kabuto roared, still disbelieving.
He struggled to break free from the man in black’s hold.
The next second, the man in black picked him up.
“Shinra Tensei!!” As the repeated line rang out, Kabuto was once again sent flying by a powerful repulsive force, like a kite with a broken string, soaring across the cave and crashing in front of Itachi.
“How did he do that…
No, this has to be these two working together to trick me…” Kabuto struggled to get up from the damp ground, slowly lifting his head, a possible answer forming in his mind about the current situation.
He had made foolproof preparations; there was no way he would fall for Itachi’s eye technique!
Just as Kabuto strengthened his conviction and looked up with determined eyes, he sensed Itachi, who was rapidly approaching, launch a swift leg sweep.
*Bang!* Kabuto’s body instantly twisted to the side.
His expression turned angry; he hated being toyed with like this.
“I told you, your fate is in my hands.” Itachi stood before Kabuto and spoke slowly and calmly.
“Stop talking nonsense!” Kabuto shouted.
*Drip!* Another drop of water fell, landing on Kabuto’s shoulder.
He jumped, instinctively dodging to the side.
Damn it!
Kabuto looked at the man in black behind him, who seemed about to raise his arm again.
He quickly formed hand signs, puffing out his cheeks: “Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!” Chakra rapidly gathered at Kabuto’s throat.
A giant water ball shot out, rushing towards the man in black.
Then Kabuto quickly turned.
Sensing that the man in black had been engulfed by the waves, he slapped his hands together towards Itachi, now somewhat anxious: “Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation!!” *Boom!
Boom!
Boom!!!* Several massive stone pillars shot out from the ground, firmly impaling and pinning Uchiha Itachi and Sasuke in place.
Itachi, held fast, looked up and shouted at him: “Think about what I just said!” But Kabuto seemed unwilling to heed Itachi.
Kabuto glanced at the few people who were immobilized.
After a moment’s thought, he turned and ran off in another direction without looking back.
“This space is under my control.
I’ll retreat first…” Kabuto looked at the pinned Itachi, ignoring whatever he had said.
His heart gradually relaxed.
Kabuto let out a condescending laugh; it seemed he had been overly worried.
Then, with excitement, he stuck out his long tongue.
Chakra gathered in his feet, and he moved rapidly, sprinting towards the other end of the cave.
*Whoosh—* The stone pillars beside him zipped past.
The sound of breaking air filled his ears as Kabuto sprinted at lightning speed among the stalactites.
Suddenly, he looked closely: “Huh?” He immediately frowned.
A few cold drops of sweat trickled down his forehead.
A nameless rage surged in his heart.
His eyes were filled with disbelief.
As his gaze moved upward, he saw the man in black with the Rinnegan rapidly approaching him!
“Damn it!
What a joke!!” Kabuto roared hoarsely.
He covered his hands with Chakra and charged at the man in black, who had stopped in the distance, with unstoppable force.
Kabuto is going for it!
*”Clang!”* The man in black’s spoon collided with Kabuto’s hand!
Kabuto chose to leap back quickly!!
What was he doing?!!
Kabuto is making a move!
His hands rapidly formed hand signs!!
“Inorganic Reincarnation!” Kabuto shouted at the man in black in front of him!!
*Bang!!* The stone pillar brutally impaled the man in black!
Kabuto is showing off!!
He’s about to make his move!!!
*Slap!* Kabuto’s destiny was grasped by the back of his neck.
*Thud!* Kabuto was grabbed by the man in black, who had appeared behind him, and slammed onto the ground.
Once again, he was pinned down with a knee to the chest.
Kabuto lay on the ground, powerless like a salted fish, his arms spread wide, his face ashen as he looked at the man in black’s face.
At the same time, he clearly saw out of the corner of his eye that Sasuke and Itachi, whom he had firmly pinned with Inorganic Reincarnation, were slowly walking over to the man in black.
He collapsed completely, his pupils trembling slightly as he looked at the man in black’s swirling, pale purple Rinnegan.
“This is…
Izanami.” —— Reality.
“He can’t escape this cycle…
this loop.” Itachi, with one eye turned gray, stood before Kabuto and said slowly, his hand placed on Kabuto’s head.
Kabuto, with Itachi stroking his head, closed his eyes, his hands hanging limply.
Though he appeared unconscious, he remained standing.
Sasuke looked at Kabuto’s closed eyes and his brother’s back.
It was his first time learning about this kind of eye technique.
The man in black leaned against a nearby stalagmite.
He raised his hand and looked at his fingertips, which were slowly turning wooden, having lost the support of Chakra and eye power.
He seemed to be thinking about something.
As he mused, he tucked his fingers into his sleeve.
With his other hand, he pointed his spoon at Itachi and asked calmly: “Itachi, can you release Edo Tensei now?” Seeing the man in black’s attitude, Sasuke drew his sheathed Kusanagi Sword, Lightning Release Chakra directly coating it.
“What kind of tone is that?!” The man in black tilted his head in surprise, revealing half his face from under the shadow of his hat.
His stubbled chin curved into a smile for Sasuke.
However, a special kunai hanging from his waist caught Sasuke’s attention.