Naruto: The Shattered Eyes

While the world raged outside, Itachi appeared within the depths of Naruto's consciousness. His eyes bore a Mangekyou Sharingan pattern the world had never seen — a mix of his own and Shisui's.

The two shuriken-esque patterns had merged to form a dark hurricane.

All it took was one look.

Itachi's eyes, their patterns spinning in a hypnotic, churning dance, gazed into the hate-filled gaze of the Kyuubi. At that very moment, something shifted. Something within the Demon Fox's psyche had changed.

However, not even Kurama could tell what it was. Nothing was out of place.

None of his thoughts differed from before.

He was still himself: Kurama was still Kurama. The Nine-Tailed Fox was the Nine-Tailed Fox.

Naruto, struggling on the precipices of death, suddenly found himself in a tranquil state. A thousand dreams and a hundred lifetimes seemed to pass through his mind. They were drifting by like an endless, relaxing cycle.

Mending the cracks in his mind.

Burying his suffering with a myriad of illusions.

Shrouding his torment in a vast, veiled dreamscape.

All it took was a single glance. A single gaze. The Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, gifted with both Itachi's Tsukuyomi and Shisui's Kotoamatsukami.

—They were the Eyes of Dreams.

***

Outside, Itachi hadn't moved even once. However, Danzo suddenly felt a huge amount of chakra dissipate, burned by Itachi's eyes.

A foreboding sense of doom scratched at Danzo's heart.

However, Itachi had already used his two available casts of Kotoamatsukami. Shisui's legacy for him had a cooldown he could not ignore.

'A shame,' Itachi thought.

Danzo had used up a lot of chakra. A Genjutsu battle would surely be won by him. Layering Kotoamatsukami on top of his Tsukuyomi was enough to create a beautiful world of illusions.

A feat that could rival that of the Infinite Tsukuyomi — although applicable only within Itachi's limited chakra reserves and the casting limit of the Kotoamatsukami.

Nonetheless, it was an immensely influential tool.

"Jiraiya-sama," Itachi watched as the battlefield was once again reset. "I'm done on this side."

Itachi felt a sense of dissonance. Despite the pristine condition of the reverted battlefield, the only sign of battle could be seen in Jiraiya's wounds and his own vastly depleted chakra. Everything else was as they had been, even before the Kyuubi's rampage.

Danzo was still brimming with chakra.

With a squint, Itachi had a few guesses. However, he couldn't be sure. Unlike a certain Hiryu Suguru, Itachi was unfamiliar with the sciences.

Instead, Itachi's eyes gleamed for a moment, recording this entire situation into his Sharingan. Ready to be replayed to inform those who needed to know.

Then, every cell in his body screamed. Itachi summoned his own spectral warrior into existence.

'Susanoo!'

It was time to tip the scales.

***

Aboveground, yet another S-rank battle was brewing. Orochimaru's gaze was forced into one of wariness.

'What is this? This jutsu...'

It did not feel normal.

A tongue of flame like a candlelight unbothered by flowing air currents snaked around Hiruzen's body. It seemed sentient, yet Orochimaru was sure those flames were merely an extension of Hiruzen's will.

The flowing flame was akin to a liquid in laminar flow, mesmerizing in its rhythmic illusion.

However, the sheer magnitude of its heat was no joke. The ground around Hiruzen had dried up, and the stones under his feet had already started melting.

'How is Sensei not suffering any backlash from such a jutsu?' Orochimaru's eyes flashed with curiosity.

He realized that Hiruzen had somehow found a source of enlightenment. A jutsu that only he could wield.

A signature jutsu — perhaps no different from the Fourth Hokage's Rasengan.

Orochimaru wanted it.

And thus, he put his hands together and commanded his chakra to boil.

'Wind Release: Great Breakthrough Jutsu!'

Furthermore... A second Orochimaru surfaced from within the ground, his chakra already in full bloom as he rapidly weaved several hand seals.

[Tiger » Ox » Monkey » Rabbit » Ram » Boar » Ox » Horse » Monkey » Tiger » Dog » Tiger » Snake » Tiger » Ox » Monkey » Rabbit » Bird]

'Water Release: Great Waterfall Jutsu!'

—BOOM!

A maelstrom was instantly born, a swirling torrential hydro beam heading straight for Hiruzen like a barreling freight train.

"..." For a moment, Hiruzen squinted.

Seemingly perplexed at the suddenness of Orochimaru's preemptive strike. Unfortunately for the snake...

Hirzen roiled his chakra, concentrating it onto the palm of his hand.

A small flickering flame appeared, swiftly turning white.

—Eeeeeeeeeeeeng!

'What...' Orochimaru felt a heavy heartbeat.

'What's that sound?'

Like a whistling bomb falling from the sky, Orochimaru instantly identified it as a sign of impending destruction. It was clear where it was coming from...

The tiny, flickering candle flame formed in Hiruzen's palm.

And just that reality was enough to make Orochimaru's heart drop.

—Click.

'What was that?'

Still spitting out his torrential blast of water and air, Orochimaru felt a dangerous premonition.

'I need to escape!'

Hurriedly, he clapped his hands.

'Yamata—!'

Unfortunately.

Before he could act.

The sound barrier around him burst.

His ears, injured beyond recognition, could only hear the ringing apparency of absolute silence.

And all that Orochimaru could see was white — the white-hot flames erupting from Hiruzen's hand.

'Fire Release: Phoenix King's Cleansing,'

—VWHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

A conical burst of flames was expelled, bathing the area in a condensed baptism of fire. The flames did not spread, seemingly doubling down upon themselves, feeding more heat into the system.

Commanded by a God of Shinobi to burn only what it must burn, and reduce all things before him into ashes.

Thus, Orochimaru would have no choice but to abandon whatever was left of his body as he was reverse-summoned out.

***

The Six Paths of Pain were gazing down upon the charred and melted form that Orochimaru displayed.

"It seems like Konohagakure will be a pesky hindrance to our plans."

There were simply too many powerhouses within the village at the moment.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo," Pain's Rinnegan flashed in an ominous light.

Furthermore,

"Uchiha Itachi and Toad Sage Jiraiya..."

—Crack.

Orochimaru, reborn in an uninjured body, crawled out of his own mouth. Although unscathed, his chakra reserves had dropped heavily.

"I've tested the waters as you've requested, Leader."

A vile laughter escaped Orochimaru's lips. From the mocking light in his eyes, it was clear that Pain's failed plans were entertaining to him.

"It seems like we'll have to wait for Konoha to cave into itself first."

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