Chapter 68: Even Itachi Can Slip Up
The reason Itachi remained unmoved by Danzō's threats and chose to eliminate him immediately was simple—
When Yusuke had activated "Dance of the Mirage Flame," Itachi had sensed his chakra from afar.
Knowing Yusuke had returned to safeguard the clan, Itachi's mind was finally at ease.
Now, all that was left was to kill Danzō.
Danzō, however, narrowed his eyes as he observed Itachi's unshaken expression—the kind of expression that didn't regard him as a threat at all. With a sharp grunt, he signaled, and four Root operatives suddenly leapt out from the nearby lake.
Clearly, this was Danzō's backup plan.
He had always feared the genjutsu of the Uchiha clan.
There was a saying in the shinobi world:
"If you face an Uchiha alone, your only option is to run."
While not universally true, the sentiment reflected the sheer danger of facing their ocular powers without backup.
That's why Danzō had these four elite jōnin in place—to assist him the moment he was caught in a genjutsu.
"Uchiha Itachi," Danzō sneered with confidence,
"You're out of time. Soon enough, I'll be sending you to join Fugaku."
Backed by his operatives, Danzō believed he had nothing to fear.
With five jōnin-level fighters, they could easily overwhelm even a Mangekyō Sharingan user—
or so he thought.
Just then, Danzō noticed Itachi's eyes shift.
The Mangekyō Sharingan in his gaze suddenly blurred, became ethereal—
and then the world began to twist.
The scenery around Danzō spun and warped, transforming into a surreal realm of black and red.
"A genjutsu…"
Danzō realized instantly.
But with his operatives nearby, he still remained composed.
"I know you specialize in illusions," he said coldly, finding himself now bound to a cross-shaped frame, kneeling in humiliation.
"But I still have four subordinates out there. They can break me out of this—or kill you."
Itachi said nothing.
His face remained expressionless.
In his hand appeared a slender, conical weapon—like an ice pick, but more sinister.
Its surface was lined with countless backward-facing barbs, packed so tightly that just looking at it made one's scalp tingle.
To imagine such a weapon piercing flesh, then being ripped out—the pain would be unimaginable.
And then—
With a wet, slicing sound and a scream that echoed across the genjutsu world,
Itachi drove the weapon deep into Danzō's abdomen.
"This technique," Itachi said quietly,
"is called Tsukuyomi."
"Only those with a Sharingan can even begin to resist it."
"In the world of Tsukuyomi, time, space, matter—everything bends to my will."
"So for the next 72 hours, I invite you to savor this pain."
As he yanked the spiked weapon free, Danzō screamed in agony—his voice ragged, his body convulsing.
And yet—
He didn't pass out.
Despite the excruciating torture, Danzō's willpower was terrifyingly strong.
Most people would've fainted from the overload.
It's part of the human brain's self-defense mechanism—when the mind can't cope with extreme pain, it shuts down, protecting itself from collapse.
In the original series, even Kakashi, under Tsukuyomi's torment, would lose consciousness over and over in a repeating cycle.
But Danzō?
He endured.
However, in the next moment, Danzō suddenly realized—his body was completely unharmed.
What terrified him, though, was that he was still trapped in the world of Tsukuyomi.
And in front of him now stood two identical Itachis, both wielding those sinister, barbed conical weapons.
Itachi's face remained cold and expressionless as he once again drove the weapon into Danzō's body.
His voice was eerily calm as he repeated the same line:
"This illusion is called Tsukuyomi.
In Tsukuyomi's world, I control everything."
"For the next 71 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds... enjoy the pain."
As those words echoed, Danzō looked up at the sky within the illusion—a blood-red full moon looming overhead.
His voice cracked into a scream of sheer despair:
"NOOOOO!!!"
With a heavy thud, Danzō collapsed to the ground, right before the stunned eyes of the four Root shinobi.
"Danzō-sama!"
They rushed to his side to support him, confused and alarmed.
Danzō's complexion was pale as a corpse, his forehead drenched in cold sweat, lips completely drained of color.
He said nothing—only stared up at Itachi, who now looked down at him like a grim reaper.
What Danzō had just experienced inside Tsukuyomi was a level of pain he had never known.
Even he understood—if he were subjected to that torture again, he might not come back whole.
"You useless fools," Danzō finally croaked, his voice weak but sharp.
"Did you not notice I was caught in a genjutsu? Why didn't any of you act?!"
The Root ninja exchanged uncertain glances. One of them replied:
"Danzō-sama... right after you summoned us, you just collapsed.
We didn't notice any signs that you were under a genjutsu."
Upon hearing this, Danzō finally understood the true horror of Tsukuyomi.
Though he had suffered 72 hours of agony, in the real world, only an instant had passed.
Realizing this, he immediately used chakra to cut off his remaining visual nerve connections, ensuring he wouldn't be caught in the illusion again.
While Danzō struggled to catch his breath, Itachi began to feel the aftereffects of using Tsukuyomi.
The strain on his eyes was intense.
His vision blurred, and searing pain shot through his optic nerves.
Tsukuyomi's power was directly proportional to its cost.
For someone like Itachi, who had just awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, this first use had already pushed him to his limits.
But even more shocking—Danzō had withstood it.
He had endured the full 72 hours of psychological torment and hadn't mentally collapsed.
Itachi, though filled with hatred for Danzō, couldn't help but respect his iron will.
Just then, with a roar, Danzō shoved aside the Root shinobi supporting him and forced himself upright, sheer willpower fueling his trembling limbs.
"I am the one destined to unite the shinobi world," he shouted.
"How can I fall here?!"
"I will not fall here!"
With those words, he charged at Itachi, his four Root elites following closely behind.
Despite being mentally drained and performing at less than 30% of his full strength,
Danzō still had four of the Root's most combat-hardened elites at his side.
The five-on-one assault quickly forced Itachi onto the defensive.
His eyesight was faltering, and his eyes throbbed with every movement.
After all—he was only ten years old.
Nowhere near the power he would one day possess in the original timeline.
He hadn't expected Tsukuyomi to exact such a heavy toll.
Just when Itachi was about to buckle—
A sudden, overwhelming pressure crashed down upon Danzō and the four Root shinobi.
A spiritual force, crushing and suffocating.
Yusuke had arrived.
He unleashed his soul pressure outward, instantly suppressing everyone facing Itachi.
"Who's there?!"
Danzō's face twisted in shock as he instinctively yanked a nearby Root operative into the line of fire—using him as a human shield while leaping aside.
A blood-curdling scream followed.
The shinobi Danzō had pulled into harm's way had been cleaved in half at the waist.
His upper body twitched for a moment, then went still.
"Danzō," Yusuke said, his voice calm and cold,
"Tonight, you die."
Blade in hand, he advanced toward Danzō one deliberate step at a time.
His face betrayed no emotion, but everyone present could see it—
the killing intent in his eyes, the resolve etched in every step.
"Sensei!"
Itachi's voice trembled, tinged with excitement.
At that moment, it felt
as if he had finally found his anchor—a solid presence to rely on.