Naruto Vol. 43

Showing their powerful skills the two brothers fight to kill each other. Itachi explains that Susanoo is the third and final Mangekyou technique. He then offers that if Sasuke has any more techniques, now is the time to use them. Zetsu sees the sky clear and figures Kirin was a onetime jutsu. Spectral muscle and armor begins to take form around Itachi. Sasuke suddenly winces and hears a voice in his head. The voice offers to lend Sasuke his power. And if he is unleashed, Sasuke can finally find his revenge. Sasuke goes to his knees in pain and suddenly a gigantic white, eight-headed snake grows out of his cursed seal. Itachi recognizes Orochimaru's technique and Zetsu figures Orochimaru broke free since Sasuke didn't have the chakra to hold him back any longer, but Itachi's special sword absorbs the snake. A weary looking Itachi then offers to Sasuke that it's time to end it. The armor of the Susanoo begins to fade and Sasuke takes the opportunity to hurl a kunai tied to explosive notes. It explodes against Susanoo's shield leaving Itachi undamaged. As Itachi begins to slowly walk towards Sasuke, his younger brother hurls more kunai and explosive tags in the hopes of stopping his advance. The shield continues to deflect all the attacks and Zetsu comments that the shield is Yata's Mirror, another legendary object said to counter any attack. Together with the Sword of Totsuka, Itachi's unbeatable. Itachi reaches out a bloody hand and Sasuke lunges at him with his Kusanagi. Sasuke and the blade are knocked away and as he stands he suddenly finds himself pinned between rubble and Susanoo. As he watches in fear, Itachi reaches out to remove Sasuke's eyes. As his fingers draw near, Itachi's mutters to himself. His bloody fingers draw near Sasuke's eye... but instead poke him in the forehead and Itachi collapses to the ground. Susanoo disperses and the white snake continues its journey. A stunned Sasuke can only stand still as his bloody older brother lies on the ground beside him, somehow defeated. Back in the woods, Kakashi is surprised by Tobi's Sharingan and wonders who the man could be. Zetsu appears only to inform them all of Sasuke's victory and to disappear again. With him, Tobi waves bye and then vanishes. Naruto’s team, frantic, try to locate Sasuke before the Akatsuki members do, but it is too late. Sasuke wakes up in a cave next to Uchiha Madara who explains to him the truth about Itachi. Sasuke refuses to believe him but thinks over Itachi's words from different points, how he would always be there for him, and be a hurdle to overcome, even if he becomes hated. Sasuke thinks back to moment before Itachi's death and those barely audible words that only he heard... of Itachi apologizing... for the last time. Sasuke stands before the waves and tears rush down his cheeks. Around him sit Team Snake and Tobi. A hawk flies overhead and Sasuke states that they are no longer Snake, they are now "Hawk". In addition, as Hawk they have one goal. With Mangekyou eyes, Sasuke states that goal is to crush Konoha!