Ninja Ice House

Chapter 523 Purification

Demeanor is the most important trait of the Uchiha clan.

The Sharingan is the eye that reflects the soul. How to unleash its power depends entirely on whether one's emotional fluctuations can drive the Sharingan to advance.

Uchiha Sasuke's current state, though seemingly powerful, is actually like a tree without roots or water without a source.

Why did Itachi Uchiha have to completely remove the cursed seal from Sasuke Uchiha's body before he could advance to the Mangekyou Sharingan?

Sufficient chakra is necessary, but too much is unnecessary. Sage chakra and natural energy containing the will of others can actually be a hindrance to the three-tomoe Sharingan's advancement to the Mangekyou Sharingan.

Just like the sun being obscured by dark clouds, its original sunlight and colors can no longer be seen.

Embracing all things, like Orochimaru, is one path; stripping away the vines of minor details and leaving only the core trunk is another.

Beautiful potted flowers, while growing vigorously, also need to be pruned in order to maintain a perfect shape, bloom more flowers, and bear abundant fruit.

Using Susanoo's energy to dispel the demonic sword's corruption of his younger brother, although it was only a temporary fix, it at least brought him a moment of clarity. Then, by using provocation, his will to resist surged, and his true nature finally revealed a glimmer of light.

The dark energy, unwilling to subside, suddenly erupted, transforming into several long spikes that lashed out towards Itachi Uchiha. The Susanoo, with its robust defense, withstood the attack after only being pierced by a small portion.

However, the reaction force, enhanced by natural energy, cursed seal chakra, and the power of the demonic sword, was still terrifying, sending Itachi Uchiha, who was ravaging his opponent at close range, flying dozens of meters away.

After catching his breath, Sasuke Uchiha leaned on his longsword and glared hatefully at his older brother. A moment later, he stood up and wielded Onikiri with a flourish, squeezing every cell in his body to refine his chakra and stubbornly suppressing the cursed seal chakra and the demonic sword.

Immediately afterwards, with a flick of his wrist, the sword sliced ​​off the disgusting wings, tentacles, and proliferating tissue that had grown on his back, head, shoulders, and neck, making him feel much better.

He tore off his tattered robe and threw it aside before walking towards Itachi Uchiha.

The pace quickened until it became a rapid gallop. Those with poor eyesight might only see a blur of lightning flashing by. The sword, imbued with the power of thunder and fire, severed one of the arms blocking the fiery red Susanoo, turning it into chakra that dissipated into the air.

"No, this powerful force doesn't seem like something Sasuke should possess."

Despite his inner doubts, Itachi Uchiha remained outwardly calm. He turned to look at Sasuke Uchiha, who had charged past and then returned. With a nimble movement, Itachi dodged the explosive charge, but facing Sasuke, whose strength seemed to have increased, a patch of his clothing was still charred black.

Some indescribable feelings lingered in my mind.

After eliminating external factors, Itachi Uchiha had no choice but to turn his attention to Sasuke Uchiha himself when investigating the cause.

Has some special talent been awakened?

The two were actually evenly matched in their fierce battle. Without using their full strength, Itachi Uchiha was unable to suppress his opponent, and of course, Sasuke Uchiha would also find it difficult to win.

In such a war of attrition, it's hard to say who will win or lose. Itachi Uchiha's advantage is his richer combat experience, but his body is not as resilient as Sasuke Uchiha's. Sasuke Uchiha's advantage is not obvious either. After being squeezed by the cursed seal and the demonic sword, he may not be able to have the last laugh in this protracted battle.

Realizing that he couldn't solve all the problems at once, Itachi Uchiha's originally calm heart was stirred.

The windmill-shaped Mangekyou Sharingan spun, activating the power of the eye technique "Tsukuyomi." A genjutsu descended, and Uchiha Sasuke, who was traveling at high speed, suddenly stopped. A deep blue chakra emerged from his body, briefly blocking the attack, but it was ultimately broken.

In the Tsukuyomi space, Itachi Uchiha stared in astonishment at the most primal form deep within his younger brother's spirit. The purplish-black curse mark was now enveloped and entangled by pure black energy, like a python, pressing down on the host like a mountain.

This sight caused even Itachi Uchiha, whose expression had remained almost unchanged, to change his expression.

If it weren't for the protective ring of chakra that emanated from the depths of his soul, seemingly weak but actually resilient, Sasuke Uchiha would probably have been crushed long ago.

Even the strongest will and the most talented Uchiha could not withstand such torment.

Itachi Uchiha himself even felt that his mental state when he first defected was simply unable to withstand such an attack.

As for who did it, one of them is definitely Orochimaru, and the other...

From that dark, demonic sword that evoked a sense of unease at first glance, Itachi Uchiha thought of someone.

"Has Kosugi... made his move again?"

What exactly happened on the night of the massacre that wiped out the Uchiha clan? Even today, it's difficult for anyone to fully explain it. Itachi Uchiha, who was deeply involved in it, naturally understood that there were simply too many forces entangled in it.

As for that secular family that stands at the top of the ninja world in name and in fact, it is not as conspicuous as the Uchiha and Senju families. But once you reach the top, you will find that you will always have direct or indirect dealings with that family, or rather, that man, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

The Demon Sword Onikiri, compared to swords like the Ama-no-Murakumo, Futsu-no-Mitama, and Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, is indeed relatively unknown, even more famous than the Seven Ninja Swords of Kirigakure. However, the sword's destructive power and terrifying side effects still inspire fear in those who hear of it.

None of the previous sword masters met a good end, because most of them were samurai, swordsmen, or wandering ninjas. The sword did not circulate among the mainstream ninja community, and few ninjas in the ninja villages knew about this infamous demonic sword.

However, Itachi Uchiha happened to be one of the very few discerning individuals.

Because he possessed the Totsuka Blade, Itachi Uchiha naturally investigated the legends and ownership of several famous divine swords in the ninja world. Among them, the legend of Onikiri appeared most frequently and the story was the most widely circulated.

Only divine artifacts of the same or even higher level can counter this level of weapon.

Coincidentally, Itachi Uchiha had one.

Thoughts raced through his mind, but in reality, it only lasted a few seconds. In the Tsukuyomi space, it was even more fleeting. The renowned Totsuka Blade from the mythical era, which had not appeared in the world for countless years, appeared in Uchiha Itachi's hands.

At the same time, there was also a gourd of wine, a sealing container that appeared as a phantom. As the sword was swung, the flames on the sword spread to Uchiha Sasuke, who was bound to the pillar by invisible ropes...