Chapter 97: Do You Want To Truly Live?

(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)

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As Colt's sarcastic voice faded, the sharp Chidori spear had already gone through Itachi's chest.

Meanwhile, Sasuke had his heart racing with excitement and confusion.

Before he could think anymore about it, Itachi's body dissolved into crows.

"Substitution Jutsu!" Sasuke growled through gritted teeth, clutching his aching right arm. Itachi had just broken it.

"Colt-san, it's you again," Itachi said solemnly as he materialized beside Kisame in a flurry of crows.

Originally, the two had planned to retreat when they saw both Jiraiya and Colt with Naruto. Unexpectedly, after being delayed by Sasuke, Colt had blocked their path.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called out as he arrived, quickly moving to help Sasuke up.

"Are you okay?"

Naruto looked from Sasuke to Itachi, confused by the situation. He only noticed that the two looked somewhat similar and both possessed the Sharingan.

"I'm fine, Naruto. They're after you, so be careful," Sasuke warned, still glaring at Itachi with hatred.

The fractured arm wasn't a serious injury for Sasuke, but he couldn't let his guard down.

"Colt, can you hold them here?" Sasuke asked, wanting to understand the situation. He knew he couldn't kill Itachi yet, but he couldn't let them escape either.

"Let's find out," Colt replied, his eyes flickering as he created two Shadow Clones that rushed towards Itachi and Kisame respectively.

"Ninja Art: Bringer-of-Darkness Technique!"

A boundless inky darkness spread from Colt's body, enveloping the space around them.

Colt had discovered that many of the Second Hokage's techniques were designed to counter the Uchiha clan.

This particular jutsu was created to limit the Sharingan's Genjutsu abilities.

Itachi frowned slightly.

Even with his Mangekyō Sharingan, he could barely track Colt's movements, but countering any attack was difficult. Kisame was in an even worse situation. His fighting style relied on wide-range, close-combat ninjutsu, making this confined space a weakness for him.

Just as Kisame was about to use a large-scale jutsu to break free from the darkness technique, Colt initiated his own plan.

"[Tsukuyomi]!"

Kisame's face went slack as his consciousness fell into the Genjutsu realm. In the empty space, there was nothing beneath his feet. The sheer loneliness of this vast nothingness could drive a person mad.

But Kisame's face showed no fear. Instead, he grinned savagely. "Is this the same Genjutsu as Itachi-san's? I've wanted to experience it for a long time."

"If you think you can rely on the Samehada, don't count on it," Colt warned.

Kisame's expression changed slightly as Colt appeared above the void without warning, a throne materializing behind him.

Colt sat down, looking down at Kisame condescendingly.

"When you entered this Genjutsu space, your Samehada also fell under the illusion."

The essence of Genjutsu was to disrupt the chakra in the enemy's body and manipulate their senses. To break free, one must either regulate their internal chakra or use pain to shock their senses back to reality. It's similar to how a Jinchūriki, in sync with their tailed beast, can use the beast's chakra to break Genjutsu at will.

Kisame's Samehada worked in a similar way. Too bad for him, this time it wouldn't work.

"Kisame Hoshigaki, S-class missing-nin from Kirigakure, after killing your own superior, Fuguki Suikazan, a series of actions led to you defecting from the village" Colt stated.

Kisame remained unperturbed; this information was public knowledge, available to anyone who sought it.

But what came next shook him to his core.

"Killing your comrades for the sake of the mission... Your life must have been very hard, right?"

These familiar words involuntarily reminded Kisame of someone—the female ninja who had smiled and invited him to share a meal before their mission, only to die by his own hands. At that time, her last words to him had plunged him into confusion.

He realized then that an "excellent ninja" was nothing but a murderer who betrayed their companions. He had sacrificed everything for his village, yet couldn't find a reason for his fight.

"How do you know this?" Kisame asked, forcing himself to remain calm. He knew that since Colt hadn't acted immediately—he must have another purpose.

"Kisame, I respect you. You've worked hard for years to create a world without lies," Colt said. "But did you ever realize that all of this is false in itself? Even the man calling himself Madara Uchiha whom you believe in is actually just a pawn."

Colt stepped down from the throne and approached Kisame. His words shattered Kisame's composure.

Kisame had joined the Akatsuki to fight against a world of falsehood and betrayal. He believed that by capturing the Nine-Tailed Beasts, the Eye of the Moon Plan could reshape the world. This was what he had been fighting for.

But now...

Colt claimed it was all a lie—Kisame had simply traded one deception for another.

At this moment, he didn't know why, but he felt like Colt wouldn't lie…

Kisame suddenly felt the world wasn't worth it, that it had always been malicious towards him.

A smile spread across Colt's face; his voice dreamlike.

"Do you want to understand the meaning of life? Do you want to truly live?"

Kisame took a moment and regained his composure.

"Why should I believe anything you've said? Even if what you just said is true, how can I be sure that your version of the world is real?"

It sounded a bit convoluted, even to himself.

Colt's smile remained unchanged.

"You can confirm everything I've said with your own eyes in the future. There's nothing more real than your own experiences."

Kisame's interest was piqued, but he still asked, "What's the price?"

He knew there was no such thing as free goodwill in this world. What was Colt's true purpose?

"Why be so serious?" Colt waved his hand dismissively. "I simply think you're a qualified person and want you to work for me. After all, there aren't many people in the entire ninja world as honest as you."

Kisame: ...

He felt that this wasn't exactly a compliment…

However, it was an offer he couldn't refuse. If he had the chance to get closer to the so-called truth, he wasn't afraid even if his body was shattered in the process.

"As long as you can prove that what you've said is right, I don't mind giving you my life," Kisame declared without hesitation, living up to his reputation as a man of conviction.

Colt's smile brightened. "No problem. Whatever you want to know, feel free to ask."

Kisame thought for a moment, then looked at Colt with determination. "I want to know the true purpose of the Eye Of The Moon's Plan, and the real identity of the person calling himself Madara Uchiha."