A tryst with destiny (Tales of a Gutsy Ninja - 2)

Chapter 3 : Aira vs...Itachi!

Aira P.O.V

Itachi: Do you realize what you are doing?

Aira: Sure I do. Else I wouldn't have bothered to study your weaknesses and train accordingly.

Itachi: I see...blame your own weakness and overconfidence for your defeat then.

Aira: I'll do so...if I lose.

I took a battle pill and ate it. I bit back the bile that rose in my throat. These pills were Chiyo Obaa-sama special pills. This should let me increase my chakra 10 fold for the next one hour. My chakra level is actually not so high and...I had to make sure that I don't let Itachi find out about Isobu sealed inside me.

All of a sudden, Itachi made handseals. I made counter seals...albeit a little slower. Itachi was just too fast!

Itachi: Katon : Goukyaku no jutsu(Fire style : fireball jutsu)!

Aira: Suiton : Kaze Kyutai no jutsu(Wind style : Wind sphere)! Too bad Itachi-san, in a match, the home team always has an advantage.

Before Itachi realized it, my teleportation tag activated and we switched places. I had made a wind sphere to protect myself. Itachi's fireball had used the wind to burn brighter and stronger but...since I switched places, it was Itachi who was in the fire sphere!

Itachi: Is that so?

Aira: Indeed it is.

Itachi used his shuriken jutsu but I countered it. To the naked eye, it would look as if I and Itachi were equally matched but the truth was that even with all my tricks, all i could do was dodge his attacks. I couldn't even find an opening to attack him.

.

.

.

We went at it with bukijutsu and the only reason I was still holding out was because Itachi-san wasn't fighting me seriously. But I had to fight seriously. I had to finish this battle in one hour. Else I'll run out of chakra and...I won't be able to save Chiyo obaa-sama either.

Aira: Sigh...truth be told...I never thought I'd be forced into fighting you so early.

Itachi: So early? You had plans of fighting me?

Aira: Either fighting you or having you join me actually. I'd rather not have a Susanoo and Amaterasu user against me...

Itachi: Why would you want me to join you?

Aira: Before I answer that...can I ask you something Uchiha Itachi?

Itachi: Hm?

Aira: What is it that you truly wish to achieve? Is it only Sasuke's safety? You see...I've always admired you a lot but...there is one thing I always wanted to know... I know that Uchiha bonds are insanely strong but...are you planning on abandoning the world for the sake of your brother?

Itachi: Mangekyo Sharingan!

Mind attacks? They hardly matter to me. I've suffered much worse. Nowadays it's better since I don't tell others of my plan but...before I used to hesitate as to how much I could reveal. Whenever I tried to reveal results from the anime, it would cause my mark to act up and my chest would start bleeding. Compared to that pain and the pain when I try to absorb a tailed beasts's chakra...this was nothing!

Aira: Y-You can stick swords into m-me all you want b-but...please a-answer my question...w-what is your t-true aim?

Itachi: My aim is to simply test the limits of my power.

I gasped in pain as Itachi stuck another sword into me. The black and red world made it look all the more eerie and horrifying.

Aira: L-Liar. Itachi-san...you might have fooled your brother and the world...but neither could you fool your parents...nor have you fooled me...  

Itachi: Are you trying to state that you are smarter than the Uchihas?

Aira: Hm? That I am. After all...I know how to cover up my tracks. Nee...Itachi-san, if you truly believe that you are right then...why don't we play a game?

Itachi: A game?

Aira: Indeed. The first one who loses shall obey one command of the other. If you win, I'll use my ability 'Ultra deduction' to tell you what Uchiha Sasuke will do in the next 5 years with frightening accuracy.

Itachi: And if you win?

Aira: You shall be my sleeper agent. I won't let you remain selfish. I will have you help me in saving this world.

Itachi: Hm? That sounds interesting. But you will survive only if you win.

I looked at Itachi with wide eyes. T-That wasn't fair! Itachi wasn't allowed to flash his killer smile in the midst of battle! Using that dazzling smile as a distraction, he tried to stab me with a knife. I know it's hard not to fangirl but...the pain inflicted by his Mangekyo was quite sufficient to snap me out of my trance.

Aira: Ne...Itachi-san...have you see a miracle happen before your very eyes?

Itachi: Are you claiming that you will perform one right now in front of my eyes?

Aira: Indeed. In fact...the game is over Uchiha Itachi!

I opened my eyes and quickly snapped out of the Mangekyo. Chiyo obaa-sama and Kankuro had defeated Sasori successfully on the other side. Deidara and Gaara's battle but be in progress but...Sasori's defeat was what I was waiting for!

Aira: Fuma.(Chakra Strings) 

Itachi could only watch in shock as thousands of chakra strings pinned him in place. His chakra was steadily entering my system. Sasori's chakra had been cold and dark but Itachi's chakra was unique. It was cool and relaxing...

Aira: Itachi-san, do you give up? I have no intentions of killing you.

Itachi: I will if you explain what you did. Breaking out of the Mangekyo Sharingan should be impossible.

Ah...he didn't expect me to best his Mangekyo. I smiled at him and tended to my injuries before I answered his questions. 

Aira: Indeed. The Mangekyo Sharingan can only be broken by another person who possesses the mangekyo. But in my case, I never fell under the effects of the genjutsu since...my left eye is artificial. For the mangekyo to activate, the opponent needs to look into your eyes but artificial eye is resistant to it...

Itachi: Are you saying that...

Aira: Precisely. As horrifying as it sounds, I had my left eye surgically removed by Chiyo obaa-sama. She thought I'd gone insane but...if I wished to change the world, I knew that I had to find a way to overcome the Uchiha's unbeatable genjutsu. Pain...was a cheap price to pay if you can protect what you treasure the most.

Itachi: The Sharingan can see chakra. If this place was laid with chakra string traps, I should have been able to see them...

Aira: You would have...if they were there. I materialized the chakra strings later. You see...I would be no match for you if you used taijutsu, ninjutsu, Amaterasu or Susanoo against me so...from the very beginning...even 'falling' for your genjutsu and then breaking it...all of it was to bring you to the place where I could 'bring' the strings with ease.

Itachi: And I am supposed to ignore how you summoned the strings using 'time-space' jutsu that is a nearly impossible branch of jutsu to use?

My smile got wider. It was a good thing that I had already won. Itachi had realized that I had the Isobu in me. There was no way I would have won without a benefit anyway. Itachi waited quietly as I brought the cursed tag to his chest. It would prevent him from informing Pein and Madara about me being the host of Isobu. 

I won...

I won...

I actually won...

I actually freaking won against Uchiha Itachi!

Now all I had to do was...wait for Gaara to get kidnapped...