In that brief moment of confusion, as the Mist ninja stared at their fallen comrade, several more figures of Juzo Biwa flickered into existence behind them. In a flash of steel, the remaining ANBU were cut down. The Juzo that Itachi had just stabbed dissolved into a formless pool of water.

"Damn it, a water clone!" one of the ninja gasped, his last words swallowed by the night.

At that same moment, the real Juzo, brandishing his massive Executioner's Blade, appeared behind Karatachi Yagura.

"Lord Mizukage, be careful!"

But before the remaining guards could rush to their leader's aid, a colossal fireball erupted from Itachi's lips, roaring toward both the Mizukage and the swordsman. The inferno consumed them both. The Juzo who was attacked was, of course, also a water clone. Without Yagura to command them, in just a few seconds, all the surviving Hidden Mist ninja became ghosts under Juzo and Itachi's assault.

"You… are unforgivable!"

The fireball was blown away by a sudden, violent gale, and where the Fourth Mizukage had stood, a blood-red monster now appeared. Karatachi Yagura had transformed, cloaked in the raw power of his half-tailed beast state.

"Is this… the power of a jinchūriki?" It was the first time Itachi had seen such a form, and a flicker of apprehension touched his heart.

Juzo shouted a warning, "Itachi, he is a perfect jinchūriki, one who can fully control his tailed beast! Be careful!"

Yagura, now more beast than man, lunged at Juzo, knocking him aside with a single, brutal punch. He then turned on Itachi. The young Uchiha immediately dodged, but was still grazed by the attack. Instantly, a layer of hard, sharp coral began to spread across Itachi's body, threatening to encase him completely.

"Itachi, that's his Coral Palm jutsu! Don't move, I'm coming to save you!"

Seeing Itachi in danger, Juzo quickly pushed himself to his feet, hacking at Yagura to drive him back. He then swung his massive blade, shattering the coral prison and freeing his partner. At that moment, a chakra so sharp it felt like a physical blade filled the air.

"Not good!" Juzo spun around and saw that Yagura had already condensed a Tailed Beast Bomb and was about to unleash it.

BOOM!

The sphere of pure destruction shot forth. The coral at Itachi's feet had not been completely cleared away, trapping him. At the critical moment, Juzo made a split-second decision. Without a second thought, with a final, desperate roar, he threw himself in front of Itachi, swinging the Executioner's Blade to meet the incoming attack.

CRACK!

The legendary blade shattered on impact. The powerful shockwave sent Itachi flying backward.

"Juzo!" Itachi scrambled to his feet. When the smoke cleared, he saw his partner leaning against a tree stump, a large, jagged shard of the Executioner's Blade embedded in his stomach, his flesh mangled and bloody.

On the verge of death, Juzo gasped, "Run… Run, Itachi! Don't… Don't worry about me! You can't beat him! If it's you, you can definitely… escape!" As he finished speaking, Yagura's second Tailed Beast Bomb was already formed and ready to fire.

Juzo urged him again, his voice frantic, "Why are you still standing there? Hurry… run!"

Seeing this, Uchiha Itachi no longer hesitated. He activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Amaterasu!"

A ball of black flame erupted, engulfing Yagura's body.

"Ahhhh! It's so hot! What is this?!"

The tailed beast cloak vanished, and Karatachi Yagura collapsed to the ground in agony, his body covered in severe burns, on the brink of death.

"Damn you! My subordinates will be here soon… they won't let you escape!" With those final words, Yagura fainted, his fate unknown.

"Cough! Cough! Itachi, did you… did you kill the Mizukage?" Juzo asked, coughing up blood.

"No, he should still be alive," Itachi shook his head. "The tailed beast cloak absorbed most of the damage from the Amaterasu."

"Then… then you must run away, quickly! The village's reinforcements… will be here soon!"

"But, your injury…!" Itachi looked at the grievous wound in Juzo's stomach with concern.

"Hehe… I can't be saved," Juzo said, covering his wound with a weak hand, a bitter smile on his face. "Even a non-medical ninja can see that."

"I'm sorry… Juzo."

"Hmph… What nonsense are you talking about? This has nothing to do with you. I… I did it on purpose. Otherwise, who would be foolish enough to try and block a Tailed Beast Bomb with a sword? I can… die in my homeland. That was my wish."

"As a ninja of the Hidden Mist, I, Juzo, have returned my sword to the village. It can be considered… repaying my debt to my home."

Itachi's expression was somber. "If you have any last words for someone, you can tell me."

"Ha… hahaha, you idiot! I… I have no one worth missing." Juzo raised a trembling hand, reaching for the hilt of the broken sword embedded in his body. "I always thought… this blade was my only partner. But Itachi… being teamed up with you at the end… it wasn't so bad."

"Please, go, Itachi. I want to be alone with my homeland for a while. This… this bloody mist village that I both love and hate."