Landing without making a sound and using chakra with the slightest movement, Kakashi, Mai, and Pakkun switched to a completely different approach compared to their previous hurried pace.
"We have few people, so gathering intelligence is our top priority."
A few hundred meters later, several faint explosions echoed, sounding clearer this time. Kakashi suppressed his Chakra and said, "The number of enemies is still unknown. If we encounter an unbeatable situation, don't hesitate and fire the signal flare immediately."
"There are two people." Mai said.
"…Oh." Kakashi paused. "Is that so?" He quickly realized this was her sensory ability and instinctively glanced at her, 'That was fast.'
His earlier words were clearly directed at Mai, while Pakkun, as a summon, could quickly escape the battlefield.
Kakashi coughed and insisted, "Even if it's just two… the strategy remains the same. Safety first."
"Understood, Kakashi-sensei."
The distance of several miles was slowly and silently closed. Eventually, even Kakashi could sense it. What made his expression tense was that the two Chakra signatures ahead were both familiar to him.
Using the ubiquitous shrubs as cover, the two humans and the dog finally witnessed what was happening.
Boom, boom…
The distinctive sound of explosions belonging to a certain individual rang out continuously, though the scale seemed small, with smoke rising into the air.
The terrain of the battlefield was distinct: to the left was a grassy clearing, while the right connected to an endless forest of towering ancient trees. The grassy area was already pockmarked with charred craters from explosions, with no figures in sight. The rumbling and tremors were coming from within the forest.
"It seems like they moved from one side to the other." Pakkun murmured, pressing close to the ground and peeking out.
Two figures, one in a white kimono and the other in a black robe with red clouds pattern, flashed through the forest.
Kakashi's gaze sharpened, fixing on a face he hadn't seen in a long time.
"It's Sasuke."
…
"Damn it! How is this possible? Why are the micro clay spiders I slipped into your body not working?"
On a tree trunk, two battered figures faced each other.
Deidara's clothes were torn in many places, looking even worse than during the Kyubi's capture mission. White clay fragments were scattered across the nearby branches and ground, their shapes suggesting they were once part of Deidara's giant clay bird mount.
"Using C4 Garuda to obscure vision, while the real killing move was hidden in the microscopic particles inhaled into the body..."
The chance encounter had escalated into a life-or-death battle, almost reaching its final stage.
"I told you, I've already seen through your tricks."
Sasuke's condition was slightly better than Deidara's, but he was far from unscathed, with wounds of varying sizes bleeding. He spoke coldly, his Sharingan gazing down.
His Kusanagi Sword was already lodged in his opponent's shoulder.
"Damn it, these eyes again, this look…" Deidara glared furiously at the calm, all-seeing Sharingan, grinding his teeth.
It reminded him of Itachi, the one he was supposed to defeat. Back then, he had lost to these very eyes and was forced to join Akatsuki… Lightning and explosions intertwined in the forest as their battle escalated from probing strikes to a fight for survival, each move carrying fatal risks.
Why? How can you remain so composed, so indifferent in the face of my art? Deidara's rage burned, his pride deeply wounded.
"I have no interest in fighting you."
Sasuke gripped his sword, his tone honest yet dripping with mockery: "I'm only interested in Uchiha Itachi."
"I've humored you this far, but I don't have to kill you..."
"Where is Uchiha Itachi? Tell me."
The fierce battle had been filled with traps and tests of their true strength. With the Sharingan, Sasuke had secured victory. At this point, there were no more variables.
"Go to hell!" Deidara had no patience for questions about Itachi's whereabouts. Right now, he only wanted to kill Sasuke and prove his art was supreme.
With a roar, Deidara stretched out his left hand. Despite the sword in his shoulder, he desperately moved his arm, molding clay with his tongue to create bombs.
Sasuke flicked the Kusanagi Sword and cleanly severed Deidara's left arm.
The half-formed clay and a spray of blood flew through the air as Deidara screamed.
"You're really boring," Sasuke said, feeling his patience wearing thin.
'Boring?'
'How dare you insult my art!' Deidara's eyes widened as a mad idea took hold.
"You bastard, don't think these Sharingan eyes make you invincible..."
"I'll make you regret this…"
Suppressed fury laced his words. Unable to accept defeat by the Sharingan again, Deidara's mind snapped.
Art is Patrick… He decided to use the Forbidden Technique, sacrificing himself to take Sasuke down with him.
Sasuke immediately sensed the sudden shift in his opponent's aura. But just then, an unexpected variable emerged.
He abruptly looked up, sensing movement elsewhere.
A figure was leaping toward them at a steady pace.
Silver-white hair, a mask, and a forehead protector with the Konoha's symbol.
"Kakashi?" Sasuke frowned. He had no desire for interruptions now, 'So Konoha's here too…'
The two-person battlefield now had an outsider. Deidara turned and saw the Konoha's Ninja, his frenzied thoughts cooling slightly.
"Sasuke." Kakashi landed on a nearby branch, his heart uneasy.
He first glanced at the battered Deidara, 'It seemed that Akatsuki's member had been defeated.'
Regardless of the reason, a direct confrontation was unavoidable. Kakashi had hesitated at first about whether to intervene, but since Sasuke had already won, he relaxed.
'He's grown incredibly strong.' Kakashi faced his former student with a serious expression. He knew firsthand just how dangerous Deidara could be.
"Oh." Sasuke's response was cold, "What are you doing here?"
"We came to help you capture Uchiha Itachi. After you return to the village, if you show some remorse, the Hokage might go easy on you. By the way, Naruto and the others are here too."
'After such a long separation, the other party seemed indifferent.' Kakashi felt a pang of discomfort but kept his tone steady.
Like Naruto, he had held onto hope for those who had left the village, that despite their reckless departure for various goals, despite serving evil people and organizations, deep down, they still harbored some pure, lingering affection for their comrades and home. That beneath their cold exteriors, they could still turn back.
However, reality confirmed his worst fears.
"Help me capture Uchiha Itachi? Return to the village?"
As if hearing some ridiculous joke, Sasuke raised an eyebrow, a cold smirk forming on his lips. Realizing Kakashi's intentions, his expression grew even more frigid. Emotionlessly, he said: "Kakashi, have you been rotting in that peaceful village for so long that your brain's stopped working."
'This was not the kind of thing a well-behaved student would say to their teacher…' Kakashi sighed inwardly, disappointment creeping in. But his rational, hardened resolve didn't waver as he met Sasuke's gaze.
"As expected… even after gaining power, you refuse to stop." Kakashi's eye sharpened, Chakra gathering as he took in Sasuke's appearance, 'His attire reminiscent of Orochimaru's style, his demeanor colder and more detached than ever. '
"You've changed, Sasuke."
"Kakashi, do you really think I'm still that weak student you could lecture so casually?" Sasuke flicked the blood off his Kusanagi Sword, electricity crackling along its edge, "Don't make me laugh."
"People are supposed to change."
"…"
Kakashi drew a kunai and pushed up his forehead protector, "Then I won't hold back."
The sight of the Sharingan, which is connected to his scar, made Sasuke glance sideways. Remembering something, his tone grew even more disdainful, "Speaking of which, that fake Sharingan of yours..."
Pure Pupil Power surged, red light spilling forth, "It's pathetically weak. A non-Uchiha like you could never grasp the true power of these eyes."
Tension escalated, one wave after another.
Deidara, slumped against the tree trunk, caught the drift of the conversation. He struggled to turn his head and snarled at Kakashi, "Hey, what the hell are you planning, White-Hair? I'm warning you, Uchiha Sasuke is my prey!"
'What's this guy's problem?' Kakashi shot a glance at the one-armed man, not particularly interested in engaging him.
"Worry about yourself first. At this rate, you'll bleed out before anything else."
Kakashi shifted their attention, suddenly raising a hand and making a gesture.
Three seconds later, from a distant spot, a sharp whistle pierced the air as a signal flare streaked into the sky, trailing bright smoke.
Sasuke clicked his tongue, "What a hassle."
He glanced at Deidara, 'This guy clearly had no intention of revealing anything about Uchiha Itachi. Konoha's reinforcements would arrive soon, and my own Chakra was running low. Whatever.'
"Goodbye, Kakashi. Don't get in my way." Sasuke said coldly, "If you interfere too much, I might just end up killing you by accident."