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I believe in you. You can do it. Go for it!!
Whether Shikaku would end up in tears, Kazuki didn't know.
He only knew he couldn't return to the village anytime soon, so Shikaku would just have to grit his teeth and bear it.
Fortunately, Homura was there to share some of the pressure; otherwise, Shikaku would be crying.
The letter was sent out quickly. Kazuki also left the camp alone and slipped into the battlefield.
On the battlefield, Itachi continued to operate alone, quickly and efficiently.
Ordinary ninja squads simply couldn't escape Itachi.
The name "Blood Crow" was well-deserved.
"Thud!!"
The sharp ninjatō pierced the enemy's heart. Itachi expressionlessly delivered a finishing blow.
Only after confirming the target was truly dead did he sheathe his weapon.
Blood pooled on the ground. Under the moonlight, a crow, pitch black, perched on a branch, cawed twice, then slowly landed on Itachi's shoulder, curiously observing the corpse below.
Itachi took out a scroll and quickly recorded any intelligence he deemed valuable.
Leaving the scene, he looked up at the moon and murmured to himself.
"Seeing the moon this season is a bit unusual, just like the enemy's actions. Don't you think?"
"CAW!!!"
The crow flapped its wings twice, as if agreeing.
The enemy's movements were off. Itachi had noticed.
He felt an invisible net closing in around him.
Given the increasing number of enemies he had killed, Itachi was certain Iwagakure would focus on him.
There were generally two ways to target an enemy active on the battlefield.
Deploy someone strong enough to take him down – the most convenient and quick method.
Or lure him in, set a trap, and when the time was right, spring it and eliminate him.
Itachi felt both were possible, but he leaned toward the latter.
Because Ōnoki would be wary of Kazuki and wouldn't act rashly.
And Iwagakure excelled at encirclement and human wave tactics. The Third Raikage was the perfect negative example.
Sensing something was wrong, Itachi faced a choice.
Either withdraw quickly, leaving the enemy helpless.
Or... take the risk and venture deeper into the battlefield.
Between the two, Itachi chose the latter. He wanted to see how Iwagakure would target him.
Shortly after Itachi left, Kazuki appeared at the same spot. Looking at the corpse on the ground, he bent down to examine it.
After a long moment, Kazuki suddenly smiled.
"Still underestimated this kid's observational skills. He noticed I was following and decided to take the risk?"
No wonder so many fans called him "Itachi-sama." His observational skills were truly something else.
It wasn't that Kazuki had been careless. He'd done his best.
What could he do if Itachi still noticed?
He'd just have to go along with it.
Ōnoki had decided to dig a pit for Itachi, but Itachi was no pushover either.
Knowing Kazuki was following, Itachi decided to play along with Iwagakure's wishes.
You want to target me?
I've come deep into the battlefield. Bring out all your schemes. I won't back down.
Worst case, I call for backup.
If he hadn't sensed Kazuki following him, Itachi would have chosen to withdraw.
He came to take out Iwagakure ninja, to vent for Sasuke – not to risk his life, walking into an enemy encirclement.
He wasn't that foolish.
Unless he was absolutely certain.
So, sensing Kazuki behind him, Itachi decisively chose to go deeper, waiting for Iwagakure to target him.
If he couldn't hold out, Kazuki was there to cover for him.
Maybe he could even take advantage of the situation to trip up Iwagakure, letting Ōnoki taste his own medicine.
When Ōnoki thought Itachi was caught in his trap and about to be overwhelmed, Kazuki would suddenly appear.
Ōnoki's expression at that moment would be priceless.
"It would also be quite interesting, wouldn't it?"
Itachi glanced at the crow on his shoulder, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned.
Though Itachi usually wore the same expressionless face as Fugaku, in private, he also enjoyed playing little tricks.
At least, Shisui had been tricked by Itachi more than once.
In Shisui's words: a black-hearted bastard.
The older he gets, the darker his heart. He'll even trick his own senior – absolutely inhuman.
As Itachi went deeper, a semi-circular encirclement began to form.
In a dense forest in the Land of Grass, Itachi stopped, observed his surroundings, and calmly said:
"Gentlemen, how long do you plan to hide?"
"To detect our presence. Can you tell us how you discovered us?"
One by one, figures emerged from the shadows.
Surrounded, with Iwagakure ninja even appearing behind him, Itachi – who had delivered himself to their doorstep – answered flatly.
"Where there's danger, the sounds of insects and birds disappear. That's taught in ninja academy classes."
"Uh..."
If Itachi had said he'd found clues, or had powerful sensory abilities, or that one of them had slipped up, the Iwagakure ninja could accept that.
But using knowledge from ninja academy classes? That was just humiliating.
So we were discovered not because we slipped up, not because of the enemy's sensory abilities, but because of ninja academy textbook knowledge?
Damn it!!
What kind of things are written in your Konoha elementary school textbooks?
Who remembers that stuff?
For ninety-nine percent of ninja, once they graduated, the knowledge their teachers imparted was basically forgotten.
Experience was accumulated through battle after battle.
Who could remember those trivial things from the past?
But now, not only were they slapped in the face, it hurt like hell.
"So, you saw through us based on textbook knowledge from your ninja academy teacher?"
The lead Jonin's mouth twitched. With a dark face, he sought confirmation.
"More or less."
In the face of their inquiry, Itachi showed no mercy, calmly admitting it.
The knowledge his teacher had imparted was indeed useful, at least in this environment.
At these words, many Iwagakure ninja looked uncomfortable.
Some, with thinner skins, even blushed, secretly frustrated at themselves for choosing such a place to set up an ambush. How humiliating.
Discovered by textbook knowledge – could there be anything more embarrassing?
"Kill him!!"
Feeling he'd lost face, the lead Jonin directly gave the order to attack.
Even if I'm embarrassed, as long as I kill you, no one will spread the news.