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"It's you again."
Kisame Hoshigaki widened his eyes, his gaze locking tightly onto Might Guy.
He instantly recognized the Konoha jōnin. Not long ago, he had suffered a crushing defeat at Guy's hands—those powerful taijutsu kicks had left a lasting impression.
But to Kisame's frustration, Might Guy had no recollection of him whatsoever.
Sometimes, fate plays strange tricks. Despite having fought each other, Guy didn't recognize Kisame at all. Back then, when they encountered Itachi and Kisame during their infiltration of Konoha, Guy had been cautious and deliberately avoided eye contact with Itachi to avoid falling into a genjutsu. As a result, he never once looked at Kisame's face.
"Who are you?"
Might Guy blinked, clearly puzzled. "And why are you so... hideous?"
"You bastard..."
Kisame's temple throbbed with rage. Just a few words from Guy, and he was already seething.
"Kisame, don't let him provoke you," Itachi said coolly, shifting his gaze toward Ye Dou, who now stood before him.
"Your growth is impressive," Itachi acknowledged, his voice calm but sharp. "It seems I was right to let you live back then—to shape you into a worthy whetstone for Sasuke."
"I'm not here to reminisce."
Ye Dou drew the long sword from his back. "What I want to know is—why have you returned to the Land of Fire?"
The sword was strange. Like Kisame's Samehada, it was wrapped in bandages. But as Ye Dou unsheathed it, the cloth unwound like an unsealing jutsu—layers peeling back to reveal a blade that shimmered with cold steel.
"That's no ordinary sword," Kisame said, intrigued. His swordsman's instinct immediately sensed its uniqueness.
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[You Have Two Good Companions]
It was a sword unlike any seen before. Not one of the Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist. Not the Kusanagi blade, nor the Sword of the Thunder God.
At first, it had looked like a simple iron rod wrapped in cloth. But when Ye Dou pulled it free, the bindings didn't fall away. Instead, they writhed like living things, coiling partway around the blade as if breathing—revealing only enough steel to hint at its danger.
"Looks like fun," Kisame grinned, gripping Samehada tighter. "Let's see how it tastes when it cuts into you!"
Ye Dou raised the blade, pointing it at the Akatsuki duo. This sword was one he had retrieved from Konoha's Forbidden Scroll of Seals. Even now, he didn't fully understand its abilities—only that the bandages could move independently, stretching and constricting, supporting physical attacks or even intercepting hidden weapons mid-air.
It had been described in the scroll as "a blade that carries a trace of divine essence."
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"So tell me, Itachi Uchiha—traitor of Konoha—why have you come back?"
"To capture Naruto Uzumaki."
"For what purpose?"
"Who knows?" Itachi replied, expression unreadable. "If you're so curious, ask our leader yourself. The Akatsuki doesn't hide from those who truly seek it."
Despite his calm tone, Itachi had deliberately revealed both the name of their organization and its objective.
"Mr. Itachi!" Kisame hissed beside him, sensing danger in the disclosure.
"It's fine," Itachi said quietly. "Hatake Kakashi already knows our goal. Konoha is not in the dark anymore."
Kisame grunted, somewhat appeased. After all, when they fought Kakashi and Asuma in Konoha, they had already exposed their intentions to target the Jinchūriki.
But Itachi's words carried a hidden threat. While Konoha's leadership may know about Akatsuki, its chūnin and genin ranks did not. Once the secret spread down to the lower levels, rumors would spread, and eventually, Akatsuki's movements would be known across the entire shinobi world.
That was a calculated risk. And Ye Dou could tell: Itachi hadn't fully severed his ties to Konoha.
He frowned. He already suspected as much. But this only confirmed it.
His thoughts turned dark. His secret wouldn't remain hidden forever. His unique chakra nature—a gravity-based Kekkei Genkai—was too rare, too unnatural. Sooner or later, Itachi would discover that Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan had been taken—and that Ye Dou had played a role in the fall of the Uchiha.
When that time came, Itachi would not hesitate to eliminate him.
So Ye Dou had already made up his mind: strike first. Kill Uchiha Itachi before the truth came to light.
This wasn't an impossible task. After all, Jiraiya was in the town of Tanzaku (Suba-chō) as well. If they worked together, Itachi and Kisame might not escape alive.
But before he could act—
"Stand back, Ye Dou!"
Sasuke Uchiha roared, his eyes blazing.
"This is my battle! It has nothing to do with you!"
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