"Uncle, don't worry. Itachi is young, but his skills and intellect are exceptional. With the Five Kage Summit about to begin, and large-scal
"Uncle, don't worry. Itachi is young, but his skills and intellect are exceptional.
With the Five Kage Summit about to begin, and large-scale conflicts between nations temporarily suspended, Itachi shouldn't encounter any serious trouble," Shisui Uchiha said reassuringly.
"Besides, if Itachi's goal is to find Kai, we'll eventually meet up."
Fugaku nodded, patting Shisui's shoulder, and sighed. "If Kai hadn't appeared, Shisui, you would likely be the strongest young Uchiha of our generation."
"Why was Shisui born, if Kai exists?" (A lament expressing the overshadowing of Shisui's potential by Kai's emergence.)
Shisui remained silent in response.
Near the border of Kumogakure and Amegakure, three figures cloaked in red cloud-patterned robes moved swiftly through the forest.
Achoo!
Kai sneezed, rubbing his nose. "I keep sneezing. Is Pakura missing me?"
"Don't be vain, old man," Yugito Nii rolled her eyes. "Aren't you going to look for Big-Boobs-Lady? She left in a hurry."
"Look for her?" Kai flicked Yugito's head. "She's a Sunagakure hero, far stronger than you think. You should focus on preparing to be a jinchuriki instead of worrying about others."
Kai then turned to Kimimaro, who remained silent.
"Kai-sama, we're near Kumogakure. Crossing the mountain ahead will bring us to their border patrol area," Kimimaro stated coldly.
Kai rubbed his nose, looking at Kimimaro as if he were a living map. "Kimimaro, were you two or three years old when you started fighting? You remember these winding paths remarkably well."
"Your terrible father was ruthless, sending you to war so young. It's child abuse!"
A day earlier, Kai had been brimming with confidence taking over Akatsuki's escort mission. But navigating was proving to be a challenge.
His instant-max-level system didn't provide him with maxed-out map skills, leaving him completely disoriented.
He grumbled about needing to develop a high-tech map in the future, something that would be a boon to those with severe directional difficulties.
"Old man, you're even crueler than his father," Yugito couldn't help but tease.
Their conversation inevitably turned to Kimimaro's family. When asked about their whereabouts, Kimimaro's blunt response—that Kai had annihilated his entire clan—nearly made Yugito faint.
As members of the Kaguya clan, they had numerous enemies, and with their main fighting force eliminated by Kai, the remaining women, children, and elderly would be vulnerable to attack by their enemies. This was tantamount to genocide.
"Quiet! Someone's coming!" Kai's brow furrowed. Despite using a transformation jutsu, he had recently killed the Third Raikage. Exposure would mean a village-wide manhunt.
As if appearing from thin air, several figures emerged from the surrounding area, blocking their path. They were clearly Kumogakure Anbu, their masks easily identifiable.
"You are Akatsuki?" the lead Anbu member said. "We're here to take over the escort mission. Hand over the jinchuriki."
"So simple? No tea, moon-gazing, or pleasantries? We've faced numerous assassination attempts along the way and paid a heavy price.
If something happens to her on the final leg of the journey after we hand her over, not only will Akatsuki receive no payment, but our reputation will be ruined as well."
Yugito instinctively moved behind Kai. "Old man, let's go with them. They're not bad guys."
"Whether they're good or bad is irrelevant. Are you questioning the Kumogakure Anbu's capabilities?
And this is the Land of Lightning. You don't get to dictate terms here," the lead Anbu member sneered, launching a surprise attack.
Their actions stemmed from the urgent need to seal the Two-Tails, the uncertain situation of the Third Great Ninja War, the presence of restless clans within the village, and the Third Raikage's disappearance.
The elders had proposed using Akatsuki to discreetly escort Yugito back to Kumogakure to avoid suspicion and bolster the village's strength.
While Akatsuki had grown in recent years under Nagato, absorbing many rogue ninjas, they were still viewed as insignificant insects by the great nations.
The fierce nature of the Land of Lightning and the Kumogakure shinobi's volatile temperaments meant they had never taken Akatsuki seriously.
Kai's challenge to their authority enraged the lead Anbu, who lunged for Yugito.
"A bunch of frogs in a well! Hand her over, or face our wrath!"
Before the Anbu could reach her, Kimimaro moved with the speed of a panther, intercepting them. His small frame slipped past the outstretched hand, and a bone spear, as sharp as a lance, pierced the Anbu captain's shoulder.
Blood spurted out, like a dazzling firework display. Kimimaro didn't hesitate, launching bone spurs like projectiles.
The impact sent the Anbu captain flying, embedding him in a tree trunk several meters away.
The remaining six Anbu were shocked. Kimimaro's small stature had made them underestimate him, but he had severely injured their captain in an instant.
The smell of blood fueled their anger, but a cold, youthful voice cut through the air from beneath the oversized cloud-patterned robe.
"Don't move, or you'll all die!"
As the words left his lips, bone spurs erupted from the ground like earth spikes, stopping just inches from their bodies.
An enormous bone cage had formed around them, leaving even the captain, impaled in the tree, speechless.
"Why the sudden hesitation? Even a child is stronger than you? Trying to dismiss me?" Kai chuckled dryly, glancing towards a nearby rock. "Honestly, aren't you going to come out? Waiting to collect their bodies?"
The Anbu's faces turned ashen, the captain staring at Kai in utter disbelief.
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