Fu's eyes lit up when she saw the two strange figures ahead and excitedly waved, "Are you here to be my friends?"
Her two companions immediately stepped in front of her, tense and alert.
Anyone with eyes could tell—these two weren't here with friendly intentions. It was highly likely they already knew Fu's true identity.
Sure enough, Uchiha Itachi spoke first:
"Apologies. We're not here to make friends. Nanabi (Seven-Tails) Jinchuuriki—come with us quietly, and we can spare your two teammates."
"So you won't listen to reason…"
Fu's gaze instantly sharpened. She was clearly not just some naive airhead.
"I won't go with you. And I won't let you hurt my friends. So—how about you two take a nap instead!"
She quickly formed a hand seal and exhaled a shimmering powder:
"Secret Art: Rinpun'in no Jutsu! (Scale Powder Concealment Technique)"
A cloud of paralyzing scales burst from her mouth, engulfing both Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame. It obscured vision and disrupted movement.
But Itachi simply formed a quick seal and released a blazing Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique), instantly incinerating the powder cloud.
Fu's two companions charged in, but were immediately swatted away by Kisame's bandage-wrapped sword. They didn't stand a chance.
Takigakure was just a small village after all. Their jōnin were barely stronger than an average chūnin from a major village. How could they hope to match someone like Hoshigaki Kisame?
With just one blow, both of them were knocked unconscious. It was a miracle they weren't killed outright.
"Now then, your turn," Kisame said with a wide grin full of sharp teeth. "Come quietly, and they won't get hurt."
Fu frowned. "I'm not stupid!"
Though she was naive and cheerful, she wasn't foolish. These two could say whatever they liked, but if she gave up, there was no guarantee her teammates would be spared. And she still had a mission. There was no way she was going with them.
She deeply regretted coming out so recklessly now. She should've known how dangerous it would be!
Itachi shook his head. "In that case… we'll use force."
Fu wasted no time. She activated her transformation, her body becoming covered in the violent cloak of tailed beast chakra. Her expression turned feral as she lunged straight at Itachi, hoping to end it in one blow.
But Kisame unwrapped Samehada, which instantly devoured the cloak around her.
Fu froze. "What!? That's impossible!"
Kisame sneered. "Told you to surrender. Samehada can absorb chakra—even Bijū chakra. You don't stand a chance."
Fu felt despair swelling in her chest. She thought of her leader, Shibuki, and tears welled up. She really regretted being so stubborn.
Just as Kisame's massive hand reached out to grab her—
A stronger hand caught it mid-air.
Kakashi had arrived. No one saw how. He gripped Kisame's wrist with his left hand, a kunai in his right pointed straight at Kisame's throat.
Cool as hell.
Everyone—including Fu, Itachi, and Kisame—was stunned.
Natsuki rolled his eyes from the sidelines. He hated this kind of "cool guy entrance" the most.
"You had time to pose like that," he muttered to himself, "but not enough to kick Kisame in the face while he was wide open?"
Such a prime opportunity wasted.
Still, Natsuki quickly pulled Fu behind him. "We're shinobi from Konoha. We're here to help. Are you okay?"
Fu blinked, then wiped her eyes. "I'm fine! But my teammates…"
Natsuki checked them quickly, using Shōsen Jutsu (Mystical Palm Technique) to stabilize their injuries.
"They're going to be alright. You stay here and look after them. Leave the rest to us."
Fu nodded gratefully. "Thank you!"
Natsuki waved it off and turned forward.
Kakashi now stood face-to-face with Kisame, while Sasuke had already put on his tinted goggles and was slowly drawing his sword.
Kisame chuckled, "Itachi-san, is your brother... okay in the head? Does he really think a pair of sunglasses will block your Genjutsu?"
Itachi didn't answer. He had noticed that Sasuke wasn't making direct eye contact with him.
By using the shadows of the sunglasses to obscure his gaze, he really was reducing his susceptibility to illusion.
Not bad.
Besides, the moment Natsuki had shown up, Itachi already knew this mission was doomed to fail. Still, he wanted to test how far his dear little brother had come.
Silently, he drew a kunai and shifted into a defensive stance.
Sasuke didn't hesitate.
With Raiton: Shunshin (Lightning Release: Body Flicker), he closed the distance in a flash, blade aiming for Itachi's shoulder.
But Itachi's speed was just as fast. He deflected with his kunai and counterattacked instantly. The two brothers clashed fiercely—blades and steel flashing too fast to follow.
"Impressive... He really is Itachi-san's little brother," Kisame grinned, baring his teeth again.
"Since they're fighting, we should join in too, don't you think, Copy Ninja Hatake Kakashi?"
With that, he pushed Kakashi back with a swing of Samehada, then quickly formed hand seals and spewed forth a massive wave of water.
"Suiton: Daibakusui Shōha! (Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave)"
A giant torrent engulfed the battlefield, forming a massive dome of water. Thankfully, Natsuki had already retreated with Fu and the injured, avoiding the flood.
Inside the water, Kakashi watched warily as Kisame sent five massive sharks swimming toward him. He had to maneuver quickly to evade.
Fu looked worried. "Aren't you going to help?"
Natsuki shook his head and pointed at Sasuke. "Kakashi-senpai will be fine. I have to watch that side."
Sasuke was giving it his all—his White Fang Swordsmanship and Lightning Shunshin combined into movements fast as lightning. Most jōnin would've been overwhelmed by now. For someone who had only recently learned the White Fang style, he'd already reached an impressive level.
Itachi saw it too and couldn't help feeling proud. But he kept a stoic face, using only a kunai to defend. While he wasn't unscathed, he also hadn't taken any actual damage yet.
Sasuke gritted his teeth in frustration. Still, he forced himself to stay calm.
He knew the problem wasn't with his blade technique. It was because he couldn't look Itachi in the eye. His reluctance to risk Genjutsu meant his attacks weren't as precise as they could be.
But this was the right choice. It was better than being taken down by one glance.
Just getting to this level of battle was already an accomplishment.
Still, Sasuke wasn't satisfied.
He didn't expect to defeat Itachi right here—but at the very least, he wanted to land a hit!
"I need to do something!"
Suddenly, six afterimages split off from his body, surrounding Itachi.
Itachi blinked in surprise, his expression softening slightly.
"…I can't believe it. You've learned Shunshin Shunten—Shisui's Instant Body Shift Technique…"
(End of Chapter)
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