Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Two figures moved rapidly through the forest.
Tanuki Shigaraki was rushing forward with his head down!
His heart was filled with determination. This was the first time Lord Naruto had given him a mission, and he had to complete it perfectly!
"Faster! A little bit faster!"
He chanted in his mind, while subtly glancing at the person next to him.
It was someone moving at the same pace as him.
The person was dressed in a black robe over a sharp suit, and wore a panda-faced mask just like his.
This outfit, of course, belonged to another prominent member of the Root—Aburame Ryoma.
Tanuki Shigaraki had just run into him by chance.
He hadn't expected Lord Naruto to give the mission to both of them at the same time!
Lord Naruto shouldn't have given this mission to this guy at the same time; he alone would have been enough!
Of course, Tanuki Shigaraki wasn't complaining about the wise and mighty Lord Naruto.
There was simply no need!
He could complete it by himself!
Tanuki Shigaraki looked away and picked up his pace.
He asked for nothing else, just to be a little faster than the guy next to him!
To complete the mission perfectly and to impress Lord Naruto sooner.
However, the content of this mission felt a bit strange to Tanuki Shigaraki.
Each part of it didn't seem odd on its own, but when combined, it was very strange.
But, this was a mission personally given by Lord Naruto.
He didn't need to question anything; he just had to execute it faithfully!
Tanuki Shigaraki believed that with Lord Naruto's greatness, even if he were told to die, he would follow the order without a moment's hesitation or doubt!
Loyalty!
Those two words weren't just for show.
They had to be proven through action!
With this thought, Tanuki Shigaraki suddenly puffed out his chest with pride.
No matter what, among the entire Root, he, Tanuki Shigaraki, was the first one to switch his allegiance.
He was Lord Naruto's very first loyal dog!
"Hmph!"
With a soft snort, Tanuki Shigaraki pushed off the ground and increased his speed!
Aburame Ryoma?
Go eat my dust!
At almost the exact same time, Aburame Ryoma also quickened his pace, instantly catching up.
"Hmph!"
They both disliked each other.
Aburame Ryoma didn't usually bother with a petty person like Tanuki Shigaraki, but this man didn't know his place.
"We're here!"
In a flash, they arrived at the riverside.
Both were under Naruto's orders to drive out two unfamiliar visitors from Konoha.
The appearance of the enemies was clear from the description: black robes with red clouds and conical hats.
As for the location, Lord Naruto had only given a vague direction—the riverside.
How were they supposed to find them?
Tanuki Shigaraki knew he could find them if he searched carefully.
But that would inevitably waste a lot of time.
Thinking of this, he turned to Aburame Ryoma. If he remembered correctly, this person was a reconnaissance ninja.
"Hey, Aburame Ryoma, where are the enemies? You wouldn't want to delay Lord Naruto's mission, would you?"
Hearing this, although Aburame Ryoma was annoyed, he would not defy Lord Naruto's orders.
After a moment of perception, the flying insects brought him information. He immediately turned and looked behind them.
"Over here!"
As soon as he spoke, Tanuki Shigaraki, eager to show off, shot forward.
"Hey!"
Tanuki Shigaraki had already run far away and couldn't hear him.
He had wanted to warn him that the opponent's chakra was very powerful, but this guy was just too eager!
"This guy..."
After a moment of contemplation, Aburame Ryoma swallowed his words.
Whoosh!
He also followed suit. Although he couldn't stand the man's petty behavior, Lord Naruto's mission had to be completed perfectly!
At the same time, Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame walked side-by-side along the river.
Neither of them paid any mind to the "accident" that had just happened.
They were absolutely confident in their own strength. Invading a small first-rate ninja village like Konoha was completely effortless!
The two walked in silence.
Their faces were completely hidden by their layers of clothing, with only their two profound eyes visible.
Their minds were occupied with different thoughts.
"Itachi-san."
Hoshigaki Kisame suddenly broke the silence. "That kid from before should be Uzumaki Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, right?"
"Yes," Uchiha Itachi nodded coldly. "He looks exactly like the photos in the newspaper."
"Then why did we..." Kisame wondered.
In terms of capturing the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, that was surely the best opportunity.
"Cough, cough."
Uchiha Itachi didn't answer but coughed violently twice.
Then, he stopped, reached into his loose robe with his right hand, and pulled out a small box.
He slowly opened it, revealing a dozen red and blue Carefree Pills lying quietly inside.
"Is it time to take medicine again?"
"Yes."
Uchiha Itachi gently took out one red and one blue pill and put them in his mouth.
The effect of the Carefree Pills was as stable as ever; they melted as soon as they entered his mouth.
They instantly transformed into potent life force and mental energy, healing the injuries on his body and soothing the backlash from repeated use of the Mangekyo Sharingan.
He closed the box, put it back into his pocket, and continued to walk in silence.
Am I still sick?
This question flashed through Uchiha Itachi's mind.
He could now answer it with certainty—I am not sick!
His illness had actually been cured a long time ago.
And the miraculous medicine that cured his illness was the Carefree Pill.
Thinking of these mysterious pills, Uchiha Itachi fell into a memory.
The first time he encountered these Carefree Pills was from a target he had just killed.
The person had treasured something before their death. At the time, Itachi and Kisame didn't know what it was, only that they were two red and blue pills.
Later, one morning, Uchiha Itachi accidentally saw the same pills in an advertisement in the Ninja World Daily and learned that they were called Carefree Pills.
According to the ad, the Carefree Pill was a miraculous medicine that originated from Konoha and was passed down from the Xiong Clan's old formula.
Passed down from Konoha?
Uchiha Itachi was suspicious. He remembered living in Konoha for so many years and had never heard of any Xiong Clan's old formula.
However, after seeing Carefree Pill shops in several small countries and witnessing the crowded scenes in front of those stores, he started to believe it.
Most importantly, after personally witnessing the seemingly life-restoring medicinal effect, Uchiha Itachi ate the first red pill with a mix of doubt and belief.
The Xiong Clan's old formula is worthy of being a miraculous medicine passed down for a thousand years in Konoha!
After eating a single red pill, Uchiha Itachi found that his injuries were almost completely healed.
Now, he was only slowly losing health due to some chronic illnesses.
All he needed was to take one pill every once in a while.
He wouldn't die.
He absolutely wouldn't die!
The blue pill was even more miraculous. Not only could it be used to quickly restore chakra, but it could also directly restore mental energy.
It even slightly mitigated the side effects of the Mangekyo Sharingan!
It was simply incredible!
'It's a shame I haven't been to the main "Xiong Clan's Carefree Pills" store in Konoha to stock up on some medicine.'
Uchiha Itachi sighed to himself.
The entire ninja world rumored that the price of the Carefree Pills in Konoha was the lowest.
This was also the main reason why Konoha was ranked "Number One Most Popular Ninja Village in the Entire Ninja World," "Number One Most Desired Ninja Village," and so on, in more than ten other rankings.
Hmm, all of these rankings are from the Ninja World Daily.
Uchiha Itachi couldn't make sense of the news and rankings on the paper.
But, he always felt that it was a bit strange.
Was Konoha really that wonderful?
Although he loved Konoha deeply, Uchiha Itachi's rational mind told him that this was a bit of an exaggeration.
Things like toilet water, purchasing power, salaries...
And the most absurd rumor in the ninja world—that medical care in Konoha was free because of the existence of the powerful Carefree Pill.
Uchiha Itachi was certain this rumor was false.
At least, it was before his defection.
As the two walked in silence, Hoshigaki Kisame glanced at Itachi.
He always felt that Itachi-san was unusually quiet today.
There was something off about him.
Was it homesickness?
Suddenly, as if sensing something, Kisame's vigilant eyes looked ahead.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two figures suddenly appeared on their path.
The two newcomers were dressed in black suits and wore strange panda-faced masks.
That mask...
It was both unsettling and a little funny.
In any case, the newcomers meant trouble.
On the other side, Tanuki Shigaraki felt that he had finally found the enemies!
"Hey, be careful. That big guy on the right has unfathomable chakra!"
Aburame Ryoma finally voiced the warning he had wanted to give earlier.
"I know!"
Tanuki Shigaraki didn't care at all.
Unfathomable chakra?
Heh!
Can he have more than I do?
Can he be stronger than I am?
Tanuki Shigaraki felt like he was about to explode!
So strong he could explode!
He glanced at the two opponents and decided to make them his targets!
However, remembering Lord Naruto's mission, he instantly calmed down.
No matter what, the mission must be completed.
First, he had to know the two's identities and purpose.
Tanuki Shigaraki looked up at them. "Hey, you two, you're hiding yourselves so well. I've never seen you before, so you're not from the village, are you?"
To Tanuki Shigaraki's surprise, the opponents didn't recognize him, but they did recognize the person next to him.
"It's been a while, Aburame Ryoma-san."
Huh?
Tanuki Shigaraki's mouth fell open, and he turned to look at Aburame Ryoma in shock.
How do you know the enemy?
Aburame Ryoma, meanwhile, carefully observed the man opposite him.
He wore a wide black robe with red clouds and a conical hat. The low-hanging hat covered his entire face, so he couldn't see his expression.
Aburame Ryoma couldn't guess who this person was.
But the figure felt a little familiar.
"Who are you?"
Uchiha Itachi didn't answer.
He knew Aburame Ryoma. He was a loyal follower of Shimura Danzo.
As for the person next to him, although he didn't know him, the uniform was enough to confirm that he belonged to the same organization—the Root!
Based on his past interactions and his reflection over the years, the Root was definitely not a good organization.
Why is it that even after that old man Shimura Danzo is dead, an organization like the Root is still openly operating in the village?
This question went unanswered.
After a moment, Uchiha Itachi decided he would find the answer himself.
With that thought, he reached up and lifted his conical hat.
A pair of crimson three-tomoe Sharingan eyes were revealed.
"You're... Uchiha Itachi?" Aburame Ryoma was surprised. How did this guy get back to Konoha?
Could it be...?
Thinking about the reason for Uchiha Itachi's defection, Aburame Ryoma felt he had guessed the answer.
Their Root had also cooperated during the Uchiha clan massacre.
"Raccoon! You know how to deal with the Uchiha, right?"
Danzo, who had always viewed the Uchiha as rivals, had studied them extensively. Tanuki Shigaraki naturally knew how to deal with the Uchiha clan.
"I do!"
Tanuki Shigaraki immediately lowered his gaze. Every member of the Root knew that when fighting the Uchiha, you could not look into their Sharingan eyes!
Seeing this, Uchiha Itachi's next movement paused for a moment.
Then, he continued to take off his hat and undid the buttons on his loose robe one by one.
With the hat removed, his entire face was revealed.
Uchiha Itachi.
Upon seeing his full face, a cold drop of sweat trickled down Tanuki Shigaraki's forehead.
Although he was incredibly confident in his own strength, he wasn't a combat-type ninja.
And Uchiha Itachi's name was well known throughout Konoha.
His strength was unfathomable.
Not to mention the Uchiha clan's eerie genjutsu.
Tanuki Shigaraki felt he would be difficult to deal with.
'How did this guy get back to Konoha?'
He murmured to himself, then, remembering Lord Naruto's mission, he clenched his fists again.
It's just one Uchiha Itachi!
What's the harm in dying as long as the mission is completed!
"It seems you two are Itachi-san's acquaintances."
Kisame also took off his hat and introduced himself. "Then I'll introduce myself as well. I'm Hoshigaki Kisame. It's a pleasure."
The hat came off, revealing Hoshigaki Kisame's signature shark-like face.
"Hoshigaki Kisame!"
Aburame Ryoma said the name heavily.
This guy was also a S-rank rogue ninja from the Hidden Mist Village!
'As expected of Lord Naruto's mission. These two are not simple ninjas.'
At this moment, Aburame Ryoma remembered their leader's instructions and asked, "What is your purpose for coming to Konoha? Especially you..."
He looked at Uchiha Itachi's chin. "You must have come for your little brother, right?"
Although he didn't know what kind of animosity Danzo and Itachi had, Aburame Ryoma instinctively felt that the matter of Uchiha Sasuke was not simple.
Tanuki Shigaraki also overcame his fear and interjected, "I can't believe you'd have the nerve to so brazenly return here after doing such a cruel thing to your own clan. What is your purpose?"
"So talkative!"
Hearing his respected Itachi-san being lectured, Kisame directly took off the Samehada sword wrapped in bandages from his back.
Whoosh!
He swung the broad Samehada, hitting the ground and making a small crater.
"Itachi-san, should I kill them?"
"I don't want to kill either of them," Uchiha Itachi looked directly at the two, answering Kisame's question.
"But, it seems we can't continue our quiet infiltration!"
With this thought, he glanced at Kisame. "Go easy on them. Your moves attract too much attention."
"You've made your decision!"
Kisame's eyes locked onto Aburame Ryoma.
He would take care of the person standing opposite him!
The atmosphere became quiet for a moment as everyone gauged the other's strength.
A light breeze blew through, stirring up some fine sand.
Whoosh!
Kisame lunged forward, swinging Samehada horizontally!
The two opponents dodged, and he took the opportunity to slam it down again.
Clink!
Aburame Ryoma retreated, while Tanuki Shigaraki charged forward, holding a shuriken to block it.
The reputation of the Uchiha clan was indeed significant. Tanuki Shigaraki decided to leave Uchiha Itachi for Aburame Ryoma to handle and take on this unknown Kisame himself!
"Listen up, shark boy! Don't be so arrogant. I, Lord Tanuki Shigaraki, will smash your teeth and see if they can grow back infinitely!"
"Hmph!"
Kisame lifted Samehada and slammed it down again!
On the other side, Aburame Ryoma directly faced off against Uchiha Itachi.
A rare hint of a smirk appeared on Uchiha Itachi's face. He wanted to see what this Root organization was all about!