So fast!
Uchiha Itachi's figure appeared behind Uehara Naraku in an instant, swinging his ninja blade and ruthlessly striking toward Naraku's neck.
He moved as if he had killed hundreds, his motions precise and practiced.
"Lightning Release: Ten Thousand Thunder Prison!"
Even before Uehara Naraku noticed Itachi's approach, he unleashed the Ten Thousand Thunder Prison—a technique that served both offense and defense!
Fortunately, their earlier discussion had given him just enough time for the skill's cooldown to finish.
Storms of lightning swirled above Naraku's head, a bolt striking down and forcing Itachi to use the Body Replacement Technique to evade.
Countless bolts danced within the storm clouds, as if ready to strike again at any moment!
Outside the range of the Ten Thousand Thunder Prison, Itachi furrowed his brow: "This guy… can release such a powerful lightning jutsu with a single hand seal? Are all Akatsuki interns this monstrous?"
Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!
The masked man clapped loudly, exclaiming: "Wow, wow, wow… incredible! Whether it's Itachi's Body Replacement or this kid's Lightning Release… it's amazing!"
"Idiot…"
Uehara Naraku muttered under his breath. Such over-the-top praise was utterly insincere.
As he watched Itachi's movements, four cards suddenly appeared in Naraku's hand and shot toward him!
Shing! Shing!
A sharp metallic clash rang out!
Itachi blocked the four cards with his blade. They were like steel, unusually sharp.
"My cards aren't something ordinary people can handle," Uehara Naraku said with a faint smile, lowering his gaze.
Then, with a single word, an explosion rang out!
One of the cards detonated instantly!
Itachi staggered backward, half-kneeling on the ground.
The Konoha rogue ninja looked somewhat embarrassed. Despite using Body Replacement, he was still affected by the blast.
"G-g-g-g… so scary!"
The masked man pressed his legs together and buried his hands in his hair, practically shaking in terror: "One card… stronger than a Blast Talisman? Terrifying!"
"There's a lot of chakra attached to it…"
Itachi lowered his head, thinking, then looked up at Uehara Naraku. The organization's power was far too strong.
Though he hadn't fought at full strength, this intern's two jutsu alone demonstrated at least Jonin-level combat capability.
"A twelve-year-old Jonin?"
Itachi closed his eyes, then slowly reopened them, a murderous glint flashing in the red irises of his Sharingan, three black tomoe spinning around them.
Whoosh!
Uehara could almost hear the wind!
He didn't look directly into Itachi's Sharingan, only noting the moment his toes vanished from sight.
That massive explosion should have drawn Konan and Pein…
Otherwise, he would have to buy some rare items with gold coins from the system to secure a victory.
After all, his main goal was to earn skill rewards while subtly showing his strength. Akatsuki had no qualms about recruiting powerful members!
"Oh my, this kid actually knows how to counter the Sharingan… impressive!"
The masked man continued chattering excitedly beside him, testing Uehara's patience. If Itachi hadn't needed to be watched, Naraku might have taught him a harsh lesson.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive ball of flame surged toward Uehara Naraku!
The Uchiha clan's signature fire jutsu—Itachi, the prodigy, naturally wielded it with ease.
It had to be said: Itachi's hand seals were lightning-fast! Six seals in a second, unleashing a Great Fireball instantly. But Uehara's own hand seals were even quicker.
He clasped his hands briefly and released his defensive technique without hesitation: "Wind Barrier!"
The fireball struck the wind wall and dissipated, leaving only scorching air in its wake.
Both the masked man and Itachi's expressions turned serious. One hand seal had produced a jutsu of incredible strength.
But Itachi didn't give up!
In an instant, the rogue ninja teleported behind Naraku, swinging his blade with deadly intent!
"…Here we go?"
A small puppet orb appeared in Uehara's palm. From his perspective, Itachi's Great Fireball was a feint—it was, after all, harmless against a trained opponent.
"Command: Shockwave!"
The space around Uehara Naraku twisted!
A gravitational pull dragged Itachi toward him, the spatial distortion leaving the young Uchiha unable to counter.
Naraku didn't hesitate, grabbing Itachi by the neck and pressing him to the ground: "…You lost."
If he had used a card to slice Itachi's neck, he could have killed him.
But that wasn't his goal.
Itachi, while a Konoha spy, was a model member of Akatsuki. Killing him here would be a waste.
Besides, if he had used the cards, Itachi might have countered with Susanoo!
A chime echoed in Naraku's mind. He assumed he had completed his first side quest—but the system revealed that a side quest tucked away in a corner had actually been finished.
Side Quest Complete: Be Defeated by Uchiha Itachi Once (1/1)Reward: Gold Coins +100
What? Who would wish for that kind of punishment?
Something was off. He held the advantage—so why did the system think he lost?
"You lost…"
Itachi's Sharingan locked onto Uehara's eyes. The three black tomoe spun hypnotically, drawing him in.
Even when unexpectedly dragged by Shockwave, Itachi sought a chance to counter.
Though he didn't know why Naraku held back, he acted decisively. Only by subduing an enemy could one claim ultimate victory!
Naraku suddenly fell into a genjutsu. In his mind, massive bronze spikes embedded into his body, freezing him in place.
Genjutsu: Golden Binding Technique!
Meanwhile, the side quest he had neglected since arriving in the ninja world was finally completed.
Side Quest Complete: Experience the Power of the Sharingan (1/1)Reward: Life Disintegration Ray
Life Disintegration Ray: Emits a powerful beam from the eyes that analyzes the enemy's life features, disintegrating the body for 2.5 seconds. Chakra consumption and duration are linked. Minimum 100 chakra. Cooldown: 120 seconds.
The skill was powerful—but Uehara had to break the genjutsu immediately!
This was unprecedented danger. Wasn't it said that time-travelers had strong spiritual energy to resist genjutsu?
How could he break it?
Just as he prepared to unleash the Life Disintegration Ray indiscriminately, someone slapped him on the head, childishly breaking the genjutsu.
"What are you doing?"