"Well, well, to actually run into Konoha brats in a place like this." Kisame's raspy voice carried a hint of amusement.
Mamoru glanced down at the Konoha forehead protector around his neck, the other party had clearly recognized their origin from this symbol.
"Long time no see, Mamoru."
An unfamiliar voice sounded from under the bamboo hat, carrying a strange sense of familiarity.
Hearing this, Mamoru took a deep, sharp breath. He forcibly suppressed the surging waves in his heart and replied in a slightly stiff tone, "Yeah, it's been a few years, hasn't it, Itachi?"
Although he had anticipated it, the moment it was actually confirmed to be Itachi, his voice still uncontrollably took on a bit of complexity.
He never expected that on his first mission leaving the village, he would have a chance encounter with the person he least wanted to see.
Kisame grinned, his shark-like teeth faintly visible. "Itachi-san, I've noticed this brat looks a lot like you. Is he an acquaintance?"
Itachi silently raised his hand and slowly took off his bamboo hat. His other hand withdrew into the inside of his trench coat, his slender fingers undoing the buttons one by one.
As the coat opened, his face was gradually revealed—refined features and those deep, bottomless black eyes.
"My younger brother."
He placed his left hand on the chest button of his clothes, his tone as calm as if he were talking about a stranger.
Even though he was mentally prepared, this was the first time Mamoru had seen Itachi with his own eyes since his transmigration.
Though their souls had no connection, this body was blood-related to the other party, making his feelings complex and difficult to describe.
"B-Brother?" Hinata opened her eyes wide in shock, staring at the man in front of her who looked extremely similar to Mamoru.
"You've grown, Mamoru." Itachi said expressionlessly.
"Thanks to you, I barely managed to survive."
The corner of Mamoru's eye twitched slightly, and he subconsciously covered his chest where he had once been pierced, his voice carrying sarcasm.
"It's been so many years, and you actually didn't mistake me for Sasuke, you really are a 'good brother'."
He deliberately emphasized the last two words, full of irony.
"Itachi-san, I heard the Uchiha clan was completely slaughtered by you. I didn't expect there to be survivors?" Kisame interjected at an inopportune moment, breaking the tense confrontation between the brothers.
After these words were spoken, both Mamoru and Itachi remained motionless, still calmly looking at each other.
But Hinata, standing beside Mamoru, felt a storm surging in her heart.
She looked at the man not far away in disbelief. So he was the murderer who slaughtered the Uchiha clan?
Suddenly, Itachi's gaze lightly swept over her. With just one look, Hinata suddenly felt a bone-chilling coldness. Fear flooded in like a tide, almost swallowing her. She had difficulty breathing, her body shook uncontrollably, and her legs went weak.
Noticing her abnormality immediately, Mamoru tightly grasped her cold hand, trying to keep his voice steady. "Don't be afraid. With me here, they won't be able to hurt you."
Hearing Mamoru's firm words, Hinata's emotions gradually calmed down. She took a deep breath, and the sense of fear dissipated a lot.
"Itachi-san, your brother sure talks big."
Kisame flipped off his bamboo hat, revealing a mouthful of shark-like teeth, and sneered, "Then, let me introduce myself too. Hoshigake Kisame, pleased to meet you."
"Shark-guy." Mamoru chuckled.
"Interrupting brothers who haven't seen each other in a long time 'talking heart-to-heart', you're really quite tactless."
"Hahahaha..." Kisame burst into wild laughter, taking the giant blade from his back.
"Itachi-san, your brother seems to have no manners. Let me discipline him for you."
The heavy Samehada slammed into the ground, smashing out a pit. The bandages shattered inch by inch, and killing intent was cold in Kisame's eyes.
"Kid, watch out or I'll slaughter you."
"Wait, don't make a move—"
Before he finished speaking, Itachi's eyes were instantly dyed blood-red, with three tomoe slowly rotating in them.
Almost at the same time, a layer of deep blue also covered Mamoru's eyes.
Seeing the mysterious blue color in Mamoru's eyes, Itachi's pupils contracted imperceptibly, and his brow furrowed slightly.
"Itachi-san, your brother's eyes seem a bit different from your Sharingan." Kisame put Samehada back on his back, realizing that he didn't need to act now.
Mamoru was reflected in the Sharingan.
"This is not the Sharingan." Itachi said without any emotional fluctuation.
"This is the Sharingan." Mamoru tilted his head and grinned.
"Forget it, it doesn't matter. Whether it's the Sharingan or something else, it has no meaning."
Itachi slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the three tomoe in his eyes had quietly dissipated, turning into a more complex and eerie pattern, slowly rotating in the blood-red pupils.
Tsukuyomi!
Mamoru suddenly pulled Hinata behind him, his back firmly blocking her line of sight, his voice carrying an unprecedented urgency. "Absolutely do not look into his eyes!"
Hinata's long eyelashes trembled violently, and she immediately closed her eyes tightly, her hand unconsciously clutching the corner of Mamoru's clothes.
Even though Mamoru warned her so, he himself stared directly at those Mangekyo Sharingan eyes.
He wasn't sure if his current self could fight against members of the Akatsuki.
Setting Itachi aside for a moment, if he were to face Kisame alone, his chances of winning might be greater.
Infinity had an absolute advantage in defense. As long as it wasn't high-level Space-Time Ninjutsu, it basically couldn't cause any effective damage to him.
The remaining issue was the consumption of Chakra.
As for the Samehada in Kisame's hand, although it could absorb Chakra, it shouldn't be able to break through the defense of Infinity. With just a little attention, it wouldn't pose too much of a threat.
Just as his thoughts were racing, Mamoru suddenly felt everything around him go dark.
The world lost all color. Then the world spun, and his body kept falling downward, faster and faster—no, it wasn't fast, but rather he was constantly repeating the moment of falling, endlessly.
The dark red sky looked as if it were soaked in blood. The entire world was stripped of its color, leaving only black and white to crudely outline the surroundings.
That utility pole stood alone, its pale lines particularly piercing against the blood-colored background.
These images flickered and shook before Mamoru's eyes like a broken film reel.
Suddenly, the scene shifted and he found himself inside a house outlined in black and white. Through the window was a dark red sky and clouds that drifted and changed at an ever-accelerating pace.
Time lost its meaning here. After an unknown amount of time, perhaps a moment, perhaps an eternity, Mamoru suddenly regained control of his body.