Itachi knelt on one knee, blood and tears dripping from his eyes. The backlash from his Mangekyō Sharingan had dealt him serious damage.
Izumi winced as pain flickered in her own eyes.
This was only their first real battle, yet her eyes already burned. Just as Naruto-kun had warned, the side effects of the Mangekyō were severe.
While the two were distracted, a strange figure resembling a pitcher plant emerged from the undergrowth. Spotting Itachi on his knees, Zetsu's expression shifted with surprise.
That little girl from the Uchiha clan… to think she could force Itachi into such a state.
Of course, Itachi had already accounted for Zetsu's presence when using Tsukuyomi. Only those who truly understood Zetsu knew how dangerous his reconnaissance abilities were. And knowing the Akatsuki, this mission was guaranteed to be under Zetsu's watch.
The next instant, a black-and-white creature rose from the ground beside Itachi, startling Izumi. She hadn't even sensed it approach.
What is that thing? It doesn't even look human…
Zetsu had come because Itachi was at a disadvantage. No matter his condition, Itachi remained invaluable to the Akatsuki.
"Itachi! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. I was just careless," he replied, waving a hand dismissively.
"Let's go."
He forced himself to his feet. Though he maintained his calm exterior, a deep unease gnawed at his heart. For the first time, he felt events slipping out of his control.
Zetsu quickly sank into the ground, carrying Itachi away from the battlefield.
Izumi did not attempt to stop them—she knew she couldn't. If they could appear without her noticing, they could certainly vanish just as easily.
"The Akatsuki Organization Itachi serves… it really isn't simple," Izumi murmured before disappearing herself, moving to rejoin Zabuza and the others.
By then, Itachi had already regrouped with Kisame.
"Kisame, retreat," he said softly, followed by a quiet cough.
"Mr. Itachi, you're injured?" Kisame's eyes widened. From the time they had met, he had never once seen Itachi wounded like this—let alone by someone so young.
Had he held back because they were fellow Uchiha?
Regardless, the mission's objective had already been achieved.
Kisame slung Samehada across his back and glanced at Zabuza and Yu. "Zabuza, you've really impressed me. Let's cross blades again another time."
With that, he leapt to Itachi's side, and the two disappeared in a blur of the Body Flicker Technique.
Only then did Yu and Zabuza finally exhale. The oppressive pressure Kisame gave off was overwhelming.
Compared to his one-sided clash with Might Guy in the original accounts, this was different. Guy's taijutsu contained no chakra, perfectly countering Kisame's chakra absorption. Yet the fact Kisame had once subdued the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki in single combat proved he was one of the most underestimated shinobi alive.
"Zabuza, are you alright?" Yu hurried to his side, worry etched in his voice.
Zabuza's heart warmed slightly. "I'm fine. Just burned through too much chakra."
If not for the strength he had recently gained, he might have been defeated already. Kisame's chakra reserves were monstrous.
"Damn it… once I awaken my Mangekyō Sharingan, I'll make him pay," Yu muttered, though deep down he knew how slim his chances were—unless fate granted him a rare opportunity.
"Are you two alright?"
It was Izumi, arriving just in time.
The two men helped each other stand, aching as the delayed pain of battle caught up with them.
"No serious injuries. With some rest, we'll recover," Yu replied, taking a steadying breath. For a shinobi, these wounds were far from fatal.
Izumi nodded. "Good. Then let's move. After this fight, we'll need to shift our base. We can't afford to stay here any longer."
She was right. Once exposed, relocating was the only option—like a hare with three burrows, survival meant never lingering too long in one place.
...
Naruto had also learned of this matter through his network of contacts.
"Akatsuki? For now, don't concern yourselves with them. Avoid interfering with their development. Our current strength isn't enough to face them head-on."
Naruto was biding his time. It would be years before Akatsuki fully revealed themselves to the shinobi world. To clash with them prematurely would be reckless.
He already had his eye on the coming events: once Orochimaru launched his Konoha Crush and the Kazekage, Rasa, was eliminated, Gaara would be able to ascend smoothly. Half of the Land of Wind could fall under his influence.
Already, Gaara carried a certain prestige within the Land of Wind.
Opportunities, after all, could be manufactured. For the past two years, Naruto's organization had quietly leaked information about merchant caravans to local bandits. Each time, Gaara appeared to "save" the situation, earning public admiration.
Of course, there weren't enough bandits to keep up the charade. Sometimes, members of Umbrella disguised themselves as rogue ninja. In the end, Gaara always drove them off, his reputation growing steadily throughout the Land of Wind.
Even the citizens of Sunagakure had begun to view him in a new light. Though they still kept their distance, their fear had lessened.
And now, Gaara bore a new title—the Umbrella of the Land of Wind.
The Stormbringer.
Ever since following Naruto's advice to cultivate his Magnetic Release, Gaara's power had grown tremendously. He could now fly by manipulating magnetic fields, and he had even devised a railgun technique using iron sand.
That move was rarely revealed—it was far too abnormal. Its destructive force easily reached the level of an S-rank jutsu.
Through his understanding of magnetic principles, Gaara had also gained mastery over Lightning Release chakra. Even so, sand remained his most versatile and natural weapon.
Meanwhile, Naruto strolled alone through the back mountain forest. It was rare for him to wander without his shadow clones, who were all busy training elsewhere. This time, he had come specifically to await word from Shisui.
His eyes swept the dense greenery around him. Natural Energy filled the air. It was said this forest had once been raised by the First Hokage's Wood Release. Truly incredible.
Power like Senju Hashirama's… not quite at the level of the Sage of Six Paths, perhaps, but still godlike. Hashirama's strength, the very peak of the Super Kage tier, was unmatched.
Naruto knew that if he wanted to reach such heights, he would have to perfect Sage Mode and refine his martial arts even further.
In the past two years, his studies had been broad—too broad. He had dabbled in everything: ninjutsu, taijutsu, fūinjutsu, Sage Mode, even medical ninjutsu. His foundation was vast, but none of his skills had reached their absolute peak.
Yet Naruto believed in persistence. With enough diligence, he would one day raise every skill to its summit. Most shinobi could not excel in every field—Orochimaru was a rare exception. But Naruto was not bound by such limits. He had his own way of "cheating."
As he walked deeper into the woods, something caught his eye.
A young girl sat quietly, brush in hand, painting on a canvas.
Her expression was serene, so peaceful that Naruto hesitated to disturb her. The scene stirred a strange sense of déjà vu within him, though the memory remained just out of reach.
Naruto lingered, watching. But then, the atmosphere shifted. Darkness crept across the clearing, the sunlight draining away. His senses sharpened instantly.
Genjutsu…
And in that instant, Naruto realized the girl's identity.
Yakumo Kurama!
...
TN:
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