"Itachi, this is the town Zetsu mentioned. The medical ninja Tsunade should still be here!" Kisame spoke, his voice low and heavy, as if coming from the depths of the ocean.
Kisame carried a massive sword on his back. Though it lacked the overt dominance of Samehada, the aura he exuded still marked him as an elite ninja.
The sword swayed slightly with his steps, producing a dull, heavy sound.
Beside him, Itachi's tear-streaked face was pale, and his body looked weak.
He gazed toward the town, a faint glimmer of hope flickering in his eyes.
Tsunade was a top-tier medical ninja. In his heart, just finding her might grant him a chance to extend his life, easing the ever-present pain that haunted him.
"Let's enter the town… cough, cough," Itachi said, looking at the town. He took a deep breath and stepped forward, moving steadily toward it, neither fast nor slow, calm and unwavering like a mountain.
Kisame hurried to follow, his eyes full of concern, constantly watching Itachi's condition, afraid he might collapse at any moment.
The closer they got to the town, the stronger their sense of caution became.
"Itachi, this town feels strange. We should stay careful," Kisame said, scanning their surroundings with vigilance. His shark-like face carried a mix of fierceness and caution. His eyelids twitched constantly, and a strong unease rose in his heart, as if danger awaited them inside.
"Hm," Itachi replied, frowning slightly. His eyes remained calm and composed, as always. "I feel it too… someone seems to be tracking us."
His Sharingan turned slightly, the red glow in his eyes flickering as he tried to gather more information. Yet the uneasy feeling in his heart only grew stronger.
"Itachi, could it be a trap?" Kisame asked in a low voice, tinged with doubt. "We don't know Zetsu well. Could he be plotting against us?"
"It's hard to say. Let's observe first," Itachi replied, his gaze sweeping across the town's entrance. His mind raced, analyzing the situation, thinking through every possible action. He missed no detail, trying to uncover the hidden dangers and weaknesses beneath this seemingly calm town.
Meanwhile, inside the town, Tsunade and Shizune were also walking outward.
Sunlight bathed them, highlighting their silhouettes.
"Lady Tsunade… where are we going now? Straight back to Konoha?" Shizune followed behind Tsunade, chattering nervously. Her eyes held a flicker of worry, afraid that the necklace might push Tsunade's emotions to extremes.
"Haven't you heard? That brat said he won't return until his mission is finished!" Tsunade glanced at Shizune and relaxed a little from her earlier tension.
"We're going to pick up a mission first. Konoha is about to hold the Chunin Exams, so we should head back and take a look."
With that she and Shizune stepped out of the village with light, brisk strides.
Tsunade and Shizune met Itachi and Kisame coming into the town.
Both sides stopped instantly and sized each other up, eyes sharp with caution. They could both sense the chakra surging from the other, and that was a dangerous signal.
Suddenly, Itachi in his Akatsuki cloak stepped forward and blocked Tsunade. "Lady Tsunade, we meet again… cough, cough." He stopped before her, his eyes studying her closely, surprise flickering across his face.
"You are—" Tsunade frowned, startled, her mind racing to place the man before her. Her gaze swept him from head to toe.
As a longtime medical-nin she could tell at a glance that he was gravely ill, his breath weak, his body seeming ready to fall apart at any moment.
"Heh. When you first rose to fame I was still a child!" Itachi smiled, a touch of wistfulness in it, then fixed his stare on Tsunade. "Let me reintroduce myself. I am Uchiha Itachi. Cough, cough."
Uchiha Itachi?
"Lady Tsunade, I remember now! He's the one who once broke into the Uchiha clan and tried to slaughter them!" Shizune's thoughts raced, shock and disbelief written all over her face. "There's still a warrant for him in Konoha. He's a rogue!"
The moment Itachi gave his name, Shizune immediately thought of that notorious reputation.
Uchiha Itachi — the rogue of Konoha who even slaughtered his own clan. None of them expected to run into him here.
"Konoha's rogue ninja, Uchiha Itachi?" Tsunade's eyes rounded and veins stood out on her forehead as anger flared like a roaring fire in her chest.
"Well, since you've come across my path, you can stay right here. I was planning to hunt rogues for the reward anyway, and here you are delivering one to me!"
She spoke softly, and her fist clenched tightly, her knuckles whitening from the force.
She stomped her foot on the ground, and cracks instantly appeared beneath her. Her figure blurred like an afterimage, and in the blink of an eye, she was in front of Itachi, swinging her fist with a roar.
The gust of her punch cut through the air, carrying immense power.
But Itachi was watching Tsunade carefully. The moment she attacked, he had already begun retreating. His movements were swift and agile, like a nimble night owl.
The strike missed. Tsunade moved again!
She appeared above Itachi, her whip-like leg descending toward his head. Her leg sliced through the air with a sharp, piercing whistle.
This time, Itachi did not move. He stood still, calmly watching the kick fall.
"Are you ready to give up?" Tsunade sneered in her heart. But the kick fell heavily, carrying the determination of a finishing strike.
Pff~
Yet, the leg passed straight through him, hitting the ground with a heavy thud.
Boom~~
The earth trembled. The spot where Tsunade landed was blasted into a large pit. The ground around her cracked for several meters, dust rose, and stones scattered in all directions.
"Damn… it's genjutsu!" Tsunade was shocked, but her reaction was extremely fast. Her eyes darted in another direction, and she saw Itachi standing beside Kisame.
Kisame had drawn his giant sword, gripping it tightly with both hands. The blade gleamed coldly under the sunlight. He gritted his teeth, staring at Tsunade. The muscles in his face twisted with anger. "We came looking for you, and you dared to make a move?"
As he spoke, he surged forward.
Tsunade grew cautious. Itachi was a rare genius of the Uchiha clan. The earlier test had already shown her that he was incredibly strong, especially with his genjutsu.
She hadn't even realized how she had fallen into it, and that uncertainty made her even more careful.
Itachi, however, remained calm. He raised a hand to stop Kisame. "Leave this to me!" His voice was steady and resolute, as if everything was under his control.
Meanwhile, in the town, Genya and the others sensed the ripples and commotion of the battle.
The sheer force of power made the air itself tremble.
Hinata and Shino's gaze tightened, both instinctively turning toward Genya. Their eyes were full of questions and surprise.
Who was fighting?
From the flow of the battle's chakra, it was clear that both sides were extremely strong. That overwhelming chakra ripple was impossible to ignore.
****
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