The midday sun filtered through the leaves, scattering flecks of light over the narrow forest path. Naruto adjusted the strap of his pouch and glanced ahead at the approaching figures. Hyūga Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten had just come into view.
For a moment, none of them spoke. Their eyes swept over him, expressions shifting from recognition to quiet surprise.
Lee's jaw dropped first. "Naruto… you're taller than me now." His voice carried a note of mock tragedy, as if the very laws of training had betrayed him. "This is truly… disheartening."
Naruto scratched the back of his head, offering a lopsided grin. "Heh, the more you train, the taller you get, right?"
The words earned a few puzzled glances. Everyone knew Lee probably trained more than all of them combined, yet his stature remained the same. Even Lee himself faltered for a second, as if the math didn't add up, before forcing a thumbs-up and a determined smile.
He turned toward Sakura with a flourish, perhaps intending to make a gallant comment—only to freeze when he caught sight of her tightened fists. The faint cracking of knuckles was enough to make him step back and fold his arms instead.
Before the moment could stretch into awkward silence, Kakashi spoke, his tone brisk. "We've confirmed the target's location." His lone visible eye swept across both teams. "We'll split up and approach from two directions. That way, we minimize delays and keep both groups moving forward."
Might Guy didn't hesitate. "Agreed." His voice was all enthusiasm, but his eyes were sharp. "We'll cover more ground this way."
With a nod from each captain, the two teams broke apart, vanishing into the surrounding woods in opposite directions.
Far ahead, in a shadowed cavern carved into the mountainside, a circle of robed figures stood around a suspended form. Tendrils of crimson chakra peeled away from the unconscious jinchūriki, funneling upward into a grotesque phantom—the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Black Zetsu's voice broke the low hum of the extraction. "Sorry to interrupt. We have incoming—Konoha shinobi. At their current pace, they'll be here in less than half an hour."
A ripple of murmurs passed among the Akatsuki members.
Tendo Pain didn't look away from the statue. "We need three more hours to finish extracting the One-Tail." His Rinnegan eyes narrowed slightly. "Who will handle them?"
Uchiha Itachi's voice was calm, almost bored. "Leave it to me."
Pain's gaze lingered on him for a heartbeat before shifting. "Itachi. Kisame. Prepare. I'll use the Shapeshifting Technique."
Chakra flared, and moments later, across the wilderness, two figures opened their eyes. The bodies were perfect replicas, shaped by the technique, each holding thirty percent of their original chakra.
Kisame stretched his shoulders, grinning. "Pain's jutsu is something else… but only thirty percent, huh? Guess we'll have to make it quick."
Itachi's expression didn't change. "We're here to delay them, not defeat them. That's enough."
Kisame chuckled. "Fine by me."
Without another word, they split up—Itachi slipping silently through the forest, Kisame angling toward the other path.
On Kakashi's route, the air shifted—subtle, but enough to make the hair on the back of Naruto's neck rise. He felt it before he saw the man step out from the treeline, the black cloak marked with red clouds swaying gently.
Kakashi's eye widened a fraction. "…Uchiha Itachi." His voice held none of the casual drawl he usually carried; it was low, tense.
Itachi regarded them with unreadable calm. "Kakashi. It's been a while."
The words were simple, but they pressed against the air like a weight. Three years ago, Kakashi had barely survived Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan. The memory was carved deep—an instant of black flames and inescapable illusions.
Beside him, Sakura stared, curiosity flickering in her eyes. Sasuke's brother. The one he'd sworn to kill.
Chiyo stood slightly apart, her sharp gaze appraising Itachi without expression. She'd heard of him—an S-rank missing-nin, a man with a name whispered in the bingo books. But this was Konoha's matter, not hers.
Naruto kept his breathing steady. Inside, his thoughts moved quickly. In the original events, Itachi would eventually entrust him with Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan—Kotoamatsukami, the ultimate genjutsu. It wasn't time for that yet, but… planting the right seeds now could change everything.
If Itachi believed he was deeply invested in Sasuke's well-being, he might entrust him sooner. And Naruto had every intention of making that happen.
Itachi didn't waste words. His hands blurred through seals. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu."
The roar of flames burst toward them, heat washing over the clearing. Kakashi's voice snapped out—"Move!"—and they scattered, the fireball smashing into the ground and igniting the grass.
Kakashi's forehead protector lifted, revealing the three-tomoe Sharingan. The tomoe spun slowly, warily.
In the back of his mind, Kakashi couldn't ignore a recent shift in the eye—something new, a power he hadn't tested yet. It was like a door he'd never opened, but he knew it was there.
Naruto narrowed his eyes, watching Itachi's movements. The man's chakra felt… muted. This wasn't his full strength.
Meanwhile, on the other route, Might Guy's team slowed to a halt as a tall figure blocked their path. Kisame's grin split wide, Samehada resting against his shoulder.
"Well, well. Look who we have here—Might Guy." His voice was almost cheerful.
Guy's smile was bright, but the set of his jaw was anything but casual. "Kisame Hoshigaki. I was hoping we'd cross paths again."
The tension between them was almost tangible, the clash of personalities as fierce as their eventual blows would be.
And then, as if by unspoken agreement, both sides moved—chakra flaring, the quiet forest erupting into motion.
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A/N: New Fanfic Is Out "Luffy Asked Me To Join His Crew!!!"
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