"That kid... isn't that Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?"
Seeing Naruto Uzumaki, a look of delight spread across Kisame Hoshigaki's face. He recalled the earth-shattering explosion from moments before, and everything clicked into place. "That attack just now... could it have been a Tailed Beast Bomb?"
Only a Tailed Beast Bomb could cause an explosion of that magnitude. As a former ANBU captain from the Hidden Mist, Kisame had seen the Fourth Mizukage unleash a Tailed Beast Bomb himself. It possessed the same devastating power as the blast he'd just witnessed.
Therefore, Kisame knew that to defeat a jinchuriki, you had to stop them from gathering and releasing a Tailed Beast Bomb. If he were hit directly by one, not even Samehada's ability could save him.
"Compared to the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, there are more troublesome characters here..."
Itachi Uchiha shook his head, his gaze sweeping over Orochimaru and the reanimated ninja. His eyes moved from one to the next before they froze, locking onto the red-haired female ninja. He muttered, "Aunt Kushina... how could this be..."
Kushina Uzumaki was his mother's close friend. She had died in battle alongside her husband, the Fourth Hokage, on the night of the Nine-Tails' attack.
"Hah... these are all troublesome figures!"
Kisame Hoshigaki looked up and slowly scanned the reanimated ninja, sighing softly. "The Third Hokage, the Fourth Kazekage, Orochimaru, an unknown woman, and the Second Hokage of Konoha—the man they call the strongest Water Style user in the history of the ninja world!"
For a Water Style user like Kisame, the Second Hokage's reputation was immense. Every ninja from the Mist Village, from the time they were children, felt a sense of awe for the Second Hokage. They all wondered what kind of person he was to be known as the master of Water Style.
How incredible must Tobirama Senju's talent have been to invent so many Water Style ninjutsu? How powerful were his techniques? Of course, as a master of Water Style himself, Kisame once had a dream: he wanted to challenge the Second Hokage for the title of the strongest.
It was one of the great misfortunes of the era. The Hokage of a rival village was, ironically, the secret idol for a generation of Mist ninja. Every Water Style user wished they could have been born in his era, just to witness the legendary ninja's techniques firsthand.
Kisame gripped Samehada tightly, his trust in his partner absolute. "Mr. Itachi, do you know what's going on?"
"The dead cannot be brought back." Itachi Uchiha sighed. He glanced at Orochimaru and the reanimated ninja, sensing the aura they gave off. "They should all be puppets controlled by Orochimaru now. When Sasori and Deidara were pursuing Orochimaru, they encountered a puppet of the Third Kazekage he had summoned..."
"In that case..."
"Correct." Itachi understood Kisame's implication and finished the thought. "The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi—known as the strongest Hokage—and the Fourth Kazekage of the Sand Village... were likely killed by Orochimaru."
They had received intelligence about the Konoha Chunin Exams long ago. The Fourth Kazekage's visit to Konoha was no secret to the Akatsuki. Now that puppets of both the Fourth Kazekage and the Third Hokage were standing beside Orochimaru, it was clear they had both been killed during the exams.
"Everyone here is our enemy!" The corners of Kisame's mouth curled up, his face growing excited. He then turned his head and added, "That red-haired woman... Mr. Itachi seems to know her. Since Orochimaru made her into a puppet, she must be strong, right?"
"...Yes." Itachi shook his head and paused for a moment before speaking in a low voice. "She is my senior... no, I should say, she is my elder."
Calling her a senior felt too distant. An elder was closer, more personal.
"Does Mr. Itachi also have someone he misses in Konoha?" Kisame felt like he'd just stumbled upon a secret. Ever since he'd been partnered with Itachi, he had never seen his teammate act this way. Itachi was always indifferent to everything, so Kisame could only pick up on clues from the smallest traces.
If this red-haired woman was important to Itachi, that was valuable information. It could be passed on to 'Lord Madara' and Zetsu. They could use it to find a way to keep Itachi in check.
"No."
Itachi's eyes instantly turned cold. The towering Susanoo around them receded, and he leaped toward the center of the confrontation. Regarding the two opposing sides, Itachi could immediately distinguish friend from foe. He was a spy placed in the Akatsuki, first by the Third Hokage, and later by the Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki.
Therefore, his only enemies here were Orochimaru and his reanimated puppets. This time, no matter what, he had to stop Orochimaru. He could even kill him right here. Besides, among everyone here, Orochimaru was the easiest target.
Kisame didn't know what Itachi was thinking. He chuckled lightly and flew to catch up with his teammate. He couldn't let his partner rush into danger alone. "Mr. Itachi, should we capture the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki first?"
Kisame offered his suggestion, wanting to prioritize their mission. After capturing the jinchuriki, they would have plenty of time to deal with Orochimaru. Even if he escaped, that would be Sasori and Deidara's problem. To a ninja, nothing was more important than the mission.
"The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki will stay in Konoha. We'll have plenty of opportunities. Besides, the jinchuriki isn't easy to deal with right now..." A glint flashed in Itachi's eyes as he continued, "But if we let Orochimaru go this time, who knows what powerful ninja he'll turn into puppets next..."
"Hmm?" Kisame paused for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "Ha, forget it. Both sides are enemies anyway. No matter which one we eliminate, it's a win for us!"
On the other side, when Naruto saw the towering Susanoo appear, he was shocked by the powerful and strange ninjutsu that could withstand a Tailed Beast Bomb. However, when he saw the figures inside the Susanoo clearly, his expression changed. Those two men in black cloaks with red clouds—they were enemies, too!
It was truly enemies on all sides.
Orochimaru was no exception. The moment he saw Itachi, his entire expression shifted. That rogue youth who had defeated him with a single glance back in the Akatsuki! In Orochimaru's mind, the appearance of Itachi and Kisame meant the organization had sent them to hunt him down again.
To him, both sides were enemies.
Fortunately, he had four powerful reanimated ninja at his command. For now, he didn't have to fight himself. Otherwise, facing Itachi in this weakened body... he'd be humiliated by that boy for a second time.
However, this was an opportunity. Orochimaru's eyes lit up, then dimmed again. He still coveted Itachi's body, but the current situation didn't allow him to get bogged down here. Jiraiya's arrival would break the stalemate immediately. What's more, Orochimaru had no confidence that just two of his puppets could stop Naruto's assault.
"Itachi Uchiha, I'll let you go this time..." Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, staring at the approaching Itachi and Kisame. "After I get Sasuke's body... hmph..."
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Bonus:
Orochimaru: Dammit, how come everyone is an enemy?
Itachi Uchiha: Orochimaru, shouldn't you reflect on why that is?
Kisame Hoshigaki: Mr. Itachi, both sides are our enemies too!
Itachi Uchiha: I know what I'm doing.
Naruto Uzumaki: Dammit, how come everyone is an enemy?
Nine-Tails: Don't you worry about that. Someone knows what he's doing.