Under the moonlight.
Uchiha Sasuke barely managed to support himself and stand up, looking at the black shadow that fell beside him. Sasuke couldn't tell that this shadow was a ninja at all.
However, with Orochimaru's vast array of talents under his command, each subordinate having their own unique skills, Uchiha Sasuke straightforwardly asked, "Did Orochimaru send you to fetch me?"
"Does it really matter who sent me to get you?"
The shadow seemed to lack a mouth, but a muffled voice emerged from its body: "As long as it makes you stronger, that's enough, right?"
"Hm?"
Uchiha Sasuke was suddenly filled with suspicion, and after a moment, a cruel grin flashed across his face: "You're right; as long as it makes me stronger, that's enough."
"Then come with me!"
The shadow slowly nodded, then looked towards the unconscious Uzumaki Naruto not far away, stepping towards him: "This kid seems to have unusual power within him; we could also make use of it."
"Don't touch him!"
However, Sasuke suddenly drew a kunai and leaped forward to stab into the shadow's heart, but it felt like stabbing into thin air!
This made Sasuke's heart tremble!
How could there be a person whose body scarcely existed like a corpse?
The shadow turned around slowly, extending its arm to pinch Uchiha Sasuke's neck, lifting the boy up: "You want to kill me?"
"No... no..."
Uchiha Sasuke struggled to pull down the shadow's arm, but only grasped emptiness. The ninja sent to meet him seemed truly composed of pure shadow!
What is going on?
Clearly, this person could reach out and grab his neck, yet he couldn't touch their body no matter what!
The next second, the shadow hurled Sasuke down to the ground!
Uchiha Sasuke barely let out a sigh of relief, coughing repeatedly as he explained: "Cough cough... I just wanted to test if you people are qualified to have me join..."
"Is that so?"
The shadow's voice suddenly took on an inscrutable tone, with an added air of superiority: "Our powers are worlds apart, like clouds and mud. Don't risk your life testing a strong man's temper, got it?"
"I understand."
Uchiha Sasuke nodded grudgingly.
Even if his current power was lesser than the person in front of him, Uchiha Sasuke still wanted to negotiate a deal: "The person you need is me, not this blonde kid, right? Leave him here, and I'll go with you!"
"..."
The shadow was silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled sinisterly: "Even if you betray Konoha for power, your feelings still lean towards..."
"No!"
Uchiha Sasuke turned his head away, coldly eyeing the unconscious Uzumaki Naruto: "In the future, I'll kill him. For now, I'm leaving him alive to test the power I can obtain from you, to know that joining you isn't a mistake."
The shadow remained silent for a moment, then nodded at Uchiha Sasuke, saying: "Hehehe... I hope you can achieve that, kid."
"Hmph!"
Sasuke snorted coldly, urging in a low voice: "Let's go! It won't take long for more from Konoha to chase us!"
The shadow lifted its gaze to a figure rushing toward them at high speed, chuckling softly: "They are already here..."
"Wood Release: Tree Realm Wall!"
As they were leaving, wooden vines suddenly blocked their path, a masked member of Konoha Anbu standing in their way!
It was Yamato.
Yamato eyed the shadow and Uchiha Sasuke, speaking in a somber tone: "Uchiha Sasuke, return to Konoha with me immediately, don't go further down the wrong path!"
"Wood Release?"
Uchiha Sasuke looked at the Tree Realm Wall that blocked them in surprise, then turned to the Anbu in their path. His expression gradually turned colder, pointing towards the shadow: "Alright, kill him, and I'll return to Konoha with you."
"Brat, such trouble..."
Yamato furrowed his brow, then suddenly extended his palm toward the shadow, shouting, "Wood Release: Great Forest Jutsu!"
In a flash, his arm transformed into numerous wooden planks rushing toward the shadow!
Yet the planks passed through the shadow without causing harm. Yamato was shocked as he had never encountered such an enemy before!
The next moment, the shadow slowly reached out a hand to grasp those planks, speaking softly: "We should not stop a man's choice, right? Fire Release: Flame Storm!"
A surge of searing flames quickly ignited the planks, surging toward Yamato, forcing him to dodge nimbly!
However, the flame, like a relentless shadow, closely pursued Yamato. The scorching heat was almost palpable, forcing Yamato to retreat with nowhere left to go!
"Wood Release: Wood Block Wall!"
Thick, curved wooden pillars emerged from the ground, enveloping Yamato. The Flame Storm crashed directly onto the Wood Block Wall, causing flames to fly!
"Did I use too little chakra?"
A shadow glanced at their own hand and suddenly thrust it toward the defending Yamato, murmuring, "Fire Release: Pillar of Flames!"
A burst of flame surged from the ground!
Sheltered beneath the wooden pillars, Yamato never anticipated such a Fire Release Ninjutsu. The fire erupting from the ground struck his body directly!
Yamato, his entire body scorched black, lay burned by the roadside, watching as the shadow departed with Sasuke.
"This guy... is so powerful!"
Yamato gritted his teeth. Fortunately, the Wood Release Bloodline within him provided strong recovery and damage resistance; otherwise, he would have been killed on the spot.
But now, taking Uchiha Sasuke back seems impossible.
Yamato slowly turned his head towards the unconscious Uzumaki Naruto, letting out a sigh of relief. At least he could still save Uzumaki Naruto.
Compared to Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto's identity was of greater importance.
After following the shadow for a long time, Uchiha Sasuke finally couldn't hold back and asked, "Who the hell are you? Are you a subordinate of Orochimaru or someone from another Ninja Village?"
"Really..."
The shadow suddenly transformed into a young ninja, slowly turning to look at Uchiha Sasuke with a smile on his face, "Still so impatient, Sasuke!"
"Uehara Naraku!"
Uchiha Sasuke's expression drastically changed, his face turning extremely sour, "Why is it you?"
If memory serves, Uehara Naraku is from The Hidden Rain Village.
While Uehara Naraku's strength was indeed formidable, assassinating the Third Hokage and then fighting off Hatake Kakashi, Might Guy, Jiraiya, and several powerful Konoha ninja, his notoriety wasn't as prominent as Orochimaru's!
"Why can't it be me?"
Uehara Naraku looked at Uchiha Sasuke with an unusually gentle smile, "Sasuke, only by joining us will you have hope of killing Uchiha Itachi!"
After speaking, Uehara Naraku tilted his head slightly, chuckling, "Hey, don't you think I'm right? Itachi-san?"
"What?"
Just as Uchiha Sasuke was puzzled, two figures suddenly emerged from the darkness. It was the recently disengaged Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame.
Uchiha Itachi slowly raised his head, looking at his younger brother and quietly said, "We meet again, Sasuke."
"Uchiha Itachi!"
Even though Uchiha Sasuke was exhausted, he mustered the courage to support himself and launched an attack at Uchiha Itachi, "I'll kill you!"
Bam!
Uchiha Itachi crouched down and punched Uchiha Sasuke in the abdomen, then kicked him to the ground, coldly stating, "Still no progress at all. I really don't understand why the leader wants to recruit a loser like you into Akatsuki."
"Damn it!"
Uchiha Sasuke could only clutch his stomach in helpless rage!
"As expected of Itachi-san, so cold and ruthless to your own brother!"
Standing beside him, Hoshigaki Kisame spread his hands, chuckling, "Since Itachi-san thinks this brat is useless, why don't we just kill him now?"
After speaking, Hoshigaki Kisame proudly explained, "Just in time, Itachi-san killed a powerful enemy, my Shark Skin can taste fresh blood, and Uehara Naraku, this intern, can get a gift for Konan-senpai..."
Uehara Naraku rubbed his chin, nodded towards Hoshigaki Kisame, and said, "I think Kisame-senpai makes sense. What do you think, Itachi-san?"
"Not much."
Uchiha Itachi stared at the fallen Uchiha Sasuke, frowning, "All right, let's take him back to base first!"
To be honest, Uchiha Itachi really didn't want to stay with Uehara Naraku and Hoshigaki Kisame any longer!
These two always speak as if everything is for your own good... but do they even know what I think?
It's infuriating!
Uchiha Itachi feared he couldn't endure it any longer!
"Tsk..."
After clicking his tongue in admiration, Uehara Naraku squatted down, patted Uchiha Sasuke's shoulder, and chuckled, "See? I was right. As long as you join us, you'll have countless opportunities to kill Uchiha Itachi!"