Logan also felt an inexplicable sense of relief. The look in Itachi's eyes told him everything. There's no need for lengthy explanations about why he had returned or his thoughts on Sasuke. The unspoken understanding between them made words unnecessary, especially given the circumstances.
The two old friends had exchanged a silent conversation, but business still had to be taken care of. After all, there were so many eyes watching.
"In that case, we'll be on our way."
Itachi, with Kisame in tow, walked past the three of them. As he brushed past Logan, he paused as if suddenly remembering something, "Ah, right."
"The leader…" Itachi uttered two words, his gaze locking onto Logan once more.
At that moment, Itachi stood slightly behind the group, angled toward Logan in a way that left his expression hidden from the others.
For that one second, no one could see his face.
Except for Logan, a pair of gleaming three-tomoe Sharingan shone brilliantly in his vision.
The scene abruptly shifted.
The day turned into night, and the crescent moon hung in the sky as Logan found himself standing atop a rooftop.
The surrounding streets were quiet, the houses below seemingly asleep. In the distance, scattered lights painted a peaceful, serene picture.
Logan was stunned for a moment. The pale moonlight illuminated the wooden beams beneath his feet. Following the line of the roof, his eyes landed on Itachi standing at the opposite end.
One at each edge, this scene felt both familiar and distant to Logan, as if from a lifetime ago.
Itachi still wore his Akatsuki's robe, and Logan himself hadn't changed. It was as if only the space around them had shifted.
The silence stretched. Just as Logan was about to speak, Itachi beat him to it.
"At the autumn equinox, meet me at the usual place."
Itachi's gaze was intense, with urgency flashing in his eyes, as if to say, 'Don't you dare miss my signal'.
Almost as if pressed for time, the moment the words left Itachi's lips, the Genjutsu began to crumble, dissolving piece by piece.
Reality returned in a flood of light… the open plains, the swaying grass, the bright sun overhead, and the Akatsuki members standing around them.
'Is that... a Genjutsu?'
Logan quickly realized what had happened, 'In that brief moment, Itachi had given me a private message.'
"The leader said…" Itachi's pupils returned to black, and he continued as if nothing happened, "It's about Raiden Hattori."
"What did he say?" Deidara asked, his tone sounded a little impatient.
Itachi glanced past the group and turned slightly. Kisame, who was following behind, gave Logan a vicious wink as he passed by.
"About me? What'd he say?"
Logan, who is now fully aware of the situation, relaxed. He did need to talk to Itachi, which was also the whole point of this trip, but given his current circumstances, it had to be done in secret, without alerting the rest of Akatsuki, lest it put Itachi at risk.
'Apparently, Itachi had the same idea. Having a reliable ally made all the difference.'
Feeling at ease, Logan's tone turned playful. Seeing how effortlessly Itachi had pulled off that act, he wasn't about to be outdone, 'If it was acting they wanted, I could play along.'
"Hey, hey, Itachi, no need to rush off. It's been so long, so why don't we sit down and chat? Life, the universe, you know. The whole 'delaying pursuers' thing can wait Logan slipped into character effortlessly.
The terrible, half-hearted joke was so blatant that only the two of them could truly appreciate it. From this distance, Logan could've sworn he saw the faint twitch at the corner of Itachi's mouth.
Itachi responded with a cold look and refused Logan's invitation to perform on the same stage.
"Sasori of the Red Sand, keep an eye on this guy. The leader said he wants to see him." Itachi said flatly, sounding every bit the emotionless killer, "Don't let him escape."
"..."
"That's it?" Deidara waved a hand dismissively, "Boring."
'Nobody asked you.'
Logan was embarrassed. He looked left and right and said awkwardly, "Really?"
Kisame, who had slung Samehada back over his shoulder, crossed his arms and smirked, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.
Meanwhile, Sasori, who is now burdened with this new responsibility, gave Logan a look that screamed, 'I told you so. How many times had I warned him? And now here we are. You happy now?'
"That's all. There's nothing else."
'This isn't fair. We're supposed to be acting together! Where's the director? I demand a reshoot!' Logan pouted internally, but Itachi had already turned away, leaving him with nothing but a glance that said, 'Good luck. You're on your own now.
He then left with Kisame without looking back.
The figures quickly vanished into the distance, leaving only the wind howling in their wake.
The remaining three stood there awkwardly for a moment before Sasori finally spoke in a deep voice, "Since the leader has given the order, there's no helping it. Hattori, you're coming with us."
"Wasn't he already following us anyway?" Deidara said nonchalantly, "It's no different from the beginning, Sasori-dana."
"Right, Hattori?" Deidara turned to Logan, seeming rather pleased. After all, maybe he could squeeze out some more explosive art jargon from him along the way.
Logan forced a smile, "Haha..."
'Well, it is not serious that my information in the Land of Wind is known to the Akatsuki. The more serious one is that Pain is planning to have tea with me... I guess no one in Akatsuki except Obito would be thrilled about that.'
"Actually, I've got a little suggestion… Something small, like forging kunai..."
A sudden gust of wind sliced through the air as Sasori's iron tail, which is usually hidden within Hiruko, lashed out with a cold glint, "Too late for that now."
Logan wisely shut his mouth.
He had achieved his goal of meeting Itachi, but as always, there were pros and cons. However, overall, the situation was manageable.
Sasori didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Logan had stubbornly insisted on tagging along earlier, but the moment things took a turn, he was already looking for an escape route.
Then again, considering the overwhelming pressure of the Rinnegan's absolute power, it was a natural reaction.
In the end, Sasori could only sigh, 'One thing after another… What a hassle.'
…
As they sprinted through the wilderness, Itachi's expression was troubled.
'Although there is no problem in trusting Hattori-senpai, I don't know how he'll handle this... Zetsu's intelligence gathering ability is too strong. When the leader gets the news, there was no avoiding it… Unless it is a matter of life and death, everyone has no reason to disobey the organization. And Sasori and Deidara are also not easy opponents...'
Itachi looked back from time to time, but no one was there anymore.
"Itachi-san, what's wrong?" After a while, Kisame noticed something unusual and asked.
"Nothing. Just thinking about who we might encounter next." Itachi replied casually.
Kisame grinned, his sharp teeth on full display, "You're actually worried about that?" His smile was as unsettling as ever, "Just kill whoever shows up. Even if we can only use 30% of our strength, it's not a problem."
Itachi said nothing.
"Oh, I get it." Kisame's eyes lit up with realization, "Konoha is Sunagakure's ally. Are you looking forward to meeting that blond brat that you didn't finish off last time?"
"It would be nice to finish off our quota in one go, but the odds are too slim."
Itachi leaped over a narrow stream, his feet barely touching the water. "Yeah. You're right."