Natsume's presence had already been detected by Itachi Uchiha.
But he didn't respond.
His full attention remained locked on Sasuke Uchiha.
Meeting once more, he found himself incredibly surprised.
It came as a shock to him that Sasuke had actually awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Although he didn't know exactly how it had been unlocked, for someone his age, Sasuke truly stood out even among prodigies.
At that moment, Itachi felt his sacrifices might not have been in vain.
But it still wasn't enough.
"If this is all you're capable of, I must say I'm disappointed."
Itachi casually dodged Sasuke's samurai sword and said, "The more impatient you grow, the faster you'll fall to defeat."
From the moment they met, Sasuke had been consumed by uncontrollable rage.
In that state, he couldn't maintain the skill level he was known for.
"Didn't your teacher ever teach you that?"
With calm words, Itachi's body transformed into crows.
The next second, brilliant lightning descended.
Sasuke appeared where Itachi had just stood, his right hand flickering with sharp chakra.
Yet now, his attack could only miss, slamming into the ground and creating a deep crater.
Hearing the words "your teacher," Sasuke regained some composure.
His teacher was Natsume, the Hokage of Konoha Village—the symbol of invincibility.
And his performance moments ago had indeed been shameful.
Sasuke suddenly turned his head and caught sight of Natsume nearby.
He had actually found it strange earlier—nobody had interrupted the battle between him and Itachi.
Looking back now, it must have been orchestrated by his teacher.
Sasuke took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the samurai sword.
"So it seems you do hold some value after all."
Seeing this, Itachi felt satisfied inside but still said, "Still useless, though. Surrender your eyes and spare yourself from pain."
Sasuke frowned slightly.
My eyes?
Suddenly, he recalled Itachi once saying similar words long ago.
Something about capacity, about eyes.
Could combining both sets of eyes unlock a new transformation?
At this moment, he understood the hidden meaning behind Itachi's words.
But as for the specifics, Sasuke decided to verify it himself.
[Futsu-Kami!]
Without hesitation, he activated his Dojutsu technique.
Focusing on Itachi, the space around him was sealed—then shattered in an instant.
Ripples surged outward, quickly morphing into blades that rained down on him at once.
[Amaterasu!]
A shock passed through Itachi's heart, slightly surprised by Sasuke's ocular jutsu.
But he wouldn't simply stand there and let himself be killed.
Dark flames billowed like storm clouds engulfing the sky.
All the swords were immediately wrapped up in fire.
Yet the flames burned slowly.
Itachi narrowed his eyes and shifted his gaze toward Sasuke.
At that moment, Sasuke tilted his chin up slightly, wearing a proud expression.
In that brief instant, their eyes met.
[Tsukuyomi!]
Knowing Sasuke would inevitably lock eyes with him, Itachi swiftly dragged him into the Genjutsu realm.
[Futsu-Kami] momentarily lost control, exposing a brief vulnerability.
Itachi Uchiha leapt into the air, transforming into a swarm of crows, swiftly vanishing out of range.
He exhaled sharply, turned—and his face paled in shock.
Susanoo!
Sasuke Uchiha had broken free from Tsukuyomi.
Purple, flame-like chakra erupted outward.
In an instant, a skeletal warrior clad in dark tengu armor appeared.
This divine power could only be awakened by those within the Uchiha clan who possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Susanoo.
And it was already at Stage Three.
Despite lacking a lower body, it could still wield powerful weapons.
Itachi's mind reeled.
Sasuke's talent and growth rate exceeded his expectations.
Suddenly, he made up his mind.
His Mangekyo Sharingan blazed with fury.
Another skeletal warrior materialized—identical, yet distinct.
This one, however, was crimson-red.
Its left hand clutched the Yata Mirror; its right hand gripped the Sword of Totsuka.
As soon as they appeared, the two titans clashed, instantly erupting into a brutal battle.
"Is Itachi really holding nothing back?"
Kisame Hoshigaki sensed a familiar presence, instinctively glancing over—his heart jolting in shock.
"Kisame Hoshigaki, now isn't the time to care about others."
Zabuza Momochi brought his blade down in a vicious arc.
Chakra roared and coiled thickly around the Cleaver Sword.
Since becoming a Jinchuriki, he no longer hesitated to use chakra.
After all, there was no limit to how much he could use.
"Damn it!"
Kisame quickly dodged.
Though he barely managed to hold his ground, he was already thinking of retreat.
The current situation was clear—the Akatsuki would eventually be defeated.
There was no need to fight to the death.
He had joined Akatsuki solely because Obito Uchiha himself had recruited him.
In the original timeline, he'd even chosen death to protect that secret.
That alone proved he was one of the rare few who truly believed in Obito.
Now, his plan was simply to leave and find him.
The ambush in Kirigakure was definitely not a coincidence.
[Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!]
With that thought, Kisame swiftly formed Hand Seals.
Opening his mouth, he unleashed a torrent of chakra that morphed into an endless flood of water.
In an instant, a lake formed—a watery prison encasing everything.
In his hands, Samehada immediately fused with his body. His clothes tore apart as he transformed into a half-merman form.
Kisame exhaled in relief before vanishing beneath the surface.
Though Zabuza Momochi and Ephemeral had anticipated this, they didn't react in time.
"Ohhh—" His speed in this form was truly terrifying.
"Natsume."
Kurenai Yuhi noticed the sudden appearance of the water prison and called out urgently.
She was so flustered she forgot to correct her honorifics.
Yugao Uzuki glanced at her, then spoke, "[Hokage-sama, I'll take him.]"
Natsume shook his head.
Though the Cursed Seal had boosted her power, she was still no match for Kisame.
He vanished in a blur of Shunshin.
The next moment, he appeared atop the lake's surface.
Zabuza Momochi and Ephemeral froze instantly.
Natsume clapped both hands together.
[Sage Art Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!]
Beneath the lake, a seed sprouted and erupted into a towering wooden dragon.
It voraciously absorbed the lake water and surged toward Kisame Hoshigaki.
"What in the world is that?!"
Kisame Hoshigaki glanced back and was immediately startled.
The lake water was rapidly decreasing.
The wooden dragon had the power to absorb chakra—a force even the Nine-Tails could not withstand.
Since the lake itself was made of Kisame's chakra, it was only natural it couldn't resist either.
In the blink of an eye, it had completely disappeared.
Now, the wooden dragon had grown as vast as a tailed beast. Kisame immediately reverted from his half-merman state.
He tightened his grip on Samehada and swung viciously at the wooden dragon.
Boom!
The impact sent him hurtling backward.
Kisame tensed and used the momentum to scramble away desperately.
Seeing this, the wooden dragon opened its mouth wide and let out a mighty roar.
A powerful suction force created a swirling vortex, dragging Kisame's retreating body toward it.
This force was even stronger than the Rinnegan's Universal Pull.
Darkness clouded Kisame's vision as he was suddenly glued to the wooden dragon's body.
Immediately after, a massive amount of chakra began draining away.
Soon, he blacked out.
Natsume surveyed the scene and ordered, "Yugao, take him back to Konoha Village."
Zabuza Momochi and Ephemeral exchanged wary glances, neither daring to voice their thoughts.
Kisame was a rogue ninja from the Mist Village, and had just been their enemy. Naturally, handing him over to them would have made sense.
But with Natsume's command already issued, they had no choice but to obey.
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