The air grew thick with tension, as if even breathing had become a struggle.
Itachi's Sharingan slowly activated, the three blood-red tomoe glowing dangerously in the dark.
His voice was ice-cold as he spoke.
"Asuma, Kurenai, you're walking straight to your deaths!"
Asuma Sarutobi stood face-to-face with Kisame Hoshigaki, the atmosphere between them crackling with intensity.
Asuma's eyes burned with determination, while Kisame's face remained impassive, his massive blade, Samehada, glinting ominously in the moonlight.
"Heh… Asuma Sarutobi? This is the best Konoha's elite Jonin can do?" Kisame sneered.
Asuma gritted his teeth, gripping his chakra blades tightly as he struggled to parry Kisame's monstrous sword.
Damn it! This guy's strength is insane!
He knew he couldn't take Kisame head-on.
With a quick dodge, Asuma leaped back.
Boom!
Kisame's blade slammed into the ground, leaving a massive crater in its wake.
Asuma's expression darkened. Facing Itachi Uchiha was bad enough—Konoha's former genius ninja was a nightmare on his own. But Kisame, an elite Jonin from the Hidden Mist and one of the Seven Swordsmen, wielding Samehada, was just as dangerous.
Asuma let out a low shout, his hands flying through seals.
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
A spark ignited in his palm, erupting into a roaring fire dragon that surged toward Kisame.
Kisame didn't flinch. With a single swing of his blade, water splashed outward, slicing the fire dragon in half and neutralizing the attack.
A cold smirk curled Kisame's lips as his chakra surged.
"Water Style: Great Shark Bullet!"
A massive water shark formed at the tip of his blade and barreled toward Asuma.
Asuma dodged with agility, but the water blade grazed his clothing, tearing a piece off.
Damn it!
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
Asuma unleashed a powerful gust, trying to disrupt Kisame's technique.
But Kisame's chakra was like an endless ocean. With a single slash, he cut through the whirlwind as if it were nothing.
The battle between them grew fiercely intense.
On the other side, Kurenai Yuhi faced Itachi, the air between them frozen in a standoff.
Their eyes locked, motionless, but the battle raging in the illusionary realm was anything but still.
Kurenai's pupils glowed a vivid red as her genjutsu, like a fine needle, silently probed Itachi's mind.
"Itachi, you've lost yourself in the darkness. Let me bring you back to the light! Genjutsu!"
With those words, Kurenai activated her technique. The world around them warped, the line between reality and illusion blurring.
In an instant, both Itachi and Kisame were pulled into her genjutsu space.
Within the illusion, a strange, creeping soil began to envelop Itachi and Kisame from the ground up, binding them tightly.
Asuma, still locked in combat with Kisame, let out a sigh of relief.
"Nice work, Kurenai! That genjutsu saved our skins!"
But something was off. Kurenai didn't respond. She remained deep in the genjutsu space, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
Inside the illusion, Itachi's Sharingan spun slowly, a cold smirk on his face.
Suddenly, a glint flashed in his eyes.
"Genjutsu: Dance of the Crows!"
A flock of crows burst from his gaze, shattering Kurenai's illusion.
What's more, the genjutsu she'd cast was turned against her, binding her in its grip.
Their minds clashed fiercely in the illusory battlefield.
Kurenai felt Itachi's genjutsu crashing over her like a tidal wave. She bit her tongue hard, sharpening her will.
In the illusion, a red specter rose behind her, attempting to devour Itachi's crows.
But Itachi's genjutsu was on another level. His crows transformed into streaks of black light, piercing through the specter and aiming straight for Kurenai's core.
A sharp pain stabbed through her head as her illusion began to crack.
Crack!
The genjutsu space shattered.
Kurenai coughed up blood, her face deathly pale.
Asuma rushed to her side, catching her as she stumbled.
"Kurenai! Are you okay?!"
"Asuma… his Sharingan is too strong. My genjutsu had no effect!"
"What?! How's that possible?!"
Itachi stared at them, his expression unreadable.
"I told you, Asuma, Kurenai. If you stand in my way, you will die."
His Sharingan spun wildly, a powerful chakra gathering in his eyes.
At that moment, a figure streaked through the night like lightning, appearing behind Itachi.
"One against seven? I never thought you'd have the guts to come back to Konoha like this…"
"You didn't think much of me as the head of the Anbu, did you?
Fine. I'll be your opponent!"
Itachi paused, turning to face Konoha's elite ninja, Kakashi Hatake.
"Kakashi-senpai… it's been a while."
"Yeah, it has."
Kakashi's usual laid-back demeanor was gone, replaced by a steely focus. His left eye, the one with the Sharingan, locked onto Itachi.
Without hesitation, Kakashi used the Body Flicker Technique, appearing at Itachi's side in an instant, a kunai aimed at his neck.
Itachi reacted with lightning speed, dodging effortlessly thanks to his Sharingan's dynamic vision.
He countered, hurling a kunai at Kakashi's face. Kakashi tilted his head to avoid it, then unleashed his Lightning Blade, a blue arc of electricity slicing through the air toward Itachi.
But Itachi didn't back down.
With one hand, he formed seals.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball!"
A massive fireball roared forward, clashing with Kakashi's lightning in a deafening explosion.
Kakashi vanished into the smoke, reappearing above Itachi.
"Earth Style: Mud Wall!"
Kakashi's hands flashed through seals, and a wall of earth rose around Itachi, attempting to trap him.
But Itachi's Sharingan saw through it all. Before the walls could close, he flickered out of reach, appearing behind Kakashi.
Stab!