With the combined efforts of Senju Haruto and Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke finally awakened the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan. Summoning forth Susanoo, he managed to block Itachi's fierce attack.
However, since it was his very first time activating this eye technique, Sasuke quickly collapsed, losing consciousness.
The moment Itachi saw that Sasuke had awakened the Mangekyō, he lost all interest in continuing the staged battle with Haruto.
His Complete Body Susanoo faded instantly. As Itachi fell, his figure shattered into countless crows, dispersing into the air and vanishing from everyone's sight.
"Killer B!"
Only after Itachi disappeared did Kakashi suddenly remember the jinchūriki.
"Killer B has already been taken away by another member of the Akatsuki," Haruto replied without hesitation.
"Another one…?" Kakashi froze for a moment, recalling the Akatsuki's standard tactic: members always acted in pairs.
"So Itachi was deliberately stalling us here—to buy time for his partner," Kakashi muttered.
"Perhaps. Who can say for sure?" Haruto answered calmly. "Still, Itachi's Susanoo is formidable. The only problem is that his chakra reserves are limited. At most, he can sustain that level of Susanoo for five minutes before reaching his limit."
When it came to Killer B, Haruto felt neither hatred nor sympathy. He was, after all, a late-introduced figure in the shinobi world. And given the Fourth Raikage's hostility, Haruto saw no reason to lift a hand to help them retrieve B.
In truth, from Haruto's perspective, the Land of Lightning without Killer B would actually be an advantage for him.
After all, his current ambition was nothing less than the unification of the entire shinobi world.
Conquering the Land of Wind to the west was merely a matter of time. The smaller nations nearby posed no real threat. That left only two obstacles: the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning.
"Let us return as well," Haruto said, turning to the others.
"Eh? We're just… leaving?" Uchiha Izumi blurted out in surprise.
"What else would we do? We came to the Valley of Clouds and Lightning without the Raikage's consent. If the shinobi of Kumogakure discovered us here, they would only assume we colluded with the Akatsuki to steal the Eight-Tails."
"I… I see…" Izumi nodded reluctantly, though her heart wavered.
She had hoped that upon seeing Itachi again, she could finally speak the words she had carried for so long, to persuade him to return to Konoha. But she never imagined Itachi's resolve to sever all bonds would be so unshakable.
Family, the village, even loved ones—he would cast them all aside for the sake of power.
"Enough. We should leave quickly," Haruto urged as he retraced their steps along the path back.
His objective here was already complete. There was no reason to linger.
Kakashi hoisted the unconscious Sasuke onto his back and followed close behind Haruto.
"…You're really just going to hand the jinchūriki over to the Akatsuki?"
Kakashi hesitated before finally asking what had been gnawing at him. He had assumed Haruto would pursue Kisame to rescue Killer B. But it was now clear that Haruto had no such intention.
In fact, Kakashi suspected Haruto was deliberately letting the Akatsuki take B. With Haruto's strength—even against Itachi—he could have simply created a Wood Style clone to chase down Kisame.
"Haruto… you let this happen, didn't you?" Kakashi thought grimly.
"Tell me, Kakashi," Haruto replied evenly, "do you still remember our true goal?"
"…To unify the shinobi world?"
"No. To bring about true peace. As long as rival factions exist, there can never be genuine peace. Whether it is the Land of Earth or the Land of Lightning, only by erasing them entirely can peace be achieved."
Haruto paused, his expression hardening.
"Killer B is a complication. I cannot remain in the Land of Lightning indefinitely. And none of our shinobi are capable of matching him. For governance, he would be a constant nuisance. Better, then, to allow the Akatsuki to remove this obstacle for us."
He continued with absolute conviction:
"When we return to the village and I formally assume the mantle of Fifth Hokage, I will call for a Three Kage Summit. If the others are willing to surrender, then all the better. If not—then I will not hesitate to face both the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning at once."
Haruto's words carried no hesitation, no trace of doubt.
The others—Kakashi, Izumi, and Sakura—were shaken to their cores.
The unification of the entire shinobi world. Every village, every nation… all becoming part of history. On this vast continent, there would remain but one nation: the Land of Fire.
The thought alone seemed more impossible than reaching the heavens.
And yet, coming from Haruto, it somehow felt… attainable.
"Wait," Kakashi interjected suddenly. "You said Three Kage Summit? What about the Land of Wind?"
"The Land of Wind has neither a Kage, nor shinobi," Haruto answered flatly. "What is there to negotiate? They don't even have a single tailed beast left. What right do they have to sit at the table?"
Since Rasa's death, the Land of Wind had struggled even to produce gold dust. Its economy was crippled.
Moreover, Haruto had already assigned Yamato and Zabuza a special task: should they succeed in rescuing Gaara, he was to be brought back to Konoha—not returned to Sunagakure.
A nation without shinobi, without tailed beasts, without a Kage… such a country's fall was only a matter of time.
Kakashi inhaled sharply, his body chilled by Haruto's calm certainty.
"So this… is what you call true peace."
Meanwhile…
Far from the Valley of Clouds and Lightning, Kisame had carried Killer B as far as he could. After confirming no pursuers were on their trail, he finally dropped the battered jinchūriki to the ground and slumped against a tree, resting in the shade.
Without delay, Kisame relayed the success of capturing the Eight-Tails to Pain and the Akatsuki.
At this point, the organization possessed every tailed beast except the Nine-Tails.
"Itachi-san."
Even as he caught his breath, Kisame suddenly sensed Itachi's chakra nearby. He turned, watching as countless crows gathered together, reshaping into human form.
The moment he appeared, Itachi coughed up blood. His battle with Haruto had placed enormous strain on his body.
"To see you again… is a relief," Kisame exhaled, lowering Samehada from his shoulder. "Crossing blades with a monster like Haruto must have been overwhelming."
"But thanks to him, we managed to capture the Eight-Tails."
In Kisame's eyes, had Haruto not intervened, taking Killer B away would not have been easy.
"It was a stalemate," Itachi explained calmly. "We were both wary of each other. Unless forced into a battle to the death, he will not unleash his full strength."
But deep down, Itachi suspected something else. Haruto had intentionally allowed Killer B to fall into Akatsuki's hands.
With his abilities, subduing Kisame would have been effortless—mere minutes of effort, or even a single well-placed strike to disable B for days.
"Yet this brings another concern," Itachi thought silently. "With only the Nine-Tails left, Madara may soon cast aside our agreement entirely…"