Three days earlier...
Kakashi had learned the identities of the two men from Asuma, gave a brief nod, and silently followed them. He already figured out what they were up to — better warn Jiraiya fast.
Itachi and Kisame swiftly left Konoha. On the road, Kisame, puzzled, asked, "Do we really need to run off like that? Weren't the Hokage of Konoha already taken out?"
Itachi, with a calm, expressionless face, replied, "You're injured, right? You don't seriously think you got hurt because you were careless, do you?"
Kisame recalled that slash earlier and couldn't help but ask, "What kind of ninjutsu was that? To control the blade and wound someone without even appearing?"
"It's not ninjutsu," Itachi replied, taking a deep breath. "It's Sword Art."
"Sword Art? How is that possible?" Kisame found it hard to believe; this sword technique had exceeded his understanding.
Itachi closed his eyes in thought before slowly saying, "Among all sword-wielding ninja in the Ninja World today, he ranks first in sword mastery."
Hearing this, Kisame's eyes widened in disbelief. "Who the hell is this guy?"
"A student of the legendary White Fang and the current Head of Anbu — that's Anya."
There was another identity Itachi did not speak aloud.
"I know about the White Fang, but I've never even heard of this name before," Kisame said, unfamiliar with the name.
"That's what's truly terrifying — a ninja so powerful, yet you don't even have intelligence on him. If you were to face him alone, you'd be dead for sure," Itachi said, having already understood the extent of Anya's abilities as a child; over the years, they could have only grown stronger.
Suddenly, Kisame recalled a rumor from decades ago in Kirigakure and his face darkened. "Decades ago, a sword-wielding boy from the Uchiha Clan alone infiltrated Kirigakure. He suppressed the previous Seven Swords of the Bloody Mist with his sword techniques and successfully escaped the village. Is this the same person you're talking about?"
Upon hearing Kisame mention the Uchiha Clan, Itachi's eyes narrowed. His mind snapped into focus. The pieces of a long-standing puzzle were finally coming together — and his face showed it.
Kisame noticed the reaction and asked, "Mr. Itachi, what's wrong?"
Itachi casually glanced back and said, "Find a place. We need to deal with the tail behind us."
A bloodthirsty smile crept onto Kisame's face as he replied, "Fine."
The wounds and suffering left by the Third Battle had long been buried by time, and the entire Ninja World had returned to peace. Even when occasional clashes broke out, they were just localized skirmishes. The major nations, having learned painful lessons, now communicated frequently, maintaining the hard-won peace.
Unfortunately, this long period of peace was eventually shattered, and war returned once more. All nations soon learned of the Hokage of Konoha's death and understood the truth behind it.
In this round of the chunin exams held in Konoha, Orochimaru assassinated the strongest Kazekage in history on the eve of the exams, disguised himself as him, and orchestrated an alliance between Sunagakure and the Sound Village to infiltrate Konoha. In the end, Orochimaru achieved his goal, killing his longtime nemesis — the aged Third Hokage.
A heavy silence fell over the nations — but beneath it, the storm was already stirring.
On a tree-lined path outside Konoha's small town, an elderly man walked beside a handsome young man. At first glance, they looked like a grandfather strolling with his grandson. In reality, these two had reunited after many years apart. Upon closer inspection, one could tell that though the old man appeared aged, his steps were surprisingly nimble and full of energy. He deliberately walked half a step behind the younger man, his expression one of deep respect.
"Genzo, it's been many years. You've aged."
The young man was none other than Anya, once a legendary figure from Konoha who vanished many years ago. Seeing Genzo again, her voice carried a hint of nostalgia. Her snow-white hair flowed as her eyes remained shut, her face utterly at ease—nothing like the cold-blooded killer she once was in her youth.
Genzo's face showed deep emotion, tears glimmering in his eyes as he spoke with a choked voice. "Yes, I've grown old. I never imagined I'd see you again in my lifetime. It's been so long, Lady Anya. Without any word from you all these years, I actually thought you might be gone for good. It wasn't until Konoha's Anbu entered Takigakure to investigate reports about three genin that I finally realized—you've truly returned."
"You're still as clever as ever," Anya said with appreciation. The reason she had forcibly recruited Genzo back then was precisely for his intelligence. Unfortunately, Genzo had never been ambitious at heart and barely ever left the village over the years.
After finishing her praise, Anya carefully asked, "How is she doing?"
Genzo naturally understood whom she meant. He sighed, "Ever since she arrived at Takigakure, I haven't seen her smile—not even once. It's as if her heart has died. A few times, she tried to leave the village, but I stopped her, so she gave up entirely. Now that Fuu—a fellow exile from Takigakure—is with her, she seems somewhat better than before. I think…"
He paused for a moment.
Anya understood what he wanted to say and replied, "I'll make time to visit Takigakure someday."
"That's good to hear," Genzo said with relief. Then, curiosity crept into his voice. "By the way, why have you kept your eyes closed the entire time we've been walking?"
Anya hadn't opened her eyes once during their walk. This was something Genzo had wanted to ask from the beginning.
Her tone remained calm. "I suppose… I'm blind."
"Blind? How could that be? Your medical ninjutsu is so advanced—surely there must be a way to heal it! Even if treatment fails, we can always find a replacement eye for transplantation," Genzo said anxiously.
"This isn't urgent. My eyesight will heal in time. The letter you gave me mentioned something important that needed to be discussed in person—what is it?" Anya asked curiously. Genzo wasn't an ordinary man. For him to go to such lengths and deliver a letter in secret meant the matter must be extremely serious.
Ever since getting close to Kurenai Yuhi, Anya had been wrapped up in their intense romance, unable to focus on anything else. This time, she had to make many promises just to slip away from Konoha.
Genzo cut in, "At the start of the year, several Jonin from the village went into the Deadly Poison Valley [Valley of No Return] to neutralize a powerful toxin, but they ended up poisoned by it. Ordinary medical ninja couldn't treat them. Later, I used the Organization's intelligence network to track down Tsunade. While she was en route to treat the Jonin, I noticed there was a girl beside her… this girl…"
"A girl? That makes sense. Her name is Shizune, right?" Anya already knew that when Tsunade left Konoha, the only one who followed her was Shizune.
"Ah, I drew this from memory, but I'm afraid your vision might be an issue…"
"No worries. I still have my Soul Eye [Spiritual Vision]. My sight won't be affected."
"Then that's good."
Genzo's face lit up with joy as he carefully handed over the portrait.
Seeing how seriously Genzo handled it, Anya curiously unrolled the drawing. The moment she saw it, her whole body shivered—she nearly dropped the portrait in shock…
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