Konohagakure No Sato:
Training Ground 3:
The heavy, suffocating Killing Intent rolling off the two Akatsuki members was enough to choke the life out of the surrounding forest. The wind rustled the leaves above, casting shifting shadows over the clearing as Hoshigaki Kisame slowly reached over his shoulder, his massive fingers wrapping around the bandage-wrapped hilt of his greatsword, Samehada.
(....Peace Was never an Option )
Standing opposite the shark-man, Naruto just watched him. To the naked eye, the blonde genin looked completely blank, standing there foolishly with a dull, deer-in-the-headlights expression, as if his brain hadn't even processed the sheer, overwhelming danger he was in.
But it was all a perfectly executed front.
Beneath that carefully constructed mask of ignorance, Naruto had already flipped the switch. His acting skill was running on overdrive, painting him as the clueless, vulnerable Jinchuriki, while his actual reality was vastly different.
His muscles were coiled tight as steel springs, his chakra network was blazing to life beneath his skin, and his mind had already seamlessly transitioned into a hyper-focused combat state, activating every passive and active skill in his arsenal.
(..... I need one good strike )
Naruto thought, calculating Kisame's micro-movements.
However, while Kisame was entirely fooled by the blonde's dopey facade, the rapid, silent mobilization of all that chakra and physical tension did not escape the eyes of the man standing quietly beside the shark.
(...He's already on guard... and fully ready to strike..!!)
Uchiha Itachi watched the blonde with cold, perfectly calm eyes. The three tomoe of his Sharingan spun lazily in his crimson irises, picking up the subtle, dangerous shifts in the boy's stance and his chakra .
The clan killer saw through the deception instantly, registering the Jinchuriki's hidden readiness. Yet, despite noticing this lethal potential, Itachi had no intention of interfering or warning his partner.
For one, his devotion to the Akatsuki's cause was flimsy at best. And secondly, he had unwavering confidence in Kisame's monstrous strength. If the shark wanted to test the waters, Itachi would simply let him.
But just as Itachi shifted his focus, preparing for the inevitable clash, a voice dripping with absolute, venomous hatred tore through the quiet swaying of the trees, echoing across the training ground.
"UCHIHA ITACHI...!!!!"
Every single set of eyes in the clearing instantly snapped toward the source of that primal roar.
Standing there, glaring with a murderous intensity that seemed to poison the very air around him, was the second Uchiha. Sasuke was practically vibrating with rage, screaming at the top of his lungs. His own crimson eyes were wide and manic, the two tomoe of his newly matured Sharingan rotating fiercely as they locked onto his older brother.
Kisame paused, the tension leaving his shoulders as he looked down at the furious little brat. He took in the sheer bloodlust radiating off the kid—a kid who looked like he wanted nothing more than to tear Itachi apart with his bare hands. The shark-man blinked, thoroughly puzzled by the dramatic interruption.
"Eh? A Sharingan? ...Itachi-san??" Kisame asked, a sharp, jagged grin slowly splitting his face.
"...Em."
Itachi didn't flinch. He just looked at Sasuke, his Sharingan rotating calmly, his face a flawless mask devoid of any affection, surprise, or emotion whatsoever. Looking at his little brother for the first time after more than four long years of separation, a tidal wave of memories crashed against the walls of Itachi's mind.
The happy times.
The warmth of their familial bonds.
And the bitter, blood-soaked tragedy that ended it all.
Pushing the ghosts aside, Itachi objectively analyzed the boy standing before him. He took in Sasuke's face, his increased height, his physical health, and, most importantly, the raw power burning in those eyes.
(He has grown... but not enough.)
Itachi held Sasuke's hateful glare with his own dead, calm eyes, his voice smooth and entirely devoid of inflection.
IMAGE
"Long time no see... Sasuke."
Hearing that casual, indifferent confirmation from the very source of his life's torment, Sasuke ground his teeth together so hard it sounded like they might crack. He whispered the name again, spitting it out like a curse.
"Uchiha Itachi."
Playing his part flawlessly, Naruto looked back and forth between the two brothers, his face shifting into an expression of dawning 'realization.' He utilized his acting skill to the limit, looking like the confused teammate finally piecing the puzzle together, all while keeping his body perfectly primed for explosive action.
Kisame, meanwhile, openly scrutinized the black-haired brat. He noted the striking facial resemblance, the intense eyes, and the sheer volume of hatred directed at his stoic partner. Kisame's grip on Samehada loosened completely as he decided to sit back and enjoy the show.
"Heh... A Sharingan... and that striking resemblance. Itachi-san, is this kid really..."
Itachi didn't even glance at his partner. He just kept his eyes locked on Sasuke and replied softly.
"Em..... He is my younger brother."
The moment the words left Itachi's mouth, before the realization could even fully settle on Kisame's face, Sasuke completely lost whatever shred of sanity he was holding onto.
"SHUT UP..!!"
Hearing the explosive roar, Kisame just smirked at the barking little puppy, casually taking a step back to give the siblings the floor.
Itachi simply watched as Sasuke's breathing turned ragged, the younger Uchiha practically choking on his own fury.
"The only reason I continue to draw breath... is because of the sheer hatred and the grudge I hold against you!... I live for one singular purpose!"
All logic, reason, and concern for his own well-being were thrown completely out the window. Just like Itachi, Sasuke was drowning in memories.
"..."
Specifically, the memories of that blood-drenched night. The cold, lifeless bodies scattered across the compound—not just the random clan members, but the ones that mattered most.
"For mother... for father... and for the entire Uchiha clan.!!"
"..."
Driven by pure, unadulterated vengeance, Sasuke's hands blurred into a rapid sequence of hand seals. Suddenly, the quiet ambient noise of the forest was entirely drowned out by a deafening, high-pitched screeching, like a thousand birds crying out all at once. A blinding, bluish-white light erupted in the center of the clearing, casting harsh shadows across Kisame, Itachi, and Naruto's faces.
making Kisame and Naruto's face serious , while Itachi still kept the calm expression on his face
The raw, crackling power of the Chidori illuminated the training ground as Sasuke roared, stomping his foot hard into the dirt, preparing to launch himself at his brother.
CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP!
"I WILL KILL YOU, ITACH—"
*THWACK*
"EH??" Kisame grunted, his Serious smirk vanishing instantly.
"..." Itachi's eyes widened, a flicker of surprise breaking his stoic facade.
Both Akatsuki members watched in shock as the crackling lightning abruptly died out. Because right in the middle of his furious charge, the so-called 'foolish' blonde boy had suddenly, materialized directly behind the Uchiha avenger.
With calculated Strike , Naruto had delivered a brutal karate chop straight to the back of Sasuke's neck, instantly short-circuiting his nervous system and knocking him out cold before he could even take his second step.
Naruto casually caught the unconscious Sasuke with one hand, letting his teammate slump against his side. The 'blank' acting mask had completely evaporated from the blonde's face, replaced by a cold, razor-sharp focus locked directly onto the two dangerous S-rank criminals standing across from him.
(Well... there was zero chance Sasuke was going to listen to reason right now...) Naruto thought dryly, adjusting his grip on his unconscious friend.
( So, extreme measures for extreme situations.)
Suddenly, the Akatsuki members watched as Naruto tightened his grip on Sasuke and then
*Fwish!*
"Eh?"
(....well sorry sasuke but you would have just gotton in the way )
With a sudden burst of strength, Naruto tossed Sasuke backward high into the air. Kisame looked puzzled, and even Itachi's eyes widened as he watched Sasuke fall. But soon, Itachi's eyes caught something else.
Kisame quickly noticed it too. Just as Sasuke was dropping from the sky, a shadow darted across the trees. A purple-haired, masked kunoichi caught Sasuke mid-air. Landing lightly on a branch, she glanced back at the battlefield—specifically at Naruto.
They saw Naruto's hand moving swiftly, throwing up a quick sign to communicate with her.
Seeing this, Kisame's smirk completely vanished. He unsheathed Samehada from his back. "ANBU? Are there ANBU around?"
"...Seems so. But I can't sense any others," Itachi replied softly.
Hearing that, Kisame kept his guard up. He stared straight ahead, watching as the purple-haired ANBU vanished from sight, carrying Itachi's little brother away to safety. But just as Kisame decided to make his move, a piercing sound and a flash of light ripped across the sky above the training ground.
Fwoooosh!
Boom!
An ANBU signal flare exploded overhead. Kisame narrowed his eyes at the bright light, and even Itachi stared up at the fireworks with dead seriousness.
"Kisame," Itachi warned.
"Yeah," Kisame grunted.
Noticing the shift in the Akatsuki members' expressions, Naruto decided it was time to finish his own preparations.
[Lone Wolf Lv. 5: Activate]
Activating the level 5 Lone Wolf skill gave all his stats an instant 50% boost. But Naruto wasn't done yet. Along with firing up his passive skills, Naruto triggered something else.
[Hyper Reflexes: Activate]
The world seemed to slow to a crawl as Naruto watched Kisame sprinting toward him at breakneck speed. Seeing this, Naruto layered on another combo skill:
[Holmes Gaze]
The rustle of the fabric , The Twitch of the muscles , The Chakra sense through Kagura's mind's eye , the many Vision 7 sense skills all worked with terryfying Machine , noting all of Kisame's movements
And Watching Kisame charge in, Naruto's thoughts were cold and calculated:
(...He is underestimating me.)
Naruto maintained a perfectly calm gaze as Kisame closed the distance. Thanks to Hyper Reflexes and a 60% Thought boost from his Mind Hub skill, the world looked like it was moving in slow motion
But the real reason for his insane clarity was something else entirely.
[O2 Breathing Second Form: Crouching Tiger]
The very moment Naruto had laid eyes on Itachi and Kisame, he had initiated this second form of his breathing technique.
Crouching Tiger was a bit different from his third form, Still Hunt which emphasied on Stealth , Crouching Tiger mimicked a predator zeroing in on its prey—an absolutely motionless stance that guaranteed his next attack would received a massive 200% bonus. And it wasn't just raw attack power but also ninjutsu too .
Also in this Crouching Tiger Form, his sensory abilities were also jacked up by 300%, ensuring the Crouching Tiger form could utilize every single opening efficiently.
That was exactly why, when he saw Kisame recklessly charging in with Samehada swinging wild, Naruto's gaze sharpened to a razor's edge.
Tracking the fast, ruthless overhead swing of the massive sword, Naruto narrowed his eyes. Right as Kisame closed the gap and brought the blade down, Naruto suddenly stepped forward. Moving at three times his usual speed, he slipped right past & into Kisame's guard.
In The End Kisame had no idea that his prey was a predator , ready for his prey , which was soon delievered in his mouth just like a Crouching Tiger
Or
A COILED SNAKE
Kisame didn't even have time to react, barely managing to jerk Samehada back for a desperate defense. But Naruto's goal was already achieved.
(...You are not strong enough to be this overconfident...Hoshigaki Kisame!)
[Adamantine Sealing Chains]
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Itachi's eyes went wide in shock as he saw golden chains violently bursting straight out of Kisame's back. The piercing, pointed heads of the chains had impaled his partner entirely.
Itachi's Sharingan spun wildly, tracking a total of six golden chains exploding from Kisame's torso in a spray of blood and flesh. The chains coiled around Kisame's neck, hands, torso, legs, and even tightly bound Samehada itself, wrapping around them all like a massive, predatory snake.
Seeing this unfold, before Itachi could even fully process the carnage, he had already moved.
Just as Naruto moved in to slice Kisame's neck with his Black silver blade , he felt a sudden, jarring snap in his Adamantine Chains , somethign that broke all his CAlm
(...Impossible. Even a Bijuu can't just break those!)
Jerking his head, Naruto saw the culprit: the legendary sword Samehada was actively tearing through the golden chains.
( How ?? )
Thanks to his Holmes Gaze, he instantly deduced what was happening.
(...Samehada is eating the chakra constructing the chains, not cutting them... but is that even possible?!)
Before he could process it any further, a dense barrage of shuriken rained down from multiple blind spots. The projectiles collided mid-air, ricocheting to surround Naruto from every conceivable angle. Itachi had moved into the distance, throwing the shuriken to buy a crucial split second so he could step in and assist his partner.
( .....Keep distance from Itachi and his eyes )
Naruto's hand was still closing in on Kisame's throat, but with one of his arms freed from the chains, the shark-man managed to violently jerk his neck out of the way at the last second. Seeing his fatal blow miss and a deadly cloud of shuriken descending on him, Naruto grunted inwardly
(...Wrong move.)
But Naruto adapted instantly , thanks to his 60% thought accelaration and Hyper reflexes .
While the chains around Kisame's sword arm had snapped, Naruto ruthlessly tightened the remaining ones. Using the raw force generated by the surviving chains, he violently yanked Kisame forward.
Kisame watched in shock as the distance between him and the blonde vanished. He was pulled so close he could clearly see Naruto's deep blue eyes—eyes that held the terrifying, crushing calm of the deep sea. A second later, Kisame understood exactly why he had been pulled in so close.
Thwump! Thwump! Thwump!
*Splatter!*
"ARRGHHH!"
From a distance, Itachi watched the Jinchuriki use Kisame as a literal meat shield to absorb the shuriken bombardment. With his Sharingan, Itachi saw that Naruto had also instantly re-manifested the snapped chains, swirling them around his own back to deflect the remaining projectiles from his blind spots.
(Using Kisame to block a three-dimensional shuriken barrage, and simultaneously manifesting the broken chains to defend his rear..... all in a split second... What terrifying reaction speed and Combat awareness )
[ Dynamic Vision Lv :7 ]
[Halo Eyes Lv. 6: ]
Thanks to this skill, which granted him 360-degree vision within a six-meter radius similar to the Byakugan, Naruto immediately spotted Itachi closing in on his flank. Seeing the Uchiha approach, Naruto shifted his hands, trying to keep Kisame positioned as a shield to obstruct Itachi's line of sight.
"Don't fuck with me, kid!" Kisame roared.
Using every ounce of his monstrous strength, Kisame swung his freed hand—the one holding Samehada—across his torso to saw through the remaining chains binding him. Seeing the chains beginning to snap off Kisame's torso, Naruto's mind raced again.
(...Then how about this?)
Right before Kisame could sever the last of the restraints, another golden chain whipped out, tightly coiling around Kisame's wrist holding Samehada.
"What?!" Kisame grunted, finding his arm abruptly bound and unable to swing the massive blade.
(...At least I managed to cut the others...)
Breathing heavily, his torso pierced and bleeding, Kisame glared at Naruto in seriousness. With his sword arm trapped and struggling to cut the binding, Kisame made a split-second tactical choice:
He tossed Samehada up into the air, aiming to catch it with his free hand and sever the chain.
But Kisame severely underestimated the kid operating under a 60% thought acceleration boost and Hyper Reflexes. While the Crouching Tiger stance was broken, all of his other buffs were still fully active. In the exact instant Naruto saw Itachi flanking him and Samehada floating in the air, a new plan formulated.
(...Chance!)
Naruto dropped into a slight crouch, effortlessly dodging a kunai thrown by Itachi thanks to his Halo Eyes. Planting his feet, he poured all of his physical strength into the connected Adamantine Chain, gave a massive yank, and roared.
"GET OVER HERE!"
Kisame didn't even have time to process what was happening. Just as he reached up to catch Samehada, his arm was violently jerked, and he found himself flying through the air directly toward the blonde.
But this time, Kisame wasn't met with calm blue eyes. He was met with a terrifying fist wrapped in a glowing aura within those Crimson Handguards.
[O2 Breathing First Form: One Inch Pulse] + [Monster Fist]
Staring down a fist that carried his death warrant, Kisame opened his mouth and fired off the only jutsu he could manage without hand seals.
"Water Fall!"
A dense torrent of water blasted from Kisame's mouth. At a distance of under three meters, it was mostly useless for damage—it was a desperate buffer to buy precious milliseconds and keep his head from getting caved in.
Using the hand those was bound Kisame exerted strength and his neck to didge the fist , but under Hyperreflexes & Dynamic Vision, Naruto;s fist still changed direction a little as it connected to Kisame's chest .
" SMASH "
BANG!
Itachi watched as the blonde's fist tore straight through the massive wall of water and slammed into his partner's torso. But Itachi's Sharingan caught a subtle shift in Naruto's arms, and suddenly, the boy's cold eyes locked directly onto
HIM
Using the momentum of the strike, Naruto violently twisted his arm, changing the trajectory of Kisame's launch. With earth-shattering force, Kisame was blasted backward like a cannonball—straight into Uchiha Itachi.
BOOOM!
In this close distance , The two Akatsuki members collided violently in mid-air, crashing through a couple of thick tree trunks before skipping across the dirt like discarded ragdolls.
Naruto kept his eyes locked onto where they crashed, his Kagura's Mind Eye tracking their chakra and movements flawlessly. He stalked forward at a leisurely pace, four golden chains whipping around his back like a ghoul's tentacles.
(....Itachi didn't dodge. He caught Kisame to mitigate the damage.)
Naruto had fully expected Itachi to disperse into a flock of crows to avoid the collision, but the Uchiha had chosen to take the hit to protect his partner instead.
(...What a strange guy... Uchiha Itachi.)
As Naruto approached the crater, the dust settled. Itachi was already back on his feet, looking completely unharmed save for some scuffed clothing. Kisame, on the other hand, was struggling on one knee, panting heavily with dozens of bleeding holes littered across his torso & with No Samehada anywhere near him
Step. Step.
Hearing the footsteps, both Rogues looked up to see Naruto casually walking toward them. As Naruto closed in, Itachi analyzed the situation, genuinely puzzled.
(How is he breaking my genjutsu so fast?!)
Itachi had no idea, but thanks to [6 Mind Partition], [Halo Eyes], and his other passives, Naruto was effortlessly dismantling the illusions in the background while fighting simultaneously.
Naruto was equally flabbergasted.
(This freak has thrown a total of 28 genjutsus at me since the moment he showed up....!)
Luckily, they were all standard 3-Tomoe illusions, nothing on the level of Mangekyou or Tsukuyomi.
(Well, I don't plan on testing if I can break Tsukuyomi anyway...)
Thanks to Halo Eyes, Naruto didn't even need to look Itachi in the eye to see his movements perfectly. Walking with total, unbothered confidence, Naruto turned the clearing into a high-pressure cooker.
Seeing the S rank this Tense in his presence , Naruto Smirked as He finally broke the tense silence.
"The reason the security around the Jinchuriki is so lax... is not because the village doesn't cherish me, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki..."
Both Akatsuki members' eyes sharpened instantly as Naruto calmly raised his hands and formed a cross seal.
"Tajuu Kage Bunshin No Jutsu."
Poof! Poof! Poof! X 100
In the blink of an eye, the two S-rank criminals found themselves surrounded by hundreds of Shadow Clones covering every inch of the clearing. On the ground , On the Trees , On the branches , some even moving behind and across their flanks , surroudning them fully .
Itachi's eyes morphed, the three tomoe bleeding into the spiral-wheel pattern of his Mangekyou Sharingan. Kisame gritted his teeth, tossing a handful of food pills into his mouth to prep for the next brutal round.
(...They're all solid Shadow Clones... What is this chakra reserve...?) Itachi thought with Solemnity .
Itachi shot a silent glance toward Kisame, signaling a tactical retreat without ever taking his eyes off Naruto.
Naruto continued to stare straight at Kisame with absolute confidence. And then, in perfect, echoing unison, every single one of the hundreds of Naruto clones finished the sentence:
" The Security is lax because even the village thinks that I, UZUMAKI NARUTO, DON'T NEED SECURITY ..!!! "
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Author;s Notes :
While Bragging , you will notice That Naruto never Confronted Itachi , Well because since the beginning his target was already set .
Even For Kisame , it was an Ambush to make sure THat KIsame can't use his advantaes at all .
Including the NOw Dropped Samehada .
Next chapter Soon , Maybe tomorrow ?
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