"Oh? We've been discovered." Kisame smiled.
"Konoha Jonin?"
Uchiha Itachi's gaze swept indifferently over Asuma and Kurenai, finally resting on Asuma.
"Asuma Sarutobi... the son of the Third Hokage."
Asuma felt a chill in his heart. The opponent had recognized his identity at a glance, and that cold gaze, which seemed capable of seeing through everything, put immense pressure on him.
"Are you from the Akatsuki?" he asked in a low voice, his body tensing slightly.
"Correct, but unfortunately, there's no reward."
Kisame gave a sinister laugh and, without further ado, swung Samehada and charged!
"Let my Samehada taste the flavor of a Konoha Jonin's Chakra!"
The battle erupted instantly!
Asuma's Chakra Blades collided fiercely with Kisame's Samehada, producing a piercing metallic screech. Kurenai's Genjutsu was almost useless before Uchiha Itachi's Sharingan; instead, he countered it, turning it back on her.
Kisame possessed immense strength, and Samehada was an eerie weapon capable of devouring Chakra. Asuma's fighting style was severely countered, and he quickly fell into a disadvantage, his situation becoming perilous. Kurenai tried to support him but was easily forced back by Itachi's Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu.
"Is this all Konoha Jonin are capable of?" Kisame laughed, sweeping Samehada and heavily wounding Asuma's arm. With Asuma injured, the situation was critical.
*Swoosh!*
At the critical moment, a figure intervened in the battlefield like a bolt of lightning!
"Raikiri!"
A piercing sound like the chirping of a thousand birds rang out. Holding the shining Raikiri, Kakashi accurately parried Kisame's Samehada, saving Asuma.
"Kakashi!" Asuma and Kurenai breathed a sigh of relief.
Uchiha Itachi's gaze finally shifted slightly, looking at Kakashi's equally crimson left eye.
"Uchiha Itachi..."
Kakashi's expression was grave to the extreme, his Sharingan locked onto Itachi.
"What are you doing back in Konoha Village?"
"Just passing through."
Itachi's voice remained flat, but this reason clearly wouldn't make Kakashi back down.
The battle resumed! Kakashi knew how terrifying Itachi was and went all out from the start, trying to win with the speed of his Raikiri. However, Uchiha Itachi's strength far exceeded his imagination.
After several rounds of Taijutsu and Ninjutsu exchanges, Itachi caught a subtle opening in Kakashi's defense.
The pattern of his Sharingan suddenly shifted, transforming into the mysterious Mangekyo form!
"Tsukuyomi."
Kakashi felt the world before him instantly distort and collapse. In the next moment, he found himself in a blood-red, eerie, and seemingly boundless alternate dimension. He was bound to a cross, while Uchiha Itachi stood coldly before him, holding a sharp blade.
"Here, time, space, and mass are all under my control."
"For the next seventy-two hours, I will slowly torture your mind."
...In the real world, only an instant had passed.
*Thud!* Kakashi finally regained consciousness. Clutching his eye, he collapsed to his knees.
"Kakashi!" Asuma and Kurenai shouted, but they were unable to help, as they were pinned down by Kisame.
"Haha! Itachi-san is indeed impressive! Taking one out so quickly."
Kisame laughed.
Uchiha Itachi remained expressionless. The situation had returned to its starting point, and just as he was about to make a move on them—
"Leaf Strong Whirlwind!"
A shout full of youthful passion exploded like thunder! A green figure rushed forward at a speed faster than the eye could follow, delivering a heavy whip kick toward Kisame!
*Bang!*
Kisame hurriedly blocked with Samehada, but he was actually shaken back by the immense force. A look of surprise appeared on his face.
"What incredible strength!"
The newcomer was none other than Might Guy! He glanced at the fallen Kakashi, his thick eyebrows furrowing as a fire of anger burned in his eyes.
"How dare you lay such a cruel hand on Kakashi! Unforgivable! Youth does not allow one's comrades to be insulted! Staking my name as 'Konoha's Proud Blue Beast,' I will never let you off!"
Guy's appearance instantly turned the tide of the battle. His violent Taijutsu and astonishing speed were troublesome even for Kisame, and after using Tsukuyomi, Itachi had clearly consumed a significant amount of energy and did not want to get too entangled with Guy.
"Tch, what a troublesome guy." Kisame spat impatiently, inwardly cursing the difficult opponent before him.
That monstrous strength made his arms go numb.
Itachi stood quietly to the side, his deep eyes fixed intently on Guy.
After a while, Itachi turned his gaze toward the direction of Konoha Village.
"Retreat," Itachi said suddenly in a low voice. Though not loud, it carried an unquestionable decisiveness.
Hearing this, Kisame did not hesitate for a second. He quickly swung Samehada, and a powerful force swept out like a gale, forcibly pushing Guy back several steps.
Seeing this, Guy knew they were about to retreat. He wanted to pursue them, but seeing Kakashi on the ground, he chose not to.
"Damn! It's severe mental damage!" Guy knelt down and carefully checked Kakashi's condition, his face turning grim.
He could feel that Kakashi's consciousness had suffered extremely serious damage—damage that wasn't physical, but mental.
Asuma and Kurenai also hurried over. Looking at the weakened Kakashi, their hearts were filled with lingering fear and anger.
For the Akatsuki Organization to brazenly infiltrate Konoha Village and heavily wound Kakashi was a direct provocation to the village!
Meanwhile, in Hinata's courtyard at the Hyuga Clan Compound.
She had just finished a cycle of the Circumference of Heaven Star Art and was slowly withdrawing her power.
Her pure white eyes opened slightly, as if piercing through layers of walls and distance to look toward the forest outside the village where the Chakra fluctuations had just subsided.
The brief but exceptionally intense battle just now—especially the unique and powerful cold ocular power fluctuation when Uchiha Itachi activated Tsukuyomi, and Might Guy's Chakra eruption like a blazing torch—had not escaped her Divine Sense, which covered several kilometers.
She could completely sense the entire process of the battle.
"It looks like they're here to retrieve the Nine-Tailed, and perhaps see his younger brother along the way."
Hinata had no intention of going there now. With the Youth Guy there, nothing major would happen.
Besides, she didn't yet have the ability to deal with Amaterasu, so acting rashly wasn't her style.
"Speaking of which... if Itachi used Amaterasu on Guy, what would Guy do? Would he just cut off the burning part like the Raikage?"
She shook her head. To be honest, Amaterasu was quite troublesome, even though it was jokingly called the "Amaterasu that can't kill anyone" due to its performance in the original story.
But encountering such a thing would be very tricky. At least for now, Hinata had no real solution. If she were truly hit by it, it seemed her only option would be to cut off the burning area.
"Wait..."
Hinata suddenly realized that Sealing Jutsu seemed to have a miraculous effect on such things. While it couldn't extinguish it, it could be sealed away.
It seemed Jiraiya had used this method to Seal Amaterasu before.
Thinking of this, Hinata's mood improved considerably; she now had a way to deal with it.
She stood up, poured herself a cup of green tea, and walked to the window. Outside, the Hyuga Clan Compound was peaceful, forming a sharp contrast with the thrilling events that had just occurred outside the village.
She took a sip of tea, her pure white eyes reflecting the Ryun in the sky.
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