An instant later, the jinchuriki let out an outraged wail that reverberated across the air carrying with it all the untamable fury of the nine-tailed fox.
His five tails sweeping the surroundings in a large move that forced Itachi to move back, avoiding being hit by the three meters tall wall of red and black churning chakra.
...
As soon as the attack passed, Jiraya's knee-thrust landed in the face of the jinchuriki with enough strength to lift him from the ground, followed by a downward punch that carried the intent of punting the out of control shinobi into the ground.
But Naruto's tail dug into the sand and pulled him back just long enough so that he could land a sideways kick against the opponent shoulder.
Even with the increased sturdiness that came with the territory of being a Sage, that blow threw the white-haired Sannin off his feet, only to be immediately intercepted by a spike-shaped tail bursting from the ground, attempting to impale the Sage.
To Itachi's Sharingan, the invisible but everpresent chakra exuding from Jiraya's body was the only thing that saved him: the toxic energy composing the large part of the 5 tailed kyubi jinchuriki slammed against his master finding no purchase, throwing him in the air instead of piercing his guts.
The Uchiha's eyes briefly left the fighting couple in order to sweep the surroundings: Daiki couldn't be seen anywhere, and the imposing life force that even the rocks could feel when he was in Sage Mode just wasn't there.
Three explosions in rapid succession brought his attention back to Jiraya and Naruto's fight. Not that the Akatsuki member had any intention of interfering: it would be just that much easier to deal with a tired victor than trying to overcome the uncontrolled jinchuriki and the veteran Toad Sage. Itachi's Sharingan landed on the duo just in time to witness the end gambit of the battle.
With nothing to give away his presence, a bloodied Jiraya popped out of the charred sand just under the out-of-control Naruto, a bright Rasengan leading the attack and peeling away the red and black coat of chakra as a hydraulic drill would work through moist dirt. The Rasengan unraveled just in time for the Sannin's hand to land on the jinchuriki's belly.
As Jiraya twisted close what was presumably the Seal holding back the Kyubi no Yoko, the Jinchuriki managed to land his last blow: dense black and red chakra in the form of a tail hammered against the reinforced flesh of the Sage, who was flung beyond the following dune with the crack of broken ribs.
With no hesitation and his Sharingan spinning as it confirmed that the Kyubi's chakra had been cut off, Itachi darted forward, his eyes meeting the confused blue orbs of the Akatsuki's target just in time to render him innocuous.
Immediately, Itachi grabbed the Uzumaki while he started to fall forward, his skin charred by the toxic chakra that had covered it until a moment earlier.
"Heh," the scratchy voice of the Toad Sage made the Uchiha turn towards the still standing Sannin, who was gingerly holding a hand against his ribs while he walked forward, "I really can't let you take my foolish apprentice. What about an exchange, a blonde for a blonde?"
With Naruto slung over his shoulder, Itachi didn't miss that Jiraya was holding not the side that had been struck, but the opposite. Such a basic deception. The Uchiha stared impassively at the still dangerous Sannin: "If Daiki didn't manage his part, then it's not my problem."
"How cold." the faint chuckle of the Sage was coupled with a sudden change: his nose resumed a more human size, the overwhelming presence of his chakra bled out, leaving behind the still impressive but exhausted Jiraya, who noticed the change and assumed a ready position to attack from.
"But do not think that only because I'm not in Sage Mode I cannot kick you around, brats like you should know their place!"
The white-haired Sannin blurred forward, his powerful legs causing a small explosion of sand as they pushed him off the ground, Itachi pivoted out of the way, a kick lashing out to catch the actually wounded side of the older shinobi while he brought a half-ram seal to his lips, chakra churning into his gur where it was turned into fire natured as easily as one drew breath.
"Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!" the fireball exploded out of Itachi's mouth in time to force back his attacker, the wind constantly sweeping the desert howling after the explosion during which the Sannin had disappeared.
Predictably, Jiraya burst out of the ground in front of Itachi, a blue ball of condensed chakra ready to jill the Uchiha, who simply slid one shoulder forward, letting the body of one Naruto Uzumaki interpose itself between the two fighting shinobi.
Jiraya undid his technique before it could cause any harm to his blond pupil just in time to receive a solid kick on his trachea, which crumpled, making the clone disappear in a puff of white smoke.
With no hurry, Itachi rolled forward, Naruto being pressed on the sand for a second before the Uchiha regained his footing, just in time to witness a furious but still controlled Jiraya slash his throat with a kunai.
Following an instinct that had kept him alive more times than he cared to count since he had left Konoha, and several occasions before that tragic day, the Uchiha arched back with all the energy that his back could put into the movement, chakra flowing through his feet to keep him anchored in place and Naruto out of the way of the glint that he caught only thanks to his Sharingan.
There was a flash of steel, followed by a warm spurt of blood that rained on Itachi and the unconscious form of Naruto, with Jiraya's pained grunt as the only soundtrack. Then another, and another.
A well-known sword glinted ominously under the unforgiving sun of the desert, and a voice announced the presence of someone invisible to any kind of chakra sensing: "Overextending with a snake in the grass is a form of suicide, Jiraya."
The Uchiha was quick to step back, his eyes landing briefly on his returned companion: he too had left Sage Mode behind, but that had apparently allowed him to adopt a stealthy approach, one that he leveraged by using Itachi as a distraction: "You could have intervened sooner."
The Akatsuki member was offered an apologetic smile after which Daiki immediately returned to observing his, now one-armed, opponent: "You have no idea how ironic it is that you'd lose an arm, Jiraya."
The last nuke-nin of Konoha twirled the blade in his hands in a smooth pattern until he was resting it on his off forearm, poised as if a snake ready to strike: "I guess you recognize Orochimaru's sword?"
Jiraya remained on his feet even with the humungous amount of blood that kept spilling from his cut limb and the two deep gnashed that the Kusanagi no Tsurugi had opened on his thighs, a frown growing increasingly heavy on his features while he grind his teeth in an uncharacteristic display of rage: "What are the plans of the Akatsuki?"
"A spy until the end, aren't you?" the voice of the blonde shinobi caught a sad inflection then, if only for an instant, before his eyes flickered towards the captured jichuriki: "I thought it obvious, we're gonna catch'em all!"
The dry chuckle that followed made Jiraya flash his teeth in the only expression of aggressivity he had left, control over his chakra abandoning him along with the blood that kept pouring out of his grievous wounds: "How...?"
His voice deserted him them, the poison in the Kusanagi no Tsurugi finally forcing him to kneel while he fought to maintain a grasp over his senses.
"How did I escape?" Daiki smiled despite himself, recognizing the curiosity in the voice of his opponent for what it was.
He was trying to buy time, hoping in a miracle despite everything in the Elemental Nations suggesting just how miracles didn't become reality, "This sword is the best instrument to channel chakra I've ever seen," Konoha's last nuke-nin decided to satisfy his downed opponent's curiosity.
"It cost me all the Nature chakra I had, but I managed to cut open the Toad. From whatever limbo between planes I was in, I then was able to pop into Ryuchi cave, and they hate Toads, you know? I didn't even have to pay a tithe to be returned to the last place I was on the mortals' plane."
"Then you waited for an opportunity, now kill him and let's go." Itachi's voice didn't give away anything about his exasperation, but there was a limit to how long he could tolerate pointless banter with someone who was soon to be dead.
Daiki turned an exasperated glance towards his companion before crouching at a safe distance from the kneeling Jiraya: "I couldn't really let you win, could I?"
"Only because you hate me?" the white-haired shinobi ground out, managing to scrounge out some energy from who knows where, "Your teammate..."
"Hate?" Daiki tilted his head while he regrouped with Itachi, knowing that the battle was at its end, but his voice was genuinely confused when he addressed once more the fallen Sannin: "I don't hate you, Jiraya, if anything, I pity you. I don't blame you for Hana's death, only for your inaction."
"I told you once, didn't I?" the blue-armored shinobi strode forward, his senses still peeled and his body ready to react to a desperate attack: "Faith cannot change the world, actions, perhaps can."
"And your solution is to collect the Biju for the Akatsuki?"
"Not quite." a grin flashed on the Elephant Sage's features, but it wasn't a joyful one. Without bantering furhter, the Kusanagi no Tsurugi whipped the air one last time, the bade so sharp that there was no sound caused by the swing despite the speed it traveled at.
And Jiraya's head rolled on the uncaring sand of the desert.
"Mission accomplished." the bland tone of Itachi caught the attention of his companion: once they delivered the jinchuriki, Daiki would be Akatsuki.
...
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