As Team Guy bumped into Pakkun, he began to lay down the situation for them...
"So, Kakashi sent us, the eight ninja dogs, to scout around the countryside. The goal? To sniff out the Akatsuki organization. We quickly figured out they were headed towards the land of Rivers, right on the cusp of the Leaf and Sand territories." Pakkun detailed.
"Land of Rivers?!" Neji echoed, slightly taken aback.
"Yeah, that's the scoop. Your squad's supposed to be en route from the Leaf to the Sand. Guess it's your lucky day, you're the closest. If you can even call it luck, that is." Pakkun added with a hint of sarcasm.
"Got it." Rock Lee nodded.
"Alright, follow my lead. I'll walk you through the rest of the details on our way." Pakkun instructed.
"Understood!" Rock Lee affirmed.
"You heard the pup, folks, time to hit the road!" Might Guy announced.
"What?! We're leaving now?!" Tenten exclaimed as they began to move, tailing Pakkun.
Little did they know, they were under the watchful eye of a hidden observer, a member of the Akatsuki...
Back at the Akatsuki lair, the extraction of the beast was still underway...
"We've been found out, there's an enemy on our tail!" The Akatsuki spy on Team Guy reported.
"And who exactly is this enemy?" Deidara queried.
"A formidable and dangerous one, goes by the name of Might Guy."
"Might Guy? Who's he?"
"A Shinobi from the Leaf, a Taijutsu master. He's not one to be trifled with!" Itachi warned.
"Oh great! That peculiar beast again!" Kisame grumbled.
"Should we use that Jutsu against him?"
"I'll handle it. Let me rectify my failure in locating the Jinchuriki host."
"No, I got this. I know the guy, we have some unfinished business." Kisame declared.
"Alright, Kisame. Given you have the most chakra among us, you're probably best suited to wield that Jutsu. Go ahead."
"Perfect!" Kisame grinned.
"But we'll need to keep 30% of your chakra here."
"About time! I've been itching to pay him back for that kick he served me!" Kisame reflected on the time when he and Itachi made a trip to Konoha, and in the midst of their skirmish against Kakashi, Kurenai, and Asuma, Guy arrived at the scene and surprised him with a kick.
Itachi and Kisame stepped out of their hideout, taking a moment to prepare a Jutsu.
Meanwhile, Might Guy and his team were trekking towards the hideout location in the desert, guided by Pakkun. Suddenly, Pakkun sensed a disturbance.
"What's wrong, Pakkun?" Guy inquired.
"Someone's approaching!" Pakkun alerted.
"Byakugan!" Neji promptly activated his Byakugan to identify the incoming threat. "It's from behind!" He announced. As they all turned their attention to the rear, a massive sword pierced through the dry ground, closing in on them swiftly.
They all braced themselves as the sword neared, jumping aside at the last moment to avoid being struck. The sword slammed into a large rock, reducing it to rubble, and a cloud of dust and sand engulfed the area.
As the dust settled, a figure clad in a black cloak adorned with red clouds emerged, wielding the same enormous sword. It was Kisame.
"Wait a second…" Guy murmured, studying Kisame.
"Do you recognize this person, Guy-sensei?" Rock Lee questioned.
"Who are you?" Guy demanded.
Simultaneously, Team 7 and Lady Chiyo were pressing on towards the Akatsuki hideout.
The same entity who had been spying on Team Guy had now shifted its focus to Team 7. Observing them advancing towards the Akatsuki, he vanished from his current location and returned to the hideout.
"We have more incoming enemies..." He warned his comrades.
"Deidara, weren't you supposed to retrieve the Jinchuriki host without leaving any traces? Seems like you didn't cover your tracks too well, did you Deidara?"
"Well as I mentioned, the Jinchuriki host was stronger than I anticipated." Deidara defended himself.
"You're an idiot. Your techniques are far too brutal for stealth operations." Sasori criticized.
"Brutal?!" Deidara chuckled. "Whose clumsy traps were easily detectable, my friend?" Deidara retorted.
"Why you!...." Sasori started, but was cut off, "Enough bickering. Focus on the Jutsu. Now, who should we send this time?"
"A Leaf Shinobi should go!" came a suggestion. Itachi glanced back, his Sharingan eyes glowing.
"Well then, it's settled...."
At the same time, Team 7 continued their journey towards the Akatsuki hideout, without any interruptions... for now. But that was about to change.
Their path was suddenly blocked by a familiar figure, dressed in a black cloak with red clouds.
"Those eyes....could it be!?" Lady Chiyo thought.
"Itachi.... Uchiha...." Naruto recognized. Expressions shifted among the group, including Sakura's. Naruto glanced at Sasuke, who was smirking...
"So we meet again..." Itachi spoke.
"That's...Itachi... Uchiha..." Sakura thought to herself.
"His Chakra.... it's much different than the last time we met..." Naruto mused.
Meanwhile, back in the desert...
Team Guy was halted by the Mist Swordsmen, Kisame.
"Unbelievable... His chakra level is off the charts. I've only seen Naruto with that much Chakra." Neji remarked.
"That much!" Rock Lee exclaimed in surprise.
"Your memory is as terrible as your haircut..." Kisame taunted.
"Are you...?" Guy began.
"You finally remembered,... haven't you..." Kisame responded.
"Have I met you somewhere before?" Guy questioned.
"It's no wonder you're called a beast. Your intelligence level is clearly less than human." Kisame mocked, "Don't worry, I'll jog your memory soon enough."
In the meantime, Team 7 found themselves face-to-face with Itachi Uchiha...
"His chakra level is lower than expected. Am I hallucinating? Someone like Itachi shouldn't have such low chakra...." Naruto pondered.
"Ah, so he is the one who slaughtered his own clan." Chiyo voiced.
"Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke... It's been a while..." Itachi greeted.
"You really have perfect timing. I've been itching for a fight..." Sasuke retorted.
"I see you're here too. I didn't expect to find you here, little brother." Itachi acknowledged.
"His chakra level is low. If I'm not mistaken, this is one of Itachi's clones. If it's a clone, then they're trying to buy time. The extraction of the Tailed Beast must still be in progress. Sasuke will want to fight Itachi, but we can't afford to waste time now! What should we do?" Naruto thought to himself.
[A. N: Thanks for reading, drop Powerstones that will help a lot and drop reviews if you like the story and add to your library]