Disclaimer:
Naruto and all of its characters belong to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I create.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 106: The Great Sannin Arrives
Itachi sidestepped Sasuke's attack with ease, allowing his younger brother to crash into the stone wall of the building behind them. The sheer destruction caused by the jutsu was a testament to its power. A massive hole gaped in the wall, its edges scorched from the intense heat of the technique.
Naruto, observing this, couldn't help but compare the Chidori to his own Rasengan.
'I wonder how Rasengan would fare against that,' he thought.
"Whoops!" Naruto had to jump back as the massive Samehada swung dangerously close to his legs. Kisame hadn't been joking when he said he'd cut them off.
"Tsk! You move like a cockroach. It's so hard to hit a small target," Kisame grumbled.
Gamadachi, meanwhile, was struggling against Kisame. The skill difference between the toad and one of the Seven Legendary Swordsmen of the Mist was becoming painfully clear. Kisame deflected most of Gamadachi's strikes and even managed to land a few blows on the toad with his fists, before targeting Naruto.
He wasn't sure if Kisame was aware that hitting the toad with his sword would undo the summon, so he purposely avoided doing that to keep the fight going.
'He must be one of those battle freaks who enjoy fighting all the time.' That was at least the first impression Naruto got from this strange fishman.
Suddenly, Sasuke's agonized screams filled the air. Naruto's attention snapped back to his teammate, only to find Sasuke writhing in pain on the ground. Itachi wasn't even attacking him physically...he was just staring at his brother as this one collapsed on the floor and remained there, motionless.
"What was that? What did he do?" Naruto asked, not really expecting an answer.
"Haha! That's how the Uchiha fight... with their eyes," Kisame chuckled.
"Their eyes… the Sharingan did that?" Naruto realized his knowledge of the Uchiha's unique ability was lacking. He had always thought the Sharingan's only function was to analyze and copy techniques, but clearly, it was capable of much more.
'If Itachi did that to Sasuke just by looking at him… it must be some kind of genjutsu projected through the eyes, like...' Naruto remembered stories from his old world about creatures born with special eyes that could hypnotize anyone who made direct eye contact.
The best way to fight those bizarre beings was to avoid looking into their eyes. Otherwise, they could create illusions and guarantee their opponent's defeat.
"Urgh!" Gamadachi let out a cry as Kisame landed a heavy blow to his side, and this time he used the sword. Samehada activated, draining the toad's chakra and forcing the summoning jutsu to cancel.
"Oh well, it was time to wrap this up I guess," Kisame grinned, turning his attention fully to Naruto. "Looks like it's just you now."
'Where is that pervert ninja?' Naruto thought in frustration. He had bought a lot of time, but any more would require him to go all out...and that was something he wanted to avoid in the middle of town. Also, now that Sasuke was down, Itachi might also join the fight. If that were to happen...
Naruto frowned. 'Not much of a choice now.' His eyes turned orange as the Kyūbi's chakra began circulating through his body.
"So you can use that chakra too. "Kisame looked at him with interest before lunging at him, Samehada was raised way up in the air, but as the sword came down, it clashed with a patch of white hair. The force knocked Kisame back a few steps.
"Finally..." Naruto scoffed.
"The Great Jiraiya is here!" the Sannin declared dramatically, making his entrance. "You thought you could distract me with a woman? I am the epitome of manliness and will never fall for a woman's charm!" he proclaimed, carrying the unconscious woman from earlier over his shoulder.
"You did though…" Naruto muttered.
"Is that your teammate over there?" Jiraiya ignored Naruto's comment and glanced at Sasuke.
"Yeah, he showed up unannounced and got defeated in less than ten seconds... What a great help that was," Naruto said dryly.
"Here, hold this," Jiraiya said, handing the woman to Naruto, who immediately laid her on the ground.
"So, this is the legendary Sannin? I didn't think the woman we sent would keep you distracted for long," Kisame commented.
"That was two and a half hours ago," Naruto pointed out.
"You two didn't waste any time coming after Naruto," Jiraiya said, his tone serious.
"We were tasked with the abduction of Naruto Uzumaki by the higher-ups of our organization," Itachi explained.
"Akatsuki," Jiraiya said.
"It seems you already know quite a bit," Itachi noted.
"I know enough… like the fact that you will never get Naruto," Jiraiya said, preparing for a fight.
"Oh, you think you can stop both of us?" Kisame asked, unconcerned by the Sannin's presence. He had no idea how powerful Jiraiya truly was.
Itachi, however, knew better. As a former member of Konoha, he understood the situation.
"I told you we needed to hurry. It's too late now." Itachi told his partner.
"What? What are you saying, Itachi?" Kisame glared at his partner, clearly annoyed.
"We're leaving," Itachi declared.
This decision wasn't made lightly. He had considered all the possible outcomes. If they both fought Jiraiya at full strength, they might be able to capture Naruto, but the odds weren't in their favor. Itachi would have to rely heavily on his Sharingan, possibly to the point of blindness.
Additionally, without a large source of water nearby, Kisame wouldn't be able to fully unleash his abilities and would likely be killed.
In the end, Itachi decided it was best to retreat and try again later.
"Are you serious?!" Kisame growled, already knowing the answer but frustrated nonetheless. It had been a long time since he had a good fight, and Samehada was hungry.
"You think I'll just let you leave?" Jiraiya asked, slamming his hands onto the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
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