"Hey, how's your body holding up?" Kisame asked as he set the battered Itachi down outside the outskirts of Konoha.
"Cough cough... I'll manage," Itachi replied, though he looked far from well. He had grown accustomed to his condition, but even Kisame could tell things weren't fine.
"I don't see how you're 'managing.' Honestly, you shouldn't have wasted your energy using Tsukuyomi on that Copy Ninja and your little brother. It was a pointless drain," Kisame remarked.
"Mm, I underestimated them. I didn't expect Konoha to have someone who could counter me so well," Itachi admitted, his eyes narrowing as he recalled his brief encounter with Natsuro.
In their battle, Natsuro had no need for his eyes, and many of his techniques were immune to Itachi's Sharingan, let alone his Mangekyo abilities. Itachi realized that unless he forced his body beyond its limits and used a stronger form of Susanoo, he couldn't win.
But Itachi wouldn't do that. He knew his body's limits well. If he pushed too hard, he might not even live long enough for Sasuke to grow stronger and... take his eyes. The thought of dying prematurely, before Sasuke was ready, was something he couldn't accept.
However, he closed his eyes in resignation. Sasuke had seen everything, including Itachi's vulnerability. Itachi had intended to deepen Sasuke's hatred and sense of helplessness, pushing him to crave power. But Natsuro had ruined all of that. Worse still, Itachi feared that instead of motivating Sasuke, this encounter might have had the opposite effect. His image of being unbeatable in Sasuke's eyes had been shattered.
If Sasuke believed there were ways to defeat Itachi without relying on the Sharingan's power...
Itachi sighed internally. Things had begun to slip out of his control. But he couldn't dwell on it. As long as Sasuke continued to hate him, the path would stay more or less on track.
"So, what do we do now? The Nine-Tails isn't in the village," Kisame asked.
"We'll rest for now and track the Nine-Tails' location before returning. It's still too early to capture it. With just the two of us, completing the mission would be nearly impossible," Itachi said, coughing again.
He was certain that the Nine-Tails wouldn't have been let out of Konoha's sight without someone trustworthy guarding it. Considering Orochimaru's recent attack, that guardian was most likely someone on par with Orochimaru himself.
That left few candidates. Itachi was convinced it was Jiraiya. And, knowing Natsuro, he likely left a Flying Thunder God mark on either Jiraiya or the Nine-Tails. Any attempt to capture the Nine-Tails would almost certainly result in facing Natsuro again. Even if Kisame fought Jiraiya, Natsuro's speed would prevent them from gaining the upper hand.
"Hmph, looks like we'll have to settle for that," Kisame grumbled. Their original plan had been to capture the Nine-Tails if the opportunity arose, but now it seemed like a risky move that would only end with them running for their lives.
...
At Konoha's medical center, a treatment plan for Kakashi and Sasuke had been set. With the Medical Chief overseeing the process, Natsuro was in charge of the actual treatment.
Since Natsuro's medical expertise wasn't sufficient for the task, the Medical Chief had to guide him step by step, which made the process slow. Fortunately, despite the pace, the treatment was effective and stable. Natsuro absorbed as much medical knowledge as he could during the procedure, and the Medical Chief, noticing this, slowed down deliberately to offer more detailed explanations.
In the end, with the Medical Chief's guidance, Kakashi and Sasuke regained consciousness, and the Medical Chief took his leave.
"You two are quite the pair—getting hospitalized at the same time by the same person," Natsuro teased, watching as both Kakashi and Sasuke sat on their hospital beds, looking a bit dazed. Natsuro pulled up a chair, sitting backward with his arms resting on the backrest.
"Itachi..." Both Kakashi and Sasuke thought of the man who had put them in this state.
Kakashi was pondering the Sharingan's full capabilities. Whether it was the irresistible Tsukuyomi or the overwhelming power of Susanoo, Kakashi realized there was still much about the Sharingan he didn't know. If Itachi could wield such power, could Kakashi tap into something similar?
Though he had no idea what the Mangekyo Sharingan was, Kakashi had seen strange patterns in his Sharingan as well. He usually avoided using them, as they drained too much chakra and seemed useless. But now, he was starting to think he should experiment with the power more. That phantom-like Susanoo... if he could unlock that kind of strength, it would be a game-changer.
Meanwhile, Sasuke was replaying Itachi's abilities in his mind. Once again, the painful memories resurfaced, and he felt helpless. But what followed was the sight of Natsuro's Vacuum Wave—the attack that not only broke through Susanoo but also shattered Sasuke's illusion of Itachi's invincibility.
The man he had once believed to be undefeatable had been defeated. Everything Natsuro had told him was true. Even through his despair, Sasuke had felt a glimmer of hope. If Natsuro could achieve that kind of strength, then so could he.
As for the Uchiha clan's secret hideout, Sasuke still planned to visit it. But now, he suspected it would only reveal more about hatred and revenge. While it might offer a shortcut to power, Sasuke's resolve had become stronger. He didn't want to rely on hate to achieve his goals. He wanted more than just revenge—he wanted to live his life the way he wanted to.
Though Sasuke hadn't yet figured out what kind of life that would be, he knew he wanted to finish his revenge and then explore life beyond it. As for reviving the Uchiha clan? He wasn't particularly concerned about that. At the rate things were going, it wouldn't be his problem for several generations, anyway.
Noticing the two of them still deep in thought, Natsuro figured they needed some time to rest, even after receiving medical attention. "Well, you both should take it easy. If you need separate rooms for some peace and quiet, let me know," he said.
"No, this is fine. Thanks, Natsuro," Kakashi responded, glancing over at Sasuke before deciding to stay in the same room.
"Alright then. If you need anything, just ask the nurses. I've got other things to attend to," Natsuro said as he stood up to leave.
"Wait, has the negotiation with Suna already succeeded?" Kakashi asked, surprised.
"Of course. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement," Natsuro replied with a smirk. The negotiations had gone even faster than he expected. He had anticipated it dragging out for a few days, but Suna had shown more sincerity than he had anticipated—likely because Gaara's position in the village was even more crucial than he realized. Or perhaps it was because Kankuro and Temari were the children of the Fourth Kazekage.
In any case, Suna had already agreed with Konoha to officially request the feudal lords to denounce Otogakure, reclassifying it as Orochimaru's rogue base. Meanwhile, Suna had started gathering its remaining forces to invade the Land of Rice Fields as soon as the paperwork was finalized.
It seemed that Suna was even more eager to demonstrate its strength than Konoha, especially after the discovery of the Fourth Kazekage's body.
"If the plan succeeds, it could deter some of the smaller factions from trying to replace Sunagakure. Even though deploying a large portion of their forces isn't ideal right now, it's better to deal with smaller threats now than face even more harassment later. Sunagakure is really putting everything on the line this time."
"Even though Konoha is only sending one person, the operation will be known as a joint mission between Sunagakure and Konoha. Despite Sunagakure being weaker at the moment, Konoha's reputation still carries weight and will help intimidate some of the smaller factions during this joint campaign."
"As for Sunagakure, they aren't entirely defenseless. Someone like Chiyo should still be alive," Natsuro mused.
"Is that so? Well, be careful out there. The battlefield is different from ordinary combat," Kakashi cautioned, recalling his own memories from the frontlines.
"Don't worry. Besides, calling it a 'battlefield' isn't quite accurate. This is more of a cleanup operation than an actual war between two villages. Orochimaru doesn't have the strength for that," Natsuro replied.
"That's true." Kakashi nodded in agreement. No matter how powerful Orochimaru was, it was impossible for him to build a large-scale village in such a short time. Plus, he had already lost many shinobi during his attack on Konoha, so his remaining forces should be significantly depleted.
Meanwhile, Sasuke stood there, confused. "War? Did I fall behind so much that I'm missing something?" he wondered, feeling out of the loop.
"Well, I'll take my leave now," Natsuro said, noticing that Kakashi seemed to want a private conversation with Sasuke. With that, he exited the room.
Once Natsuro had left, Kakashi shifted his body and leaned back against the bed. "Sasuke, do you need me to explain your mistake this time?"
"I was too impulsive. I didn't consider the consequences at all," Sasuke said, reflecting on what had happened earlier. If Natsuro hadn't arrived in time, the outcome could have been disastrous.
"But when I saw him, I couldn't control myself. My mind was completely consumed by the thought of killing him," Sasuke continued, clenching his fists tightly.
Seeing Sasuke open up about his feelings, Kakashi felt relieved. After a brief pause, he made a decision. "Sasuke, would you like to hear a story about someone who nearly lost everything and thought it was pointless?"
Sasuke hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly.
Kakashi began recalling his past. Even though it reopened some old wounds, he decided it was better to endure the pain if it meant helping his student avoid some of the same mistakes. He wanted to ensure that Sasuke wouldn't have to walk the same painful path he once had.
As Kakashi started telling his story, Natsuro returned home. Although the negotiations had concluded, it would still be some time before he was required to take action. After all, they still needed to wait for approval from the feudal lords, locate Otogakure, and prepare for the final confrontation with Orochimaru.
Calculating the time in his head, Natsuro realized he had enough time to make a trip to Mount Myoboku. His goal? Sage Mode.
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Currently on Chapter 198 - Natsuro vs Pain and the Akatsuki