Naruto could feel Ino's warm breath on his neck, as the fierce wind mixed with the heavy rain lashed against them.
The two looked at each other, listening to the footsteps in the living room, their bodies drenched by the heavy rain, their hearts beating wildly as they clung to each other.
Itachi's voice was low, and was filled with an overwhelming sense of pressure.
"Kisame, check the balcony."
"Okay." Kisame's footsteps were deliberately loud, each step echoing ominously as he approached the balcony.
Naruto's apartment had been renovated, with wooden flooring on the balcony and a thick glass door separating it from the living room. With a loud bang, the door was pulled open heavily, and the glass shattered all over the floor.
The sound of the rain intensified instantly, with raindrops pouring into the living room, making the pale green curtains flap wildly in the wind.
From the sound alone, Naruto could guess what kind of mess the glass door had turned into. He felt a brief pang of regret, but not daring to make a sound. He was soaked by the heavy rain, making him feel cold and heavy, but he clutched his sword instead of an umbrella.
Ino was even more terrified by Itachi's words. Even though she didn't know who the two men outside were, the sheer oppressive aura they emitted was enough to make her feel like she couldn't breathe.
A terrifying, inhuman face appeared from the balcony. Kisame's eerie eyes scanned the area, but he found that there was no one outside the balcony.
"It seems that that brat has escaped again." Kisame said, retracting his head.
"He can't run far." Itachi said expressionlessly, "Avoid drawing too much attention from the Anbu. We need to wrap this up before Jiraiya arrives."
"Got it." Kisame bared his sharp teeth, hoisting his massive blade, Samehada, onto his shoulder as he asked, "It looks like he had a girl with him. Should we kill her?"
"Yeah." Itachi left the living room, "I have something to take care of. I'll be gone for a while."
"Itachi-san, I can handle this alone."
"Alright."
Downstairs, Naruto was pulling Ino through a narrow alley at full speed, the rain hitting their faces with stinging force.
Overhead, a web of tangled power lines crisscrossed, and old utility poles leaned precariously against the alley walls.
Their feet splashed through puddles as they ran, their pants soaked through. The alley was in terrible condition, with mud puddles everywhere. Ino, panting heavily, wiped the rain from her face.
"Naruto, who... who were those two people?"
"Missing-nin, total maniacs!"
"Why... why are they after you?"
"The world is so big, it's normal that there are always people who covet my body." Naruto replied as he ran.
"But… someone is chasing us."
"Don't worry about him. Let him chase, and we'll keep running."
"What the hell is that?!"
Naruto took a quick glance over his shoulder during their sprint and saw Kisame.
"A little fish-man!!"
"What?" Ino didn't understand and her stamina was rapidly depleting as they ran so fast.
"Don't worry, he can't catch up!"
"Naruto, I can't run anymore, you go first! Leave me behind!"
"Damn it!! Then stop talking and focus on running for your life!"
Ino was gasping for air, already breathless as she spoke.
"When you gave me that flower last time, I was really happy. It was... the first time I ever received flower!"
"No worries, after I'm dead, my grave will have plenty of them. You can pick as many as you like!"
As he said that, Naruto suddenly flung Ino forward, his right foot splashing into a puddle, sending water flying a meter high. With his back to Ino, he faced Kisame who was chasing them from behind.
"Naruto!!" Ino shouted as she scrambled out of the puddle, her face covered in scratches.
"Don't come any closer!" Naruto shouted over his shoulder, still facing away from her, "Hide well and stay alive! The Anbu will be here soon!!"
Hoshigaki approached slowly, his massive sword, Samehada, slung over his shoulder, grinning as he stood in the rain. With a swift motion, he swung the sword down toward Naruto.
Naruto instinctively wanted to dodge, but he glanced back at Ino, clenched his teeth, and roared as he met Kisame's strike with his own katana.
'Itachi didn't come!! Please don't let Itachi followed here!!'
'If he didn't follow, then I can survive this.'
"Well, well." A smile appeared on Kisame's extremely terrifying face, "Are you serious about this? Aren't you a good runner?"
"Ptui!" Naruto didn't say anything, but spat at Kisame.
Unfortunately, the rain was too heavy and his spit was knocked down before it even reached Kisame.
Kisame seemed amused rather than angered. He revealed his sharp teeth as the bandages wrapped around Samehada unraveled, exposing its jagged, spiky surface.
With a sudden yank, Kisame pulled back his sword, and Naruto's sword shattered instantly, the force sending the broken blade flying into the air. Naruto's wrist, unable to withstand the impact, let go of the sword.
Breathing heavily, Naruto pulled out his Flying Thunder God Kunai.
In the distance, Kisame looked down at the kunai in Naruto's hand. His tall body casted a shadow over half of the alley as he spoke through the rain.
"Itachi-san mentioned that everyone has a weakness."
"To catch a nimble little rat, you need to grab onto something it cares about."
Naruto's heart skipped a beat when he heard this, and his pupils dilated slightly as if he realized something. Without a second thought, he threw the Flying Thunder God Kunai in his hand directly in Ino's direction.
The next moment, Kisame's figure rose from the puddle and appeared in front of Ino, who had no time to escape. His expression remained cold as he raised Samehada to slash Ino.
From the moment Naruto clashed with Kisame to the moment Kisame used his Ninjutsu to appear in front of Ino, only a brief half-minute had passed.
"Ahhhh!!"
Ino had not yet completed her hand seals and her body was paralyzed by the sudden, overwhelming killing intent. She could only watch in terror as Samehada descended upon her.
The narrow alley resembled a flooded trench, with the relentless rain pouring down.
Naruto crouched slightly, every muscle in his body tense, his face twisted in rage. The Chakra surging within him was so intense that it vaporized the rainwater on his skin, turning it into steam.
Thirty meters away, Kisame loomed over a puddle, Samehada raised high. Ino sat on the muddy ground, one hand supporting her weight, with the other instinctively shielding herself.
A Flying Thunder God Kunai zipped through the rain and hovered between Kisame and Ino.
Two days ago, despite facing capture by Itachi and Kisame, Naruto had refrained from using Kyubi's power. He also did not inform the Anbu because he did not want to hand the initiative to the hands of the higher-ups at this delicate time.
Danzo still owes him an explanation, and the matter of the Root Shinobi is not over yet.
Naruto wanted to wait a little longer, as the future was still long. He just needed time. Naruto knew he could become stronger… strong enough to refuse any demands from the village, strong enough to peel off Kyubi from himself without any injury.
Mastering Sealing Techniques to such an extent wasn't impossible.
But he never expected Ino to show up. He had been living alone for a few days, waiting for Itachi. He even mapped out escape routes and set up the Flying Thunder God markers on various places.
The Flying Thunder God Technique in Naruto's hand is not at the maximum level, so it only allowed him to teleport within a limited distance. Naruto is not a heaven-defying character who can master the Flying Thunder God Technique as soon as he touches it.
Flying Thunder God: Second Stage!
In an instant, Naruto used the Flying Thunder God to teleport, tightly wrapping his arms around Ino and exposing his back completely to the descending Samehada.
His eyes transformed into blood-red slits, glowing ominously in the rain. His voice turned hoarse as he shouted desperately amidst the downpour, "Kurama!!"