Sakura clung to Kisame's leg with all her strength, her teeth gritted through the pain lancing through her abdomen. "Naruto! Sasuke! Run!" she yelled, defiant despite her injuries.
Kisame glanced down, amusement flickering across his shark-like grin. "Feisty, aren't we?" With a low chuckle, he raised his massive sword, Samehada, and struck her with a heavy "thud." But even as the blow connected, Sakura's grip remained like iron; she wasn't letting go.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto's eyes widened in horror, and a furious, crimson aura began to coil around him. Two blazing tails of chakra flared out, and the Nine Tails' anger coursed through him like molten fire. "You monster! I'll make you pay!"
Kisame swung Samehada again, and this time, the sword seemed to purr as it hungrily drained Naruto's chakra. The red aura flickered, sputtering as the Nine Tails' energy was sucked away with disturbing ease.
"Not bad, kid," Kisame sneered, watching as Naruto staggered back, his knees buckling. "But that's all you've got."
Naruto looked from Sakura to Sasuke, panic flashing in his eyes. "What do I do? Where's…where's Gojo-sensei?" And then, as if Gojo's words were whispered in his ear, he remembered: If you're in over your head, call for help loud and clear. I'll be there—because, honestly, who's better than me?
Naruto clenched his fists, closed his eyes, and shouted with every ounce of desperation, "GOJO-SENSEI!"
In a blur, Gojo Satoru appeared, hands casually tucked into his pockets, a smug grin plastered on his face. Without so much as a warning, he planted a solid kick into Kisame's gut. Kisame's eyes widened in shock as he was launched backward, the impact enough to shake the ground.
"Now that's what I call an entrance," Gojo drawled, pushing up his sunglasses with a smirk. "You guys throw a party and don't invite me? Rude."
All the tension melted away, and for once, the trio felt the sweet relief of being out of danger. They'd grown used to the feeling that Gojo brought—a sense of absolute security wrapped in effortless cool.
Watching from the shadows, Itachi's eyes narrowed as he exhaled softly, relieved Gojo had finally arrived. Across the clearing, Gojo strolled over to Kurenai, brushing a faint shimmer of blue energy over her neck. Her eyes fluttered open, and she blinked up at Gojo as he popped a lollipop into his mouth, completely unfazed by the chaos around them.
"Sensei!" Naruto shouted, hands on his hips. "Where were you? We almost died out here!"
Gojo chuckled, shrugging casually. "What, and miss your dramatic moment? Gotta build character somehow."
Sasuke scowled, nursing a bruised arm. "You were watching the whole time, weren't you?"
"Eh, maybe." Gojo gave a nonchalant wink. "Besides, you all look so adorable when you're trying to survive. Don't you think?"
"Real comforting, sensei," Sakura muttered, rolling her eyes as she struggled to her feet.
Meanwhile, Kisame regrouped, his expression turning sour. "Itachi, mind if I take this one?" His grin returned, sharper than ever. "Can't let him get away with that cheap shot, can we?"
Gojo, unaffected, simply shrugged. "Aw, Kisame-kun, don't be so touchy. You Akatsuki types are so sensitive."
Kisame's grin widened as he tore off his cloak, his skin gleaming with blue, shark-like scales. He spat out a torrent of water that quickly expanded into a vast lake, flooding the forest around them. "Let's see you keep up with me when you're at the bottom of the ocean!"
Gojo simply raised an eyebrow as the water surged around him, stopping just short of his feet. His grin didn't waver. "Nice trick, Shark-guy, but you'll have to do better than that."
Kisame's eyes narrowed, realizing his attack wasn't touching Gojo. "What's the meaning of this?"
Gojo tapped his temple playfully. "Oh, it's just a little something called Infinity. Keeps all that nasty, wet stuff away. So, are we fighting, or are you just gonna make waves?"
Frustrated, Kisame charged forward, Samehada ready to strike. But as he swung, the blade halted a few inches from Gojo, suspended as if held back by an invisible wall. Kisame stared, slack-jawed, his sword unable to move.
"Oh, right," Gojo chuckled. "Forgot to mention: sharp, pointy things don't work on me, either."
Kisame's smile faltered, and his grip tightened around Samehada. "Arrogant brat…"
"Look, Kisame-kun," Gojo sighed, his voice heavy with mock sympathy. "I don't normally do requests, but you're clearly out of your depth here, so why don't we call it a day?"
From behind, Itachi watched, his Sharingan glinting as he assessed Gojo, his face an unreadable mask. He knew better than to step in—Gojo's power was nothing to underestimate.