Uchiha Itachi's gaze rested on Satoru, standing not far away, his expression unreadable.
How does Sasuke know someone this dangerous?
Itachi's thoughts darkened.
What have the people of Konoha been doing these past few years? Have they forgotten their promises?
A cold glint flickered in his eyes.
For years, he had upheld his end of the agreement, taking every step to ensure Konoha's safety. It was not a responsibility he would allow them to treat lightly.
Meanwhile, Kisame's comment caught everyone off guard.
"They want Mr. Bandage to join the Akatsuki?" Naruto and Sasuke were both stunned.
"Second brother joining Akatsuki?" Sasuke muttered, disbelief etched across his face.
Naruto's jaw dropped, his surprise evident.
On the other side, Satoru also heard Kisame's words.
He blinked, a faint look of astonishment crossing his face.
Huh? Did I mishear?
Akatsuki inviting him?
Satoru shifted his box of snacks and mulled it over. Something about this felt off.
Could it be because of that encounter with White Zetsu during the Chunin Exams?
The thought lingered in his mind.
Why me? What's their angle here?
Satoru's pale blue eyes flickered across the scene.
He glanced at Sasuke, who already knew his true identity, then at Itachi, who didn't. To complicate matters, Naruto was there as a Konoha ninja, and Kisame, a core Akatsuki member, stood nearby.
If his identity were revealed now, everything could spiral out of control.
Satoru sighed inwardly. This is such a mess. When will this end?
"Ah, forget it," Kisame said, shrugging nonchalantly. "We'll deal with that later. Let's focus on capturing Naruto for now."
His relaxed attitude cut through the tension like a blade.
"What do you mean, 'forget it for now'?" Satoru retorted, his tone laced with mock indignation.
"That's your recruitment approach? Really lacking in sincerity here."
"Sincerity?" Kisame grinned, showing his sharp teeth. "This is Akatsuki's greatest sincerity."
He hefted his Samehada, the weapon radiating a bloodthirsty aura.
"Well, in that case," Satoru said, a sly smile tugging at his lips. "Now I'm a little interested."
The shift in his demeanor was palpable.
Beneath the bandages, Satoru's pale blue eyes gleamed with amusement.
Thanks for setting this up, Kisame. You've given me the perfect excuse.
Itachi, watching the scene unfold, made no move to stop the interaction.
The white-haired ninja's timely arrival had stalled their mission, but Itachi wasn't entirely displeased.
Jiraiya should be here soon, Itachi thought, his calm gaze briefly flickering to Satoru.
This is also an opportunity to gauge his strength.
Kisame wasted no time. Swinging Samehada with deadly precision, he lunged at Satoru.
"Hey, no need to go all out," Satoru muttered, dodging effortlessly. Despite holding a snack box over a meter tall, he moved with fluid precision, evading Kisame's strikes with ease.
In the brief encounter, Kisame's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
This guy's no pushover.
Satoru didn't just evade—he carefully set the snack box down between moves, keeping it perfectly intact.
Kisame chuckled darkly. "Not bad. You've got skills, I'll give you that."
Itachi observed quietly, his sharp eyes narrowing.
His movements... Why do they feel so familiar?
"I'll get serious now," Kisame said, his tone hardening. "Time to show you what Akatsuki is really about."
"Shark Muscle Slash!" Kisame roared, swinging Samehada with devastating force.
Satoru sidestepped smoothly and retaliated by tossing a bundle of exploding tags in Kisame's direction.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The deafening explosions reverberated through the hallway, shaking the walls and drawing everyone's attention.
Satoru smirked as he surveyed the chaos.
Of course, the exploding tags won't harm him. But they sure make a lot of noise.
Kisame's expression darkened as he realized the commotion they had caused.
This is bad. If Jiraiya shows up...
He quickly shifted his focus back to Naruto, deciding it was better to complete their mission and leave.
"Itachi, we'll finish this first," Kisame said, lunging toward Naruto.
Naruto froze as Kisame's speed overwhelmed his senses.
Before Kisame could strike, a booming voice interrupted the scene.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
White smoke billowed through the corridor, and a massive toad appeared, shielding Naruto from the attack.
Jiraiya emerged atop the toad, his expression stern.
"So Akatsuki is targeting Naruto, huh?" he said, his voice steady.
Jiraiya's gaze shifted between Itachi, Kisame, and Satoru.
What's going on here?
Jiraiya had been tracking Satoru after hearing reports of a strange white-haired ninja in a black robe, matching Satoru's description.
He hadn't expected to find him here, tangled up with Akatsuki.
Why is he here? And why does it seem like he's aligned with them?
The sight of Naruto being attacked only added to Jiraiya's growing suspicions.
Does he have the same goal as Akatsuki? Is he after Naruto too?
Jiraiya's thoughts churned as he tried to piece everything together.
Unaware of Jiraiya's inner turmoil, Satoru calmly munched on a snack.
If he'd known what Jiraiya was thinking, he would've been quick to clarify.
Hey, I'm not part of Akatsuki—yet!
Let me know if further adjustments are needed!