"Itachi-san, about this incident..."
After fleeing for dozens of miles, Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame gradually came to a halt.
"That Uchiha brat seems to know everything about our intel."
Yet they knew nothing about him.
It was a frustrating fight, to say the least.
Moreover, having lost Samehada, Kisame was uncharacteristically uneasy.
He even started to suspect whether everything that had happened today was another one of Itachi's "productions."
"Mm."
Uchiha Itachi nodded faintly, his face pale from physical weakness.
"This was an unforeseen circumstance."
Was that boy really a member of the Uchiha clan?
He felt a certain mysteriousness about the boy, especially reminiscent of the masked man who called himself Uchiha Madara that he had encountered several years ago.
"Unforeseen? Itachi-san, it wasn't you who..."
Kisame found it even harder to accept than Itachi himself that his Mangekyo Sharingan had been completely ineffective against Uchiha Kage.
So much so that he was now heavily inclined to suspect that Itachi had sold their information and then put on this whole act.
"Don't dwell on pointless suspicions. Where is Tobi now?"
Uchiha Itachi completely disregarded these thoughts, instead suddenly asking a question that Kisame hadn't expected.
"Tobi? What are you talking about?"
Kisame was shocked, but his face remained impassive.
"Now that you've lost Samehada, you can no longer monitor me."
Although he had enjoyed working with this Akatsuki "colleague," Uchiha Itachi coldly exposed Kisame's hidden identity.
"So, tell me, where is Tobi now? I need to speak with him face to face."
Uchiha Itachi thought that perhaps only the masked man "Tobi," who claimed to be Uchiha Madara, would know Uchiha Kage's true identity.
Or perhaps Uchiha Kage *was* the masked man Tobi himself, or a pawn he had deliberately left in Konoha.
"As expected of Itachi-san, you even noticed that he sent me to monitor you."
Seeing that Itachi had dropped the pretense, Kisame couldn't keep up the act anymore.
But, it was a bit of a shame.
That meant he wouldn't be able to go on missions with Itachi-san anymore, right?
Thinking of this, even the iron-blooded Kisame couldn't help but feel a little sad.
"Tobi should be at..."
"What do you need me for?"
Before Kisame could finish speaking, a spatial vortex appeared in the forest behind Uchiha Itachi and Kisame.
*Whoosh.*
From the vortex, the masked man, revealing only a single Sharingan eye, appeared before them.
"Itachi, the fact that your Mangekyo Sharingan couldn't even handle a greenhorn who doesn't even possess the Sharingan is truly disappointing."
The masked man's voice was unusually deep, as if he really were the aged Uchiha Madara.
At the same time, the tomoe pattern in the single Sharingan eye visible on his face quietly shifted into the pattern of a Mangekyo Sharingan.
These days, a Mangekyo Sharingan is practically a requirement to even call yourself an Uchiha.
"Uchiha Kage... does that boy really have nothing to do with you?"
Ignoring Tobi's mockery, Uchiha Itachi only wanted to know who Uchiha Kage really was.
"Unfortunately, I don't know anything about him either. He's probably just a little kid with extraordinary talent."
Uchiha Obito, who was currently standing before Uchiha Itachi and Kisame, the mysterious masked man calling himself Uchiha Madara, Tobi.
He had recently received information from Zetsu, learning that Uchiha Itachi and Kisame had been defeated by a boy.
Even *he* would find it difficult to be immune to Itachi's Eye Techniques, let alone someone who didn't even possess the Sharingan...
In fact, Obito, like Kisame, somewhat suspected that Itachi was staging the whole thing himself.
"If that's the case, then this Uchiha Kage will definitely become a major threat to our organization in the future."
Tobi didn't seem to be lying, which meant Uchiha Kage really was just an unexpected variable?
Uchiha Itachi's expression immediately became serious.
"You have a point."
Obito said this, but in his heart, he was still somewhat skeptical and dismissive.
Even if Uchiha Itachi wasn't staging it himself, that Uchiha Kage hadn't shown any special abilities other than being immune to Itachi's Mangekyo Eye Techniques.
In terms of actual strength, he was probably only between a Chunin and a Jonin.
He wasn't worth his attention yet.
"Therefore, I plan to apply to the Akatsuki to go undercover in Konoha and investigate Uchiha Kage."
Uchiha Itachi said something in a calm tone that no one present had expected.
"Wait... Itachi, do you know what you're saying?"
Because he was too surprised, Obito almost revealed his true voice.
"You're already a missing-nin from Konoha. How could Konoha allow you to return?"
He killed his own clan and now planned to go back undercover. What was this guy Uchiha Itachi thinking?
Did he plan to betray the Akatsuki?
Obito was starting to get confused by Itachi.
"The incident back then was just a political struggle within the Konoha Upper Echelon. I only left Konoha out of desperation. You and I both know this."
Compared to the Akatsuki's goals, Uchiha Itachi cared more about his younger brother and the safety of Konoha.
In addition, he had recently received a letter from the Third Hokage, so he now had the idea of returning to the Village.
"But you slaughtered the Uchiha clan after all..."
"I will hide my name, change my appearance, and then return to Konoha as an ordinary Anbu member."
"So, you're still in contact with Konoha."
Uchiha Obito's voice suddenly became cold.
He knew that Uchiha Itachi wouldn't make unfounded statements. He must have already gotten in touch with a Konoha leader.
"Do you think I would easily let you return to Konoha?"
*Crackle.*
As soon as Obito finished speaking, dozens of White Zetsu emerged from the ground around them.
Kisame, who had been waiting for Obito's order, also silently began to form hand seals.
Not to mention, the figure walking out from behind a certain tree...
The figure possessing a pair of Rinnegan.
"Even the Leader has come?"
Uchiha Itachi looked at Tendo Pain (Deva Path), who had appeared before him, his usually calm expression finally showing some change.
"Because Tobi said you might betray the Akatsuki."
Pain, who had walked out from behind the tree, first nodded toward Obito, then walked in front of everyone.
"I'm just going to Konoha to go undercover. I don't plan to betray the Akatsuki."
"You came from Konoha, and now you're returning as a Konoha Ninja. How are we supposed to trust your loyalty?"
No matter who it was, Pain said he would never show mercy to those who betrayed the Akatsuki.
"I have a way to prove myself."
Uchiha Itachi knew that if he didn't do something now, things would definitely not end well later.
He was confident that he could escape unscathed against Tobi and Kisame, but against Pain, who possessed the Rinnegan, he felt that even if he activated his complete Susanoo... he might not be able to win.
And he, who was already ill and nearing his end, would only be committing suicide in another way if he used his Mangekyo Sharingan to its full extent without holding back.
"How will you prove it?"
Obito couldn't think of any way Uchiha Itachi could convince him not to suspect him.
This guy hadn't been honest from the beginning when he joined the Akatsuki, and now that he was going back to Konoha, there was even less possibility of him being loyal.
"To show my loyalty to the Akatsuki, I plan to give this Sharingan to the Leader for safekeeping."
Uchiha Itachi took out a crow containing a Mangekyo Sharingan from his sleeve.
"That eye!? Could it be..."
Obito recognized the pattern of that Mangekyo Sharingan at a glance.
"That's right, this is Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyo Sharingan, which contains his strongest technique, Kotoamatsukami."
Uchiha Itachi said something in the most ordinary tone that made everyone present gasp.
"Oh? Kotoamatsukami? The legendary ultimate Illusionary Technique?"
Even Pain was surprised by Uchiha Itachi's move.
An Illusionary Technique that could alter a person's will was too precious.
"That's right. Even I would unknowingly fall victim to this technique if I were caught off guard."
Uchiha Itachi let the crow carrying Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan fly to Pain's side.
"Alright, that 'loyalty' of yours is indeed enough."
Pain casually let the crow fly onto his shoulder.
His body was just a puppet. He wasn't afraid of Uchiha Itachi suddenly using the Kotoamatsukami technique to control him.
His nonchalance made Uchiha Itachi even more wary of this Leader who possessed the Rinnegan.
Of course, the person he was most wary of was still Tobi, who was standing to the side, staring at the Mangekyo Sharingan with a strange look in his eyes since just now.
"Well, since you've taken out something like that, then we'll believe in your loyalty for now."
Although Obito's tone wasn't very good, he waved his hand and dismissed the White Zetsu he had summoned earlier.
This Uchiha Itachi, deliberately taking out Shisui's Mangekyo and offering it to Pain... did he know that he and Pain, this Akatsuki Leader in name only, weren't of one mind?
So, he was planning to use this to restrain him? Or was he trying to make Pain and him fight each other?
Obito was frantically guessing Uchiha Itachi's intentions in his heart.
However, even Shisui's Mangekyo was worth taking out. It seemed that this Uchiha Itachi really planned to go to Konoha to investigate that boy?
"Then I'll go prepare."
Although the Mangekyo Sharingan given to Pain was real, Uchiha Itachi didn't say that he wouldn't leave any tricks on it.
He would never use the eyes that his friend Shisui had entrusted to him to protect anything other than the Village.
"I will also find a way to help Kisame retrieve Samehada."
Although he planned to return to Konoha, Uchiha Itachi didn't want to break off contact with the Akatsuki.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Obito glanced at Uchiha Itachi with a dark look in his eyes.
"In the future, let Kisame be responsible for contacting you."
"Alright."
Uchiha Itachi didn't refuse. He had already begun to consider how he would meet his younger brother Sasuke again in Konoha in the future.
----
"Did you give him the ointment?"
"Yes."
Hinata lowered her head shyly, touching her index fingers together.
It seemed that she was very happy to have caught up with Uchiha Kage to deliver the wound medicine.
"Did you say the words I asked you to say?"
"I, I said them."
Even if Yuhi Kurenai-sensei didn't say it, she would tell Uchiha Kage to be careful in everything and not to be careless.
"I wonder what kind of mission that guy took in the Anbu, hmph..."
Yuhi Kurenai was still angry that Uchiha Kage was hiding things from her.
However, she now found that she was most worried about his safety.
The Anbu wasn't a good place to be...
"Teacher, these three Kumogakure ninja don't seem to be dead yet. Should we take them back to Konoha together?"
Aburame Shino accidentally discovered the Kumogakure ninja who had been caught in their trap in the ruins. Although these three guys had been burned black by Uchiha Itachi's Fire Release earlier, their vitality was surprisingly tenacious, and they were still breathing.
"They're still alive? Then let's take them back together. They're also one of our accomplishments."
With the sword Samehada, plus these three Kumogakure ninja prisoners, Team 8 couldn't be said to have failed their mission.
----
"How nice, you can still receive the care and concern of your little girlfriend before a mission."
Gekko Hayate couldn't help but say as he watched Uchiha Kage staring blankly at the bandage on his hand that was tied with a bow.
"Hayate-senpai doesn't have a girlfriend?"
Uchiha Kage wasn't looking at the wound that Hinata had carefully bandaged for him, but at the ninja fragments he had picked up from the ruins, which had fallen from Yuhi Kurenai and Aburame Shino.
At the same time, he was a little disappointed that he hadn't been able to obtain ninja fragments from Uchiha Itachi this time.
Although he had easily dodged Uchiha Itachi's Amaterasu with his Intangibility ability, Uchiha Kage was still quite envious of the Amaterasu ability.
Whoever you glared at would catch fire. How cool was that?
"I..."
Gekko Hayate didn't expect to be hit so hard by Uchiha Kage.
He looked silently at Uzuki Yugao, who was checking the map ahead.
He was wondering when he and Uzuki Yugao would be able to shake off their Anbu identities and walk together openly.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be so envious of a junior now.
"Don't chat idly. Hokage-sama instructed us to go to the Whirlpool Country Ruins to investigate the terrain first. Let's set off quickly."
Uzuki Yugao didn't notice Gekko Hayate's little thoughts. She only had the mission in front of her in her eyes.
"Yes."
Uchiha Kage knew that they had to go to the Whirlpool Country.
After all, if Konoha and Kirigakure of the Land of Water went to war in the future, the Land of Waves and the Whirlpool Country would be the first Battlefields.
----
"What did you say!? They were all captured by Konoha Ninja? And they were imprisoned in Konoha's Prison?"
Land of Lightning, Kumogakure.
A certain female ninja, who had been waiting for her Disciple to return to the Village, was shocked by the news that was suddenly transmitted back to the Village.
"Yes, Raikage-sama has already sent someone to Konoha to negotiate."
Another secretary-like female ninja comforted her friend while shaking her head helplessly.
"However, Konoha is unexpectedly tough this time, and..."
Attacking Konoha Ninja face-to-face within the Land of Fire was really unreasonable.
"I understand... I will take responsibility for this accident. Please don't trouble Raikage-sama with such trivial matters."
The female ninja sighed. She had indeed been too lenient with her genin disciples when she wasn't paying attention for a moment.
However, she really didn't expect that these bold disciples would dare to run to the Land of Fire to pursue Konoha Ninja with just a moment of inattention.