Inside the inn where Seiya was staying in Emerald City.
The boss was huddled behind the counter, not daring to breathe, staring blankly at Uchiha Itachi and Kisame walking through the door.
The legendary Uchiha Murder God had come to his door!
Curse it! What sin have I committed? Why would such an evil star be attracted here!
The boss wanted to cry but couldn't. His legs were too weak to move, and he could only manage a smile uglier than a cry to welcome Uchiha Itachi.
At this moment, he deeply regretted not listening to that woman's words at noon.
Sigh, I should have just closed shop earlier!
The boss felt immense hatred, hating himself for being so obsessed with money.
If I can survive tonight, I'll go to the temple tomorrow, burn incense, and donate a million ryo in offerings!
Buddha, save me!
The boss tucked his head, secretly praying to the heavens.
Uchiha Itachi glanced at the boss indifferently and went straight upstairs. Kisame followed behind him.
The sound of their footsteps gradually faded.
The boss let out a long sigh of relief, slumped against the wall, and secretly rejoiced that he had saved his life. As for Itachi not paying before going upstairs, he no longer cared.
...
Uchiha Itachi reached the third floor and stopped in front of a room, knocking eight times consecutively.
Yakushi Nono opened the door, glanced at the two, and said in surprise, "Why are you here so early? Weren't you scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning?"
Uchiha Itachi replied, "The commotion Kisame made by killing someone in the street was too great. I was worried the news would spread to Emerald City and alert Uchiha Mikoto, so I accelerated my journey."
Yakushi Nono scoffed, "You're aware of the great commotion? The news is already widespread in the city!"
Kisame gave a dry laugh and said to Itachi, "Sorry, Itachi-san, I just got carried away and killed someone, affecting your important business."
"It's insignificant now." Itachi's three-tomoe Sharingan appeared in his eyes.
"The immediate priority is to kill Uchiha Mikoto. Where is her location?"
Yakushi Nono pointed to the window behind her, "The second house from the right across the street is hers. I've been watching, and she hasn't come out."
"Good."
Uchiha Itachi immediately leaped out the window, rushed across the street, kicked open the door to Uchiha Mikoto's house, and barged in.
Kisame clicked his tongue in praise, "Itachi-san is truly ruthless when killing clan members! This kind of fierce charge is rare!"
Yakushi Nono made a noncommittal gesture, secretly relieved that Megumai's son had left the inn shortly before.
Otherwise, a little later and he would have bumped into Uchiha Itachi!
.....
By the window, Yakushi Nono and Kisame waited for a while, but Uchiha Itachi did not emerge from Uchiha Mikoto's house.
"Could Itachi-san have been counter-killed by a clan member?" Kisame folded his arms and grinned.
Counter-killed? Impossible.
Yakushi Nono instantly dismissed Kisame's unreliable speculation.
Uchiha Itachi's massacre of the entire clan meant he was extremely skilled in killing Sharingan users. There was no possibility of failure.
Could he have gotten soft-hearted?
Nonou considered it but felt that was impossible too. Itachi had even laid hands on his parents and girlfriend; why would he spare a completely unrelated clan member?
Then why has he been in there for so long and not come out?
Yakushi Nono frowned, sensing something amiss.
Then, her eyelids twitched, and a premonition of disaster arose: could Uchiha Mikoto have slipped away?!
Nonou quickly steadied herself and thought carefully. The more she thought, the more likely it seemed. All afternoon, her mind had been focused on Megumai's son, and she hadn't spared any effort to monitor Uchiha Mikoto.
"Damn it! That woman must not be in the room anymore!"
Yakushi Nono cursed under her breath, leaped out the window, and rushed across the street.
Kisame's smile froze.
Oh no, did I really mess up Itachi-san's business?
Kisame also leaped out the window and rushed into Uchiha Mikoto's house.
The room had been turned upside down.
Under the bed in the bedroom, several wooden planks had been pried up by Itachi's kunai, revealing a pitch-black hole with faint drafts of air.
"A cunning rabbit has three burrows. She was very careful and dug a secret tunnel."
Uchiha Itachi was expressionless, his tone flat. He decisively summoned a flock of Shinobi crows (nin-ravens).
A few of them flew into the secret tunnel, and the rest flew out of the house, heading in various directions.
A moment later, the nin-ravens who had flown through the tunnel returned to the room, cawing meaninglessly.
Itachi understood and analyzed, "Uchiha Mikoto's scent is still very strong in the tunnel. She probably used this secret path about an hour ago."
"Given her caution, she would never force her way through the city gate queue, as that would attract too much attention. With this delay, she shouldn't have run far."
"The nin-ravens have memorized her scent and will find her soon. Before that, let's start moving."
Then, Uchiha Itachi looked at Kisame, "I'll go east, you go west, and we'll change direction later following the nin-ravens' guidance."
Yakushi Nono said calmly, "I'll leave it to you two. I'm just a support Shinobi; I won't move. I'll wait for your good news."
Uchiha Itachi nodded and rushed out of the house. Kisame, eager to make up for his mistake, also left quickly.
Yakushi Nono watched their figures disappear, a slight smile of relief on her lips.
With Uchiha Mikoto attracting Uchiha Itachi's attention, Megumai's son should be safe.
...
In the outskirts, ten-plus ri outside Emerald City.
Through friendly communication, Seiya successfully closed the psychological distance with Uchiha Mikoto and then brought her into his squad to flee together.
The company boosted courage.
Uchiha Mikoto's nerves relaxed considerably, and she was no longer reacting excessively like a startled bird.
The group ran for about half an hour and stopped by a small river to rest and recover their stamina, mainly to accommodate Samui.
It was too difficult to ask a medical Shinobi to run long distances.
Uchiha Mikoto asked curiously, "Tojo-kun, since you also fear Uchiha Itachi, why do you walk the Shinobi world with black hair and black eyes?"
Seiya shook his head. "I don't fear Uchiha Itachi."
He then explained, "The reason we are hiding from him is that we are worried that if we fight, Samui-neesan and Karin have a high chance of getting hurt."
"You're not afraid?"
Mikoto raised an eyebrow, surprised by the boy's confidence, and kindly reminded him, "Uchiha Itachi has activated a Mangekyo Sharingan similar to Uchiha Madara's. His strength is extraordinary and not something an ordinary Sharingan can contend with!"
"I know. But there's more than one pair of Mangekyo in this world. My mother has one too!" Seiya said proudly.
"Your mother has one too?" Mikoto was slightly stunned, then realized, "That's right, Uchiha Megumi is a natural prodigy with a three-tomoe Sharingan."
Before her words faded, a cawing sound suddenly echoed by the quiet river.
Black crows, almost blending into the night sky, circled and hovered above the group.
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