Chapter 41: Uchiha Itachi, Acting His Heart Out
"Kakashi.
What's going on?"
Sasuke immediately frowned when he saw the situation.
Something was clearly happening here.
And Kakashi didn't seem to want to tell him.
"A few spies slipped into the village."
Kakashi gave Sasuke an apologetic look.
"Sorry, Sasuke~
Go find Byakuya and train with him for today.
I've got to go catch those two spies."
"…Fine."
Sasuke didn't suspect anything further.
He nodded and headed toward Byakuya's bookstore.
Meanwhile, Kakashi moved swiftly in the direction Itachi had gone.
...
"You two don't seem to be from the village, do you?"
Asuma and Kurenai blocked Itachi and Kisame's path.
"What exactly is your purpose in coming to Konoha?"
"It's been a while~
Asuma-san, Kurenai-san."
"Since you know us, that means you used to be a ninja of this village, right?"
Itachi didn't answer.
Instead, he slowly lifted the brim of his hat.
Revealing the three-tomoe Sharingan for all to see.
"You… you're…"
After seeing those eyes, both Asuma and Kurenai froze.
Taking advantage of their shock, Itachi removed his hat completely and partially opened his cloak.
Letting his full face come into view.
"No mistake…
Uchiha…
Itachi!"
Asuma and Kurenai's expressions instantly turned grave.
"You two are acquaintances of Itachi-san?
Then allow me to introduce myself as well."
Kisame slowly took off his own hat beside him.
"Hoshigaki Kisame.
Pleased to make your acquaintance~"
"There won't be any 'future' acquaintance."
Asuma spoke while staring at the two with even greater caution.
"I'm going to end you both right here."
"Itachi-san, looks like the people in the village really hate you, huh~"
"I know you too."
Kurenai suddenly spoke up, addressing Kisame.
"Hoshigaki Kisame, former Kirigakure ninja.
Became a missing-nin wanted by the Land of Water for assassinating a daimyo and engaging in acts of national destruction."
"You're both S-rank criminals on the bingo book," Asuma added. "Itachi.
After causing an incident that serious, you still have the guts to show your face in this village."
"Asuma-san, Kurenai-san."
Itachi spoke very politely.
"Please do not stand in our way.
I have no desire to kill you."
"That doesn't sound like something the man who massacred his own clan would say~"
Asuma kept probing, trying to figure out Itachi's real reason for returning.
"I know at least this much: you wouldn't dress up like that and leisurely stroll around here without some kind of purpose.
Itachi.
What exactly are you after?"
Itachi silently gazed at Asuma without replying.
Kisame, on the other hand, was getting impatient.
He abruptly drew Samehada and slammed it into the ground.
"This guy is really annoying!
Should I just kill him?"
"Looks like we won't be leaving the village quietly after all~"
Itachi spoke slowly.
"But don't overdo it.
Your techniques draw too much attention."
"Got it~"
The moment he said that, the air between the four of them turned ice-cold.
Without another word, Kisame swung Samehada toward Asuma.
Asuma quickly drew his chakra blade to block.
While the two clashed, Kurenai unleashed her signature genjutsu from the side.
But.
Every single one of her moves was seen through by Itachi.
"Hmph~"
Kisame pressed his massive blade down on Asuma and gave a cold snort.
Then he swung Samehada fiercely.
The blade instantly sprouted countless sharp, dense spikes.
With one brutal slash, those spikes tore numerous gashes across Asuma's body.
"My Samehada isn't for cutting!
It's for shredding!"
Asuma clutched his wounds, but a smile appeared on his face as he saw Kurenai's figure suddenly appear behind Kisame.
"Kurenai!
Too slow."
The moment Kurenai emerged, massive trees rose up behind both Kisame and Itachi.
The branches coiled tightly around the two of them.
Kurenai herself appeared from within the tree behind Uchiha Itachi.
Kunai in hand, she emerged from above his head.
"This ends now!"
She thrust the kunai downward.
However.
The instant the blade began its descent, she realized she and Uchiha Itachi had switched places!
The one who was supposed to be bound by the trees… was now her.
"Genjutsu of this level has no effect on me."
Itachi spoke calmly.
Then he drew a kunai of his own and thrust it toward Kurenai.
"Genjutsu reflection…?"
A chill ran through Kurenai's heart.
She bit down hard on her tongue, dispelling the illusion, and barely dodged Itachi's strike.
She avoided a fatal wound.
But dozens of strands of her hair were inevitably sliced off.
Then Itachi's raised foot caught her squarely, sending her flying.
Taking advantage of the fact that she was airborne and unable to counter, Itachi flashed forward.
So when Kurenai crashed into the water, Itachi was already standing right behind her.
"As expected of Kurenai-san."
Itachi sensed Kakashi's position.
Then deliberately slowed himself down again.
"However…"
Before he could finish, Kakashi's voice came from behind him.
"However, the one who stops here… is you."
Kakashi stood at Itachi's back, kunai ready, poised to strike at any moment.
At the same time, he had left a shadow clone beside Asuma.
When Kisame unleashed his Water Release: Water Shark Bullet Technique,
Kakashi's clone perfectly copied the same jutsu and clashed against it head-on.
"The same technique as mine?"
Kisame looked into Kakashi's eyes and instantly understood everything.
"Sharingan."
"Kakashi, you came too?"
Asuma glanced at Kakashi in surprise.
"Ahaha~
I did leave it to you two earlier, but I still got a little worried, you know~"
"Hatake Kakashi."
Itachi finally turned around.
His expressionless face looked straight at Kakashi.
But deep inside, he finally let out a long, relieved breath.
He had finally waited for Kakashi to arrive!
As a Konoha ninja sent to infiltrate Akatsuki as a spy.
As a shinobi who truly loved the village.
As one of the strongest shinobi alive.
He had actually been acting extremely hard all this time.
"A missing-nin like you…"
Kakashi slowly asked, gazing at Itachi.
"What business do you have coming back to this village after all this time?"
Itachi looked at Kakashi.
And suddenly felt that Kakashi really was the perfect person to use for a show of force.
Strong, renowned, and — most importantly — durable!