Chapter 212 Don't Get in The Way

The unknown insects in the grass made a gurgling sound, adding a touch of tranquility to the night. However, this tranquility would soon be shattered. Logan turned around and looked in the direction he had come from, "Well, it should be pursuers from Konoha."

Not long ago, Logan had sensed the rapidly approaching presence behind him. The other party was swift and had a clear objective, evidently targeting him. However, since he was about to rendezvous with Itachi and Kisame, he didn't pay it much mind.

"How are you holding up?" Itachi asked thoughtfully, "I heard that you had a fight with Orochimaru."

'The pursuers needed to be dealt with.' Logan clenched his left hand, which was still radiating warmth. The mark on the back of his hand was hidden under the iron plate of his gauntlet. He replied, "No major issues. Orochimaru is nothing special, but if I want to go all out, I'll need some more time..."

'In other words, he hadn't fully recovered yet.' Itachi glanced toward the sparse forest, where the cold moonlight faintly revealed shadows, "It seems we can't rely on speed to shake them off... The other side appears quite determined. "

"If you're too weak to fight, just say so!" Kisame shouted, not missing the chance to kick someone when they're down. His small eyes glanced at Logan without any courtesy, "There's no need to be so vague. If you're not up to it, no problem, it's just a few pursuers anyway. I can kill them all right here."

With that, Kisame lifted his sword and stepped past Logan, facing the direction from which several presences were approaching. Having just been roasted by Logan's trash talk, Kisame was in a foul mood, so he was ready to vent.

Having someone else handle the trouble was fine by Logan. He didn't mind Kisame's obvious behavior and instead clapped his hands, "Good luck, I'm counting on you."

"..."

Kisame was momentarily at a loss for words. He had expected Logan to continue bickering with him and even had his comebacks ready, but the script didn't play out as he expected.

Itachi quietly observed his partner, who was at a loss when dealing with Logan's unpredictable behavior. A small smile formed in his mind as he stepped forward, "In that case, let's settle this fight here."

The two Akatsuki's members positioned themselves in front of Logan, their stance as Missing-nin opposing Konoha becoming clear.

'If Kisame and Itachi took action, the fate of the approaching Konoha's pursuers, whoever they might be, would likely be...'

The sound of branches breaking and bodies moving through the air became audible. The one leading them... looked so small...

"Found you!"

That familiar voice sent a shock through Logan. Suddenly, five figures, along with a dog, appeared in front of the three Akatsuki's members. In the moonlight, both sides could clearly see each other's faces.

"Kakashi... Why did you bring them here...?" Logan was stunned, unsure of what to feel.

"Hattori." Kakashi's focused gaze was fixed on Logan, who stood behind the two figures in black cloaks with red clouds, 'This clear stance of confrontation… Had he really betrayed the village?'

Afraid of what's about to come, Logan glanced at the familiar face in a complicated expression, 'Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura... The entire Team 7 was here. They are too reckless! And there was another one... Jiraiya?'

What was supposed to be the final step of leaving Konoha had suddenly become much more complicated. Logan didn't say anything, but he glanced at Itachi in front of him.

When Itachi's eyes swept over Sasuke's face, his body stiffened for a moment. He paused, then subtly tilted his head back, as if he wanted to ask something, but in the end, he merely pulled his cloak further over his face, hiding it more deeply.

The two parties finally met.

Pakkun, perched on a tree trunk, observed the unpredictable situation before him and turned his head with a sigh, "Kakashi, what happens next..."

"The battle from here on is our responsibility. You should return and report to Hokage-sama." Kakashi said in a low voice, without taking his eyes off the front.

Paku naturally knew what he needed to do back in the village. He nodded, then vanished with a puff of smoke.

"Hattori-sensei, we finally caught up with you!" After Naruto saw Logan, he shouted breathlessly, having maintained a high speed during the pursuit. He jumped down from a tree, ignoring the two mysterious figures standing in front of Logan, "What are you doing running out of the village without even saying goodbye?!"

"Naruto…" Logan hesitated, but still said, "You shouldn't have come."

Sakura, the most exhausted from the journey, leaned against a tree trunk, her forehead damp with sweat. She looked at the two strangers standing between them and Logan, dressed in strange attire.

This reunion with their teaching assistant was far from the warm and everyday encounter she remembered, "Hattori-sensei..."

Sakura's murmur reached Sasuke's ears, amplifying his emotions. He bit his lip, not shouting like Naruto, but his questioning gaze was fixed on Logan. However, Logan didn't meet his eyes.

Sasuke clenched his fists and snorted before jumping down from the tree as well. Two people wearing black and red clouds blocked his view, "These two...are they from that Akatsuki organization?"

Their appearance immediately exuded a sense of unease. Their cloaks and hats concealed their faces, and they stood confidently and calmly in front of everyone.

As the clouds in the sky brushed past the half-moon, the light dimmed. Sasuke suddenly felt an ominous sensation. In his memory, there was also a moonlit night he didn't want to recall. That painful experience had changed his life, and the deep scars still marked the seed of vengeance within him.

During those meaningless days, it was a visit for guidance that had rekindled the vibrancy in his life. Sasuke was terrified of losing such a rare teacher and friend. He had watched the reflection of Naruto passing by on the river's surface and had finally felt a change from his past... He did not want to experience such a setback again.

"What do you mean, 'shouldn't have come not'?" Naruto waved his hand, his blue eyes sharp and unwavering. "People in the village are saying you defected, Hattori-sensei! You need to come back and clean your name!"

"..." This time, Logan was silent. In this situation, faced with Naruto's somewhat naive question, he didn't know how to respond.

"Speak up, Hattori-sensei!"

Jiraiya's breath was steady, and his tall figure stood like a pillar for their team, exuding a faint aura that protected the three Genin. His presence was something that even the three S-Rank Missing-nin on the opposing side could not ignore, 'Sure enough, it really is Akatsuki... How did Hattori get involved with them? I didn't expect their reach extends even into the village...'

Logan's lack of a clear response made the members of Team 7 uneasy. Kakashi took a deep breath and said, "Naruto, that's enough."

"Hattori, it seems that something is really wrong with you."

The feeling of being abandoned by someone you trust is very uncomfortable. Kakashi's eyes grew cold as he pulled up his forehead protector, "Regardless of the reasons, we will take you back to the village for questioning to clarify everything. As for those two spooky guys standing in the way..."

Kakashi pulled a kunai from his Ninja Pouch and said in a cold voice, "Don't get in the way!"