Chapter 215 Sometimes People Just Feel Tired

The shadows of the trees on both sides flashed by as Logan ran unsteadily forward. Under the night sky, the scenery, constantly pulling closer, seemed like a passage leading into a hazy darkness. He leaped across a distance of several meters by stepping on the tree trunks. The long passage that seemed endless suddenly reminded Logan of Sasuke's escape in the original work.

'It really does seem similar...' Logan thought to himself. He glanced back and saw three figures persistently pursuing them. Naruto was still shouting for someone to come back, while Sasuke, now on the chasing side, reminded Logan of the feeling he had when watching the anime premiere on an official stage back in Los Angeles. Now, he was part of it.

Everything here had to be real.

The heat flowing from the mark on the back of his hand was subsiding, and his Chakra was slowly returning to a state where he could control it freely. With a thought, an electric current flickered beneath his feet. The power burst forth briefly, and the whooshing wind turned into the roaring sound of breaking through some barrier as Logan suddenly overtook Itachi.

Hearing the air being compressed by the speed, Itachi's attention was drawn to him.

"Has your Chakra recovered, senpai?"

Logan's movements were much more relaxed than before, "Not completely, but it's getting there."

The gloom in his mood lightened a bit. Being suppressed in power was not a pleasant experience, especially when he saw that Jiraiya had also joined the chase. Now, he finally felt a bit of safety.

Itachi's face remained calm beneath his cloak. After a moment's thought, he said, "Kisame has managed to hold off two of Konoha's pursuers. I'll do my best to keep Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin, occupied. Once your Chakra has mostly recovered, head to the northern border of the Land of Fire to wait for us."

Holding off Jiraiya was undoubtedly the most difficult task. The pressure from the others was far less significant. Kisame was 'lucky' not to have run into him, but regardless, Itachi would naturally step up at this point without any hesitation.

Everyone's character dictates their actions, and Logan didn't bother with unnecessary words. He noticed that Naruto and Sasuke seemed to have delayed for a moment out of concern for Sakura falling behind. Jiraiya, trying to keep up with the children, would take a little more time to catch up.

The two of them moved alternately as they ran through the trees, the moonlight occasionally shining through the leaves.

"Itachi, behind us... Sasuke is there."

After holding back this topic for a while, Logan couldn't help but speak.

Itachi's body paused for a moment. The abrupt statement seemed out of context, but both of them knew there was some underlying meaning.

"What about him?" Itachi replied, his expression and tone calm.

"Uh..." Logan was stuck for words. He knew all the twists and turns from the original work, but he couldn't spoil it directly to the person involved!

"Nothing, just mentioning it."

Logan diverted his gaze elsewhere. He had never thought about changing certain things in this world, but as time passed and he became more familiar with some people, he found himself not avoiding actions that could alter the plot. The deepening emotions led him to thoughts, like whether the final outcome for Itachi and Sasuke could be changed.

"Didn't you say before that it would be great if I could teach Sasuke?" Logan casually remarked, "Looks like you were right, I've taught him quite a bit..."

Itachi remained silent, quietly listening to Logan's scattered comments about Sasuke. The events of that fateful night of the clan's massacre were not something Itachi knew how to explain to Logan. He lowered his face under the cloak, and after a moment, lifted it calmly. He then said, "It was just the trouble I accidentally left behind when I left the village. In fact, it unnecessary for you to have to guide him, senpai..."

'Nonsense! When you lie, you keep such a straight face, but have you ever considered the logic?!' Logan's lips twitched, 'Back then, you came to my house asking me to look after your brother, and right after, you annihilated the whole clan, leaving only Sasuke alive. And now you're explaining it as an 'accidentally left behind'? Anyone with half a brain would know there's something fishy going on.'

"Itachi, ahem, you know... you can be honest with your senpai..." Logan hesitated, thinking to himself, 'You should know that I am the one who has followed the complete series.'

"You might fool others with this lie, but to me, it's really lame."

"..."

Itachi's expression shifted slightly, as if something was about to show in his eyes, but the cloak helped him hide it once again.

"Come on, don't look down. Talk to me."

Logan urged, but this time, Itachi ignored him.

The footsteps of those chasing from behind were getting closer, and the atmosphere around Logan was becoming awkward. As he scratched his face and pondered how to break the silence, Itachi finally spoke.

"Senpai, let's have a proper conversation some other time."

Logan was stunned for a moment, then quickly responded, "Sure, of course."

Itachi nodded. He sensed the powerful Chakra getting closer and closer from behind, 'One of the legendary Sannin… Just a bit longer...'

"Oh, by the way, Itachi, why do you sometimes call me 'senpai' and other times just by my name?"

It was a completely inappropriate question for the tense situation. This sudden and absurd move threw off Itachi's concentration.

Turning his head, Itachi saw the genuinely curious look in Logan's eyes, 'Was he seriously asking this now?'

Sometimes, people just feel tired. Itachi let out an almost imperceptible sigh, feeling mentally exhausted from dealing with such a 'senpai'.

"It's just a habit." Itachi replied blandly, though it was clear to anyone he was being perfunctory, "Senpai, they're about to catch up. I'll go there first."

"Oh... okay then."

Logan watched as Itachi finished speaking and immediately stepped onto a tree trunk. The reverse force canceled his forward momentum, and his speed suddenly slowed, creating a large distance between them.

'That's strange.' Logan watched Itachi stop on the tree, facing the three pursuers behind him, puzzled, 'Was my question really that odd? I was just trying to lighten the mood, and honestly, I really wanted to know.'

Shaking his head, he decided not to dwell on the details. Both Kisame and Itachi were buying him time. Logan clenched his fists as his strength continued to recover, 'The Spirit Cleansing state was almost over.'

With a flicker of lightning, his figure swiftly darted through the forest once more.

…

"Another person has stopped to stall us." Sasuke keenly observed the two figures ahead separating. One, clad in the Akatsuki's black cloak with red clouds pattern, slowed down with a clear intention to face them.

The opponent showed no fear as he blocked their path, standing coldly before them. However, Sasuke felt a strange, indescribable sensation as he looked at this figure.

"Sure enough, they want to let the injured Hattori leave first, and they're taking turns to diminish our numbers." Jiraiya snorted, "Repeating the same trick again? That's overly confident."

"This is such a hassle. Let's just rush through!" Naruto suggested.

Jiraiya nodded. In the next moment, his demeanor changed drastically, and the image of the lazy, useless old man vanished without a trace.

Chakra vibrated around him, as one of the Legendary Sannin finally about to take action.

Sasuke's eyes were fixed on the figure in the black cloak with red clouds pattern, his mind raced, 'Had I seen this person somewhere before...'

As they got closer, Sasuke's heart pounded almost as if in a hallucination. At a certain point under the moonlight, the figure ahead lifted his head, revealing the face beneath the cloak.