Chapter 212: Kisame and Itachi

The border between the Land of Rivers and the Land of Rain.

"Drip… drip…"

Rainwater rinsed away the blood on the ground as the fallen ronin groaned in pain. None of them rose again.

Uchiha Sasuke swept his cold gaze across them. No one moved any further.

He slipped the retrieved scroll into its case and was about to leave.

…

A crow fluttered down. He paid it no mind at first—until that pair of scarlet Mangekyō Sharingan opened before him.

What is this?!

A genjutsu sealed by transcription was unleashed.

The three tomoe in Sasuke's eyes appeared automatically. His vision wavered slightly, and then he saw the enemy he had obsessed over day and night—Uchiha Itachi.

"You really are as naive as ever… my foolish little brother."

Sasuke did not immediately dispel the illusion; he realized his opponent's intention: a conversation between brothers.

His voice was icy. "What exactly do you want?"

"I told you from the very start," Itachi said. As he spoke, everything around them shifted perspective and rapidly rose higher.

They seemed to transform into crows, wings flapping as they soared. Soon, from high above the vast landscape, they saw the strange Orochimaru base below—the entrance flanked by two piles of rocks protruding from a lake like pointed spires.

They saw the ninja cat Hina hiding in the distance; they saw a stranger in a blue yukata slung over Kisame Hoshigaki's shoulder; they saw the unconscious big man bobbing on the water's surface; and then—

They saw Link, kneeling on the water, his entire body ablaze with black flames.

"Hah!"

In an instant, Sasuke returned to reality. His intense emotions spurred the Sharingan's power, wiping away an illusion he could already have dispelled. Only Itachi's cool voice remained in his ears:

"I'll be waiting for you."

"I'm going to kill you."

The tomoe in Sasuke's eyes spun frantically, yet his mind was astonishingly clear. Recollections of his father and Kakashi-sensei swirled in his thoughts.

It was just a genjutsu—an illusion.

There was no way Link would be taken down so easily.

Not even by Itachi.

Moreover, with that jutsu in play, and with Father able to fight, they would not be defeated so simply. Link had so many techniques and secrets; he was always composed and unhurried. How could he possibly be killed so easily?

Sasuke stood there, trembling slightly. After a moment, he vanished in a flicker of speed.

He did not return to the village or regroup with his teammates.

Even if it's fake, Itachi must be there waiting for me.

As he sprinted, he failed to notice the crow following him from above.

I'm going to kill you!!!

…

Outside Orochimaru's base.

"What's wrong, meow?" Hina asked curiously, seeing two figures emerge so quickly.

They had only been gone for about ten minutes. Searching such a huge base—just packing up anything valuable would take longer than that.

"It's empty inside; everything's been taken," Utakata replied.

Indeed, the entire base was stripped bare, especially the experimental equipment and crucial research data. All that remained were a pile of electrical devices, some ninja uniforms, and a dozen or so Ame forehead protectors.

Link felt a pang of annoyance. He knew there would be times when he missed out on gains—moments between receiving intel from the Purple Hermit and arriving in reality. He just hadn't expected it to happen this time.

Composing himself, he checked the big man's condition. He seemed perfectly fine—healthy, not unconscious, merely asleep.

"Thud!" One of Link's shadows kicked the big man.

He opened his eyes in confusion, instinctively trying to stand, but the shadow restrained him.

"You all…" He fell silent for a moment, not knowing what to say. Finally, he muttered, "There's nothing here besides me. Everything Orochimaru left was taken by the Ame shinobi."

Link had more or less guessed as much. Without a word, he summoned the Earth Dragon, had the shadow secure the big man, and prepared to leave.

Since there was nothing else to be found, the only real prize now was the person(?) right before him.

"Flutter~"

Suddenly, Link looked back at a flock of crows converging in the distance, swiftly forming a human shape.

Uchiha Itachi?!

Before Link could react, a violent surge of water rushed over them.

"Splash!"

In the blink of an eye, the entire area was submerged.

"Pop." Utakata had just steadied himself and was blowing a bubble when the water's surface burst apart. Kisame Hoshigaki, wielding Samehada, slashed toward him.

"Your opponent… is me!"

That sword's ability… Utakata thought. Originally from the Kiri, he was only too familiar with Kisame and Samehada. He did not begin a partial Tailed Beast Transformation. Instead, forsaking his footing on the water, he dropped into the artificial lake with a splash, hands already forming seals.

"Fighting former comrades… how nostalgic," Kisame remarked after finishing his own hand signs, pressing his palm against the surface of the water.

Five shark-shaped water bullets rampaged underwater, pursuing Utakata.

Hina was dashing across the water on all fours. Recognizing Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki, the ninja cat had no desire whatsoever to stay and fight.

You've got to be kidding—it was just a helpless little cat, only here because it had been summoned. Dying for no reason would be far too unfair.

Jūgo hesitated, unsure whether to join the fray, then noticed a pair of scarlet eyes fixed on him. A moment later, he found himself in a hazy, gray world, facing another version of himself with glowing red eyes.

A Sharingan genjutsu?

He glanced at Itachi Uchiha standing nearby, smiling helplessly.

…

Back in reality…

"I haven't even gone looking for you, yet here you are, seeking me out," Link muttered, retreating behind a group of his shadow doubles, blocking his own line of sight. Though his substitute ability today was decent, facing the Mangekyō Sharingan and Kotoamatsukami left him at a disadvantage.

Besides, there was no need for him to charge in alone, no matter the situation.

"Boom!"

The Rashōmon Gate burst out of the water, rising in front of him.

Three elite jōnin and Haku emerged. Upon spotting Uchiha Itachi across the way, their expressions varied.

Uchiha Fugaku showed no surprise; he knew full well his son's obsessiveness—after all, they had both died once already.

Baki silently observed the scene. It felt as though he hadn't been summoned for a long while. First, he needed to see what was happening and whether it concerned the Suna. Only then would he decide whether to help and to what extent.

"Haku, get back!" Zabuza Momochi barked, immediately telling the younger ninja in front of him to move away.

He had experienced the Sharingan's power firsthand. Even though someone who has died once might fear death less, he absolutely did not want to see Haku killed again before his eyes.

He could not bear to witness even a false death a second time.

~~~

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