**Chapter 24: The Hasty Battle Ends, Susano'o Appears**
Compared to Itachi's calm and composed demeanor, Juzo was having a slightly harder time at the moment.
The roar he let out earlier was too loud, which led to him being ganged up on.
Moreover, Itachi's black flames were terrifying, and the reputation of the Sharingan's bloodline limit was so immense that their enemies instinctively decided to go after the seemingly weaker target first.
So, Juzo was in a tough spot. Even though his attacks were powerful and forceful, he couldn't resolve the fight immediately.
After all, this wasn't an assassination or a sneak attack from the shadows.
If he stopped fighting, his Hidden Mist Technique would completely collapse.
It was a classic case of being stuck between a rock and a hard place.
He simply loved the feeling of fighting within the Hidden Mist Technique too much, so he had instinctively used it.
But now wasn't the time to run away or duel one-on-one, so...
...
With a powerful circular swing, he deflected the attacks of four ninjas surrounding him and drove them back with brute force.
Juzo panted heavily.
Fortunately, the enemies weren't united. Several were hiding in the shadows, playing the waiting game like predators.
With Itachi's identity revealed and Juzo's Executioner's Blade making an appearance, his own identity had naturally been exposed as well.
Both of them carried considerable bounties, not to mention other valuable aspects.
The hidden enemies, like hungry wolves, were ready to strike at any moment.
The moment they acted would also be the moment the battle ended.
...
"Juzo-senpai, you're struggling a bit too much here... Let's scrap Plan A and move on to Plan D."
Itachi's figure emerged slowly from the thinning mist.
The mist was dissipating because Juzo had stopped infusing chakra into the Hidden Mist Technique.
Realizing his overzealous mistake, he had ceased sustaining the technique, allowing the fog to fade away.
"Plan D? When did we ever have such a thing?"
Hearing Itachi's words, Juzo was momentarily stunned, scratching his head with a slightly clueless expression.
After all, they had only devised two attack plans: Plan A, where they fought separately, and Plan B, where Juzo fought on the frontlines while Itachi provided support from the rear.
"We didn't have it before. Now we do."
Itachi gave a faint smile at Juzo's clueless expression.
By now, the tomoe in Itachi's Sharingan had already begun spinning rapidly.
...
Using Amaterasu, which might not even finish the job, wasn't as effective as activating Susano'o. Even its skeletal form in its initial stage could crush their enemies to the point of despair.
After all, these enemies were, in essence, just small fry.
They posed no real threat to Itachi.
Thus, Plan D was born.
"Oh, so what is it?"
Juzo instinctively asked about Plan D as he looked at Itachi, whose confidence was through the roof. But then he realized they were surrounded by prying eyes. If someone overheard, it would ruin everything.
"Just watch my back."
Itachi's voice was calm as he addressed Juzo, who was walking toward him.
A surge of powerful chakra erupted from within Itachi.
The thinning mist was instantly dispersed by this immense chakra.
Threads of blood-red energy began to envelop Itachi's body.
Bit by bit, first the skeletal ribs formed, followed by the structure extending upward...
An arm. A head.
A ten-meter-tall skeletal figure materialized around Itachi, its hollow, glowing red eye sockets sending chills down everyone's spines.
Unlike the miniature Susano'o Itachi had used before, this was his first time manifesting a full-fledged version. Two streams of blood trickled from his eyes.
Finally, he was bleeding heavily...
...
"Two minutes..."
Itachi muttered softly, sensing how quickly his chakra was depleting.
Without hesitation, he controlled Susano'o's massive skeletal fist, slamming it down on the enemies who had been fighting Juzo just moments ago, leaving them utterly stunned.
Even Juzo was momentarily shaken by the overwhelming chakra emanating from Itachi. However, he quickly snapped out of it and guarded Itachi's rear as instructed.
His mental fortitude and reaction speed were impressive.
Itachi's instruction for Juzo to watch his back was no empty warning.
When Sasuke fought Danzo, his second-stage Susano'o, which had musculature and primitive weaponry over its skeleton, was almost breached by Danzo's Wind Release from behind.
This showed that the early stages of Susano'o had a glaring vulnerability: its rear.
...
With a single punch, the four enemies—who had frozen in fear at the sight of Susano'o for the first time—were obliterated.
Two managed to react in time, unleashing their chakra to enhance their movement and narrowly escape the attack's range.
One was caught in the full force of the punch, immobilized by the massive fist's gusts of wind.
Another managed to take a few steps back but couldn't fully evade the attack...
The blood-red half-body skeletal figure left everyone in the area dumbfounded, their jaws practically hitting the ground.
Instinctively, they scattered in all directions, trying to distance themselves from the godlike Susano'o.
As everyone knew, Susano'o was the embodiment of a deity. It not only possessed immense destructive power but also exuded an aura of divine might.
Those with weak wills would be overwhelmed, paralyzed by its presence.
...
"Three seconds..."
---
After delivering a punch, Itachi's face turned slightly pale.
He had drunk too much and acted impulsively.
He had calculated the time he could maintain Susanoo but forgot that activating its attacks would also require a significant amount of chakra.
What initially seemed like a considerable reserve of chakra was being drained at an alarming rate while using Susanoo, leaving him dumbfounded.
The leisurely pace of his walk quickened.
What was once calm and composed now turned a bit hurried.
However, everyone around wasn't foolish. Seeing Itachi approaching them, they panicked and used all their strength, recklessly performing Body Flicker techniques one after another, even at the risk of tearing their muscles, to escape.
Some sharp-eyed individuals grew excited.
They had noticed Itachi's weakened state.
The blood dripping onto the ground came from Itachi's eye sockets.
It was clear that the technique consumed a massive amount of chakra. They also hadn't forgotten Itachi's age—barely thirteen years old. With his body's limitations, no matter how much chakra he had, it couldn't be endless.
The solid skeletal figure of Susanoo rapidly began to fade and eventually disappeared.
Seeing the others fleeing desperately, Itachi, who lacked exceptional speed, chose not to persist further.
He decisively stopped without hesitation.
---
Originally, Jūzō, who had been following behind Itachi, paused in mild shock as he saw the massive form of Susanoo dissipate.
However, without hesitation, he moved past the stationary Itachi and stood in front of him.
He shielded Itachi from the surrounding hostile gazes.
"Jūzō, if you dare to bring out alcohol during a mission again, I'll cut you down myself…"
Although Itachi felt a slight warmth in his heart from Jūzō standing protectively in front of him, his words remained harsh.
By this point, Itachi fully understood—he had lost control of himself.
As someone who prided himself on being exceptionally rational, this situation left him deeply dissatisfied.
He disliked anything slipping beyond his control.
"Uh… let's survive first, and we can discuss that later."
Jūzō, unable to resist even the gentleness in Itachi's scolding tone, teased in response.
Even if they had exhausted their chakra, all they needed was a moment's rest to recover.
When the time came, if the mission failed, so be it—no one could stop them from leaving.
"Hmph, stop with the jokes."
Rolling his eyes at Jūzō's words, Itachi wiped the blood from his face and began walking slowly toward Yamamoto Gis and Kakashi.
---
At this point, although Itachi appeared harmless, no one dared approach. They hesitated, weighing the pros and cons, waiting for someone else to make the first move.
"Guys, he's just a kid. His chakra must be running out. He's probably completely drained. Let's rush him, take him down, and grab his Sharingan for the bounty!"
At that moment, someone in the crowd started inciting the others.
Itachi paused his steps.
The loudmouth, realizing this, immediately turned and sprinted away in panic.
Gone in a flash.
Itachi's lips curled into a calm and composed smile.
This situation was still within his control.
---
"Kid, you've got potential! Want to team up with me? You'll never go hungry—uh, I mean, we'll feast every day!"
Itachi, with one foot arrogantly resting on a rock about a foot high, pointed a finger at Yamamoto Gis and boasted shamelessly.
Kakashi and Yamamoto Gis exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what the young man was trying to pull.
He had been cold and ruthless just moments ago, yet now he acted so carefree and frivolous.
Meanwhile, Jūzō silently grumbled to himself, feeling deeply embarrassed.
He even considered distancing himself from Itachi.
This is too humiliating…
Where's your cool and composed image?!
At that moment, Jūzō resolved never to let the kid drink again. It was as if he had multiple personalities.
---
"I think I'll head back to Konoha. I'm not teaming up with you…"
Yamamoto Gis responded with unexpected seriousness to Itachi's proposal.
Underneath his mask, Kakashi's lips curled into a smirk.
"Itachi, why don't you come back with me? Your brother is still waiting for you at home. If you don't return soon, he might end up looking to someone else as a father figure…"
Kakashi spoke softly, his tone triumphant. The first part of his sentence sounded normal, but the latter half carried a subtle implication.
Hearing the first part, Itachi instinctively wanted to retort, but upon hearing the latter, he paused briefly.
Just as he was about to say something, Kakashi nodded at Yamamoto Gis, and the two of them vanished in a puff of smoke.
"They're gone…"
Itachi murmured softly, making no attempt to stop them.
"Why didn't you stop them? If they're gone, our mission has failed…"
Not catching Itachi's murmur, Jūzō questioned in confusion.
"If you want to chase them, go ahead. I don't have the energy for it."
Itachi spread his hands and pouted slightly.
With Sasuke still in Konoha, he was technically still a spy for the village. How could he possibly attack Kakashi?
However, Kakashi's words lingered in his mind, leaving him deep in thought. He couldn't decipher their full meaning right away.
---
The sight of the loudmouth running away after Itachi merely paused caused significant psychological blows to the surrounding people.
Many chose to retreat quietly, unwilling to provoke Itachi, and instead planned to pursue Kakashi and Yamamoto Gis.
"It's over…"
Looking at the sparse crowd and the surrounding devastation, Itachi muttered softly.
Thankfully, the initial fight, though intense, hadn't caused civilian casualties.
By the time the serious fighting began, the nearby civilians had already fled.
"Yeah… mission failed. The organization will probably mock us for a while."
Jūzō sighed, feeling frustrated. Despite his thoughts of pursuing Kakashi, he stayed. With Itachi's current condition, there was no way he could leave him behind.
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