As soon as Kakashi's words, almost a declaration of battle, fell, killing intent erupted from him. The situation immediately became tense, with the Akatsuki members standing firmly against the Jonin's pressure, their bodies completely unmoved.
'No weaknesses in their 'aura'...' Kakashi thought, narrowing his eyes.
Kisame stepped forward, revealing his sharp teeth, and his cloak billowed, emitting a violent killing intent that swept over the Konoha group with even more ferocity. The expressions of the three Genin in Team 7 all changed at this display.
"The masked guy is the 'Copy Ninja' Kakashi, huh? To meet him here… But before you speak, you should consider your own strength first." Kisame scoffed, unconcerned by the threat. He glanced at Kakashi before his small eyes shifted to Naruto, who stood directly across from him, a look of surprise mixed with amusement flashing in his gaze, "Haha, seems like we got lucky. The person we were supposed to capture has come right to us. Good... this might save us the trouble of another trip later."
Kisame's face and words, openly exposed in the air, were filled with malice. Kakashi, slightly bent in a combat-ready stance, saw the ugly face under the hat and grew even more serious as he searched his memory.
'Hoshigaki Kisame, a Missing-nin responsible for numerous murders in Kirigakure… that sword… yes, it must be one of the Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist.' Kakashi thought, "Mission… what did he mean by that?"
The Akatsuki was still unfamiliar to people in Konoha. Jiraiya stood nearby, quietly pondering what Kisame said.
"What kind of nonsense is this ugly freak spouting..." Naruto muttered with a frown. Kisame's gaze felt very dangerous to him, his words carrying a cold, life-threatening undertone, and his heart filled with discomfort. Moreover, seeing his teacher on the opposing side was troubling… Frustrated, Naruto finally raised his hand, signaling the beginning of the fight.
"Shark-faced freak, get out of the way!" He shouted as he charged forward without any fancy tricks, just as usual. Several shadows flew past his advancing body, shurikens whistling towards Kisame's face.
Seeing this, Logan's eyes flickered, 'At least Naruto had made some progress.'
While rushing forward, a low shout rang out, "Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"
In an instant, seven or eight clones surrounded Kisame in a coordinated attack. Naruto performed the combo move skillfully, but facing the attack from all directions, Kisame merely sneered. There were many clones, but each punch coming at him… was too weak.
"Naruto!" Sasuke tried to stop Naruto, but it was too late. He watched helplessly as the small figure of Naruto charged toward Kisame, their mismatched sizes colliding. He just instinctively felt that attacking the enemies at close range was a bit reckless, but it was too late when he realized something was wrong.
Kisame gripped the handle of his sword and swung it heavily!! The massive sword, wrapped in white bandages, unleashed an overwhelming force with a simple motion. The momentum whipped up the wind, smashing the incoming shurikens and then obliterating every clone before their punches could land.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sounds of the clones disappearing filled the air as Naruto, his mouth agape, was momentarily stunned by this terrifying power. He could feel the energy in the air exploding, and the great sword's force was utterly unstoppable, destroying everything in its path...
Naruto had gained confidence in his strength through his training in Chakra Control and fighting experience, but the outburst of Kisame's Chakra was on a completely different level...
"Kid, what did you call me just now?" Kisame's eyelid twitched as he looked down at the stunned Naruto.
'Ugly freak...' The angry Kisame momentarily forgot about the capture mission's requirements and brought his sword down straight at Naruto.
Sakura screamed, not daring to imagine what kind of bloody scene would happen next, when…
Ding...
A metallic clang echoed, the sound lingering in the air, and a figure appeared in front of Naruto, blocking the sword.
"Kak- Kakashi-sensei..."
"Naruto, retreat first. This person won't be easy to deal with." Kakashi said as calmly as he could, the tomoe in his Sharingan spinning. His kunai was pressed heavily against the massive sword, and the weight of the blunt weapon felt like a giant bell striking his chest, making him slightly breathless.
"Oh?" Kisame looked at Kakashi, who had swiftly intervened, and said, "You're pretty fast..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a crackling sound of electricity interrupted him. Kakashi, now enveloped in a blue glow, suddenly unleashed a powerful surge of energy. Kisame's face showed a hint of surprise as he instinctively gripped his sword tighter and took a step back.
"I didn't expect you to be able to use Lightning Release to enhance your body." Kisame said upon seeing this familiar scene. His fighting spirit surged, and his face contorted with a fierce grin, exposing his sharp teeth, "Die!"
Kisame raised his sword, Samehada, once more and swung it with all his might toward Kakashi, who was glowing with lightning.
Kakashi's Sharingan calmly watched the incoming strike. He didn't choose to take it head-on, instead, he grabbed Naruto, who had yet to retreat, and vanished from the spot.
Boom!
The impact sounded like an exploding tag going off. Smoke and dust filled the air as a massive crater appeared on the ground. At the center of the dust cloud, Kisame patted his clothes, and said with annoyance, "Tch, they ran away."
After creating some distance, Kakashi landed, and Naruto, still somewhat disoriented, rolled several times on the ground. Sasuke ran over and scoffed upon seeing that Naruto was unharmed, "Naruto, stop holding us back."
"Shut up!" Naruto had no way to retort. Once he got up, he could only glare angrily at Kisame, his defiant look completely ignoring the gap in their strength from earlier, "That jerk, next time, I'll make sure he gets what's coming to him."
Jiraiya and Sakura jumped down from the tree and, after confirming that the terrifying attack hadn't caused any injuries, finally relaxed.
Jiraiya, looking at his troubled student, advised, "Naruto, I told you that the opponent is very powerful, don't underestimate them."
"I know!"
After the brief clash, both sides found themselves back at the starting point. Despite Naruto still being eager to fight, Kakashi and Sasuke remained cautious, even if their hearts were filled with urgency.
"Hattori, let's retreat for now." Itachi suddenly said softly, breaking the tense standoff.
When Logan heard this unexpected suggestion to withdraw without even fighting, he surprisingly had no objection. Instead, he nodded in agreement.
Kisame, resting Samehada on his shoulder, glanced back after hearing Itachi's words. Although his expression suggested annoyance and disdain, he didn't seem surprised.
The real issue wasn't whether they could cold-heartedly attack people they were familiar with, as it was just secondary. After Kakashi dodged, Kisame didn't pursue the attack, and Itachi hadn't made a move either. The three of them shared a desire to avoid battle, and the reason was clear… As they were facing Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin.
Though Jiraiya had kept a low profile so far, Logan and his companions did not underestimate him. Logan had knowledge from the original work, while Itachi and Kisame had their own understanding from the Ninja World and intelligence collected by White Zetsu.
Under the moonlight, the three quickly reached a consensus, but then a problem arose.
"Ahem, who's going to cover the retreat?"
Logan asked with black gaze.
"…"