Kisame tightened his grip on Samehada, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. He turned to Itachi and asked, "Itachi-san, is this your illusion?"
Itachi's expression darkened slightly. "No. Someone is casting a spell from the shadows."
Kisame smirked, his gaze sweeping the darkness. "Oh? Interesting. Someone dares to flaunt their illusion skills in front of you?"
"Actually," Itachi said in a low voice, "he's quite skilled in illusions."
Suddenly—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ground trembled as a demonic figure with a green face and sharp fangs emerged from the darkness, wielding a massive axe. It raised its weapon high and swung it toward Itachi!
SWOOSH!
Morkel snapped out of his trance, realizing the axe that was supposed to hit Itachi was now aimed at him! He swiftly retreated, dodging the attack.
"As expected of Uchiha Itachi, countering illusions so easily," Morkel muttered before forming another hand seal. "Illusion: Devil's Punishment!"
This time, Morkel bypassed Itachi's resistance to genjutsu and focused his attack on Kisame. The results were immediate. Kisame's face contorted in pain as he struggled against the terrifying apparition tormenting him.
When the illusion finally dissipated, Kisame's body was drenched in sweat, his eyes weary. "Damn illusionists," he muttered, leaning heavily on Samehada. "Itachi-san, these illusion users are really troublesome."
Even Itachi was slightly surprised. His own mastery over genjutsu was unmatched, yet he had been unable to break Morkel's illusion when it was cast on Kisame. Whoever was hiding in the shadows had remarkable skills, only slightly below his own.
Who is this hidden illusion master in Konoha? Itachi wondered.
Before he could delve further, green vines sprouted from the ground, swiftly wrapping around both him and Kisame.
"Another illusion?" Kisame growled, raising Samehada to slice the vines apart.
However—
WHOOSH!
The thin vines suddenly thickened, growing as large as tree trunks and completely entangling the two Akatsuki members. Bound tightly, they could do nothing as Morkel emerged from the shadows.
Kakashi and Guy, watching from the sidelines, were astonished.
"Nice job, Morkel," Kakashi said weakly before succumbing to exhaustion and collapsing.
Kisame, struggling against the vines, chuckled. "So, this little brat is the Wood Style user? Was he also the one who cast the illusion?"
Itachi remained silent, studying Morkel intently.
"Such a young ninja, yet already so troublesome," Kisame continued. "Konoha is truly full of hidden talents."
"Enough talking, Kisame," Itachi interjected. "Prepare to retreat."
Kisame sighed. "Easier said than done. These vines are too tight—I can't move."
The next moment, the vines ignited with sinister black flames—
Amaterasu!
The inextinguishable black fire devoured the vines, burning them away. Freed from their restraints, Kisame grabbed Samehada and dashed away, Itachi close behind.
Morkel refused to let them escape so easily.
"Wood Style: Wood Dragon Jutsu!"
A massive green dragon erupted from the ground, its eyes locked onto the fleeing Akatsuki members.
Kisame spun around and quickly formed a hand seal. "Water Style: Giant Shark Bomb Jutsu!"
A massive water shark surged toward the wooden dragon, slowing its advance. Seizing the opportunity, Itachi activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Amaterasu!"
Black flames engulfed the wooden dragon, causing it to burn and collapse.
Morkel gritted his teeth, ready to pursue, but Kakashi, lying weakly on the ground, stopped him. "Don't chase them! The Akatsuki are unpredictable. We don't know if there are more of them nearby. If you rush in recklessly, you may fall into a trap."
Hearing this, Morkel reluctantly backed down. Guy hoisted Kakashi onto his back and headed toward the hospital, while Morkel teleported home using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
---
When Morkel entered his house, he immediately sensed something off. There was another chakra signature inside—one he didn't recognize.
An intruder? His body tensed as he gripped his kunai, scanning the area carefully.
The unknown chakra was close to Naruto's! Morkel's eyes narrowed. He had placed a Flying Thunder God seal on Naruto's clothes earlier—he could teleport instantly and launch a surprise attack.
Without hesitation, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique—
SWOOSH!
He appeared beside Naruto, kunai already flying toward the masked figure standing next to the unconscious boy!
CLANG!
The masked man deflected the attack effortlessly. "Wait! Don't misunderstand! I'm not here to assassinate you!"
Morkel didn't attack again immediately. Instead, he observed cautiously.
The masked ninja continued, "I am a member of Konoha's Root organization. 'Root' is a direct training institution under Anbu, but also operates independently, handling missions even more dangerous than Anbu's."
Morkel's expression remained cold. "Why are you telling me this?"
"We want you to join us. Join 'Root' and work for Konoha's bright future."
Morkel shook his head. "No."
"Think it over," the ninja insisted. "I'll return in three days for your answer. Until then, do not speak of this meeting."
With those words, he vanished.
Morkel scoffed. Three days? I wouldn't join in three years!
---
Meanwhile, deep within the Root headquarters—
Danzo sat in the shadows, gripping a samurai sword. "Did he agree?"
The masked ninja knelt before him. "No. He refused outright. I gave him three days as instructed, but I doubt he'll change his mind."
Danzo tapped the ground with his sword, a cold light flashing in his eyes. "Such a pity. A child with his talent could be an invaluable asset."
Another Root ninja entered, bowing. "Leader, the Third Hokage met with Jiraiya today regarding the selection of the Fifth Hokage."
Danzo's eyes narrowed. "Did Jiraiya accept?"
"No. But he recommended another candidate—Tsunade."
Danzo's expression darkened. "Hiruzen grows more foolish with age. Tsunade... the granddaughter of the First Hokage..."
He clenched his sword, contemplating his next move.
---
Two days later—
Jiraiya approached Kakashi, proposing to take Naruto and Morkel for training.
Kakashi, still recovering, chuckled. "Won't they distract you from writing?"
Jiraiya grinned. "On the contrary, Morkel is intelligent and has a talent for writing. If he ever chose a literary path, he'd surpass even me."
And so, Jiraiya, Naruto, and Morkel set off on their journey to find Tsunade.
---
As they arrived in a bustling town, Jiraiya ditched them, claiming he needed to gather "intelligence."
Morkel sighed. "Jiraiya-sensei is truly unreliable."
"Forget him!" Naruto said excitedly. "Let's get something to eat!"
As they wandered through the town, they passed a casino. A striking blonde woman with a diamond-shaped mark on her forehead and a dark-haired attendant holding a pig entered.
Morkel sensed her immense chakra. Strange... she's far stronger than most Jonin.
Moments later, Naruto dragged him toward a food stand, but Morkel hesitated, glancing back at the casino. Something told him this woman was important...
Little did he know, he was about to meet Tsunade, the woman destined to be Konoha's next Hokage.
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