"Uchiha Itachi!!!"
Sasuke spat the name with pure hatred.
Shock.
Tension.
Everyone present knew that name.
Uchiha Itachi.
The infamous rogue ninja who single-handedly wiped out the Uchiha clan.
An S-rank criminal.
A dangerously powerful man.
Even Yamato couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.
"This is bad..."
Kisame smirked as he glanced at Sasuke.
"Oh? So this is your little brother, Itachi?"
Itachi's voice remained cold and indifferent.
"Yes... My foolish little brother. It seems after all these years, he's still as weak as ever."
That was it.
Blinded by rage, Sasuke charged.
In an instant, his Lightning Release technique activated.
Crackling chakra wrapped around his body, surging through the blade in his grip. Sparks danced as he dashed forward.
"ITACHI!!!"
Naruto's eyes widened in alarm.
"Sasuke! Stop!"
But Sasuke didn't hesitate.
His Sharingan locked onto Itachi, the three tomoe spinning furiously.
Seeing his younger brother's speed, Itachi's expression shifted.
He activated his own Sharingan—calm and unshaken.
Clang!
The clash of metal rang through the air.
Sasuke's blade met Itachi's kunai.
Sasuke gritted his teeth and pulled back, slashing again and again with every ounce of skill he had.
But to Itachi—it was nothing.
Each of Sasuke's strikes was met with a casual parry, effortlessly blocked.
Desperate, Sasuke gripped his sword with both hands and swung down with all his strength.
Itachi sidestepped.
With precise speed, he moved into Sasuke's blind spot, catching his wrist in an iron grip.
Then—a brutal twist.
CRACK!
Sasuke's eyes widened in pain. His fingers numbed, and his sword clattered to the ground.
But Itachi wasn't finished.
With a single, fluid motion, he seized Sasuke by the neck and slammed him into the ground.
BAM!
Sasuke gasped for air, his face red from the impact. But the fire in his Sharingan didn't die.
Itachi stared down at him.
"Why are you so weak?"
"Is it because... your hatred for me isn't strong enough?"
"You're not even worth killing."
"Foolish little brother… If you want to kill me—then hate me. Hate me with everything you have. Cling to your pitiful life and grow stronger. Run. Survive. Then come find me again."
Sasuke's whole body trembled.
"ITACHI!!! YOU BASTARD!!!"
Then—Itachi's Sharingan shifted.
The tomoe morphed into a Mangekyō.
Tsukuyomi.
Sasuke's pupils dilated. His body froze.
The world around him shattered into pure darkness.
Naruto rushed forward, anger burning in his eyes.
"What did you do to Sasuke?!"
But before he could get any closer, Yamato grabbed his arm.
"Stop, Naruto! Don't go near them!"
However, Naruto wasn't the only one reacting.
A sharp cry cut through the air.
"Sasuke!"
Naruto's heart clenched as he turned.
Sakura was running forward—tears streaming down her face.
Before she could reach Sasuke, another ninja grabbed her, holding her back.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?! Don't make things worse!"
But Sakura wasn't listening.
Her eyes stayed locked on Sasuke's unconscious form, lying motionless on the ground.
Her hands shook with frustration, nails digging into her palms.
She hated this.
She hated being too weak to do anything.
Naruto gritted his teeth, his fists clenching.
"We have to save Sasuke!"
But Yamato wasn't moving.
He knew the truth.
They stood no chance against Itachi.
And even worse, there was still the other man—the one with the shark-like grin.
Yamato made his decision.
"No! Naruto, we need to take the Four-Tails Jinchūriki and escape!"
"We'll stay and buy you time!"
Naruto shook his head.
"No way! I'm not leaving Sasuke behind!"
Yamato's expression hardened.
"Listen to me, Naruto! We can't win against Uchiha Itachi! Not like this!"
"I don't care!" Naruto shouted, his voice firm.
"Even if we have no chance—I won't abandon my friend!"
Yamato's eyes narrowed.
"What's the first rule of being a ninja, Naruto? The mission comes first!"
But before he could say anything else, Kisame moved.
The battle had begun.
The other Konoha ninja clashed with Kisame, trying to hold him off.
Yamato turned back to Naruto.
"We don't have time for this! We need to—"
But Naruto had already stepped past him.
"Naruto!"
Yamato's mind raced.
If Naruto refused to leave, even dragging him away wouldn't guarantee their escape.
Just then—Naruto stopped and turned back to face him.
His expression was serious.
"Do you know what Kakashi-sensei told me once?"
Yamato hesitated.
"...What?"
Naruto's blue eyes blazed with determination.
"He told me... 'Those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum.'
Yamato froze.
Naruto turned back and rushed toward Sasuke.
Yamato could only watch, stunned into silence.
The words lingered in his mind.
"...Companions?"
---
"Sasuke!"
Naruto roared, sprinting forward without hesitation.
Nearby, Kisame had already taken down the Konoha escort team.
When he saw Naruto rushing toward them, he grinned cruelly.
"The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki?"
Without wasting a second, Kisame swung his massive sword—Samehada—straight at Naruto.
Naruto reacted instinctively, raising his kunai to block.
Clang!
The moment their weapons clashed, a shockwave of force rippled through Naruto's arms.
His eyes widened.
"What the—? It's so heavy!"
Clang!
The next instant, Naruto was sent flying.
He twisted midair and landed hard, skidding back to a stop.
But Kisame was already moving again.
His sword came crashing down, ready to end it.
"Damn it—!"
At that moment—
"Wood Style: Rising Pillars!"
A thick wooden pillar erupted from the ground, blocking Kisame's attack just in time.
The impact split the wood in two, but it bought Naruto a moment to retreat.
His heart pounded.
If Yamato hadn't stepped in… that would've been it.
Yamato moved to Naruto's side, while Sakura stood just behind him, tense and pale.
His voice was grim.
"See, Naruto? Even this guy is no pushover."
Naruto clenched his jaw.
He knew.
These enemies… they were terrifyingly strong.
He glanced toward Itachi—who still stood off to the side, watching the fight without lifting a finger.
Naruto's fists tightened.
"Doesn't matter. I have to save Sasuke!"
Deep within his mind—
Naruto stood before the massive iron bars of the seal.
Inside, the Kyūbi grinned—its eyes glowing with amusement.
"Oh? So, you finally need me?"
Naruto glared.
"Give me power!"
The Kyūbi chuckled darkly.
"How much?"
Naruto bared his teeth.
"As much as it takes!"
Back in reality—
Naruto's body was suddenly engulfed in a red, fiery chakra.
The moment it appeared, a wave of raw, oppressive energy filled the battlefield.
Everyone froze.
"The Nine-Tails' chakra!"
Fangs began forming in Naruto's mouth, his nails sharpening into claws.
The chakra wrapped around his body like a flickering coat, its tendrils surging behind him—slowly shaping into a tail.
The air grew heavy with malice.
A sudden energy surge sent shockwaves rippling through the ground, kicking up dust and debris.
Yamato, standing nearby, winced against the wind.
Behind Naruto, the chakra began forming a second tail.
Kisame's eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Oh? Is this what a Jinchūriki's power looks like?"
Boom!
The ground exploded beneath Naruto as he vanished.
An instant later—he was right in front of Kisame.
But Kisame barely flinched.
He swung Samehada, meeting Naruto's strike head-on.
Bang!
The impact sent a shockwave tearing through the ground, scattering rubble in all directions.
Both fighters were thrown back.
Naruto landed on all fours, breathing heavily.
Kisame chuckled, his grip on Samehada tightening.
"Not bad."
But in Naruto's mind—
Not enough. Not enough. Not enough!
Not enough!
Boom!
A new surge of chakra erupted from his body.
His skin began to burn and peel, replaced by a dark red, fluid-like energy.
Behind him—a third tail. A fourth.
Naruto's mind blurred.
He was no longer thinking—only acting, only feeling.
A guttural, inhuman roar tore from his throat.
A monstrous wave of chakra surged outward, consuming everything around him.
Kisame shielded his eyes against the storm of energy.
He grinned.
"Now that's more like it."
He adjusted his grip on Samehada, muscles tensing.
"Let's see how strong you really are."
________
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