Encountering the Akatsuki Duo!

At the same time, on the other side of Konoha.

Ichiraku Ramen Shop.

"What?! Why do I have to go on a research trip with a pervy old man like you?!" Naruto mumbled through a mouthful of ramen as he ate.

"Shut up... you idiot! Can't you finish eating before you talk?!" Jiraiya scowled as he pulled a noodle Naruto had sprayed onto his arm. "I can't understand a word you're saying!"

Naruto hurriedly slurped up a couple more mouthfuls of noodles, took a sip of soup, and gulped down the food in his mouth without chewing properly.

"I said, why do I have to go traveling with you?!"

"I told you, it's not a trip. We're going to find a lady... and it won't be just the two of us!"

"What's that got to do with me? I don't know any lady! Besides, I have to train!" Naruto turned his head away, looking bored.

"I'll pay... it's my treat today!" Jiraiya pulled out his wallet, paid for the ramen, and left the shop with Naruto.

"Hmph, don't think a bowl of ramen is enough to buy me off!" Naruto looked thoroughly impatient. "I still have to train with Kakashi-sensei! I want Kakashi-sensei to teach me Chidori, but lately he's only paid attention to Sasuke. He's so unfair..."

"Haven't you already learned Rasengan?" Jiraiya said, picking his nose.

"That's different! Kakashi-sensei only teaches Sasuke and not us. How can he be so unfair?!"

Jiraiya stopped, turned to look at Naruto, and said seriously, "Naruto... Chidori is a technique you can't learn. Your chakra nature is wind! So you should come traveling with me instead!"

"Then I can learn from Sakura! Didn't Sakura say I'd only learned half of Rasengan?" Naruto grinned smugly at the thought. "I still have to learn the whole technique, then give Sasuke a huge surprise!"

"Do you spend all day thinking about how to compete with Sasuke? How pathetic!" Jiraiya glanced at Naruto with utter disdain, then turned and continued walking. "Besides, if you don't come traveling with me, you won't be able to learn the next stage of Rasengan!"

"Huh? Why not?" Naruto hurried a couple of steps ahead of Jiraiya and looked back to ask.

"Heh heh, of course it's because-"

"-Sakura's coming with us too!"

"Huh? Really?"

"Of course. We're going to find her now... you can ask her to teach you a few more ninjutsu on the way!"

Seeing Naruto's excited expression, Jiraiya smiled faintly and recalled a conversation from earlier-

On the last day of June, during a lull in the afternoon before the Chunin Ninja Exams.

On the rooftop of an office building somewhere in Konoha.

"Lord Jiraiya... it's been a long time! You haven't been back to the village in years, have you?" Kakashi said, leaning back against the railing. "What did you want to see me about?"

"To be precise, it's not you I'm here for..." Jiraiya leaned against the railing, looking out over Konoha. "It's that child..."

Jiraiya looked away from the view and turned to Kakashi.

"Kakashi, leave Naruto to me..."

"...Lord Jiraiya?" Kakashi looked back at him in considerable surprise.

"The Third had his reasons for leaving Naruto in your care. But things have changed now..."

Jiraiya slowly told Kakashi about some of the important intelligence he had uncovered over the past few years. The biggest discovery was that an organization called Akatsuki had taken in many dangerous wanted criminals and showed signs of trying to collect the Tailed Beasts!

"So you're going to take Naruto away..."

"That's right. For his safety, the best thing is to leave him with me... after all," Jiraiya said gravely, "every member of that organization is stronger than you!"

Kakashi considered it for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

"But if that's the case... could I ask you to take another child?"

"One is trouble enough..." Jiraiya refused without even thinking. "What, can't even you handle them? Who is it?"

"Another member of my team... Sakura Haruno!"

"I've heard her name. Apparently, she's very talented at ninjutsu, but..." Jiraiya frowned. He had no interest in looking after children. If Kakashi thought that was his hobby, he was sorely mistaken. "She's just an ordinary ninjutsu prodigy. Is that worth taking so seriously? Even you can't teach her?"

"She's more than ordinarily gifted. If that were all, why would I ask you?" Kakashi turned around too and leaned against the railing beside Jiraiya, speaking as the cool breeze blew over them. "You'd understand if you saw her ninjutsu. Some time ago, she independently developed Minato-sensei's Wind Release: Rasengan..."

Kakashi explained it with a certain amount of pride.

"The second stage of Rasengan..." For a moment, Jiraiya thought of his brilliant, gifted disciple who had died so young...

"You mean she's a lot like Orochimaru?"

"No." Kakashi shook his head, rejecting Jiraiya's comparison. "If I had to compare her to someone, I'd say she's more like my teacher, the Fourth Hokage!"

"To be honest, I feel like there's nothing useful I can teach her anymore. So I don't hold back her growth, I think it would be better to-"

"Forget it! I couldn't teach a disciple like that any more than you could. Really, even Minato developed most of his ninjutsu himself. All I did was help him apply for access to a lot of top-secret documents!" Jiraiya waved a hand, cutting Kakashi off.

"..." Kakashi fell silent.

"But," Jiraiya said, glancing at Kakashi, "even if I can't teach her, there's someone else who can..."

"You mean...!" Kakashi immediately thought of someone else.

"That's right. Isn't this child a perfect match for her to teach? They have certain traits in common!"

"That leaves Sasuke to you, Kakashi. Thanks for taking care of him! Teach him more about using the Sharingan. Don't forget," Jiraiya said in a low voice, "Uchiha Itachi is in that organization too!"

"...Uchiha Itachi, so you really did join that organization!"

Beside a great river on the outskirts of Konoha.

Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai had finally caught up with the Akatsuki duo in their strange cloaks. Or perhaps the two Akatsuki members had found a suitable battlefield and no longer needed to run?

In any case, when I caught up, I saw the five of them facing off with their weapons drawn, and heard Kakashi say those words.

Tap! I landed on the water beside Kakashi.

"It seems you know quite a lot about our organization..." The speaker was a ninja whose lower face was hidden by his cloak. Three tomoe slowly revolved in his blood-red eyes, radiating a strange fascination. Anyone who looked at this ninja couldn't help being drawn into his eyes...!

For an instant, my mind went hazy... then I suddenly snapped out of it!

"Watch out, it's genjutsu!" Kurenai and Kakashi shouted at the same time!

"Kisame! Take Kakashi!" His surprise genjutsu attack exposed, Itachi switched to an all-out assault without hesitation. "Kill everyone else!"

Kisame sneered, raised his greatsword, and slashed at us. Meanwhile, Itachi's hand twitched beneath his clothing, and I had no idea what ninjutsu he was using!

"Be careful! Whatever you do, don't look into his eyes!"

I heard Kakashi's anxious voice and instinctively looked into Itachi's eyes-

Everything before me slowly faded to black and white, like a PC shutting down. Then it spun, like a vortex about to drag my consciousness into another world... Fear spread from the bottom of my heart. I seemed to sense that if I really fell in, I'd be in terrible danger! I struggled with all my might. Time slowed, growing slower and slower, while I drew closer and closer to falling into that world-

"Aah-!"

I cried out, and everything before me suddenly returned to normal! Kakashi and Kurenai had already collapsed limply beside me! I took a closer look and saw that Kisame's Samehada was already upon us, chopping down at Asuma's head!

Clang! Asuma blocked the strike with both blades!

But the real attack, the surging chakra I sensed, was below us-!

"Water Release: Thousand Feeding Sharks!"

Countless giant sharks formed from water burst up from below! I couldn't dodge. Kakashi couldn't move!

"Azure Water Release: Absolute Defense!"

I condensed a huge amount of extremely pure water into an egg-shaped shield around the four of us, forming an impregnable defensive sphere! Hundreds, thousands of water sharks slammed into the shield, their overwhelming onslaught terrifying to behold!

Boom-!

After the final strike, the endless water sharks finally stopped attacking! Boundless spray flew into the air and fell from the sky like a downpour. It was a long time before the water's surface grew calm.

"Kurenai! Kakashi! Are you all right?!" Asuma asked anxiously.

Spurt! Kurenai spat out a mouthful of blood. "I'm all right," she said weakly. "My genjutsu was just countered, that's all. But Kakashi was hit head-on by Itachi's genjutsu-"

"Phew, phew-! I'm okay..." Kakashi's voice was even weaker, and he could barely remain standing.

"Damn it! Sakura, all we can do is stall. With a disturbance this big, I hope someone notices soon!" Asuma said to me gravely!

Things looked very bad... Two of us were already down, while Itachi opposite us was only slightly short of breath. The instant he countered Kurenai's surprise genjutsu attack, he had also used Tsukuyomi on Kakashi and me, defeating us both in an instant! That's Itachi for you... I gave a wry smile inwardly. Apparently, Itachi was a good person, but in the current situation, I didn't dare count on him holding back and sparing our lives. I had to prepare for the worst!

But I really was out of options. I could only hope that Kisame's ninjutsu had caused too much of a disturbance for them to dare stay here long. In other words, we just had to hold out a little longer. If I fought without regard for the cost, my combat power was terrifying for a short time! It was time to give it everything I had!

I made up my mind!

"Sakura-!" Sasuke's voice suddenly came from the distance! Damn it, he might have seen where I was going and followed me here!

I hurriedly shouted, "Sasuke, stay back!"

Tap! Sasuke had already reached the riverbank. "What's going on? Who are you fighting-"

Sasuke's voice stopped.

His eyes turned blood-red in an instant, two tomoe spinning wildly within them! Rage and hatred gathered on his face, growing and growing!

"Uchiha Itachi..." His hatred and rage had reached their limits, and Sasuke's voice seemed to tremble!

Blue chakra gathered in his hand, forming a blinding bolt of lightning that roared like the cries of a thousand birds!

"I'm going to..." Chidori took shape in Sasuke's hand, its dazzling light casting his face into deep shadow. "Kill you!"

Chidori! Charge!

"Sasuke, don't go!"

Ignoring the enormous gap in their strength, Sasuke was blinded by hatred. He cared only about charging at Uchiha Itachi and paid no attention to our voices trying to stop him!

Chidori bore down on Itachi with ferocious force!

Smack-!

Uchiha Itachi merely turned lightly. Chidori struck nothing but an afterimage, and Itachi seized Sasuke's wrist!

The brothers' eyes met at that moment. Sasuke's were filled with rage, hatred, fear, and surprise, while Uchiha Itachi merely looked down at him coldly, his eyes full of endless indifference as their three tomoe slowly revolved.

"Foolish little brother..." Itachi's lips moved slightly as he spoke softly.

"Aaaaaah-!"

Sasuke raised his left hand and cried out in pain!

Itachi wrenched hard with his right hand, breaking Sasuke's left arm! With a heavy kick, he sent Sasuke flying toward us!

Splash! Sasuke didn't even have the strength to stand on the water. He fell straight into it, and I fished him out with Water Release.

"Let go, Sakura!" Sasuke got shakily to his feet and shook off my chakra water. "I'm going to kill him... with my own hands!"

"Chidori!"

Even with his left arm broken, Sasuke managed to form hand seals and gather Chidori in his right hand, ready to charge at Itachi again! But several unbreakable ropes of water bound him tightly!

"Sakura! Didn't I tell you to let go?!" Sasuke roared!

I shouted at Sasuke without mercy, "Shut up! If you're in such a hurry to die, I can grant your wish right now!"

"What can you do to Uchiha Itachi with your strength as it is now?! You'd just be throwing your life away!"

Uchiha Itachi had actually stayed put. Even if that sudden burst of power had placed a heavy burden on him, he should have recovered by now. Why wasn't he making a move, instead of getting caught up with Sasuke?! Could he really be holding back on purpose? As soon as the thought occurred to me, I sensed the chakra across from us growing active again! Sasuke was still being willful here. I really couldn't put up with it!

I bound Sasuke securely with Azure Water Release, sealed his mouth too, and dragged him back. Sasuke couldn't resist at all! I wasn't Sasuke's mother, and I wasn't going to indulge that temper of his!

"Come out! You, the one who's been hiding nearby!" Itachi suddenly said.

A figure dressed entirely in green burst from a hiding place in the woods by the river. "Konoha's proud Blue Beast... the wild man Might Guy has arrived!"

"I'd say you're more like an exotic beast!" Kisame quipped flippantly.

"So it was you...!" Itachi said softly. "Kisame, don't underestimate him... in some ways, he's harder to deal with than Kakashi!"

So he had been wary of Might Guy's presence...

"Kakashi, Kurenai, are you all right?" Might Guy stood guard in front of us and called back.

"I'm all right. I've recovered a little now, but Kakashi was hit by Itachi's genjutsu. He can't hold on any longer...!" Kurenai said in a low voice.

"Kurenai, Sakura... take Kakashi to the hospital first. Then," Might Guy turned to face Itachi and Kisame, "until the Anbu I assigned arrive... I'll deal with you myself!"

"Kisame... forget it!" Itachi stopped Kisame, who was itching to act, and spoke slowly. "There's no need to continue an unnecessary fight...! Let's go!"

"Before we leave..." Itachi suddenly added, "one more thing-"

"My foolish little brother... why are you so weak?"

"It's because... your hatred isn't deep enough!"

At that instant, the three tomoe in Uchiha Itachi's eyes spun wildly, merging into a great pinwheel. Mangekyō Sharingan! Tsukuyomi!

"Aaaaaah-!"

Sasuke screamed in pain, then his voice grew fainter and fainter, and he lost consciousness completely!

Uchiha Itachi and Kisame turned around—and left with the Body Flicker Technique.

Konoha Hospital.

In a small hospital room, Sasuke and Kakashi lay on beds, one on each side.

"Sakura, there you are! We had such a hard time finding you!" Naruto shouted at me.

"Shh-!" I glared at him and lowered my voice. "This is a hospital! Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei are unconscious, so don't shout!"

"Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei-? What happened to them?!"

"Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei..." I sighed. "Let's go outside..."

I led Naruto and Jiraiya out of the room and told them what had happened that afternoon as we walked down the hospital corridor.

"Anyway, that's what happened! Kakashi and Sasuke both suffered severe mental trauma. The doctors here say that unless Lady Tsunade comes, they're completely helpless to treat it...!"

"Is that so... Then let's go find Lady Tsunade and bring her back right away!" Naruto said loudly!

"Then you two have to hurry there and back!"

"No... Sakura!" Jiraiya put his hand on my shoulder and looked at me. "Not 'you two'...!"

"Huh?" For a moment, I didn't understand what Jiraiya meant.

"'We'...!" Jiraiya looked at me seriously.

"You, me, and Naruto. The three of us are going to find Tsunade!"

"Whaaat-??!!"

The plot had changed completely?!