Too Much Trouble Getting Physical

Itachi Uchiha's words were meant to steady Kisame and keep Kisame Hoshigaki from getting too agitated and unleashing his ultimate move right from the start—he knew his younger brother was not strong enough yet. If Kisame Hoshigaki went all out, he might very well kill Sasuke outright.

Although he was there, he could certainly prevent that from happening, but in return, he would no longer be able to hide his identity within the Akatsuki.

He could not return to Konoha, and he could no longer remain in the Akatsuki. Then he truly would have nowhere left to go.

Fortunately, after several years as partners, Kisame Hoshigaki was still willing to listen to Itachi. Perhaps he feared Itachi's terrifying genjutsu, which was nearly impossible to defend against. Besides, as one of the Akatsuki's "core" members, Kisame Hoshigaki also cared greatly about why Kakashi and the others had come.

Were they merely passing through? Had they come specifically for them? Were they here to hunt down Rogue Ninja Itachi Uchiha? Or had they come to take action against the Akatsuki?

"They're here!"

While Kisame Hoshigaki was pondering, Kakashi, Yinsen, and the others had already arrived before them. From the moment they appeared in the distance, not only had they not slowed down, they had even accelerated. Clearly, they were coming for the two of them.

"Well, well, who would have thought we'd run into everyone from Konoha here? What a coincidence!"

"We came here specifically for you. This isn't a coincidence."

Yinsen answered from Konoha's side, drawing a few extra glances from Itachi Uchiha. This young man had once kept talking nonsense with him in the Tsukuyomi World, eventually persuading him to hand over the intelligence for delivery to the Third Hokage. Was he the leader of this operation?

With a ninja