"Hm? Jin?"
Itachi spotted Jin right away. Then his gaze shifted, almost against his will, to the adult man standing beside him.
His features, the black hair hanging over his forehead, the shape of his eyes and brows...
There was something vaguely familiar about him.
Like a stirring deep in his blood, as if this man were somehow closely connected to him.
And yet... he also seemed like a complete stranger.
The strange feeling brought an utterly absurd confusion to the depths of Itachi's usually calm, steady eyes.
Especially when he saw that the man appeared to be missing an arm. His heart gave an involuntary wrench!
So who was the man beside Jin?
"What's wrong, Mr. Itachi?"
Kisame Hoshigaki was almost the first to notice that Itachi was acting strangely. He followed Itachi's gaze.
The murderous glint in his small eyes vanished the instant he saw Jin, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints!
The sneer on his face froze solid, replaced by the look of someone who'd seen a ghost.
Clang!
Even the greatsword Samehada slung over his shoulder slipped from his grasp...
It smashed several paving stones.
Then he stumbled backward as if he'd seen a ghost!
Pointing at Jin, he stammered, "I-it's you! Y-you! What are you doing here...?"
He would never forget how badly his first battle had gone after joining the Akatsuki, when he'd meant to establish himself!
"Badly" didn't even begin to describe it. He'd been utterly and completely crushed!
One man had practically beaten the entire Akatsuki senseless!
He'd thought that as long as he stayed away from Konoha, he'd never run into Jin again. But now...
What was going on?
Remembering the helpless terror he'd felt when he was beaten to a pulp, Kisame's hair stood on end.
His bizarre reaction drew the