Faced with this situation, Sarutobi Asuma merely sneered. "There won't be an 'after this.' I'll take care of you right now."
Hearing that, Kisame Hoshigaki even had the mood to joke. "Itachi, looks like you're hated by everyone in the village too."
Uchiha Itachi had no desire to answer.
"I've heard about you too, Kisame Hoshigaki." Yuuhi Kurenai spoke with a grave expression. "You were originally a ninja from Kirigakure, but later became a Rogue Ninja under suspicion of assassinating the Daimyo and sabotaging the country. Every nation received the Land of Water's wanted notice for you!"
"You're both S-rank felons in the wanted handbook. Itachi, after causing such a huge incident, you still dared to set foot in Konoha. You've got some nerve!"
Sarutobi Asuma said gravely.
"Asuma, Kurenai, just pretend you never saw me." Uchiha Itachi spoke calmly. "I don't want to hurt you."
Uchiha Itachi believed he was telling the truth. He was no longer the boy he had been years ago. With his current strength, the two Elite Jonin before him truly were no match for him.
But when Sarutobi Asuma heard that, anger immediately rose within him. What did that mean?
Did it mean that the two of them, Elite Jonin, could not handle him alone?
When Uchiha Itachi committed that act back then, he had only been an ordinary Jonin. Even if he was far stronger now, did that mean he could look down on Asuma?
"That doesn't sound like something a man with his compatriots' blood on his hands would say." Sarutobi Asuma said irritably. "You two clearly aren't dressed like proper ninjas. I don't believe you'd parade through the streets like this without a purpose. What are you after?"
After hearing their exchange, Kisame Hoshigaki had already grown impatient. He pulled Samehada from his back and slammed it viciously into the ground. "You're awfully long-winded. Want me to deal with him?"
Uchiha Itachi said calmly, "It seems they won't let us pass obediently. But don't go overboard. Your techniques are too conspicuous."
Upon hearing that, Kisame Hoshigaki seemed to break some kind of seal.
"Then it's decided."
In an instant, both sides made their move. Kisame Hoshigaki raised the massive Samehada and swung it fiercely at Sarutobi Asuma.
At the same time, Kurenai unleashed a Genjutsu and moved against Uchiha Itachi.
In the midst of battle, Sarutobi Asuma immediately realized the gap between his own combat ability and that of the human-shaped Tailed Beast before him. Kisame Hoshigaki suppressed the Chakra Blades Asuma held with both hands using only one hand and Samehada.
He was even using only the tip of the blade, which made it harder to exert strength.
This showed just how terrifying Kisame Hoshigaki's strength truly was.
Outside the scene, Hatake Kakashi immediately sat up straight. He had heard Kisame Hoshigaki's name before. Among the ninja who had defected from the Land of Water, Kisame was one of the very strongest.
He was enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with Konoha's Uchiha Itachi, and the combat power he displayed now was indeed excessively powerful.
What concerned Kakashi even more was that the two were clearly dressed in the same style. In other words, they might belong to the same organization, and they had both painted their nails.
That might be one of their organization's distinguishing features.
These two were both S-rank wanted criminals, experts at least on the level of Elite Jonin. Experts of this caliber could easily become Kage in a small ninja village.
Yet these two wore uniform clothing and had joined some specific organization. That was a very dangerous sign.
The best-case scenario was that these two were simply working together, with no one else involved.
But what if the worse possibility was true, and there were others in this organization?
Judging by the strength of these two, it was likely a powerful organization that treated S-rank ninja from various villages as its minimum entry requirement.
That was terrifying.
"My great sword, Samehada!" Kisame Hoshigaki said as he slashed downward. Its sharp scales tore a large chunk of flesh from Sarutobi Asuma's shoulder. "It isn't used for chopping people. It's used for shaving them."
With just one move, Kisame Hoshigaki had injured Sarutobi Asuma, an Elite Jonin.
Covering his wound, Sarutobi Asuma pretended to be relaxed. "Kurenai, what's taking you so long?"
At that moment, Yuuhi Kurenai's figure materialized behind Uchiha Itachi. She was actually about to use Genjutsu on him.
"Not good." Outside the scene, Hatake Kakashi immediately realized the problem. Using that against the Sharingan was like showing off an axe before a master.
It was utterly overestimating herself.
He had considerable experience using the Sharingan. Although he could not deactivate it, causing it to consume enormous amounts of chakra and often leaving him short on chakra—
—the benefits the Sharingan brought were also obvious. Through it, he had copied over a thousand ninja techniques, an amount ordinary ninja could hardly imagine.
Another enormous benefit was that he had become immune to low-level Genjutsu from then on. No Genjutsu of that level could work before his Sharingan, and he could even use the Sharingan to hypnotize his opponent in return.
Sure enough, after Yuuhi Kurenai trapped Kisame Hoshigaki with Genjutsu, she transformed into a tree to trap Uchiha Itachi.
Uchiha Itachi watched expressionlessly as Yuuhi Kurenai appeared above him, preparing to attack.
"You're finished!"
Yuuhi Kurenai shouted, but in the next instant, she discovered that she was trapped on the tree. She had been bound by her own Genjutsu.
A Genjutsu Jonin highly skilled in Genjutsu had been reflected in an instant. No—perhaps even earlier. The moment she looked directly into the Sharingan, she had already been subjected to its Genjutsu suggestion.
"Genjutsu of this level is useless against me." Uchiha Itachi looked at Yuuhi Kurenai and spoke expressionlessly.
Yuuhi Kurenai was still in shock.
"This is... Genjutsu reflection?"
Just as Uchiha Itachi revealed a shuriken and prepared to strike Yuuhi Kurenai, she barely managed to bite her tongue. The pain instantly broke her free from her own Genjutsu.
Though she avoided Uchiha Itachi's fatal strike, his following kick sent her flying onto the water nearby.
"Kurenai!"
Seeing this, Sarutobi Asuma cried out anxiously.
"You still have the leisure to worry about someone else?" Kisame Hoshigaki bared his teeth and said with a half-smile.
"As expected of Kurenai, but..."
Just as Yuuhi Kurenai had steadied herself on the water, Uchiha Itachi had already appeared behind her.
"But this should end here." Hatake Kakashi's lazy voice came from nearby. "I'm talking to you."
Hatake Kakashi had arrived at the scene just in time to provide support.
Before you continue