Second Encounter

Under the medical team's examination, Kakashi had no external injuries, but the mental trauma would be harder to heal—he'd likely need bed rest for over a month...

"Really sorry to trouble you all... I didn't expect his strength to have increased this much..." Kakashi said, holding his head. The sheer volume of information he'd received in that instant was overwhelming.

"Don't say that... If you hadn't shown up, Kurenai and I would have been caught off guard," Asuma consoled him.

"Strange... From that guy's expression, it didn't seem like he knew Naruto's location," Gai analyzed.

"Looks like those two have been infiltrating the village for a while now... Damn it, of all times, when the village is at its weakest..." Asuma said.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from outside the door...

"Why are all the jonin here...?" Sasuke pushed open the door, looking at the scene inside with confusion. "And why is Kakashi-sensei lying in bed..."

Just as everyone was thinking of an excuse to deal with Sasuke, Yamashiro Aoba came running down the hallway. "Have you all heard? They say that Itachi is back..."

At those words, Sasuke's pupils trembled, and he bolted out of the room.

"Damn it! I'll go after him!" Gai told the others to look after Kakashi, then chased after him.

From Ichiraku Ramen to every shop along the street, Sasuke went to all of Naruto's usual haunts but still couldn't find out where he was. "This is bad... If that guy finds Naruto, that idiot will die!" Sasuke rushed frantically through the streets.

On the other side, Itachi had already used genjutsu to control a beautiful woman, luring Jiraiya away. "Come with us, Nine-Tails brat!" Kisame's face twisted into a terrifying grin. With a swing of the giant sword Samehada, all the chakra was drained from Naruto's body... He couldn't even form a Clone Technique.

"This kid's pretty unruly! How about I cut off one of his legs?" Kisame asked Uchiha Itachi with a smile.

"As you wish..."

Just as they were about to act, a furious roar came from behind Naruto. "Itachi! I'm going to... kill you!" Sasuke activated his Two-Tomoe Sharingan, Chidori crackling in his hand as he charged forward. He poured all his chakra into the Chidori, the powerful current even burning his arm.

"Too impatient... Still too many unnecessary movements..." Itachi sidestepped slightly, and the Chidori struck the wall instead, its immense force piercing through three layers before stopping. Itachi landed a single light blow to Sasuke's stomach, sending him to the ground in agony.

Seeing this, Naruto tried to gather the Nine-Tails' chakra again, but Kisame blocked him with Samehada. "Looks like cutting off your foot isn't as fun as cutting off your hand..." He swung the giant blade down at Naruto.

"Clang!" "Fighting without calling me—that's really disloyal, you two!" A red rod intercepted Samehada's strike, and a figure appeared in front of Naruto. "Honestly... Did Jiraiya-sama just leave you in the inn to go pick up girls? What an unreliable adult..."

Jimo's appearance shocked both of them. Itachi had used genjutsu to knock Jimo unconscious in a nearby alley earlier, even stuffing him into a trash can and piling several bags of garbage on top to hide him.

"You two actually dared to stuff me into a trash can!" Jimo struck the blade of Samehada with his rod, the force so strong it made Kisame stumble back two steps.

"Strange, how did you break free from Itachi-san's genjutsu?" Kisame stared at Jimo in confusion. Itachi, too, looked at the young man with interest—he had infiltrated Konoha multiple times to gather intelligence, yet there was no information on this chunin at all.

"Too much talk, you think you're a walking encyclopedia or what?" Jimo struck first. The corridor's layout let him fully exploit the Nyoi-Bo's ability to extend and retract, forcing Kisame onto the defensive.

"Stop playing around. Finish him!" Uchiha Itachi urged.

Hearing this, Kisame delivered a heavy, powerful slash that sent Jimo flying, crashing straight through the wall and falling down.

"Honestly... When is that pervy sage coming back? Adults really are unreliable..."

Naruto hauled Sasuke back, muttering under his breath.

"Who's badmouthing me behind my back?"

A figure appeared behind Naruto amid a puff of smoke.

Jiraiya appeared behind the group, the pretty young lady slung over his shoulder.

"You guys really don't get me... A real man can't be tempted by women! On the contrary, women get swept off their feet by his sweet talk."

Just then, Sasuke's eyes snapped open, and he charged at Itachi again.

"You're not even worth my interest right now..."

Uchiha Itachi kicked Sasuke away, then flashed forward and seized him by the throat.

"It seems you've forgotten what happened that night... Let me remind you again..."

Itachi dragged Sasuke into the world of illusion, and the night of the Uchiha clan's massacre replayed before Sasuke's eyes.

Hearing Sasuke's screams, Naruto ignored everyone's attempts to stop him and rushed at Itachi.

"One after another, you all treat me like I'm invisible..."

Jiraiya grumbled a complaint, then formed hand seals.

"Ninja Art: Toad Mouth Binding!"

Suddenly, pink muscle tissue sprouted from the inner walls of the entire corridor...

Sasuke was absorbed into the wall, and both Kisame's and Itachi's feet sank into the floor.

"Naruto, don't move! This is my jutsu!" Jiraiya called out, stopping Naruto from struggling free.

"I summoned the esophagus of the Rock-Sleeping Toad from Mount Myoboku. Since you're wanted criminals anyway, why not become the Rock-Sleeping Toad's meal!"

Jiraiya strained with both hands, and the fleshy walls began to roll.

"Kisame, let's go!"

Itachi made a snap decision to retreat...

The moment the two vanished at the end of the corridor, Jiraiya lost his sense of their presence.

"Damn it!"

Before the two of them, a large hole had been torn in the fleshy wall, and black flames licked at its edges.

"Strange... How could the esophagus of the Rock-Sleeping Toad, which breathes fire itself, be burned through by flames..."

"Sealing Technique: Fire Sealing Method."

Jiraiya pulled out a scroll and used a secret technique to seal the eerie black flames.

"Huh... They got away?" Jimo crawled in through the hole.

"Never mind that for now. Let's check on Sasuke first."

Jiraiya led the two over to Sasuke, who sat slumped against the wall with vacant eyes.

"Looks like he's in shock..."

Just as Jiraiya bent down to hoist Sasuke up, a kunai came flying.

While everyone's attention was on the kunai, a big foot slammed into Jiraiya's face.

"Sorry, sorry... I was in such a hurry I could only use my forehead protector as a mirror... Didn't realize it was you, Lord Jiraiya... With that fierce expression, I thought you were an enemy..."

Gai scratched his head and laughed.

"Does that... really count as an apology?"

Jiraiya grumbled, pressing an ice pack to his swollen cheek.