"Alright, leave it to them. For someone with immense chakra, the Shapeshifting Technique is perfectly suited for use. In that case, leave the other group to Itachi. No one else has any objections, right?" The Deva Path's phantom swiftly made the decision, assigning the mission to the Water-and-Fire Team.
Not long afterward, on the other side, Might Guy's team, who were rushing toward Akatsuki's base, came to a stop. Powerful chakra appeared, and something like a shark fin emerged from the ground, moving swiftly. Moments later, Kisame Hoshigaki's Shapeshifting clone appeared, looking at Guy with a cold smirk.
"Yo, rare beast. We meet again!"
Naruto Uzumaki's group also stopped at the same time. Before them, Uchiha Itachi stood expressionlessly in the middle of the road, blocking their path.
"Uchiha... Itachi?" Kakashi said in a low voice, his gaze narrowing as the unpleasant memories from their last encounter in Konoha resurfaced.
There was no need to describe the battle in detail. Neither of them was the real body, and both had intended to stall for time from the start. After they were dealt with separately, the two teams swiftly closed in on Akatsuki's secret base.
"Looks like they've arrived. Deidara, Sasori, you two won't have any problems, right?" Zetsu spoke up. He had already sensed the chakra of Kakashi's team not far away.
Bang!
Gaara's body fell to the ground. He had completely lost all signs of life. He was utterly dead.
Deidara smiled. "What are you talking about? How could such a trivial scene possibly stump me? It's the perfect chance to let those guys witness my art."
The Deva Path's phantom said, "I've used the Mirror Assault Technique to set traps around the outside of the base. That team led by Might Guy should trigger them. You two only