Faced with the two of them gradually closing in on him, Itachi kept searching for a solution.
If there had only been one opponent, he would have been absolutely certain of victory. But against two, his situation was far less optimistic.
Put plainly, the Sharingan did have shortcomings when dealing with group battles. On top of that, his own chakra reserves were not particularly large, and he had been wounded by Samehada. Less than half of his chakra remained now.
Should I use the Mangekyō Sharingan? Given the strength those two have displayed, I might have a chance if I catch them off guard.
As he pondered in silence, Itachi continued calculating. In this world, he had awakened his Mangekyō somewhat later. Shisui Uchiha had not committed suicide before his eyes, so he had not suffered that shock. However, during a later mission, he had watched a girl who liked him collapse before him. It was then that he successfully awakened the Mangekyō.
Kisame did not know what Itachi was thinking, but his sharp instincts told him they could not drag this out. His grip on Samehada tightened as he said in a low voice, "Deidara, end this quickly. We're inside Konoha, after all. The longer we delay, the worse it is for us."
"I know. Don't talk to me in that commanding tone." Deidara snorted unhappily, and the clay in his hand began to change.
Itachi drew a light breath and made up his mind. Yet at that moment, he seemed to sense something. He glanced into the distance, and a trace of delight appeared on his face.
"Hm?" Kisame let out a soft, suspicious sound. Realizing something was wrong, he immediately raised Samehada to block.
Clang!
The sound of blades striking Samehada rang out. A figure appeared before