Itachi: I've Seen Through Everything!!

Hearing Asuma's trembling call, Kou's gaze became incredibly complex in that instant.

His eyes held both the joy of a long-awaited reunion and the bittersweet emotion of being touched by a friendship that had lasted for five whole years.

But more than anything, there was the frustration of having their plans disrupted by this completely unexpected "reunion."

Looking at these two old acquaintances who shouldn't be here, he subconsciously forced a smile, trying to appear as relaxed as possible.

"It's been a long time, Asuma, Uncle Sakumo Hatake."

"I never expected to meet you all again in a place like this."

Kou feigned an exaggerated expression and exclaimed loudly, while his eyes were secretly observing the two people opposite him out of the corner of his eye:

"This is truly... unexpected."

Asuma looked at that familiar smile, opened his mouth, as if he couldn't help but want to say something.

But before he could speak, a hand firmly blocked his way.

Asuma instinctively turned his head to look at Hatake Sakumo beside him.

His eyes still brimmed with the excitement of reunion, and his voice carried a hint of eagerness he hadn't had time to suppress.

"Uncle Sakumo Hatake, I..."

"Calm down a bit, Asuma."

Hatake Sakumo suppressed the turmoil in his heart and looked solemnly at Sasori, who was coldly watching them.

"Now is not the time to reminisce with Kou."

Asuma followed Hatake Sakumo's gaze and saw the two figures standing beside Kōki.

Uchiha Itachi was coldly staring at them with his crimson Three Tomoe Sharingan, his face devoid of any extra expression.

But just being stared at by him was enough to make him feel extremely dangerous.

Beside Itachi, Scarlet Amber, lying prostrate on the ground, coldly stared at them with eyes filled with murderous intent.

Within the hidden gaps and mechanisms on the puppet's outer shell, the cold light of Senbon still gleamed faintly.

The excitement and eagerness in Asuma's eyes were instantly replaced by a surge of resentment.

He stared intently at the two figures knocking beside him, his teeth grinding together.

However, his years of traveling alone through the Ninja World had long since worn away Asuma's former impulsiveness and recklessness.

He is no longer the hotheaded youth who, upon learning of Konoha's departure, stormed into the Hokage's office in a fit of rage, angrily questioning his father, the Third Hokage Hokage, and the Hokage's advisor, Shimura Danzō.

He knew that Uncle Sakumo Hatake was right.

Now is certainly not the time to reminisce with Kou.

Asuma took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging impulse in his chest, and then nodded to Hatake Sakumo.

He didn't speak, but just stared intently at Kou with those still burning eyes.

Seeing that he had calmed down, Hatake Sakumo silently breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing that Asuma had calmed down, Hatake Sakumo breathed a silent sigh of relief.

He turned his gaze back to Kou, a faint sense of nostalgia appearing in his calm eyes.

The last time he saw this child was when Kakashi brought him and several friends to visit him in the Land of Iron.

Back then, Kou Ge hadn't grown as tall as he is now; he was still a child in the truest sense.

Now, he has grown into a tall and upright young man who is even a little taller than him.

So many years have passed without us even realizing it...

Hatake Sakumo sighed inwardly, his voice filled with heartfelt nostalgia:

"It's been a long time, knock."

Kōmoto felt uncomfortable under Asuma's intense gaze, but when Hatake Sakumo spoke, he finally found a way to divert his attention.

He met Hatake Sakumo's gentle eyes and for a moment didn't know what to say.

In the end, he merely tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile that couldn't be described as very sincere.

"Although both Asuma and I have a lot to say to you."

But now... is definitely not the time.

Hatake Sakumo said regretfully, slowly shifting his nostalgic gaze away from Kokoro.

When he turned his gaze, there was no longer any extra emotion in his gentle eyes.

He stared coldly at the scorpion beside him, his voice deepening:

"I have arrived as agreed."

"As agreed, you should now release that blacksmith— Yoshimura Masao!"

Almost the instant Hatake Sakumo finished speaking, Kokoro and Itachi turned their gazes to Sasori beside them.

Scorpion was completely oblivious to the two piercing gazes beside him.

He simply stared coldly at Hatake Sakumo —the murderer who had killed his parents.

After a moment, Sasori slowly turned his gaze to Asuma beside Hatake Sakumo, and then said with a mocking tone:

"I never expected that the famous White Fang of Konoha would bring a helper with him."

"Wow, that's quite surprising..."

There was no trace of anger on Hatake Sakumo's face.

He simply stared at the scorpion, as if looking through the cold, puppet-like shell at the soul hidden deep within, consumed by hatred:

"Answer my question, where is Masao now?"

Don't worry, he's safe now.

"At least... safer than you."

Sasori stared at Hatake Sakumo, a cruel smile slowly curving the corner of his mouth hidden deep within Scarlet Amber's abdomen:

"After I kill you and this brat you brought with you, I will naturally release him."

Hearing Sasori's words, Hatake Sakumo's pupils contracted slightly.

He didn't speak again, and unconsciously tightened his grip on the knife hilt.

In those usually gentle and calm eyes, a deep and chilling killing intent, completely different from before, emerged.

Meanwhile, Itachi and Kokoro, standing beside Sasori, each fell into brief contemplation.

"Did Scorpion lead them here?"

Itachi stared at Sasori's profile, a deep sense of doubt rising in his heart.

Leaking Akatsuki's mission information without permission is an absolute taboo in any organization.

Scorpion's actions have, in effect, betrayed Akatsuki.

To some extent, this act of arbitrarily selling internal organizational information to external forces and using it to set up a trap is even worse than Orochimaru's direct defection.

Why... why did he do that?

Itachi's gaze lingered on Sasori, and a bold conjecture slowly surfaced in his mind.

Could it be... that Sasori, like him, was also a spy planted within the Akatsuki?!

Upon considering this possibility, Itachi's pupils involuntarily contracted slightly.

Although his face remained unchanged, the Three Tomoe Sharingan in his eyes was spinning rapidly on the iris:

"The reason why Sasori of the Red Sands defected to Sand Village remains unknown, but as the grandson of Chiyo, an Chiyo of Sand Village, and a genius in the field of Puppet Technique who can be described as one in a hundred years, he really had no reason to defect."

"If he wasn't a true missing-nin from the beginning, if he was a spy planted by Sand Village into Akatsuki from the start... then his actions make perfect sense."

Itachi glanced at Sasori beside him, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

He understood everything!

Sasori, no! It was Sand Village who wanted to use Sasori, a "missing-nin," to eliminate other elite ninjas from other villages who posed a threat to Sand Village.

Then, they conveniently shifted the blame onto the Akatsuki!