Fighting Kisame Hoshigaki

Thump, thump, thump...

Sasuke Uchiha's face was grim.

That terrifying man, who seemed like a demon and had appeared in his dreams countless times, was back!

And this time, his target was... Naruto Uzumaki.

Though Sasuke could hardly admit it aloud, Naruto truly was his most important friend.

Now that important friend was in mortal danger!

"I have to... get there in time!"

Sasuke's legs crossed at incredible speed as chakra surged and burned through him. This was the speed he could reach only by surpassing his limits!

"Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!"

A steady, rhythmic knocking sounded. Whoever was at the door clearly had good manners.

"What? Did he already get shaken off? I heard you!"

Naruto Uzumaki woke from his sleep, his lips poking out in a pout.

He hopped out of bed, shoved his feet into his shoes, and headed for the door.

"Coming, coming! I'm opening it!"

Lin Mu sat cross-legged on the other bed without moving, but he had already begun gathering chakra in secret, ready for whatever came next.

Naruto was innocent and naive. He assumed Jiraiya had returned and wasn't particularly wary.

But Lin Mu knew who was knocking at a time like this...

Creak—

The wooden door slowly swung open. Naruto looked up, ready to complain, but the familiar white figure wasn't there.

Instead, he saw a pair of eyes—a terrifying pair, glowing red with the light of the... Sharingan!

Itachi Uchiha!

Feeling the man's terrifying presence, Naruto's smile faded, and cold sweat began to trickle down his forehead.

"Those eyes... Sasuke..."

"No, that's not him. Who is this...? His Sharingan looks just like Sasuke's."

Naruto's muscles tensed all over. A trace of panic crossed his face; at just over ten years old, he couldn't hide his emotions perfectly.

Itachi Uchiha lowered his head slightly and looked Naruto up and down.

"I didn't expect a brat like this to be able to contain the Nine-Tails."

The towering, fearsome Kisame Hoshigaki emerged from behind Itachi Uchiha, Samehada slung across his back.

His round, shark-like eyes scanned Naruto as well, disbelief plain on his face. The most powerful of the tailed beasts was sealed inside a child like this?

!!!

Naruto's eyes widened even further.

"Why do these guys know about the Nine-Tails?"

The high collar of the Akatsuki cloak concealed part of Itachi Uchiha's face.

But that did nothing to diminish his presence. If anything, his blood-red eyes, the only feature visible beneath the collar, seemed even more unsettling.

"Naruto..."

Itachi spoke again, his tone still indifferent to everything around him, and leaving no room for refusal.

"Please come with us. Outside."

Naruto's pupils trembled. Itachi Uchiha spoke as though he were asking, but Naruto's body began moving forward against his will.

It was as if he were obeying Itachi Uchiha's command.

A hand came down on Naruto's shoulder, forcing his raised foot back to the ground.

The hand wasn't very big. Its owner was clearly a child, too.

"Hey... I know you're strong, but don't act like I'm not here, okay?"

Lin Mu pushed Naruto back into the room and stepped outside.

Though they were almost the same age, Lin Mu was nearly half a head taller than Naruto, and he had a much more mature, steady air about him.

In truth, Lin Mu wasn't panicking. Jiraiya was extraordinarily capable, and he would quickly arrive once he heard the commotion of a fight.

Even if Lin Mu had to face the two of them alone, he still had nothing to fear. He had one more trump card up his sleeve!

This brat...

Kisame Hoshigaki bared his sharp teeth. There was a faint aura about Lin Mu that made him deeply uncomfortable.

That aura was called... danger!

As one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Kisame Hoshigaki had spent years as a battle-hardened shinobi. His instincts were extremely sharp.

Yet he was also puzzled. What could a mere child possibly do to threaten him?

"Heh heh heh. Looks like you still don't understand the situation, brat!"

Kisame Hoshigaki drew Samehada from his back and swung it a few times.

"Then let me cut you a few times and knock some sense into you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he swung the massive blade at Lin Mu, as if he meant to hack him into a pulp.

A faint glimmer passed through Itachi Uchiha's Sharingan. He could tell that the chakra inside the child was unusual.

But he didn't stop Kisame Hoshigaki. Their mission this time was to capture the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. If anyone else got killed along the way, so be it.

They were irrelevant!

"Wood Style: Cutting Technique!"

The chakra inside Lin Mu flowed down his arm in a unique pattern, and two razor-sharp blades, gleaming with a dark, ghostly sheen, rapidly extended from his hands.

Thanks to the strength of his Wood Style Body, he didn't even need Hand Seals for this technique!

Samehada came crashing down from above, striking the wooden blade on Lin Mu's right hand.

Lin Mu's body dipped and trembled slightly, channeling the full force of the blow away and into the floor beneath his feet.

That was another benefit of Lin Mu's Wood Style Body that he had discovered through constant training.

His Wood Release physique allowed him to fight like a great tree, transferring the force of a blow through his roots and into the earth.

It was a unique technique for redirecting force.

"Huh..."

Kisame Hoshigaki turned his head slightly, surprised. Lin Mu had actually blocked Samehada?!

"Distracted at a time like this?"

Feeling the pressure on his right hand ease slightly, Lin Mu knew his chance had come.

He didn't hesitate. His left hand shot toward Kisame Hoshigaki's abdomen!

But Kisame Hoshigaki was an experienced fighter. He instantly sensed the biting chill of the blade on Lin Mu's left hand and realized how powerful the strike was.

He didn't take any chances. He bent his body slightly, tensed his muscles, and controlled his strength with precision, dodging Lin Mu's attack in an instant.

"Heh..."

Lin Mu's mouth curled into a cold smile. Kisame Hoshigaki had still underestimated him.

He focused again, and the enormous reserves of chakra inside him surged into the blade on his left hand.

Ssh—

The blade grew like a sprouting plant, extending at an astonishing speed.

Pfft—

The razor-sharp, dark blade plunged straight into Kisame's abdomen.

"Argh!"

Kisame hurriedly retreated, clutching his wound with both hands. Blood poured from it, soaking his cloak.

Lin Mu tensed his muscles and charged forward with explosive force, his arm blades striking again and again.

That was how you pressed an advantage!

I was careless!

Kisame Hoshigaki cursed inwardly. He had underestimated the brat after all.

On top of that, they were inside an inn, surrounded by walls. The enclosed space left him with far less room to wield Samehada.

At the same time, it gave the formidable wooden blades on Lin Mu's arms far more room to strike!