Sword Pointed at Itachi Uchiha! Settling This Old Score Today!
"Taking leave?" Naruto's voice came from the crack above his head, tinged with a nonchalant laugh. "Approved! You can go settle scores, but don't go back to the Uzumaki Clan and embarrass yourself if you lose. Remember to ask for some compensation for emotional distress."
Sasuke didn't reply, only a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. He picked up the Kusanagi Sword and turned to walk towards the dark passage on the other side of the stone chamber. It was a backup escape route left by Obito during his retreat, and the faint smell of Chakra emanated from it.
In the darkness, three remnants of the Akatsuki, clad in gray robes, blocked the way. The bald assassin at the head had a fanatical look in his eyes, and his feet were planted on a backup Space Core array that was flashing red light.
"Remnants of the Uchiha." The bald assassin sneered, clutching Explosive Tag in his hand. "Your own brother slaughtered your entire clan like pigs and dogs, and you've lived like a stray dog until today, and now you still want to serve Hidden Leaf?"
Sasuke stopped in his tracks without even lifting his eyelids.
"You talk too much nonsense."
Clang! The Kusanagi Sword drew a bright arc in the dim light. Sasuke pushed off with his feet, shooting out like an arrow, his left hand instantly emitting a piercing bird cry.
"Chidori Sharp Spear!"
The azure lightning transformed into a ten-meter-long spear, piercing straight at the bald assassin's throat.
The bald assassin neither dodged nor avoided the attack; instead, he burst into laughter. His two companions rushed towards the lightning, using their flesh and blood to cling tightly to the Chidori Sharp Spear.
"Blow him up!" the bald assassin roared, pressing the Explosive Tag against the Space Core beneath his feet. Once detonated, the entire underground tunnel, along with the civilians above, would be swept into spatial turbulence.
Zi--
Just then, Sasuke felt a sudden burning sensation on the Three-Tomoe Sharingan Cursed Seal on the back of his neck.
Orochimaru's cold, cloying voice echoed deep within his mind, "Sasuke... you need power. Release your restraints, use my Chakra to tear them all apart..."
A violent, chilling Chakra surged upwards along the meridians.
"Shut up, you damned worm." Sasuke bit his right thumb, his eyes as cold as ice.
Instead of retreating, he advanced, slashing his right palm across the blade, blood splattering. Then, he flipped his hand, drawing a simplistic yet intensely yang Uzumaki sealing pattern in the air. This was a simplified version of the Sealing Jutsu Naruto had taught him.
Snap!
Sasuke slapped the Cursed Seal on the back of his neck.
"Ugh--" Orochimaru's echoing voice in his mind let out a scream, and the dark red Cursed Seal light was instantly extinguished.
At the same second that he suppressed the Snake Seal, Sasuke's right eye's six-pointed star spun rapidly.
"Genjutsu: Sharingan"
The bald assassin, who was about to press the Explosive Tag, froze, his pupils dilating instantly. In his vision, what was rushing towards him was not Sasuke, but the soul of Uchiha who had crawled out of hell.
The bald assassin let out a terrified scream, his hands retracting as if electrocuted. Instead of pressing down, he kicked the Space Core away.
"Idiot." Sasuke scoffed.
With a flick of his left hand, lightning flashed, and the Chidori Sharp Spear traced a semicircle in mid-air, precisely piercing the Space Core of space.
Bang!
The core exploded into a pile of scrap metal, and the light of the spatial array completely dimmed.
Without its core support, the remaining formation posed no threat. Sasuke swung his Kusanagi Sword twice, sending two heads flying into the air, spraying blood onto the rock wall.
The bald assassin awoke from the Genjutsu, clutching his severed throat as he collapsed into a pool of blood, staring intently at Sasuke, spitting out blood. "Obito... won't let this go..."
Sasuke crushed his neck bones with a single stomp, interrupting his dying words.
He bent down and picked out a palm-sized black iron box from the bald assassin's arms. The surface of the iron box was engraved with complex Sealing Jutsu, and inside was the list of military equipment that the Akatsuki was transporting to various places.
Sasuke weighed the iron box in his hand, then turned and walked out of the passageway.
His clothes were torn at the shoulder by a fragment of the Explosive Tag, and a little blood seeped out, but he didn't care.
Return to the edge of the upper mine pit.
Naruto was directing his Shadow Clone to carry the prisoners out, while Kakashi and Kurotsuchi stood guard nearby.
Whoosh!
A dark shadow flew through the air. Kakashi caught it with his hand; it was the black iron box.
"What is this?" Kakashi asked, looking at Sasuke had come out.
"The list of Obito's military equipment found on those few small fry is yours." Sasuke sheathed his Kusanagi Sword, his face calm and expressionless.
Kakashi Sharingan, his expression grave. "You handled this all by yourself?"
"A bunch of useless trash." Sasuke dusted himself off. "I'm leaving."
Naruto walked over and tossed him a Soldier Pills: "Save your energy. Itachi Uchiha is slippery, don't let him get away. If you need help, crush that Flying Thunder God Kunai."
Sasuke took the Soldier Pills, threw it into his mouth, and chewed it up.
"This is the Uchiha's own internal affair." Sasuke looked at Naruto, his eyes sharp. "It's none of the business of outsiders. I will no longer be used as a bargaining chip by anyone, nor do I need to be defined by others."
Naruto grinned and gave a thumbs up. "That's a decent way to put it. Get lost, don't get in my way."
Sasuke turned around, transformed into a bolt of lightning, and shot into the sky, instantly disappearing into the swirling snow.
Kurotsuchi frowned as she watched Sasuke leave. "He just left like that? The Five Kage Summit isn't over yet. What will Iwagakure say if Hidden Leaf starts asking questions?"
"An explanation?" Naruto turned his head, his golden eyes radiating undisguised domineering arrogance. "Anyone who wants an explanation from Hidden Leaf can come to me directly. In this game of the Land of Iron, I'm the one who calls the rules now."
Kakashi gripped the iron box tightly, a rare sharpness flashing in his usually deadpan eyes. Once this arms inventory was deciphered, the massive war machine behind Obito would be completely exposed. The Allied Shinobi Forces' first battle now had a clear objective.
A blizzard raged along the border of the Land of Lightning.
The former site of Lightning Cloud Gorge.
The massive mountain, once flattened by the battle between the Eight-Tails and the Fourth Raikage, is now covered with a thick layer of snow. Gale-force winds whip up ice shards, which rustle against the rocks.
At the edge of the mountain peak stood a figure dressed in a black robe with red clouds.
Itachi Uchiha.
He stood quietly in the wind and snow, his straw hat pulled low, obscuring most of his face. A few snowflakes clung to his eyelashes, not yet melted, before being repelled by the faint Chakra emanating from his body.
A Red Eye Crow circled in mid-air, let out a hoarse cry, and landed on the weasel's shoulder.
Itachi slowly raised his head, his crimson Mangekyō Sharingan piercing through the wind and snow as he looked down at the foot of the mountain.
There, a black afterimage crackling with lightning was rapidly approaching, tearing through the thick snow curtain.
"You've finally arrived." Itachi's voice was extremely soft, instantly carried away by the gust of wind.
Laugh!
A gleaming Kusanagi Sword suddenly slashed down from below without warning, accompanied by a ferocious Chidori roar, heading straight for Itachi's face.
Itachi neither dodged nor Hand Seals. He simply watched calmly as the sword stopped less than half an inch from the tip of his nose.
The lightning illuminated Itachi's expressionless face and also lit up the crimson six-pointed star eyes of the swordsman.
"I'm here." Sasuke gripped the hilt of his sword, his voice colder than the surrounding ice and snow.
The gears of destiny meshed with a thunderous roar at this moment.
This blood-soaked old debt has finally come to be settled. The dark clouds above Lightning Cloud Gorge churned wildly, and a storm powerful enough to tear space apart was about to descend.