Zhang Zhiwei, a Mere Mortal

"You were the one who murdered Elder Danzo!"

Several Konoha shinobi glared furiously, their hearts filled with rage.

The Third Hokage had only recently fallen in battle, and now Danzo, the village's second-in-command, had been murdered as well. One disaster after another struck the village like bolts from the blue.

Feeling their furious stares, Kisame merely bared his teeth in a cold grin. "Oh? So this is one of Konoha's elders? Pathetically weak. He couldn't even take three of my moves."

Hearing such mockery, Kakashi and the others could no longer contain their anger. Asuma Sarutobi and Kurenai Yuhi shouted and charged forward.

Kisame naturally feared neither of them. The massive sword in his hand swung with savage force, each slash stirring up powerful gusts of wind. He looked immensely formidable.

Even against two opponents, he held the upper hand with ease.

Seeing this, Kakashi wanted to step in and help, but the moment he moved, Itachi Uchiha stopped him.

Though he was a double agent whose heart lay elsewhere, he was still technically a member of Akatsuki. He had to keep up appearances.

He and the Copy Ninja clashed, exchanging a move here and there as they happily went through the motions.

Meanwhile, Chen Feng and his companion watched everything unfold without any intention of intervening, quietly enjoying the spectacle from the side.

There was nothing worth watching on Itachi Uchiha's side. He was clearly slacking off. Kisame, on the other hand, was putting in far more effort.

Samehada whirled through the air with fierce momentum, each blow powerful enough to shatter metal and split stone, setting off bursts of cracking air.

Even working together, Asuma and Kurenai were no match for him. They were suppressed from beginning to end, and with one fierce slash, both were sent tumbling to the ground.

Seeing this, Kisame activated his taunting skill again. "Is this Konoha's elite? Nothing special."

"Bastard!"

Kurenai gritted her teeth, her face filled with fury, but she also felt utterly helpless. Her opponent was simply too strong.

A ferocious look appeared on Kisame's face as immense chakra slowly gathered around him. He was clearly about to get serious.

Seeing this, Itachi Uchiha raised an eyebrow slightly and kicked Kakashi back.

Then he said, "This is Konoha Village, after all. We shouldn't make too big a commotion. Our mission this time is only reconnaissance."

Hearing this, Kisame did not argue. He nodded and said, "Fine. Fighting opponents of this level really is rather boring."

Watching him act so unconcerned, the Konoha shinobi all ground their teeth. This guy was not only ugly, but especially good at making enemies!

Just as the battle was about to draw to a close, a young man dressed in Uchiha attire suddenly entered the battlefield.

This place was not far from the Uchiha clan compound. Sasuke Uchiha had originally been practicing ninjutsu in the woods when he heard sounds of fighting nearby and hurried over to take a look.

When he saw the scene before him, Sasuke froze slightly, not quite understanding what was happening.

But when that familiar figure entered his sight, his entire body instantly stiffened. His eyes widened as he stood motionless, as though he had frozen.

Then his body began to tremble violently. His eyes reddened, and he clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.

Those nightmare-like scenes resurfaced in his mind once more...

At that moment, Itachi Uchiha's gaze also fell upon him. He was somewhat surprised that the brothers would meet again in such a way.

A trace of complicated emotion flashed through his eyes—gentleness, pity, longing, joy—but those feelings were instantly buried beneath arrogance and indifference.

Expressionless, he said, "So you're still alive."

The moment those words fell, Sasuke could no longer hold himself back. With a roar, he charged at the man he both loved and hated.

He unleashed all his power without reservation, using the Lightning Release Ninjutsu Kakashi had taught him—Chidori!

Silver lightning gathered around his right palm. As he sprinted at high speed, it gave off a sound like the cries of countless birds. In the blink of an eye, he reached Itachi, thrusting his right hand forward without mercy.

Yet Itachi Uchiha paid no attention to this desperate strike. He simply reached out with one hand and firmly seized Sasuke's wrist.

With a sharp exertion of his fingers, he dispersed the lightning around Sasuke's hand.

Then he said coldly, "My foolish little brother, after all this time, you are still so weak."

As he spoke, he lashed out with a kick, brutally striking Sasuke and sending him flying.

Sasuke cried out in pain. Clutching his chest, he struggled to rise, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Itachi, filled with rage and hatred.

Seeing this, Kisame said with interest, "That's your little brother?"

Itachi Uchiha replied disdainfully, "He is nothing more than a useless brat."

Kisame smiled. "Mm. Compared to you at that age, he really is far inferior."

At Sasuke's age, Itachi had already achieved the feat of exterminating his clan and become a notorious S-rank rogue ninja.

Itachi Uchiha lowered his gaze slightly and sighed inwardly. After taking one long look at Sasuke, he said to Kisame, "There's nothing interesting here. Let's go."

Kisame nodded, and the two prepared to leave together.

But at that moment, a voice sounded from behind them. "Stop!"

The two turned around to see Sasuke climbing to his feet and charging at them again with an angry roar.

Kisame frowned. "This brat is really annoying. We should just finish him."

As he spoke, he stepped forward, swinging Samehada mercilessly toward Sasuke.

Itachi Uchiha's expression changed. Just as he was about to intervene, a golden blur suddenly flashed past and blocked the space between Kisame and Sasuke.

Kisame's blade came down, colliding violently with the golden light as a fierce shockwave erupted.

But immediately afterward, Kisame's heart gave a slight jolt. That strike had felt as though it had hit an indestructible diamond. He could not shake it in the slightest.

At the same time, an immense force suddenly struck him, knocking him backward.

After steadying himself, Kisame looked up in surprise. As the dense golden light receded, an old man's figure emerged—it was the Old Celestial Master.

His eyes flickered slightly, and he grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth. "Old man, you're pretty impressive."

The Old Celestial Master smiled faintly and replied calmly, "You flatter me. I am merely an ordinary mortal, not worth mentioning..."