"Over there!"
White Zetsu Tobi, who had been joking around just a moment ago, sensed something. His gaze sharpened, and he quickly pointed in a direction.
Clang, clang, clang!
Uchiha Itachi did not hesitate. An orange Susanoo arm instantly appeared behind him and reached in that direction!
Roshi, who had been hiding there, darkened once again beneath the bruises covering his face. His expression shifted slightly, and his cheeks suddenly puffed up like a toad's!
"Lava Release!"
A black-and-red fireball emerged from his mouth and collided with Uchiha Itachi's Susanoo arm. The two attacks were evenly matched, forcing him backward and revealing his current appearance.
Bang!
Roshi was knocked back, snapped a branch, then flipped onto another branch. Ignoring the sorry state of his face, he spoke.
"I don't believe I have any grudge with Konoha's famous Uchiha Itachi!"
He really could not win this fight, so Roshi could only resort to Stall Release and buy himself some time!
"Hehe, little old man, how did that saying go? Something like, 'An innocent peasant's valley becomes a crime when he carries jade!'"
White Zetsu Tobi instantly shifted into a half-humanoid form and proudly folded his arms as he addressed Roshi!
A bead of embarrassed sweat trickled down Uchiha Itachi's forehead beside him.
"It's 'an innocent peasant.'"
White Zetsu Tobi's expression froze, but he pressed on, quickly patting Uchiha Itachi's shoulder to show that it was only a minor slip.
"Haha, close enough! Having the Four-Tails is your crime!"
"You're here for the Tailed Beast?"
For some reason, Roshi actually smiled when he heard that.
Uchiha Itachi immediately furrowed his brow and began forming hand seals.
"Hehe, if you're here to capture Tailed Beasts, how could I alone be enough? I called another one over!"
Roshi's lips suddenly curled upward as he spoke. A much taller, bulkier man dressed similarly to him flickered to his side. He wore armor and carried a tall vessel on his back, with pipes protruding from his body that made him look rather strange.
"I was wondering who it was. So it's Konoha's famous Missing-nin."
Uchiha Itachi's expression shifted, and he stopped forming hand seals. He would have to use Susanoo after all.
"The Five-Tails' jinchūriki, Han."
He had not expected someone who had already left Iwagakure to remain in contact with another jinchūriki and even call him over for help. It truly caught him by surprise.
Hidden in a tree, Obito Uchiha also raised his brows beneath his mask.
He had not expected this to be the complication he had been worrying about all along.
Black Zetsu's eyes lit up at the sight. "We can actually kill two birds with one stone."
"Looks like I didn't come for nothing."
Obito nodded, ready to intervene at the critical moment!
"Hehe, to think the famous Uchiha Itachi would remember my name. What an honor."
A faint white mist rose from Han's body-no, it was white steam.
Boil Release.
Roshi also shed his earlier concern. A Tailed Beast Cloak instantly enveloped him, as though he intended to redeem his earlier humiliation.
"Wow, wow, there are two of them! Are you confident, Itachi?"
White Zetsu Tobi was still grinning, without the slightest tension, because he could sense Obito and Black Zetsu hiding nearby.
He also understood that this was merely a test for Uchiha Itachi. Nothing would be allowed to go wrong.
Uchiha Itachi did not know that, however, and his expression grew solemn.
"As long as you don't get in my way!"
An armed Susanoo instantly appeared, enveloping Uchiha Itachi within an orange, upper-bodied giant. It held a shield in one hand and a gourd with the Totsuka Blade in the other!
"So this is the famous Susanoo? What a magnificent sight!"
Han was not nervous at all. Instead, his interest was piqued. A Tailed Beast Cloak enveloped him as well, though its color differed from Roshi's. His consisted of white mist, resembling Steam Armor.
But the change in his eyes was enough to prove that he had entered his Tailed Beast state. Steam rapidly shrouded the surroundings!
Two jinchūriki put considerable pressure on Uchiha Itachi. Before, he would not have stood a chance, but now he had at least some hope of winning.
Neither was a Perfect Jinchūriki, so they were not immune to Tsukuyomi. If he found an opportunity to trap one of them with it, he would have a good chance of capturing them!
Han struck first, charging straight toward Uchiha Itachi!
Hiss!!!
A tremendous clash of energy erupted when the steam made contact with Susanoo!
It even punched a hole in the spot it struck.
Under mounting pressure, Uchiha Itachi quickly moved the Yata Mirror to block Han. Only when Han's attacks struck the Yata Mirror did their force diminish.
That gave White Zetsu Tobi time to help Uchiha Itachi restore the missing portion of Susanoo.
He rapidly analyzed his opponent's weaknesses. Han certainly lived up to his reputation as the Steam Ninja. His attacks were a direct counter to Susanoo. Had Itachi continued fighting with just the arm, he would already have been injured.
"Let me break this so-called Susanoo!"
At those words, Uchiha Itachi paused briefly, then came up with an idea. Since the two were so close, he could seriously injure one and make the other let his guard down!
In his Partial Tailed Beast Transformation, Roshi raced toward him on all fours, then leaped into the air, gathering Lava Release in his mouth!
"Amaterasu!"
The Mangekyo in his left eye spun rapidly, and black flames suddenly erupted across Roshi's body!
"Aah!"
Enveloped in a Tailed Beast Cloak, he could not escape by stripping off his clothes. The flames burned him directly, and as Amaterasu continued to spread, Roshi let out an agonized scream!
Uchiha Itachi pressed his advantage, rapidly forming hand seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Roshi!"
Hearing the cry behind him, Han instantly lost his composure. He could only abandon his attack and rush back with the Body Flicker Technique to help Roshi up, but the flames forced him away!
As the fireball drew closer, Han quickly formed hand seals to protect his friend, spewing a large amount of white steam from his mouth to block it!
The Great Fireball missed, but Uchiha Itachi was now free to act.
The Susanoo arm holding the Yata Mirror slammed down!
Bang! Han was driven straight into the ground!
"Han!"
His flesh already badly burned, Roshi flew into a rage when he saw his friend attacked because of him.
A fresh Tailed Beast Cloak covered the still-burning Amaterasu. Ignoring the searing pain, he went berserk, his eyes bloodshot!
"Hah!"
Crouched on all fours, his body scorched into a bloody mess, he rapidly gathered a black sphere in front of his mouth!
"A Tailed Beast Bomb?"
Sensing the fluctuations of energy, Uchiha Itachi immediately recognized it and recalled the first time he had used Amaterasu!
"Amaterasu!"
The Mangekyo in his left eye spun again. Black flames once more erupted over Roshi as he gathered the Tailed Beast Bomb, but this time, he neither screamed nor stopped his attack!
"Damn, how can this guy take so much punishment?"
Even White Zetsu Tobi could not help commenting at the sight.
"Stop joking around. Susanoo can't withstand that. Get ready to retreat and dodge this attack."
Uchiha Itachi quickly gave the order, pulled back the Yata Mirror that had slammed into the ground, and leaped backward to put some distance between them.
"Leaving already? Aren't you underestimating us?"
Steam billowed from Han as he climbed out of the crater. Thanks to the steam, not even dirt had clung to him.