The strength beneath the bandages, suspicions abound

Uchiha Itachi stared at Wu Chiwu, who was not far away, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions.

How did Sasuke end up with such a dangerous person?

What have those people in Konoha been doing these past few years?

Have you completely forgotten about the promises you made?

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

He has kept his promises honestly all these years, not so that the other party could just take it easy.

On the other side, Kisame Hoshigaki's words stunned all three of them.

They want Mr. Bandage in the organization?

Let the second brother enter the dawn?

Naruto and Sasuke reacted similarly, both showing a hint of surprise on their faces.

Wu Chiwu also heard what Kisame Hoshigaki said.

He blinked, a look of surprise on his face.

Um?

Did I hear that right?

Why would Xiao approach him for no reason?

Wu Chiwu held the snack box, his mind swirling with this question.

He always felt there was something off about this.

After a long while, Wu Chiwu's expression darkened.

Could that be the reason?

His only connection with Akatsuki was the White Zetsu he encountered Chunin Ninja Exams.

Could it be that Jue had already set her sights on him back then?

Why pick him of all people?

And what is the purpose?

Wu Chiwu couldn't quite figure out what Jue was really up to.

But now we definitely can't easily reveal our true colors, especially our true selves, otherwise it will be too easy for others to catch us red-handed.

Wu Chiwu scanned everyone present one by one.

Standing beside him was his younger brother, whom he knew everything about; opposite him was his older brother, whom he knew nothing about; and flanked by Kisame Hoshigaki of Akatsuki and Naruto of Konoha.

Yes, once the disguise is revealed, everyone who shouldn't know will find out.

Even if his identity isn't exposed yet, what will Zetsu's side think if people notice he's getting too close to Sasuke?

He was completely different from the others; that guy was very secretive and highly vigilant.

Once he becomes suspicious, the trouble that follows will likely pile up like mountains.

Wu Chiwu's face gradually turned bitter.

By the way, when exactly is Jiraiya going to arrive?

"Ah, let's put that aside for now," Kisame Hoshigaki spoke up again.

"That's not urgent."

Let's capture Naruto first and get the job done.

Right now, he seemed to be the most carefree person in the room, with no trace of doubt or surprise on his face.

"What do you mean by 'put it aside for now'?" Wu Chiwu, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction.

"Is this the attitude you have when you hire someone?"

"I can't see any sincerity at all."

"Ha, sincerity." Kisame Hoshigaki grinned.

"This is the greatest expression of our sincerity."

As he spoke, he used all his strength to lift the Samehada up in front of Wu Chiwu.

That Samehada, having drunk its fill of blood, exuded a pungent killing intent.

"Oh, really?" Wu Chiwu's lips curled up slightly.

"If that's the case, I'm actually quite interested."

If your organization isn't capable, people will look down on you.

The words had barely left his mouth.

His entire aura changed.

Well, I really have to thank Kisame Hoshigaki for his great cooperation.

Otherwise, I really couldn't find a decent reason to take action.

Beneath the bandages, Wu Chiwu's eyes curved slightly.

Uchiha Itachi didn't intend to stop the two of them.

It must be said, this white-haired ninja arrived at just the right time.

It bought him a lot of time.

If I do the math, Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, should be returning around now.

Uchiha Itachi's calm gaze swept over Wu Chiwu across from him.

He himself did want to take this opportunity to test the white-haired ninja's abilities and capabilities.

Kisame Hoshigaki swung Samehada at Gogo.

"Hey, you have absolutely no sense of rules," Wu Chiwu muttered to himself.

He held the snack box, which was about a meter tall, and quickly dodged.

The two exchanged blows in the blink of an eye, but a great deal could already be discerned from that exchange.

Kisame Hoshigaki stared at the white-haired ninja opposite him with a surprised look.

This guy is pretty good.

When sparring with himself, the stack of pastry boxes in his hands didn't even shake off.

He could also spot the gaps and neatly stack them on the ground one by one.

What level of skill is that?

Although he didn't use his full strength, he just tested the waters casually.

But the person on the other side wasn't really going to fight either.

At that moment, Kisame Hoshigaki truly acknowledged Wu Chiwu's skill and felt that he was indeed qualified to join Akatsuki.

It seems there's some truth to the rumors circulating outside.

Kisame Hoshigaki was thinking this to himself.

Uchiha Itachi, who had been secretly observing Wu Chiwu, also showed a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Firstly, it was because of Wu Chiwu's abilities.

Secondly, his fighting style seemed strangely familiar to him.

"I'm getting serious now." Kisame Hoshigaki's tone turned serious.

This guy won't back down unless I show him some real skills.

The Akatsuki's reputation must not be tarnished by him.

Samehada - Annihilation Slash! Kisame Hoshigaki swung Samehada Wu Chiwu a fierce attack on Gogo.

Wu Chiwu easily dodged to the side, and casually returned a generous gift to Kisame Hoshigaki —dozens of Explosive Tag.

"Bang bang bang!"

The explosions in the corridor were deafening.

The commotion startled many people nearby.

Wu Chiwu looked at the scene he had created and felt quite satisfied.

The Explosive Tag obviously wouldn't harm Kisame Hoshigaki.

But it has one advantage: it's loud enough.

Kisame Hoshigaki, sitting opposite, stared at the scene before him with a stern face.

He immediately realized something was wrong.

Oh no!

Such a commotion could attract Jiraiya's Jiraiya, which would be troublesome.

Kisame Hoshigaki immediately changed direction, his gaze refocusing on Naruto.

Looks like we should get our hands on him first today.

As for that kid, we'll settle the score with him later.

He suddenly rushed towards Naruto, reminding Uchiha Itachi to cooperate.

"Mr. Itachi."

Naruto, on the other side, was stunned for a moment, the image of Kisame Hoshigaki rushing towards him already flashing before his eyes.

That speed.

That's too fast.

At the same time, on Jiraiya's side...

He should have gone to find Naruto much earlier, but something happened along the way that prevented him from doing so.

That's Wu Chiwu, the one with white hair and a black robe.

He didn't hear any news about Tsunade today, but as he walked down the street, he overheard many people talking about a strange man with white hair and a black robe.

After questioning him carefully, he was confident that this strange man was Wu Chiwu, whom he had met once before and who was currently wanted by Konoha.

Listening to the stories told by those around him, Jiraiya felt a mix of emotions he couldn't quite describe.

He took off chasing after Wu Chiwu in the direction he had gone.

Before long, they also turned into this corridor.

They happened to witness Naruto being surrounded by members of the Akatsuki.

Jiraiya, rushed to Naruto's side and immediately Hand Seals a spell.

"Summoning Technique!" he shouted in a deep voice.

In the blink of an eye, a huge Toad, enveloped in white smoke, stood before the crowd.

It firmly blocked Kisame Hoshigaki's attack.

Jiraiya looked up at the two of them, his expression immediately turning serious.

"So they really came for Naruto?" Jiraiya said with absolute certainty.

Based on the information he had gathered and what was happening before his eyes, this conclusion was easily reached.

His gaze was fixed intently on Kisame Hoshigaki and Uchiha Itachi opposite him, while his peripheral vision also caught sight of Wu Chiwu in the corner.

He arrived here by following Wu Chiwu's trail.

Not long after he arrived nearby, he belatedly realized something that alarmed him—the spot where Wu Chiwu finally stopped was exactly the same as the spot where Naruto had landed.

So he rushed over to find Naruto as if his eyebrows were on fire.

He had seen everything that had just happened.

Jiraiya secretly observed the three people present.

What exactly is this white-haired ninja up to?

How did they end up here with Naruto?

Could it be that he shares the same goal as Akatsuki—targeting Naruto?

How did these two groups of people end up in the same place?

Could it be that this white-haired ninja is also a member of Akatsuki?

Jiraiya's mind raced with calculations.

Wu Chiwu, who was nestled to the side munching on a snack, was completely unaware that Jiraiya was concocting these thoughts in his mind.

Otherwise, he would definitely jump up and cry foul.

He hasn't even gone in yet!