Splash! Splash!
A drop of water fell to the ground!
Kisame Hoshigaki suddenly drew the massive Samehada from his back, shook the water droplets from its blade, and stood beside Itachi Uchiha!
The shark-faced man looked at Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki as they appeared, then turned to his partner. "Mr. Itachi, do you need me to deal with them?"
His thoughtfulness earned no praise from his partner.
Itachi Uchiha slowly reached up to undo his collar and shook his head. "Your battles cause too much commotion. Let me handle this."
"Tch, do you still think I'm that child who couldn't fight back?"
Sasuke Uchiha gave his older brother a scornful glance. Since enduring two Root ambushes, Sasuke had only grown stronger.
Now, gripping a kunai, he leaped forward to charge!
"Kid, don't be reckless."
Anko Mitarashi stopped Sasuke, grabbed him by the collar, and pinned him against a tree. "Itachi Uchiha and that Hidden Mist freak are both S-rank wanted criminals. They're not opponents Genin like you can handle!"
"Let me go!"
Sasuke slowly raised his head, his Sharingan fixed on Anko Mitarashi.
The woman involuntarily released him, frowning. "At such a young age, you've already awakened a Three Tomoe Sharingan?"
Sasuke ignored her. Clutching his kunai, he rushed forward, staring at his brother's eternally calm face as he gritted his teeth. "Always that expression... Itachi, you're really disgusting!"
Whether when the brothers had loved each other dearly, or later, when Itachi Uchiha slaughtered the entire clan, his face had always remained so calm...
Sasuke Uchiha even wondered whether there was truly anything in this world capable of moving that cold-blooded, heartless man.
Itachi Uchiha raised a hand and caught his younger brother's arm. Looking down at his eyes—three tomoe in the left, two in the right—he could not