https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-69-I-Will-Definitely-Get-You-Back-from-Yuyi-Xuan-Yue-/12553275/
Chapter 68: Kindred Spirits
Chapter 68: Kindred Spirits
Kimimaro suffered from a congenital hereditary disease unique to his clan, and his days were numbered.
This was something that Itachi Uchiha had realized from the very beginning.
After all, the two of them were too similar.
Both possessed powerful bloodline limits, both suffered from incurable illnesses, and both endured agonizing pain.
The only difference was that Itachi still had a few years left, while Kimimaro's flame was about to be snuffed out.
As Itachi approached Kimimaro, gazing at this descendant of the Kaguya clan, who, like the Uchiha, had been eradicated, and the sole known remaining user of the Dead Bone Pulse in the ninja world, Itachi saw a reflection of his possible future.
"Cough... cough..."
Kimimaro, even too weak to cough properly, noticed Itachi's approach and had no more regrets.
"I'm sorry, Orochimaru-sama," he apologized one last time in his heart as he channeled the last bit of chakra in his body.
Puchi!
Blood splattered.
A bone spur pierced Kimimaro's heart and penetrated his chest, protruding from his body.
At that moment, the man known as Kimimaro of the Kaguya clan died.
"Refusing to reveal Orochimaru's location until the very end? Cough... cough..."
Itachi coughed lightly a couple of times.
Understanding that Kimimaro had done this in his final moments to protect Orochimaru's secrets and prevent any interrogation, Itachi remained silent for a moment before burying Kimimaro's body in a deep pit.
After finishing this, Itachi put his traveler's hat back on his head, and with a palm gesture, a black crow instantly spread its wings from his palm and soared into the distant sky.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound of Kakashi's shadow clones being blasted accompanied by the howling wind continued to echo.
Facing the combined might of Sasuke and Naruto, Kisame found himself not only handling the situation with ease but also pushing the two young ninjas to their limits.
Unaware that he had reached the pinnacle of his life, having the reincarnated Ashura and Indra, the two great bosses of the ninja world, at his mercy and struggling to catch their breath, Kisame had no interest in further entanglement. With a kick, he sent Sasuke flying, his Samehada charged with ferocity as it aimed straight for Naruto.
Compared to Itachi's younger brother, the Nine-Tails brat was more to his liking.
Naruto prepared to dodge, but a green figure dashed past him at incredible speed.
"Konoha Senpuu!" (Leaf Hurricane!)
A fierce and powerful upper kick sent the unprepared Kisame flying.
Accompanying this was a youthful and passionate shout:
"Konoha's Beautiful Cerulean Beast, once again takes the stage!"
"Bushy Brows! You're here!!!"
Naruto looked at the newcomer with delight; it was Rock Lee, whose body had just recovered not long ago.
Lee turned back, giving him a thumbs-up and flashing his shiny white teeth.
"And it's not just me."
Not far away, Sasuke, who had been kicked away by Kisame, noticed this scene and looked further into the distance. His eyes narrowed, and without a word, he quickly turned and left.
Unaware of Sasuke's behavior, Naruto soon understood what Lee meant by "it's not just me."
Chi!
The sound of a thousand birds chirping in unison rang out once more.
Like an assassin hidden for a long time, when they burst out, they radiated dazzling brilliance.
Kisame had just stabilized himself when he noticed a lightning bolt, similar to the one Sasuke had just used, but far more threatening, piercing through the air toward him.
"It's you!"
Kisame recognized the person.
The next second, a violent explosion sounded.
Amidst the dust and debris, Kakashi's figure appeared first. With a few leaps, he reached Naruto and Lee's side.
Not only did Tsunade send Kankuro and Lee, but she also dispatched Kakashi, who had just returned to the village after completing a mission without even taking a break.
"Kakashi-sensei!"
Noticing the arrival, Naruto's anxious heart immediately calmed down. Then, with joy, he pointed in Sasuke's direction and said to Kakashi:
"Look! Kakashi-sensei, I've found Sasuke! He was just fighting alongside me against that shark-faced guy.
Naruto looked in the same direction, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Where did Sasuke go? He was just here!"
Naruto's face was filled with anxiety as he prepared to search for Sasuke again.
Kakashi held him back.
"The crisis isn't over yet."
Not far away, the dust settled, and the man known as Kisame, though a bit disheveled, still exuded power.
"Kakashi, I didn't expect you to show no signs of being affected by Itachi's genjutsu." Kisame hoisted Samehada onto his shoulder and appraised Kakashi, whom he had encountered again.
"I didn't expect it either." Kakashi calmly replied, drawing out a kunai and readying himself for battle.
Though he was aware that Sasuke was nearby, now was not the time to be distracted.
For the village, the importance of Naruto, the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, far outweighed that of Sasuke.
Thus, facing the sudden appearance of another mysterious member of the Akatsuki, an organization specializing in capturing tailed beasts, he had to keep Naruto within his line of sight at all times.
The howling wind bent the grass on the field.
Kakashi, Rock Lee, and even Naruto braced themselves for battle once more.
As Kisame raised Samehada, ready to give it his all, a crow suddenly descended from the sky and landed on his shoulder.
Upon seeing this, Kisame temporarily sheathed Samehada and addressed the crow:
"Itachi, what is it?"
The voice of Itachi Uchiha emanated from the crow:
"I've taken care of Orochimaru's men, but I wasn't able to extract any information. As for the remaining targets, make sure to bring back at least one of them alive."
"Seems like that young man from earlier is quite capable."
Kisame, aware of Itachi's abilities, expressed his surprise and then turned his gaze towards Naruto and the others, adding,
"But I still have some unfinished business here. Remember that Nine-Tails brat? Luck would have it that I ran into him again. Oh, and Kakashi, who fell victim to your genjutsu, is also here."
"Kakashi, huh?"
The crow on Kisame's shoulder turned its head, its blood-red eyes, like Itachi's, fixing on the group from Konoha.
In a detached tone, Itachi replied, "Taking them down won't be something that can be accomplished in a short while. I'm more interested in finding Orochimaru's whereabouts. His subordinates won't last long."
"I see."
Recalling the events that transpired between Orochimaru and Itachi during their time in the Akatsuki, Kisame nodded and sheathed Samehada, saying,
"Alright, I'll heed your advice and deal with Orochimaru first."
They were all just workers; there was no need to be so competitive.
Even Pain, their boss, wasn't in a hurry to retrieve the Nine-Tails, so Kisame saw no reason to rush.
His earlier actions were more out of a sense of 'while I'm here' mentality.
Now that their reinforcements had arrived, the outcome of a full-blown fight would be uncertain, so Kisame decided to cut his losses.
Whoosh!
Kisame's figure flashed, and he swiftly departed.
Rock Lee, seeing this, turned to Kakashi and asked, "Teacher Kakashi, do we need to pursue him?"
"No." Kakashi, recalling the crow on Kisame's shoulder and aware that Itachi was likely nearby, shook his head.
Though he didn't understand why Kisame had suddenly stopped and left, he didn't want any more complications at the moment.
"Our mission is..."
Kakashi didn't get to finish his sentence.
Naruto, having realized something, suddenly exclaimed, "Sasuke!!!"
Without another word, he sprinted in the direction Sasuke had gone.
"The mission is... to do just that."
Kakashi finished his sentence with a shake of his head and hurried after Naruto.
(End of Chapter)
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