Chapter 88: Itachi Uchiha, What Do You Want with My Little Brother?

Chapter 88: Itachi Uchiha, What Do You Want with My Little Brother?

"Look at you two getting along so well", a familiar smug voice cut through the air. "Don't tell me this is a date? Sakura and Hinata would be heartbroken if they saw this."

Izayoi and Sasuke Uchiha had just finished shopping for ingredients when the mocking words reached them. Sasuke's face twitched with irritation while Izayoi simply raised a hand in greeting.

"Kakashi Hatake, Jonin. Good morning", Izayoi said politely.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke demanded, recognizing the silver-haired ninja leaning against a wooden pillar. Kakashi's visible eye crinkled as he held up his orange book - Make-Out Tactics - but his gaze flicked toward a nearby dango shop.

"I'm waiting for someone", Kakashi replied casually.

Through the shop's beaded curtain, two figures in black cloaks embroidered with crimson clouds sat sipping tea. The Akatsuki insignia was unmistakable - a symbol of danger in the Hidden Leaf Village.

Before Sasuke could follow his gaze, another voice interrupted. "Kakashi Hatake, Izayoi, Sasuke Uchiha - what are you three up to?" Kurenai Yuhi and Asuma Sarutobi approached, their faces flushing slightly at Kakashi's teasing smirk.

"Caught in a date, are we?" Kakashi quipped, earning another round of embarrassed silence.

A sudden gust of wind swept past them. When they turned back toward the dango shop, the figures had vanished.

"I've got work to do", Kakashi said, tucking his book away before disappearing in a Body Flicker. Asuma and Kurenai exchanged knowing glances before following suit.

"What are these Jonin up to?" Sasuke muttered, his brow furrowed.

"They went after your brother", Izayoi said casually. "Itachi was sitting there eating dango just moments ago."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Itachi was here?!" Without waiting for confirmation, he surged forward in a lightning-enhanced Body Flicker.

Watching him disappear, Izayoi's lips curved into a knowing smile. "Now you'll understand the price of power... My little pawn is ready for harvest."

---

By the river dividing the forest, two cloaked figures stood facing Asuma and Kurenai.

"Knew we'd be found eventually", Kisame Hoshigaki grinned, shark-like teeth gleaming as he removed his bell-adorned hat. "Our leader's gone too far this time. Sneaking around with Orochimaru, killing in the Leaf Village without telling us..."

"Kisame Hoshigaki", Kurenai identified coldly. "Mist's S-Rank missing-nin."

Asuma lit his chakra blades. "And the Rinnegan user is your leader? You Akatsuki are behind the Leaf's destruction plan. Consider yourselves arrested."

"Leaf nin always so bold", Kisame chuckled. "What do you think, Itachi?"

The Uchiha removed his hat, crimson Sharingan swirling. "Asuma, Kurenai. Please step aside. I have no desire to kill you."

Asuma laughed bitterly. "That's not what a clan-killer usually says."

The tense standoff shattered with a thunderous roar. "Die, You Monster!" Sasuke screamed, Chidori crackling in his palm as he lunged at Itachi's back.

Itachi didn't flinch. Like dodging Temari's attacks, he sidestepped effortlessly, catching Sasuke's wrist mid-lunge. With terrifying strength, he hurled the younger Uchiha into a tree trunk.

Before Sasuke could cry out, Itachi had him pinned against the tree, one hand crushing his throat, the other wrenching his wrist until the joint dislocated. Sasuke's face turned crimson, but his eyes burned with undimmed hatred.

"Sasuke!" Asuma and Kurenai moved to intervene, only to be blocked by Kisame's bandage-wrapped sword.

"Family reunion time", Kisame grinned. "Why don't you let them catch up?"

The Jonin exchanged a glance. Asuma charged with wind-enhanced blades while Kurenai's body twisted like a mirage. In a flash, she emerged above Sasuke's head, kunai aimed at Itachi's blind spot.

“Don’t interfere, Miss Kurenai.”

Yet Itachi Uchiha merely lifted his gaze, his emotionless eyes revealing the spinning Tomoe of his Sharingan. A surge of Yin Release chakra erupted forth, rendering Kurenai Yūhi motionless in an instant, her illusion shattering.

Her physical body materialized nearby, paralyzed and unable to move.

After neutralizing Kurenai with a single glance, Itachi turned his attention to the struggling Sasuke Uchiha, his voice cold. “Still only Double Tomoe Sharingan? It seems your hatred for me isn’t enough, foolish otouto. Allow me to assist you.”

As he spoke, the three tomoe in Itachi’s eyes elongated into black lines, forming the shape of a shuriken. He prepared to activate Tsukuyomi, a one-time use of his Mangekyō Sharingan’s power, intending to force Sasuke to relive the night of their clan’s massacre and deepen his loathing.

“Hey…”

A voice interrupted suddenly. “Itachi Uchiha, what do you think you’re doing to my little brother?”

Whoosh—

Before the technique could release, a piercing sound and a lethal threat forced Itachi to drop Sasuke without hesitation, vanishing via Body Flicker.

Almost the moment he disappeared, a white laser beam streaked through his former position, slicing toward Asuma Sarutobi and Kisame Hoshigaki, who were locked in battle.

Both leapt airborne to evade. Asuma landed on a tree branch, while Kisame touched down on the river’s surface, retracting Samehada. He swiftly formed hand seals. “Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!”

A colossal torrent surged from the river, twisting into a dragon that collided with the incoming laser. Though the water dragon was severed like paper, it weakened the beam’s force.

Realizing the laser could no longer threaten them, the caster ceased the technique.

"Crushing the Storm Release sphere in his hand, Izayoi approached Sasuke, who sat panting heavily on the ground. “You okay?”

“I… I’m fine,” Sasuke rasped, his eyes locked on Itachi across the river. “Izayoi, help me kill him!”

“I… I’m fine,” Sasuke rasped, his eyes locked on Itachi across the river. “Izayoi, help me kill him!”

“It’ll be tough, but let’s try. They don’t know much about me yet.”

Izayoi turned toward Itachi and Kisame, raising his hand to conjure a basketball-sized energy sphere.

“This is… Rasengan? But it’s huge!”

Kisame’s eyes widened. “And that Storm Release earlier… Itachi, this brat seems close to your brother. Could he be Sasuke’s leader? Do you know him?”

“Itachi Uchiha,” Itachi replied, “he’s the top graduate of Sasuke’s class—a civilian orphan.”

“A civilian orphan?” Kisame frowned, glancing at Samehada vibrating in his grip. “The chakra that makes Samehada tremble… this isn’t ordinary. This one might be from the ‘vanished Senju clan.’”

“Let me play with him, Itachi,” Kisame grinned.

“No,” Itachi said flatly. “Your techniques are too destructive. Our identities and the organization are exposed. Many shinobi are likely converging here.”

The next moment, both tensed.

Izayoi’s energy sphere suddenly split into three smaller orbs. While pure chakra alone wouldn’t alarm them, these orbs shifted colors—wind’s white, earth’s ochre, and fire’s orange-red. Rotating clockwise, one orb abruptly reversed direction, colliding with the others. The energies fused, transforming the blue sphere into a transparent, glass-like shell encasing a fist-sized white core. Sensory-type users could sense its apocalyptic power, and the Sharingan-wielders—Itachi and Sasuke—saw chakra brimming with annihilation.

Recognizing the technique’s nature—though its form differed—Kisame and Itachi, both versed in the world’s strongest ninja, knew its name.

Before Kisame could speak, Izayoi hurled the sphere.

“Are you kidding? Dust Release you can throw?!” Kisame roared.

“Retreat!” Itachi barked, vanishing in a Body Flicker. Kisame followed.

Asuma and Kurenai, having broken free from the Magic Lantern Show: Double Piercing Light no Jutsu, abandoned pursuit, fleeing into the forest.

“This’ll be messy!”

Izayoi, startled by his success, grabbed Sasuke and fled.

Shwip—

The sphere struck the river, the white core shattering like fragile glass. Blinding light erupted, engulfing the sphere and expanding rapidly. Though the transparent barrier held, the explosion swelled like a Tailed Beast Ball.

Glancing back at the light wall overtaking them—faster than their Body Flicker—Itachi’s Sharingan bled crimson. “Amaterasu!”

Black, unquenchable flames erupted, consuming the light wall. But within seconds, the flames—nearly immune to suppression—vanished, dissolved by a superior force.

“Itachi, buy me two seconds!” Kisame formed seals rapidly.

Itachi unleashed a surge of dōjutsu power, manifesting an orange-red giant’s arm wielding a shield to clash with the advancing light wall. The impact slowed the explosion.

Kisame roared, “Water Release: Water Shark Bullet!”

A massive water shark leapt from the river, swallowing both men before diving deep, fleeing at blinding speed.

Boom—

The delayed explosion thundered far behind them.

From above, the river—splitting the forest—suddenly glowed. A colossal light dome expanded, erasing trees and terrain. When it faded, a smooth, crater-like basin remained, soon to become a lake as water rushed in.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end