The chakra he had sensed during the previous mission was caused by the surge of the Nine-Tails' chakra from Naruto!
"What is going on? Why did the Nine-Tails escape?" Uchiha Itachi asked the Root member with a frown.
Then he noticed Naruto's right eye pupil contract.
Could it be that the Root member was still controlling the Jinchuriki?
Squad leader Sai ordered Uchiha Itachi:
"Quick! Restrain the Nine-Tails! Otherwise, it will completely break free!"
Uchiha Itachi frowned and looked at the three-tailed chakra cloak behind Naruto, his expression turning serious.
Although he had not yet awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, during his previous duel with Shisui, the latter admitted that Itachi was not inferior to him as long as he wasn't distracted.
Moreover, the power of the three-tomoe Sharingan was enough to suppress Naruto even when he could enter a four-tailed state.
Now, Uchiha Itachi stepped forward.
His Sharingan spun rapidly as his consciousness instantly entered the sealed space.
Looking at the Nine-Tails' chakra spreading across the floor, Itachi calmly pressed the chakra back into the sealed space.
However, what puzzled him was that the Nine-Tails was not as violent as he expected.
Instead, it lay inside the cage, watching him reseal the chakra with a playful expression.
That was a bit strange.
Itachi glanced at the unconscious Naruto.
At this moment, Shikamaru, Shino, and the others shouted as they rushed forward.
"That's too much!"
However, the ANBU and the Root squad leader suddenly blocked their path.
"Stop! ANBU are executing a mission. All unrelated personnel must halt!"
"ANBU?!"
Shikamaru and the others looked shocked.
"Why is Naruto so badly injured!? What are you trying to do!?"
"That's none of your concern!" the Root leader snapped coldly as he looked toward Naruto.
Since the Sharingan couldn't detect any traces, he could only investigate through the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
"Hand over the Jinchuriki!" the Root leader said to Uchiha Itachi.
However, Itachi, acting under the Hokage's authority, ignored him.
"He's seriously injured. I will take him to the hospital."
"No! Just hand him over!" panic filled the squad leader's voice. If he failed to capture Naruto, he would definitely be punished.
But Itachi did not listen.
He simply picked Naruto up and left.
The white-cloaked commander's face darkened with anger.
With his strength, he couldn't stop this Uchiha genius—even if he was only eleven years old.
"Damn it!"
He glared viciously at the two ANBU who were calmly sealing the corpses of his companions into scrolls before leaving the scene.
The two ANBU exchanged glances and quickly went to report to Lord Hokage.
Soon, only the stunned Shikamaru and the others remained.
Meanwhile, in another part of the forest—
A gigantic green figure blocked all explosive earth-style attacks.
The ANBU team stared at the enormous Susanoo in horror.
"What is that?!"
"Eight-Strike Magatama!"
Countless green jade-like projectiles shot out like bullets, killing Root members one after another.
Shisui, barely standing, fled from the forest.
Because Naruto's sudden appearance had divided their forces, he managed to escape without Itachi's help.
When the remnants of the two Root squads knelt before Danzo, who stood there with his arms crossed—
Danzo's face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen!!"
Danzo roared in fury.
He felt that the Third Hokage had completely played him like a fool.
Rasengan!
That was the exclusive technique of the Fourth Hokage, Jiraiya, and Kakashi!
It was an A-rank jutsu—impossible to learn without a teacher.
In Danzo's mind, the one who stole the Sharingan must have been Hiruzen's ANBU.
No wonder he was deliberately called to meet Shisui again.
No wonder they wanted to assign Shisui to ANBU.
So this was the trap waiting for him!
The image of Hiruzen that Danzo had always held suddenly collapsed.
What instigation? That old man was clearly a cunning fox!
What disgusted Danzo the most was that he couldn't capture the ANBU who stole the Sharingan.
There was simply no evidence!
And now Uchiha Itachi had appeared again and taken Naruto away, making Danzo feel like a complete clown.
In truth, the clown had always been himself.
Worst of all—
He couldn't even confront Hiruzen about it!
After all, Hiruzen hadn't said a single word. Everyone believed Shisui's eyes were meant to stop the Uchiha coup, while Danzo had secretly tried to steal them.
Now it looked as if Hiruzen was just a man who always made concessions, even to Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen… I will remember this!"
Danzo glared viciously toward the Hokage building.
This time, he had truly suffered a crushing defeat.
Uchiha Kagami's Sharingan had been used, and Shisui's Sharingan was gone.
But then Danzo's expression hardened.
"Fortunately… I still have one last trump card."
"You want to protect the Uchiha?"
"I'll make them all die!"