Dark clouds gradually surged forward. Amidst the mournful howling gale, the chill deepened.
As Chiyo and the others drew closer to the Land of Rain, cold rain began to envelop everything!
"Truly a peculiar feeling. The last time I was here was when I was fighting against the old man with the breathing tube."
Running alternately on tree trunks with Chakra gathered at her feet, Chiyo voiced a nostalgic sigh.
"Then it's better to have fewer such opportunities in the future." Having dealt with four or five lookouts without forehead protectors, Sakura flicked a Flying Thunder God kunai and caught up with them.
"Hmm, I thought you'd be the type who enjoys war~"
Chiyo narrowed her eyes. "After all, you seem completely different from your mentor, that Slug Girl. Your Chakra and aura are filled with an overbearing will."
"How harsh. This is just a girl's delusion. Can't a child even dream a little?" While using Observation Haki to sense the surroundings, Sakura spread her hands.
"Come on. Monstrous talents like you, who inherently know how to stir up trends, how could you remain indifferent to a stagnant world?" Chiyo turned her head away skeptically, showing a bit of a stubborn old-timer's demeanor.
The girl narrowed her beautiful gem-like eyes, a hint of cunning flowing in their depths. "Who knows? That depends on whether the world intends to oppose me or not!"
Chiyo fell silent. Speaking of which, there was a time when she herself was as arrogant as the girl before her, willfully wanting to change Sunagakure, only to be bloodied by reality.
"Being young... it's so wonderful!"
After a long while, Chiyo's trembling voice sounded.
"Hmph, I won't comfort you, you know."
Sakura waved her hand without thinking, a playful expression on her face.
"Hahaha, not needed." Chiyo laughed. "I can't say much for other things, but my ability to endure is top-class in this world!"
To have her lifelong efforts reduced to nothing, yet still remain in this world, waiting for change to come-
Just the fortitude required to do that alone put the late Hanzo, half a world away, to shame.
Running ahead, Sasuke and Naruto glanced back at the two behind them, puzzled. Then a trace of rainbow light flashed in their eyes.
"Stop!"
Sasuke immediately shouted! The entire team scattered upon his warning.
The next instant, a pillar of cold light erupted from the ground. Yin Release Chakra emitting crimson particles converged into a blade.
It slashed downward.
Immediately, infinite dust, soil, and stones came rushing forth.
As if in an instant, they had moved from the Land of Rain back into the desolate Land of Wind.
No deafening thunderclap was heard, only the howling and clashing of scattering soil and stones. A sorrowful flute sound spread from the distant reeds.
"Huh? What happened?"
Naruto, with only half his body remaining, fell to the ground, rolled twice, and stopped before Chiyo.
"Young man, you..."
Chiyo's eyes widened instantly, but she calmed down upon seeing the silver-white fluid continuously flowing from Naruto's severed torso.
"Hey hey, what are you doing here?"
In the center of the forest, Sakura raised an arm blackened with Armament Haki, blocking a massive blade.
Composed of cold, chakra flames, standing before her was none other than the Uchiha Clan's exclusive Dojutsu… Susanoo!
"Due to certain reasons, we owe the Akatsuki a considerable amount of money. So, to repay the debt, we need to delay you for half an hour." Dressed in a flowing black Uchiha robe, Itachi's figure slowly descended from within the Susanoo.
"Hey hey, Itachi, why are you always so honest whenever we encounter them?"
Behind Itachi, countless pairs of crimson eyes glowed with scarlet light.
Uchiha Clan's Missing-Nin emerged from the shadows, led by Tekka and Inabi.
Over the past two years, these Uchiha wanderers had their weaker members eliminated through struggle. The entire group increasingly exuded an elite aura, slowly beginning to resemble the Uchiha Clan's demeanor during the Warring States Era.
"Heh, interesting. Mercenaries lending money to mercenaries? Whose genius idea was that?"
Sakura pulled out a Flying Thunder God kunai from the ninja tool pouch on her back, spinning it around her index finger through the ring.
"Uchiha… Itachi!!!"
Chakra overflowed from Sasuke's body, bone-chilling killing intent flowing from his Sharingan, which had spun into three tomoes.
He took a step forward, blocking Sakura. "You go carry out the rescue mission. Leave them to me!!!"
Sakura's emerald eyes met Sasuke's. Seeing the resolve in his eyes, she nodded, raising a hand and making a special gesture to the right toward Naruto and Chiyo.
"Be careful of the Susanoo's sword. Your ability isn't developed enough yet, and you still can't enter a human-beast form. Carelessly transforming into a full beast form makes you vulnerable to sealing. Be cautious!"
Sakura reminded Sasuke, then took Naruto, who had fully regenerated, and Chiyo, running to the left.
"Don't think you can leave!"
The Uchiha Ninjas, tricked by the fake signal, were momentarily stunned.
They immediately pursued from the opposite direction but were blocked by a blade light emanating from hell.
"Experience the hell I've endured these years… One-Sword Style: Hymn of Endless Suffering!"
Sasuke's figure flashed past, disappearing. Somehow, he had passed through the many Uchiha Ninja.
Holding the sheath in his left hand, his right hand gripped the hilt, slowly pressing down.
Crack, Clang—!
Blade light covered in flames and Haki sharply converged into a single line. Hellish scorching heat instantly descended upon the forest.
Even the powerful Uchiha elites couldn't clearly see the boy's ferocious slash.
Now, huge gashes opened on their chests. In a storm of spraying blood, they fell to the ground.
"I... I was cut!"
"Damn it, when...?"
"That crybaby, how dare he...?"
Agony lingered, Haki shockwaves struck. Sixteen Uchiha Ninjas lost consciousness in an instant, collapsing.
Among them were Tekka and Inabi, who could easily defeat Sasuke years ago. Though some consciousness remained, they lost the ability to move.
"Now it's your turn, Uchiha Itachi!"
Sasuke drew his sword again, pointing it at Itachi, who had been observing everything from a tree.
"You have indeed grown stronger. But it's not enough, especially since you haven't yet touched the divine power of the Uchiha!"
Step by step, rising on invisible Yin Release Chakra, Itachi's eyes burned with a frenzied light.
Residual light twisted and intertwined in the air, weaving bones, flesh, skin, and armor. Finally, it transformed into a giant hundreds of meters tall, proudly standing, arms crossed as it formed a giant sword and shield.
"Let me see the reliance upon which you dare challenge this divine power! My foolish younger brother!"
Within the Yin Release Chakra-formed crystal, Itachi raised five fingers, clenching them. The massive Susanoo mimicked his action.
"Always 'divine power, divine power'… it's annoying!!!"
Sasuke's face darkened as he sheathed his long sword. White mist streamed from his nose and mouth. "You self-centered, willful idiot! Mom at home cries for you every day!"
Because of the guy before him, their once happy family was shattered. Their mother bore the strange looks from the clan and villagers every day, still worrying about this guy!
Today, he would wash away this stain, personally cripple this bastard, then take him back to apologize to their mother!
Under his torn clothes, a body covered in scales was revealed. A blindingly bright rainbow light shot into the sky, causing clouds to rapidly gather above.
Storms raged… heavenly drums thundered. The center of the dark clouds collapsed into a vortex-like hole.
As if something colossal was trampling the sky, bit by bit revealing its majestic, awe-inspiring form, brutally crushing all obstacles. Then, a dragon's head descended from the clouds.
"A dragon?" Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan trembled violently.
"Let me use this power granted by a friend to send you on your way. Bolo Breath!"
Boom!!!