[Might Guy: Hm? That man… who is he?]
[Tenten: Guy-sensei, he's the one who came to Konoha with Itachi Uchiha before.]
[Kakashi Hatake: Kisame Hoshigaki… then that means—]
[Sasuke Uchiha: Itachi Uchiha!!!]
[Jiraiya: I didn't expect the Akatsuki to move so soon.]
[Tsunade: Shiranui Kūra and the others are in serious danger this time.]
Kisame looked at the group before him and grinned.
"Itachi-san, let's see whether these brats know anything about the Jinchūriki."
"…Very well."
A flock of crows suddenly appeared beside Kisame, swirling together before forming a human silhouette.
Itachi Uchiha stepped forward.
Shiranui Kūra gasped.
"Itachi Uchiha?!"
She had studied Konoha's bingo book—this was Sasuke's older brother, the rogue ninja who slaughtered the Uchiha clan.
"Nani?!"
The others were equally stunned.
Kisame chuckled.
"Itachi-san, you can rest for now.
Kids, why not surrender quietly? Otherwise, this is going to hurt."
Seeing no room for negotiation, everyone readied themselves.
Shishio struck first, summoning sand beasts.
Kisame lazily swung SamehEida—instantly scattering the constructs.
Ameno hurried to Shiranui Kūra's side, using Medical Ninjutsu to wake Ino. Only then did Shiranui Kūra realize she was still carrying her.
Kōji formed a massive sand hammer and smashed it toward Kisame, while Shishio provided cover with more sand beasts.
SamehEida tore through both effortlessly.
Kōji retreated.
Chōji began forming hand seals for Partial Expansion Jutsu, but Kōji stopped him.
"Wait. That weapon's strange."
He had felt the chakra in his sand hammer drain rapidly—it wasn't just being destroyed; it was being absorbed.
"Water Release: Water Mosquito."
"Sand Beast!"
Ameno released a swarm of water-formed insects while Shishio summoned more sand constructs.
They rushed Kisame—
Then suddenly exploded, filling the area with smoke.
Shiranui Kūra moved to charge, but Ameno grabbed her arm.
Are all Konoha ninja this reckless?
At the same time, Shishio slammed his hand against the sand.
"Polarized Sand Formation: Heat Haze Camouflage."
"Blinding Sand Field: Dense Mirage."
Shiranui Kūra and the others' bodies shimmered, becoming nearly invisible as yellow particles filled the air.
One technique concealed allies; the other disrupted the enemy's perception.
Ameno glanced at Shiranui Kūra and Ino, who stared at their own transparency with innocent confusion.
Why do Konoha ninja look so clear-eyed and naïve…?
She grabbed them and fled, while Kōji and Shishio dragged Chōji away.
Kisame sighed at their "tricks" and formed hand seals.
"Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
He expelled a massive torrent from his mouth, enough to create a lake in the middle of the desert.
The group was swept away before they could stabilize themselves.
"Water Release: Water Shark Bullet Jutsu."
A chakra-infused shark-shaped projectile surged through the water, crashing into them.
When the water receded—
Only Shiranui Kūra remained standing.
The others lay unconscious.
Shiranui Kūra herself was battered and bleeding, breathing heavily after enduring multiple impacts.
[Inoichi Yamanaka: Ino!]
[Kizashi Haruno: Shiranui Kūra!]
[Shikamaru Nara: Chōji! Ino!]
[Naruto Uzumaki: This is bad! Shiranui Kūra and the others are in trouble!]
[Tsunade: The difference in strength is simply too great…]
In the classroom, Shiranui Kūra and Ino watched anxiously, realizing how dire the situation was.
Kisame strode forward, SamehEida resting on his shoulder—
When suddenly, a sharp water blade shot toward his head.
He leapt back.
"Medical Water Release: Water Mantis."
Ameno's hands transformed into chakra scalpels shaped like mantis blades—an evolution of the Chakra Scalpel.
Clinging to her chest was a translucent water jellyfish.
When the Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave struck, her prepared Water Jellyfish had absorbed the impact.
And when the Water Shark Bullet came, she rapidly molded chakra to activate:
"Medical Water Release: Water Jellyfish."
She knew they couldn't defeat Kisame—but even with slim hope, she shouted to Shiranui Kūra:
"Go! Find reinforcements! I'll hold him off!"
She charged.
SamehEida blocked the mantis blades and slammed her aside.
But Shiranui Kūra shouted back—
"How can I abandon everyone?!"
"Cherry Blossom Impact!"
She threw a punch at Kisame.
He dodged effortlessly and smashed her unconscious with SamehEida.
The last hope seemed extinguished—yet Ameno forced herself upright.
If she fell, there would be no chance at all.
All she could hope was that a proctor would notice soon. If other examinees arrived instead, it would only add to the casualties.
"Water Release: Water Mosquito!"
"Medical Water Release: Water Mantis!"
Her final assault.
SamehEida shredded the swarm, absorbed the chakra from her blades, and Kisame kicked her away.
She struggled to prop herself up.
"Admirable courage, little girl," Kisame said coolly. "Now rest."
SamehEida came down in a brutal arc.
Ameno knew she couldn't dodge—
But she did not close her eyes in surrender.
Even knowing it was impossible, she resolved to take the blow head-on and seize any chance to counter.
A medical ninja never gives up until the very last moment.
At that critical instant—
Clang!
Ameno felt herself falling backward into warmth, as though embraced by sunlight.
"Well done. Never surrender until the final second—only then will the flower of hope bloom."
She looked up.
A masked figure had intercepted SamehEida with a blade.
And she lay in his arms.
[Naruto Uzumaki: Whew! Good thing Nagi made it in time!]
[Tsunade: Ameno, you were exceptional—both in Medical Ninjutsu and in spirit.]
[Ameno: You flatter me, Lady Tsunade. That was my future self… and thank you, Nagi. You truly brought hope.]
[Shiranui Nagi: If I arrived in time, it was because you held them off. Otherwise, Itachi might already have extracted information through genjutsu.]
[Ōnoki: So Nagi is about to face the Akatsuki directly?]
[Kakashi Hatake: Is he confronting both of them alone? My concern is whether they brought more than just Itachi and Kisame.]
[Hiruzen Sarutobi: We do not know Nagi's current strength—but I trust their safety is not without assurance.]
PS: I've been releasing chapters daily . Honestly, it hurts seeing almost no support on Patreon after all that work.If you're enjoying the fic, even a little, supporting me would mean a lot. It helps a student stay independent .
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