Itachi’s words were meant to keep Kisame calm, to stop him from acting impulsively and using powerful techniques right away. He knew his younger brother’s current strength wasn’t enough. If Kisame went all out, there was a real chance Sasuke could be killed on the spot.

Although his presence would certainly prevent that outcome, it would also mean he could no longer remain hidden within the Akatsuki.

Unable to return to Konoha and unable to stay in Akatsuki, he would truly have nowhere to go.

Fortunately, after partnering for several years, Kisame still listened to him, perhaps out of fear of his terrifying, nearly unavoidable genjutsu. As one of the Akatsuki’s core members, Kisame was also very mindful of Kakashi and the others’ intentions.

Were they just passing through? Had they come specifically for them? Were they here to capture the rogue ninja Uchiha Itachi? Or was this part of an operation targeting the Akatsuki?

"They’re here."

While Kisame was still deep in thought, Kakashi, Ethan, and the others had already arrived. Since spotting them in the distance, their speed hadn’t slowed but had instead increased, clearly targeting the two of them.

"Oh my, I didn’t expect to see so many people from Konoha here. What a coincidence."

"We came specifically for you. This is no coincidence."

The one who answered was Ethan, which made Itachi pay closer attention. This young man, who had been able to argue endlessly with him in the Tsukuyomi world and ultimately persuaded him to pass information to the Third Hokage, appeared to be the leader of this mission.

Even with veteran, powerful shinobi like Kakashi present, he was still made captain. Perhaps this had to do with the information he had provided.

Itachi sifted through these thoughts, analyzing the situation carefully to find the correct answer.

What he didn’t expect was for the answer he was pondering to be directly revealed by the other side.

"You don’t need to bother analyzing, Itachi. I’m the one in charge of this team. Our mission..." Ethan glanced at Kakashi and Sasuke, who were both on high alert beside him. "...is to eliminate the rogue ninja, Uchiha Itachi."

Itachi closed his eyes. In that instant, Ethan had activated a genjutsu while speaking. To others, it looked like nothing had changed, but to Itachi’s eyes, Ethan’s lip movements didn’t match his words. With his Sharingan, Itachi could easily read the hidden message Ethan had actually conveyed.

"Spy mission complete. Return to Konoha."

He didn’t know whether this was a trap or Konoha’s true intention, but he didn’t believe he could return now, so he rejected Ethan’s suggestion.

"Is that so? Then go ahead and try."

Kisame glanced sideways at Itachi. It was the same familiar partner, yet something felt different.

He didn’t dwell on it. For Konoha to suddenly send people after Itachi, and only send a previous loser and two brats, was suspicious. Still, as long as Itachi maintained hostility toward Konoha, he remained a reliable and useful partner.

Itachi stood there quietly without adopting a combat stance, but Kakashi knew just how terrifying he was. His attire, which seemed ill-suited for battle, was actually perfect for his style. Whether it was single-handed hand seals or swift genjutsu casting, both were difficult to defend against.

"Ethan..."

"Hmm?"

"How confident are you?"

Now that things had come to this, Kakashi no longer wasted time thinking, "I should have forced him to go back to the village." When facing an enemy, he focused solely on the battle ahead.

Now that he had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, maybe he could withstand Itachi’s genjutsu. Although he already knew the Tsukuyomi was a unique Mangekyo dōjutsu and that, not being a genjutsu specialist, he likely couldn’t resist it fully, still, as long as he avoided direct eye contact...

"Confidence in what sense?"

Kakashi glanced at Ethan beside him. This kid still looked relaxed, hands in his pockets, as if he wasn’t facing the terrifying Uchiha Itachi and the infamous Kisame, but two complete nobodies.

"Brat, your arrogant attitude really pisses me off."

Before Ethan could respond to Kakashi, he turned and looked at Kisame again. "Oh, I’m really sorry about that... but I’ve always been like this. If it bothers you, then come hit me."

"Heh, interesting."

Itachi watched Ethan not far away, unable to figure out what this kid was really up to. Did Konoha have some scheme?

Was he trying to use Itachi’s feelings for Sasuke to provoke him into attacking Kisame, and then force him back to Konoha?

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. But were Konoha’s people really that naïve? Even if he cared about Sasuke, his only goal was to protect Sasuke’s life. He had no obligation to save Kakashi or this brat named Ethan.

A gust of wind swept past. Kisame had made his move.

Since Konoha had come for them, there was no need to hold back. Besides, this wasn’t inside Konoha, so Kisame had nothing to worry about. He swung the massive sword Samehada and smashed it down like a giant club toward the arrogant brat.

Given Samehada’s sheer size and weight, even without using any technique or special ability, it could easily crush Ethan. Kisame didn’t believe a brat like this could withstand such a blow.

But then, something happened that none of them could believe.

Ethan seemed surprised and instinctively raised his right arm, placing it across his forehead. The reaction looked just like a normal person being startled and trying to block an incoming attack.

"Tch, turns out he’s just an arrogant brat."

When he attacked, Kisame still held some caution toward Ethan, especially since Ethan had once tricked Itachi. But seeing this reaction, this was clearly not how a trained ninja would respond.

"No."

Just as that thought formed, he suddenly remembered that Ethan’s performance back then hadn’t been like this. Suspicion crept in, but before he could react further, Samehada, which had nearly struck Ethan, collided with something and made a startling impact sound.

"What is that?"

Kisame looked forward and saw a giant sword suddenly appear out of thin air in front of Ethan, blocking his attack.

Standing behind Kisame, Itachi also saw the section of an arm holding the great sword appear in mid-air, and a flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Kakashi and Sasuke beside Ethan were equally shocked. They had no idea what kind of jutsu this was.

Just as everyone was stunned, Ethan lightly flicked his raised right hand, then made a slashing motion.

The arm in the air mimicked the same motion, and Kisame was directly sent flying, crashing heavily into the sandy ground in the distance.

Ethan didn’t even look at Kisame. He knew this one blow was far from enough to injure that monster, whose chakra reserves and physical strength were on par with a jinchuriki.

"Looks like you’re not willing to cooperate after all."

Itachi had already withdrawn his gaze from the distance. He also knew that kind of attack wouldn’t harm Kisame, and he was more concerned about Ethan’s earlier technique. After sending Kisame flying, the phantom arm and the sword had vanished.

"..."

Itachi didn’t speak, but Ethan already understood his answer. He still had no intention of returning to Konoha, likely believing he was better off staying outside.

After all, the burden he bore was to instill hatred in Sasuke, to drive him to grow stronger, and once Sasuke reached a certain level, he would pass these cursed eyes on to him, so he wouldn’t end up like himself.

"Your body’s already in terrible shape, isn’t it?"

"..."

In the original story, Kakashi had also realized the severe side effects of the Mangekyo after mastering it, so he knew Itachi’s eyesight had deteriorated greatly.

What he didn’t know was that long-term usage of the Mangekyo damaged far more than just vision. Itachi’s current state was similar to Kimimaro’s. While the Mangekyo had given him immense power, it was also steadily destroying his body.

"So, let’s skip the pointless testing." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

It was only at this moment that Ethan turned to Kakashi.

"You asked me earlier how confident I was. I’ll tell you now. One hundred percent." He motioned for Kakashi to pull Sasuke back, then turned to Sasuke. "Take this opportunity to observe the gap between you and this man. Seeing it for yourself is better than hearing about it."

After saying that, he stopped looking at the two of them. Almost immediately, vibrant green sprouted from the barren sandy ground, covering the entire area in lush greenery. Buds began to form, then bloom at astonishing speed.

In the brief time it took Kisame to climb out of the pit, the environment had completely transformed.

"These flowers are just like the ones you touched before. Not only touch, but even smelling their fragrance will cause poisoning."

Itachi looked at the bright roses under his feet and instantly made the right choice.

"Susanoo."

As the vermilion skeletal frame emerged, Ethan’s voice followed from across the field.

"Black Rope Heavenly Punishment... never mind. Let’s go with Kurikara Divine Manifestation."

(To be continued.)