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The sound of the Chidori is far too conspicuous. Once activated, its high-pitched chirping—like a thousand birds—makes it nearly impossible to go unnoticed.
From a distance, Ye Dou and Metkay, who had been tracking the situation, sensed the disturbance at the same time.
"There!" Metkay narrowed his eyes. "Move fast—the enemy isn't someone ordinary!"
Following the sound, Metkay quickly locked onto the chakra signature of an Uchiha.
[Meeting of Destiny]
"Regret it, Uchiha Itachi! Like you said... I hate you—I've always hated you! And I've been living only for this day!"
In an inn in Suba-chō, Sasuke Uchiha could no longer contain his long-buried rage. The hatred he had bottled up for years exploded in a torrent of emotion.
His voice trembled as he roared, ignoring everyone else present. His scarlet Sharingan spun with killing intent, locking onto Uchiha Itachi without a single blink. "You die here, today!"
The Chidori in Sasuke's hand crackled violently, its lightning responding to the fury of its master. In a flash, he charged.
Chidori is a high-speed assassination ninjutsu that concentrates lightning-nature chakra into the user's palm, forming a powerful current. It transforms the hand into a piercing weapon—similar to the Hell Stab of the Third Raikage.
To maximize its lethality, Chidori is often paired with another lightning-nature technique that stimulates cellular activity and boosts physical speed—thereby increasing penetration.
But because of the extreme speed required, without the predictive abilities of the Sharingan, it becomes nearly impossible to aim precisely. Sasuke, as a true Uchiha, is naturally suited for the technique.
"Die, Uchiha Itachi!"
With no hesitation, Sasuke lunged, thrusting his lightning-infused left hand straight for his brother's heart—a strike meant to kill instantly. Chidori was the most powerful jutsu he had mastered so far, strong enough to crack even Gaara's ultimate defense. He believed that if it connected, it would end Itachi's life.
But—Boom!
The inn's wall exploded. Dust and smoke clouded the view, and for a moment, nothing could be seen clearly.
As the debris settled, Naruto Uzumaki's eyes widened in disbelief.
There stood Itachi, completely unharmed, holding Sasuke's wrist mid-strike—calmly, effortlessly.
It was as if an adult had caught a child misbehaving—Sasuke's arm was frozen, his attack nullified. The Chidori's crackling arcs sputtered helplessly, resisting until they finally faded into nothing.
The gap in power was devastating.
Sasuke's Sharingan and Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan weren't even in the same league. While Sasuke could barely anticipate two or three moves ahead, Itachi was always five steps further—like a chess master calmly dismantling his opponent.
"Damn it!"
Seeing Sasuke trapped, Naruto gritted his teeth and began gathering chakra. The seals on his body—first the Eight Trigrams Seal placed by Minato Namikaze, then the disruptive Five Elements Seal placed by Orochimaru—had been partially undone when Jiraiya removed the latter.
Now, emotionally charged, Naruto could access a sliver of the Nine-Tails' chakra.
"If you lose control, this'll get bad fast," Jiraiya's words echoed in his mind.
Even a fraction of the Nine-Tails' power was overwhelming—dense, nearly tangible. As Naruto's chakra surged, both Kisame Hoshigaki and Itachi sensed the spike.
With a single slash, Kisame reacted.
The chakra Naruto had just gathered—gone. Instantly.
"What?!" Naruto's eyes widened in shock, trying again. "Why won't it work?!"
"Don't waste your energy," Kisame said coldly, lifting his wrapped blade. "Samehada devours chakra."
He unwrapped the bandages, revealing the monstrous blade known as Samehada—one of the Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist, like the Executioner's Blade. Unlike ordinary weapons, Samehada fed on chakra and grew stronger with each feast.
"I don't know what jutsu you were planning," Kisame continued, "but with chakra that dense, I can't let you finish it. Safer to take off your arms than your legs."
He raised Samehada to strike.
Across the room, Sasuke struggled—but Itachi twisted his wrist with brutal precision.
Crack!
A scream tore from Sasuke's throat, raw and agonized.
Hearing Sasuke's cry, Kisame grinned wider, bringing the blade down with lethal force—
Boom!!
Another explosion rocked the inn. The wall burst open, and Metkay flew in with a thunderous shout.
"YOUTH!!"
With a mighty kick, he struck Kisame mid-swing, sending him flying.
At the same time, Ye Dou appeared behind Itachi like a phantom, aiming a fierce strike at his head.
Itachi barely blocked in time and quickly retreated to regroup beside Kisame.
"Teacher Metkay! Ye Dou!" Naruto cried out, overwhelmed by relief. "Why are you here?!"
"Because youth always leads the way!" Metkay declared, striking a flamboyant pose without hesitation.
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