Guy and Neji were setting up a temporary camp. Ten-Ten, meanwhile, was tending to the client, and Lee had become quiet, apparently recovering from his recent use of kinjutsu.
The genin had performed well in this battle, and Mighto was happy for his charges, as they had shown excellent teamwork. The mercenary jonin from Kiri was no longer a threat, as he would simply be out of commission for the next day or two. Guy's attacks were guaranteed to incapacitate. Four of the enemy chunin were dead, and Neji had finished off two more afterward. The client's defense had generally been successful, although he had been poisoned. But thanks to Ten-Ten's efforts, the architect should recover soon, and in a few hours, he could be carefully transported to his destination. True, their mission would most likely be delayed. Because it was unknown how many more mercenaries had been sent after Tazuna.
Suddenly, Guy sensed something on the periphery of his perception.
— Neji, check the southeast, — the jonin ordered.
Hearing his teacher's serious tone, the genin tensed up and quickly activated his dōjutsu. Judging by the change in Hyūga's expression, enemies were approaching, and they were far from being chunin. Ten-Ten heard her teacher and teammate talking, so she was distracted from her tasks, staring expectantly at Hyūga.
— Sensei… this is… — Neji seemed lost. — I've never seen so much chakra in my life.
Guy raised an eyebrow questioningly, waiting for an explanation. Hyūga gritted his teeth; what he saw seemed unreal to him.
— Two… apparently, jonin. Not hiding at all and approaching us quickly, — Neji swallowed. — One of them has about five times more chakra than you, sensei.
Maito only nodded at the genin's words. After thinking for a couple of moments, he finally gave his orders:
— Team Three! Quickly take the architect and retreat. I'll deal with them.
— But, Guy-sensei, — Ten-Ten began. — There are two of them. We can help…
— These opponents are not on your level, — Mighto's voice lowered, his eyebrows furrowing. — Follow the order.
The genin froze for a couple of moments, realizing what they had heard. They really should retreat with the architect. And although Tazuna needed rest now and would only get worse on the way during transportation, it was still better for him to develop complications that there was a chance of treating later than for him to be killed here. And the fact that he would die here was a foregone conclusion. It was the first time in the genin's memory that Guy had become so serious. The opponents would be out of their league, and the kids wouldn't be able to help their sensei at all. They would only get in the way. All that remained for them was to follow their instructor's order.
— Yes! — Neji and Ten-Ten replied. The two immediately rushed to the architect. The girl began to seal the medicines and supplies along with the laid-out kitchen utensils.
— Lee, let's go! — Neji called out to his teammate. With his Byakugan, he could see the approaching enemies, and they would reach them in ten seconds, no more. So they needed to get out of here urgently. — Lee, faster! What are you frozen for?
However, Rock sat as if in a daze and did not react to his surroundings in any way. The boy's head was lowered to his chest, his face was not visible. An empty bottle and the architect's bag lay near his feet.
A bad premonition crept into Neji's mind.
" Could he have been poisoned somehow too? " flashed through Hyūga's mind. The genin felt a chill inside.
— Done! — Ten-Ten said. — We're taking the architect and leaving…
Neji was about to shake Rock, but suddenly they heard an unpleasant creaking voice:
— Not so fast, kids.
The genin froze in place. " Damn, we didn't make it… " Neji thought.
Soon, two figures in strange attire appeared from behind the trees: black cloaks with red clouds.
— Itachi, allow me to deal with them myself, — said the stranger in the same nasty voice as before.
The speaker was very tall – a head taller than their sensei. A crossed-out Mist protector, gray-blue skin, and sharp teeth bared in a predatory and bloodthirsty grin were perhaps the most striking features of his appearance. Blue hair resembling a fin and gill-like markings under pale gray "fish-like" eyes also did not add to the man's attractiveness. A long hilt of a bandaged sword peeked out from behind his shoulder.
— Wait, Kisame, — the second one said indifferently – a guy who looked to be about eighteen. — Perhaps we can come to an agreement with them. Remember that our main target is a bald shinobi of Kage level. So it's better to conserve our strength…
— Who are you? — Guy interrupted their conversation.
— Well, well, the animal can talk after all, — Kisame smirked. — A corpse doesn't need to know who we are…
The young man interrupted the large man with a gesture of his palm. The latter frowned and folded his arms across his chest.
— It's been a while, Guy-san. Surely you haven't forgotten me already?
Maito frowned. He scratched his chin, trying to remember the guy who was standing ten meters in front of him.
A shadow of a half-smile flickered across the ravenette's face. His eyes changed, revealing the sharingan with three tomoe to those present.
— Uchiha, — Guy nodded, instantly realizing who was before him, and lowered his gaze. — And what do you two need?
— Not much, actually, — Itachi said. — Give us the architect and… no one will get hurt.
— But what about the fight, Itachi? And the reward for the head of this beast? — Kisame exclaimed, but, meeting the firm gaze of the red eyes, he somewhat calmed down.
— So, Guy-san? — Itachi asked, again scrutinizing the Green Beast. — Are you ready to hand over the client, or will you choose death… yours and your team's?
***
A tense silence hung in the air. No one moved. Everyone awaited Guy's decision. Mighto could hardly hold back both opponents; they were far too strong. Therefore, if the Konoha jonin gave the order for the genin to retreat, one of the enemies would give chase, and the kids would be able to do little to protect themselves or the architect. Lee after opening the Gates… Neji had spent most of his strength and chakra in the previous battle. And Ten-Ten alone simply wouldn't be able to defeat someone of S-rank.
Guy glanced at his team. Neji was carrying the architect piggyback; the boy was already ready to retreat. Ten-Ten had pulled out scrolls and could cover their retreat with a hail of throwing weapons and a smokescreen.
— Team Three! — Guy shouted, adopting a combat stance. — In the name of the Power of Youth – we will complete this mission! Retrea…
— Whoops… — his order was interrupted by the voice of one of the genin.
Rock Lee was trying to get up with a groan, but at first, he wasn't having much success. When the guy finally managed to get to his feet somehow, all those present could see his hazy, drowsy gaze, slightly closed eyelids, and flushed cheeks. He swayed from side to side every now and then, and his hands seemed to be holding sake cups in the air.
— Oh, no. Not this! — Guy turned pale and broke out in a cold sweat. He began to tremble, as if the warm climate of the Land of Waves had turned into the extreme north of the Land of Snow.
The genin, however, froze in place, their eyes glued to Lee. Ten-Ten's eyes widened so much that it seemed they would pop out of their sockets. Neji clenched his teeth until they ground.
Guy's thunderous cry echoed through the forest:
— What are you standing around for?! Run, you fools!
The genin didn't need to be told twice. They jumped onto the branches and, together with the unconscious Tazuna, took to the upper paths back west, that is, in the opposite direction from the architect's house. Because it was unknown how many more mercenaries awaited them ahead. Therefore, the most sensible decision would be to retreat as far as possible from the site of the upcoming battle and potential dangers.
They left Lee behind. Because there was no talking to him now. The guy had somehow managed to gulp down some alcohol and would now be showing off his "drunken fist" style. The problem was that he usually showed it to everyone around him, regardless of whether it was an enemy, his sensei, or a teammate. Last time in a cafe, a drunken Rock Lee had caused a riot and even beat up the owner. Team Three and Guy had barely managed to subdue the thick-browed boy. Neji had even had to seal his tenketsu, while Guy held his student from behind.
— That is your choice, — Uchiha's indifferent voice sounded. — Kisame, kill them. And don't linger. The main target will appear nearby soon.
Kisame grinned horribly, again baring his sharp triangular teeth. He formed a seal, and three water clones appeared next to him, one for each genin. Two of them jumped onto the branches, and the third rushed towards Lee.
— You shall not pass! — Guy roared, dispelling one of the clones with a kick.
— Your opponent is me, animal. I am Hoshigaki Kisame – the Monster of the Hidden Mist and one of the Seven Swordsmen. — Kisame said, raising his huge bandaged sword above his head.
Maito dodged the blow, watching the second copy of the enemy with his eyes as it pursued his students. The pair of genin should be able to handle one clone. The jonin was less worried about Lee; after all, in such a state, the thick-browed boy was a very serious, and most importantly, unpredictable combat unit.
Guy dismissed extraneous thoughts, leaning back from another sword thrust. The battle began. Hoshigaki gradually began to push Maito back…
Kisame's clone, meanwhile, took out a water copy of the bandaged weapon from behind his back and slowly began to approach Rock Lee. The thick-browed boy was swaying like a ship in a storm. He literally had to fight gravity every second. But, to give the guy credit, he was fighting quite successfully.
— But… but… but… m-my legs won't hold… hic! — the drunken genin groaned. — And everything's spinning… around…
Hoshigaki's copy had just thought about striking with his sword when suddenly the thick-browed boy, losing his balance, plopped down on his rear end, and the sword whistled over his head. After which, the genin yawned and simply stretched out on the grass.
— Khrr… phew… khrr-khrr… — Lee suddenly fell asleep and began to snore quite loudly.
— You thought you could play with me, little brat? — Kisame creaked. — Well, lie down, sleep. And I'll just cut off your legs for now…
The sword sliced through the air and ended up in… the ground. Lee, however, curled up in a ball, lying on his side, and smacked his lips loudly in his sleep. Then another blow followed from the swordsman, and another, and another… but all of them missed the target. Lee seemed to be dodging all the time completely by accident, and while lying down. Kisame became enraged and decided to use a water technique:
— Suiton: Water…
Suddenly, Rock Lee kicked his opponent at a completely impossible angle. One powerful blow was enough for the clone to splash into water…
***
— That was the water clone of that toothy guy. He's catching up to us, — Neji said. Ten-Ten grimaced at the news, but nodded.
— Neji, we'll have to fight.
— I know, — Hyūga replied grimly. — But what do we do with the client?
The girl cast a fleeting glance back. The silhouette of the large man was approaching them very quickly.
— Don't run away, little ones, — the nasty voice sounded, — and don't be afraid. I'll cut you painlessly. Heh-heh-heh…
Neji seriously considered abandoning this hapless architect and running away. However, that was not what their sensei wanted. That was not what the duty of a shinobi required. Guy had taken out one of the clones, and thus only a single copy was following them. Sensei had simplified their task. They only needed to defeat one clone of an S-rank shinobi.
Neji jumped to the ground and carefully laid the architect down, propping him against a tree. Ten-Ten remained above, preparing her scrolls.
— Oh, the little ones have decided to fight, — Kisame drawled on the move. — Even more interesting.
The girl unfurled a long fūinjutsu scroll, from which shuriken and kunai immediately flew towards the mercenary. However, the man with the shark-like appearance deftly moved to the side, letting the projectiles pass by. Kisame jumped to the ground, forming a couple of seals in the air:
— Suiton: Mizurappa.
A powerful stream of water erupted from the man's mouth, rushing towards Hyūga. Neji grabbed the architect and jumped upwards to avoid the wave of water jutsu. As a result of the technique, the nearest hundreds of meters of terrain were underwater. Fortunately, there were trees all around, so this wouldn't affect their mobility too much.
Ten-Ten, seeing the grinning enemy standing on the surface of the artificial pond, cursed and threw kunai with explosive tags at him. An explosion was heard, its epicenter enveloped in black smoke. When the smoke cleared, the large man was no longer visible in that spot.
— Where is he? — Ten-Ten shouted. Hoping that she had managed to dispel the clone was pointless.
Hyūga activated his Byakugan again:
— Underwater! To the right, at two o'clock!
From another scroll, the girl unsealed a sphere with large spikes. A kibaku fuda was attached to the sphere. As soon as the projectile was thrown into the water, Ten-Ten and Neji, with the architect on his back, jumped back. The kunoichi formed a seal, and the sphere exploded, striking everything within a radius of a couple of dozen meters with metal fragments.
— Is he alive? — Ten-Ten asked.
But Neji didn't have time to answer her. A bandaged sword flew directly at the genin from the water, aiming straight for the architect's body. Hyūga leaned his body to the right to put his side under the flying weapon – Kaiten couldn't be used because of the extra "load." However, in the air, the sword transformed into a clone of Kisame. A punch knocked the wind out of the genin, and Neji lost his grip on the architect – he tumbled into the water. Hyūga himself was thrown aside, but he was suddenly grabbed by the leg and slammed against a thick branch.
— Neji! — Ten-Ten screamed, seeing her teammate's unnaturally twisted arm.
— And so, it ends, little ones, — Kisame creaked, forming a one-handed seal. — Suiton: Water Prison Technique!
Hyūga didn't have time to do anything; an unknown water jutsu quickly began to cover his body. The liquid was being released directly from Kisame's hand. After a couple of moments, the genin found himself trapped in a huge ball of water, which did not allow the boy to get out and take a breath of air. Neji, clenching his jaw, growled to distance himself from the pain in his broken arm, but no sounds were heard from outside. Only air bubbles coming out of his mouth were visible.
— Heh-heh-heh, — Kisame laughed in a nasty voice, maintaining the technique. — What will you do, little girl? Will you let the old man die, drown in the water, but save your friend?.. Or will you abandon your teammate but save a stranger?
Ten-Ten gritted her teeth. Taking out a new scroll, she glanced at the body of water into which the client had fallen. Two more large men in cloaks with red clouds were slowly rising from the water…
***
— Oh, everything's kind of floating… — Lee said with slurred speech. — I feel… kind of strange.
The genin was swaying even more than before. Moving in zigzags, Rock Lee approached Uchiha, who stood calmly, placing his left hand on the clasp of his cloak; the sleeve of his garment fluttered in the wind at this time.
Lee lost his balance and fell to his knees. His drowsy gaze finally caught on the guy.
— You… what are you staring at, huh? — the genin's head swayed from side to side. — I'll punch you one! — he punched the air and fell to his side.
Itachi stood in the same relaxed pose. His face resembled a frozen, cold mask, expressing no emotions.
— Don't… hic… don't ignore me!
Suddenly, Lee's body, like a projectile, rushed towards Itachi. Stopping a couple of meters in front of the missing-nin, Rock began to strike the air. With each blow, the genin got closer to the one he had chosen as his opponent. Uchiha didn't budge an inch. He didn't even move, as all the blows flashed before him, but Lee had not yet hit the ravenette even once.
Suddenly, the thick-browed boy finally closed the distance with Uchiha and was now operating in "full contact." This time, a whole series of blows followed from Lee, but they were all blocked by Itachi's one hand.
Uchiha's eyes flashed crimson, the tomoe spun, and the genin froze for a couple of moments, but in the next second, he hiccuped and delivered a sudden kick.
Itachi jumped back. He brought his hand to his lip, which turned out to be split.
— I see, — he said, wiping away the blood, — you're simply drunk, so genjutsu is ineffective against you.
— Huh? — Lee swayed. — Is it me… hic… who's drunk? I'm not… hic, drunk! And anyway. I'm not allowed to drink. I… this… non-corrupt… non-corrupt… — the boy shook his head. — I'm… under-age, oh! Got it?
Uchiha didn't answer. He only slid his left hand back into the sleeve of his cloak and pulled out a kunai.
— Well then, entertain me, boy. Show me your drunken fist…
Lee darted to one side, then he staggered to the other. Suddenly, he found himself to Uchiha's left and delivered a series of "claw" strikes that were formed as a result of using the "drunken fist" style. This time, none of the blows reached their target. The ravenette dodged each one. Despite the incredible speed and unpredictability of the genin's style, the sharingan and combat experience allowed Itachi to avoid the attacks in time.
— Not bad… hic! — Lee remarked and punched the air. — But this… this… hmm… what am I even doing here and who are you? — Rock asked, barely staying on his feet. It seemed that in a moment the boy would collapse to the ground.
Uchiha remained silent. He was not deceived by the opponent's outward helplessness and awaited a new attack from the thick-browed boy. Casting a glance at Kisame's fight, he noticed with surprise that the swordsman was winning.
— Ora… everything's floating so much, — Lee mumbled. — And seeing double… hic… Well, come on, attack me, all four of you! — he waved his hand at Itachi. The latter looked around, but, understandably, found no one but himself. — I'll defeat you all! Uh, no. I'll defeat… I'll de-feat… not right again. In short, I…
The genin couldn't finish speaking. His eyes rolled back, and he fell on his back, arms outstretched to the sides. A couple of moments later, the thick-browed boy's snore was heard.
Uchiha didn't budge. He expected a trick, so he watched the genin carefully for several seconds. However, it seemed the boy had indeed fallen asleep on the battlefield.
Itachi snorted. He slowly approached his victim. Gripping the kunai, he aimed the weapon at the genin's throat.
" Whistle "
— Gotcha! — Lee shouted, jumping up and grabbing the missing-nin's hand. In the next moment, with his free hand, he delivered several blows to the ravenette's body, and then kicked Uchiha away. The missing-nin was thrown into the air by the blow, then dragged several more meters across the damp soil.
— I pretended to be asleep, but I wasn't asleep, ha-ha, — Rock declared, his speech barely slurred. — Every ninja must be able to act unexpectedly. Guy-sensei, I remember your lessons, — Lee finished firmly.
Tears suddenly welled up in the genin's eyes. And he, raising his thumb, couldn't hold back an enthusiastic cry:
— Yes! Truly so, Guy-sensei! Your wisdom is boundless! Guy-sensei… I… I…
By the end of his speech, Rock seemed deflated. Lee's eyes rolled back again, and he fell on his back again, arms outstretched to the sides.
— Khrr-khrr-khrr… — was heard from the genin.
Itachi didn't react to what had happened. He only closed his eyes for a dozen breaths, then addressed his partner:
— Kisame, our target is almost in place. Finish it, or I'll take care of it myself.
***
Kisame turned out to be very strong. Maito's blows were easily blocked, and the enemy pressed on, swinging his sword like a bat. Seeing the Green Beast's sluggish resistance, the mercenary grinned and decided to start a conversation. However, this allowed Guy to execute a successful maneuver:
— Konoha Senpu!
A quick spinning kick connected with the target, but the mercenary turned out to be a water clone. Maito tried to stop a sudden sword thrust from the side with his leg, but at the last moment sensed something was wrong and jumped aside. Just in time. Long spikes burst forth from the bandages concealing the weapon, which could have caused serious damage.
— Heh-heh-heh, — Kisame laughed. — Samehada tears its opponent into ribbons.
Guy frowned and retreated. This spiked club was unsettling him and also preventing him from fully utilizing the capabilities of Leaf taijutsu.
— That sword, — Mighto drawled. — I think I understand…
— Oh-ho… — Kisame grinned, placing Samehada on his shoulder. — You recognize it. This sword is one of the Seven…
— Yes, — Guy nodded firmly, interrupting his opponent. — That sword. It's your weapon. Right?
— Huh? — Kisame raised an eyebrow. — That's kind of obvious. You just have to look at Samehada to understand that. Looks like your brain isn't that of an animal, but an insect…
— But there's a big difference between seeing that it's your weapon, — Maito stated seriously, — and knowing it.
Suddenly, Lee's drunken voice was heard:
— Yes! Truly so, Guy-sensei! Your wisdom is boundless!
Guy nodded at the genin's words and straightened up. Mighto was pleased to hear words of support from his beloved student. Briefly noting that Rock Lee seemed to be in no immediate danger, the jonin decided to get serious.
— Well then, allow me to show you my weapon as well, — he suggested to Kisame.
Guy took out a pair of steel nunchaku from a compact backpack. Slinging the bag back over his shoulder, he began to demonstrate his mastery of the weapon. The mercenary grinned expectantly at this demonstration.
— Kisame, our target is almost in place, — Uchiha's cold voice sounded. — Finish it, or I'll take care of it myself.
The swordsman snorted, but hastened to obey his partner's orders. He lunged at the Green Beast. The bandages had completely fallen off his weapon, revealing a spiked sword-club, which he immediately put to use. Guy darted forward, and the men began to exchange blows.
This time, the pace of the fight increased tenfold. The shinobi moved between the trees; their clashes were lightning-fast and swift. Guy chose a "strike-and-retreat" tactic, which seemed reasonable enough, as Kisame's sword was too heavy, and the mercenary's thrusts were powerful, making it simply illogical to block them directly with the nunchaku; it was easier to dodge. The swordsman tried several times to use some large-scale water technique, but Guy didn't give him the opportunity to do so. The most Kisame managed to use were water clones and "shark bombs," which yielded no visible results.
However, despite Guy's speed advantage, the situation for both shinobi had reached a stalemate. Kisame was too tough, and even if the nunchaku strikes landed on him, he didn't take significant damage. Guy, on the other hand, was simply monstrously resilient, and it would take a very long time for the jonin to tire out, time that the mercenaries didn't have.
— Too long, Kisame. I'm tired of waiting, — Uchiha's cold voice was heard.
In the next instant, Uchiha's silhouette suddenly appeared before Guy.
— Darn it! — Mighto cursed, instantly lowering his gaze to his new opponent's feet.
— Too late, Guy-san, — Itachi said. Guy himself understood that it was too late. For just a moment, but he saw the famous sharingan in Uchiha's eyes. Only the dōjutsu looked somehow different from the three tomoe; it had the shape of a three-pronged shuriken. — Tsukuyomi…
***
— So, are we still far? — Saitama asked lazily.
Mitarashi walked, glancing at the map of the Land of Waves as she went. Saitama walked beside her, every now and then surveying the surroundings of the mangrove forest. They hadn't eaten since the previous evening, which couldn't help but cloud the bald guy's mood. The guy's stomach rumbled in protest.
— I don't know, — Anko replied. — We should have caught up with them on the mainland. It's surprising, after all, Guy's team was escorting the architect. How could they have covered such a great distance with a civilian so quickly?
— Uh… I don't know, — Saitama replied, scratching the back of his head.
— I wasn't asking you anyway, — Mitarashi shook her head. — It's just all very strange. And I have a bad feeling about this mission.
— Me too, — the bald guy frowned.
— Really? — Anko tensed up, turning her gaze to her companion. — You felt something too?
— Uh-huh, — he nodded.
— And what is it?
— Hunger, — the guy said. — I have a feeling I won't be eating anytime soon.
Anko rolled her eyes and put the map back in her pouch.
The problem was that Anko had no idea where they were supposed to go. They had a support mission for Team Three, but they still needed to find Guy and the genin. They had arrived in the Land of Waves, but they hadn't been told where the architect's house was. Perhaps their help was no longer needed. Perhaps Saitama and Anko were simply late, and the client had been delivered safe and sound. In that case, their mission would be pointless, and all of the Hokage's fears about an attack by S-rank mercenaries would be nothing more than empty speculation. But in that case, where did this strange premonition that had been gnawing at Anko since the previous day come from?
— I think I heard something, — Saitama scratched his chin.
Anko listened. Only the chirping of birds, the sound of water, and…
Suddenly, an explosion sounded in the distance. The birds flew up from their perches and rushed into the sky in a panic.
— From where? — Mitarashi began to look around nervously, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound.
— There, — the bald guy waved his hand, pointing southeast.
— Are you sure? — Anko clarified, pulling out a kunai.
— Yeah.
— Then run, — the kunoichi declared, taking to the upper paths.
The bald shinobi, however, ran straight across the wet ground. Moreover, he picked up such speed that Anko couldn't catch up to him, even going all out and moving along the thick branches.
— Stop, Saitama!
Saitama stopped, turning to the girl:
— So, stop or run, Anko? Make up your mind.
Mitarashi hissed like a snake, but, composing herself, said:
— Don't go charging in. It could be dangerous!
— Don't worry, Anko. I'll help them. Heroes always arrive on time. And I will come…
Saitama turned around, and, a moment later, the place where he had been standing exploded with clods of earth, and the guy instantly disappeared from view.
— I hope so, — Anko whispered, moving after the bald guy. — But be careful…