Naruto dashed to Sasuke's side, with Kakashi and Sakura following closely behind.
Sakura's heart raced with emotion upon seeing Sasuke again. In her memories of the ninja world, Sasuke had defected from Konoha at age 13 and never returned.
Even here, knowing that Sasuke had gone to confront his brother to uncover the truth left her deeply anxious.
"Sasuke-kun!" she called out with a mix of relief and worry.
Sasuke glanced briefly at Sakura but didn't respond. Instead, he turned to Naruto and said:
"Naruto, handle the shark-faced guy for me."
Naruto nodded firmly, "Leave it to me, Sasuke. I'll keep him off your back."
Satisfied, Sasuke gave a slight nod before taking off in the direction of Itachi, who had already used a Body Flicker Technique to leave the battlefield.
"Damn it, your fight is with me!" Kisame cursed. Quickly forming hand signs, he unleashed a massive wave.
"Water Style: Water Shockwave!"
Kakashi, standing nearby, responded just as quickly, "Water Style: Water Shockwave!"
Two powerful waves clashed in a thunderous explosion, neutralizing each other. Amid the chaos, Sasuke disappeared from view, chasing after his brother.
…
From his vantage point in the spatial dimension, Charles Doyle observed the scene unfold.
With a casual wave of his hand, he conjured another magical mirror, ensuring he could follow both Sasuke and Itachi's confrontation as well as the ongoing battle between Naruto and Kisame.
…
"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Naruto created a swarm of clones, surrounding Kisame.
"Hey, Shark-face Uncle! Can't you give Sasuke and his brother some space to talk?"
Naruto wasn't aiming for a full-blown fight; his goal was simply to stall Kisame.
Kisame rested Samehada on his shoulder, looking at the mass of clones with a grin, "Kid, the name's Kisame Hoshigaki, not Shark-face..."
From the sidelines, Sakura couldn't help but think to herself:
'He does look like a shark. Why is he so defensive about it?'
Kakashi stepped forward, addressing Kisame with a calm but firm tone, "Kisame, could we sit down and talk? Let the brothers handle their issues on their own."
Kisame turned his gaze to Kakashi, "The Copy Ninja of Konoha, Kakashi Hatake."
Clearly, Kisame was well aware of Kakashi's reputation, remembering their brief encounter when he and Itachi had infiltrated Konoha.
"Do you have orders from Lord Charles?" Kisame asked, gauging the situation.
Kakashi shook his head, "No, there are no specific instructions from him."
Hearing this, Kisame's grin widened, "In that case, I'll take care of you all and still have time to deal with that kid later."
"Water Style: Rain of Four Sharks!"
Kisame quickly formed hand seals, slapping the surface of the water beneath him. Suddenly, several water sharks materialized and began swimming swiftly beneath the surface.
These aquatic predators surged toward Naruto's shadow clones, leaping from the water to attack.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
One by one, Naruto's clones disappeared in puffs of smoke upon being struck.
"Rasengan!"
Though many clones failed to react in time, a few leapt into action, creating Rasengan in pairs and smashing them into the attacking sharks.
"Boom!"
The water sharks shattered under the Rasengan's force.
However, even more sharks erupted from the water moments later, overwhelming the remaining clones and destroying them all.
Kakashi countered the underwater sharks heading his way by using Earth Style: Earth Flow Spears, piercing through and dissipating them.
Sakura, however, attempted to leap out of harm's way but was struck by a shark's tail, sending her sprawling and sinking into the water.
"Sakura!"
Naruto shouted, his voice filled with concern. Crimson chakra surged from his body, enveloping him as he assumed his One-Tailed form.
With the power of the Nine-Tails, Naruto's extended chakra arms reached into the water, pulling Sakura out before she could sink further.
"Kakashi-sensei, take care of Sakura!"
Naruto placed her next to Kakashi and then charged directly toward Kisame.
Kakashi held Sakura, observing her unconscious form. Shaking his head in resignation, he swiftly retreated to a dry area outside the water's reach, carrying her to safety.
From his vantage point, Charles Doyle observed the scene and smirked.
"Typical Naruto—such a lovesick fool. Still hopelessly having a crush on Sakura, huh? Poor Hinata, her feelings haven't even crossed his radar yet."
…
Elsewhere-
Sasuke pursued Itachi for a grueling ten minutes before finally catching up.
Standing a few paces behind his brother's back, Sasuke called out, "Itachi! After all these years, now that we're here, you owe me an explanation. Why…"
Itachi slowly turned to face Sasuke, his expression as cold and stoic as ever.
"Why continue to dwell on the past, Sasuke? You've come all this way, yet you persist in chasing ghosts."
"For what? For some trivial, irrelevant matters? Instead of devoting yourself to serving Lord Charles, you waste your time and mine, interfering with my mission and Kisame's."
Sasuke's face twisted with emotion as he retorted, "It's not trivial to me!"
His voice rose, trembling with years of pent-up anger and anguish, "Do you have any idea what I've endured all these years? Every day, every night, the images replay in my mind—the massacre, the blood, your words echoing endlessly, urging me to seek revenge."
"And now you have the audacity to tell me none of it matters anymore?!"
His voice broke as he stepped closer, eyes blazing with the three tomoe of his Sharingan.
"It does matter, Itachi. Even in this world, those memories haunt me. They're a part of me, and they won't just fade away."
###
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