Itachi is Ridiculously Powerful.

At this moment in the woods, all of Yuhi Kurenai's students had fainted. The chakra energy of the Nine-Tails that Naruto displayed was like a delicious feast in front of Kisame. Naruto had been knocked to the ground and couldn't get up. Exhausted, he seemed completely drained as the strange, enormous knife swallowed the endless chakra energy within him.

Naruto, still aware of Sasuke's painful state, tried to rise from the ground. However, before he could move, Kisame grinned. Stepping hard on Naruto's head, he ground his face into the dirt.

"Hehe, kid," Kisame taunted, "What else do you want to do? Haven't you been humiliated enough?"

Kisame continued pressing down on Naruto's head, mocking him. "Look at your partner, Sasuke. See how much pain he's in? You'll suffer here, just like him."

Sasuke, still writhing in pain, had transformed his two-magatama Sharingan into a three-magatama Sharingan. Itachi seemed to be done tormenting Sasuke, for he slowly extended his foot and kicked him over. Sasuke jolted awake from Tsukuyomi, gasping for breath.

Yuhi Kurenai, seeing her students tortured so ruthlessly, couldn't hold back any longer. Rage exploded within her.

"Enough!" Her voice rang out, and in a flash, she disappeared into the air. Kisame grunted as a powerful force pushed him back. He stepped back slowly, while Naruto vanished from beneath his foot.

"Illusion?" Itachi remarked coldly.

With a sharp snort, Itachi's Sharingan flared, and Kurenai reappeared, gently placing Naruto's body against a tree as she prepared for the fight of her life.

Just then, a man with silver hair and a Konoha forehead protector covering one eye entered the fray. He threw several kunai in Itachi's direction.

*Swoosh! Swoosh!*

The kunai struck Itachi, but he transformed into a flock of crows, vanishing. When he reappeared, the man who had attacked him had already arrived at Sasuke's side, lifting the injured boy and walking towards Kurenai.

"Copy Ninja Kakashi?" Kisame said in surprise.

Kakashi placed the battered Sasuke next to Naruto and turned to face Itachi. Kurenai's eyes filled with relief at Kakashi's arrival.

"Don't worry, Kirito will be here soon," Kakashi reassured her.

Kakashi, though relieved, knew the weight of the battle they were facing. He was well aware of Itachi's power—having become the Anbu captain at just thirteen years old spoke volumes of his strength. Kakashi was eager to test the results of his secret training.

"Tsk tsk tsk, now this is something to watch," Kisame commented, watching with interest. "I'll leave Itachi to you."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at Itachi. "How much has your vision decreased now?"

With a subtle motion, Kakashi raised his forehead protector, revealing his three-magatama Sharingan. At this, Itachi's eyes widened for a brief moment before he quickly dismissed the thought.

The battle between Kakashi and Itachi erupted, both of them locked in intense focus. Kakashi drew his short sword, White Fang, from his side.

Without hesitation, Itachi performed hand seals and released a fireball technique. "Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Technique!"

The fiery projectiles sped toward Kakashi. He dodged and quickly closed the distance between them, thrusting White Fang forward. Just as the blade neared Itachi's chest, Itachi blocked the strike with kunai, retreating rapidly.

"Short sword technique?" Itachi remarked with a slight sneer. "Trying to follow in your father's footsteps?"

After the brief exchange, Itachi quickly formed another hand seal. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

The massive fireball launched toward Kakashi, obliterating the area around him. But Kakashi leaped into the air, his short sword now sheathed as he formed seals in midair. A brilliant lightning began to form in his hands.

"Lightning Style: Chidori!" Kakashi shouted.

With terrifying speed, Kakashi dove toward Itachi, releasing a violent blast of lightning. Itachi narrowly avoided the fatal strike, leaping sideways. The resulting explosion created a large crater in the ground, dust and debris swirling into the air.

As Kakashi emerged from the smoke, Itachi was already upon him. With a glance, Itachi's eyes locked onto Kakashi's, and the next moment, Kakashi found himself trapped in Tsukuyomi. The world around him distorted as his body froze, unable to move.

Seconds later, Kakashi snapped out of the illusion, breathing heavily, his body shaking. The weight of the experience weighed heavily on him. His eyes showed a mixture of fear and helplessness as he stared at Itachi, his knees supporting his trembling body.

Kurenai, witnessing Kakashi's collapse, felt a deep sense of despair. "Is this… the strength of the former Anbu captain?" she thought, realizing that even Kakashi was no match for Itachi.

Meanwhile, Sasuke, lying nearby, awakened and saw Itachi standing like a monstrous figure. Despair filled his eyes. He had wanted to avenge his clan, but now, faced with Itachi's overwhelming strength, he wondered if revenge was even possible.

Naruto, powerless and on the verge of losing hope, watched the situation unfold. The others' counterattacks seemed futile in the face of such power. "What should I do?" he thought. "If I had half the strength of Teacher Kirito, I could protect everyone, but I don't."

A bewitching voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

"Kid, I don't like that guy. His eyes remind me of someone else. I'll lend you some of my power. Defeat him for me."

Before Naruto could even react, a violent surge of energy filled his body, coming from the cage. His body began to recover, but it no longer resembled that of a normal human. Wrapped in red chakra, Naruto's body contorted, three strange tails emerging from his back.

With a ferocious roar, Naruto fully transformed into his tailed beast form. A powerful aura erupted around him, sweeping across the battlefield.

Kurenai's pupils contracted in shock, while Kakashi, still recovering, also stared at Naruto's transformation. "Is this the power of the Jinchūriki?" he muttered.

However, Kisame and Itachi didn't seem surprised at all. Kisame, with a grin on his face, approached Naruto, raising his massive sword to strike. The sword, Samehada, absorbed the Nine-Tails' chakra, draining Naruto's power once more.

Naruto, his energy drained again, collapsed to the ground, but the fury inside him was far from over.

The voice in his mind raged: *"Damn it, damn it. My power was eaten by that guy. If his body can't handle my chakra, I'll destroy him."*

Kisame licked his lips and glanced at Itachi. "Alright, the reminiscing is over. Let's go back and complete the mission."

He began to lift Naruto's limp body, but before he could make any progress, Kurenai stepped in front of him, her face set with determination.

"No matter what, I will not let you take the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki," she declared, her kunai tightly gripped in her hand.

"Teacher Kurenai!" Naruto cried out weakly.

Sasuke grit his teeth, and Kakashi, still struggling to regain his strength, felt powerless to help. But despite the hopelessness of the situation, Kurenai's resolve did not waver.

However, neither Kisame nor Itachi paid her any mind. Kisame, unbothered, continued to lift Naruto's body, ignoring her completely.

Itachi glanced at her with indifference. He could see the determination in her eyes, but it meant nothing to him. To him, she was just another obstacle to eliminate—someone as insignificant as the abandoned child of Konoha's higher-ups.

Just as Itachi prepared to unleash another Tsukuyomi on Kurenai, a brilliant golden light cut through the tension, blinding everyone present.