Chapter 68

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Kimimaro was afflicted with a hereditary genetic disease that left him with little time to live.

This was something Itachi had sensed from the beginning.

The two were very similar.

Both possessed powerful bloodline limits, both suffered from incurable diseases, and both endured immense physical torment.

The only difference was that Itachi could hold on for a few more years, while Kimimaro was already at the end of his rope.

As he approached Kimimaro, looking at this descendant of the Kaguya clan, much like the Uchiha, whose clan was also wiped out, and the only remaining wielder of Shikotsumyaku, Itachi seemed to see his own future.

"Cough, cough."

Even his coughing had grown weak. Kimimaro noticed Itachi's approach and had no more regrets.

"Forgive me, Orochimaru-sama," he said silently in his heart, and with the last bit of chakra left in his body, he activated his final move.

With a splatter of blood, a bone spike pierced through Kimimaro's heart, extending out from his chest.

At that moment, the life of Kaguya Kimimaro came to an end.

"Even to the end, you refused to betray Orochimaru's location? Cough, cough," Itachi murmured, coughing lightly.

Knowing that Kimimaro's last act was to keep Orochimaru's secrets and avoid interrogation, Itachi silently buried Kimimaro's body in a deep pit.

After finishing this, Itachi put his hat back on, and with a flick of his palm, a black crow took flight, cutting through the sky towards the distance.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sound of shadow clones being destroyed and the crackle of lightning filled the air.

Despite the combined efforts of Sasuke and Naruto, Kisame handled them with ease, forcing the duo into dire straits.

Unaware that he was at the pinnacle of his life, pressing two of the future greats of the shinobi world—Asura and Indra's reincarnations—into a corner, Kisame had no interest in dragging things out.

He kicked Sasuke, who could see the attack but couldn't dodge, sending him flying, and aimed Samehada's fierce strike at Naruto.

Compared to Itachi's brother, Kisame found the Nine-Tails brat more to his liking.

Seeing the attack coming, Naruto was about to dodge when a green blur sped past him.

"Leaf Hurricane!"

A powerful upward kick sent the unprepared Kisame flying.

Accompanying this was a spirited shout: "The Beautiful Green Beast of Konoha has arrived!"

"Bushy Brows! You're here!!" Naruto exclaimed joyfully, recognizing the newly healed Rock Lee.

Lee turned and gave a thumbs up, his white teeth sparkling as he said: "It's not just me."

Not far away, Sasuke, who had been kicked by Kisame, saw this and turned to leave without a word.

Unaware of Sasuke's departure, Naruto soon understood what Lee meant by "not just me."

The sound of a thousand birds chirping filled the air once more.

Like a hidden assassin, Kakashi emerged from the dust, the Chidori in his hand crackling with energy as he approached Kisame.

"You!"

Kisame recognized the newcomer.

The next moment, a thunderous explosion resounded.

As the dust settled, Kakashi appeared, leaping to Naruto and Lee's side.

Tsunade, worried about Shikamaru's team, had not only sent the Sand Shinobi and Lee but also dispatched Kakashi, who had just returned from a mission and hadn't even had time to rest.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Naruto, seeing Kakashi, felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He pointed excitedly to where Sasuke had been: "Look, Kakashi-sensei, I found Sasuke! He was just helping me fight that shark guy."

Kakashi quickly scanned the area Naruto pointed to, finding it empty. "Huh? Where's Sasuke?"

Naruto, also noticing, widened his eyes.

Where was Sasuke?

Naruto, panicking, was about to run off to find Sasuke.

Kakashi stopped him.

"The danger isn't over yet."

As the dust settled, Kisame, though looking a bit worse for wear, was still ready for battle.

"Hatake Kakashi, didn't expect you to recover from Itachi's genjutsu so quickly," Kisame remarked, shouldering Samehada.

"I didn't expect it either," Kakashi replied calmly, drawing a kunai and preparing for battle.

He knew Sasuke was nearby, but now was not the time to be distracted.

For the village, the importance of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki far outweighed that of Sasuke.

Therefore, facing another sudden encounter with the mysterious Akatsuki member who specialized in capturing tailed beasts, he had to keep Naruto within his sight.

The wind rustled, bending the grass on the battlefield.

Kakashi, Lee, and even Naruto braced themselves for battle once more.

Kisame, lifting Samehada, was ready to go all out when a crow suddenly descended from the sky, landing on his shoulder.

Kisame, seeing this, momentarily lowered Samehada and asked the crow:

"Itachi, what is it?"

From the crow came Itachi's voice:

"I've dealt with Orochimaru's subordinate but couldn't get any information. Capture one of the remaining targets alive."

"Seems that young man was quite skilled."

Knowing Itachi's abilities, Kisame was surprised and then looked at Naruto and the others. "However, I still have some unfinished business here. Remember that Nine-Tails brat? I ran into him on the way. And Hatake Kakashi, who was under your genjutsu, is also here."

"Kakashi, huh…"

The crow on Kisame's shoulder turned its red Sharingan eye towards the Konoha group, as if Itachi himself could see them.

He said, "Taking them down isn't a quick job. Comparatively, I'm more interested in Orochimaru's whereabouts. His subordinates won't hold out much longer."

"I see."

Recalling the conflict between Orochimaru and Itachi within Akatsuki, Kisame nodded knowingly and sheathed Samehada. "Alright, I'll follow your lead and deal with Orochimaru first."

All workers need not overextend themselves.

Even the boss, Pain, wasn't in a hurry to reclaim the Nine-Tails, so Kisame wasn't either.

He had only been acting out of a "might as well" mentality. Now that reinforcements had arrived for the opposition, making the outcome uncertain, Kisame simply decided to withdraw.

Whoosh! Kisame's figure flickered and vanished.

Seeing this, Lee asked Kakashi: "Kakashi-sensei, should we pursue him?"

"No," Kakashi shook his head, thinking about the crow on Kisame's shoulder and knowing Itachi was likely nearby.

Not knowing why they had suddenly withdrawn, Kakashi didn't want to stir up more trouble.

"Our mission is…"

Before Kakashi could finish, Naruto suddenly realized and yelled: "Sasuke!!!"

He then sped off in the direction Sasuke had gone.

"Our mission is…that," Kakashi completed his sentence with a shake of his head and followed Naruto.

(End of Chapter)