Chapter 245: The Attack by the Phantom Organization

Itachi leaned against a tree trunk, with his eyes half-closed, seemingly resting. Behind him, Sae squatted in boredom and periodically activating his Byakugan.

It was the third day of Konoha's efforts to strengthen its defenses. Both Itachi and Sae had grown accustomed to the daily patrols. However, earlier this morning, Shisui had summoned them to his office to assign them a secret mission.

"Jiraiya-sama is expected to return to Konoha today. He's having some difficulty moving, so you two will go meet him on the southern outskirts of the village."

Itachi and Sae accepted the mission and had been waiting there for hours. By now, the sun was high in the sky, and it was already noon.

Jiraiya still hadn't appeared.

"Itachi," Sae said, forming a hand seal to activate his Byakugan again. He frowned, seeing nothing but empty wilderness in all directions. "Should we go check ahead? Jiraiya-sama's legs are in bad shape. If he encountered enemies on the way..."

"Even in a wheelchair, he's still one of the Legendary Sannin. If he were attacked, there's no way he wouldn't be able to at least send out a signal. Let's wait a little longer, Sae."

"Alright, we'll do as you say. Huh? Wait a second..." Sae's eyes widened, veins bulging more fiercely around his temples. "At 11 o'clock, 860 meters away, there's someone! arriving this way fast, too. A skilled shinobi!"

With a rustle, Itachi vanished in an instant, Sae following right behind him, popping a soldier pill into his mouth as he moved.

In just a few moments, they caught up to the intruder.

The figure wore a blood-red cloak, a black mask, and wielded a large three-segment scythe. Just from the outfit alone, they could tell he was a member of the Phantom Organization!

"Hmm? You really dared to follow me." Hidan chuckled, pulling off his black mask and casually crushing it. "If I want to spread the name of my god throughout the world, I can't hide in the shadows like a coward."

He stopped in his tracks, slinging his bloody three-segment scythe over his shoulder with a wicked grin. "No wonder you two were so bold—turns out you're just a couple of kids from the Uchiha and Hyuga clans... ha!"

With a crazed shout, Hidan stomped the ground, and created a small crater. He rushed toward Sae and Itachi, swinging his scythe with the intent to cut them both in half in one move.

However, what he didn't expect was for both of them to dodge his attack with ease.

Thanks to their extraordinary vision, both Sae and Itachi were highly skilled in Taijutsu. After evading the scythe, the two Konoha shinobi moved forward in unison, closing the distance to within half a meter.

Sae crouched low and aimed a punch at Hidan's groin, chakra surging under his skin. A single hit would completely destroy the enemy's vital point.

At the same time, Itachi lunged, using his precise control to spin his body midair and launch a kunai aimed directly at Hidan's heart.

Judging by the speed Hidan displayed in his surprise attack, it was clear he was a skilled Taijutsu fighter who could easily dodge their counterattack. Sae and Itachi both understood this.

Neither of them believed their attacks would land, and they had already prepared follow-up plans. As soon as the enemy blocked or dodged, they were ready to unleash a flurry of vicious strikes!

What they hadn't anticipated, however, was that their opponent was a madman.

Hidan neither blocked nor dodged. Instead, he bent his arm, pulling back his scythe, and twisted his waist. The blade flashed with a cold gleam as it swung back toward the two boys.

He was trading injury for injury!

'What a lunatic...' Sae thought, his eyes cold as he tensed his back muscles, ready to take the hit from the scythe in order to land his punch on Hidan's vital point.

But in that split second, a sudden thought flashed through his mind, 'Is this guy really just a lunatic? Facing us both, he's deliberately choosing close-quarters combat and now he's willing to take a fatal injury to swing his scythe... Could it be that this is his strategy? What if he can't die, and the ones who end up dead are us?'

"Retreat!"

Itachi's shout rang in Sae's ears. Without hesitation, already sensing something was wrong, Sae lowered his center of gravity even further, narrowly dodging the scythe.

"Tch..." Hidan frowned. Just as he was about to make another move, he realized that the two Konoha shinobi had already pulled back, increasing the distance between them.

He looked down and saw the bloodstains on his chest. At the same time, a sharp pain radiated from his leg—likely heavily bruised.

Although Itachi and Sae had chosen to retreat, they had both managed to "take a little interest" in the form of injuries on their enemy.

"Damn kids." Hidan grumbled, pulling the chain attached to his scythe as he licked his teeth until his mouth was filled with blood. "I'm going to kill you!"

In terms of pure Taijutsu, Hidan was stronger than both Itachi and Sae at this age. But he had made the mistake of underestimating them, and he paid for it in their first exchange.

He was confident, though, that he could kill them both in the next round.

Bang!

The sound of feet hitting the ground echoed again, but instead of charging toward their enemy, Sae and Itachi simultaneously leaped back, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"Huh? Wait! You little brats..." Hidan stomped his foot in frustration and gave chase. But with his injured leg slowing him down, the devout follower of Jashin could only watch as Sae and Itachi disappeared into the dense forest.

The trees flew by as Sae and Itachi ran, their Byakugan and Sharingan still activated. They ran for a long time before they finally slowed down.

"He's not following," Sae exhaled in relief. "What a shame—we didn't get to probe his abilities. Could it be that he has some way to make us bleed endlessly? Or maybe that scythe of his is coated in poison?"

Itachi shook his head. "Not only that, but he also doesn't seem to fear fatal injuries. We should report this man's information to the village. The Phantom Organization is attacking, and our duty is to sound the alarm."

"Alright. Itachi-kun, you head back to the village. I'll go find Jiraiya-sama... Oh, hey! Our luck is incredible—I see him!"

Sae pointed out and let Itachi in a particular direction.

After running several hundred meters, they spotted a white-haired middle-aged man in a wheelchair.

"You two must be Itachi and Sae. Impressive young talents, both of you. Here, a little gift—my latest work, Icha Icha Violence! This is the deluxe illustrated edition, hahaha..."

Jiraiya laughed heartily. Even seated in a wheelchair, his broad shoulders made him seem as imposing as ever.

Amidst the laughter, Sae licked his lips, feeling the cold sweat coating his back.

Due to Hidan's attack, both Sae and Itachi had remained in a heightened state of combat readiness. That meant their Byakugan and Sharingan had been working overtime.

Normally, when meeting a senior figure like Jiraiya, they would never keep their dojutsu activated—it would be a great sign of disrespect, like trying to spy on someone.

But by a strange twist of fate, Sae had kept his Byakugan activated just until they reached Jiraiya—and saw something unusual.

Beneath the thick blanket, Jiraiya's legs were perfectly intact, his chakra pathways and blood vessels incredibly healthy and strong—perhaps even unnaturally so!

'What's going on...?' Sae was dumbfounded, but Itachi calmly stepped forward and accepted the books.

"Take this; you mentioned you needed it last time." Itachi turned and handed Icha Icha Violence to Sae, giving him a subtle look.

The Sharingan could see minute movement of the body, and Itachi had noticed something odd about Jiraiya, too.

"Eh? You're not going to expose me like this, Itachi! I've admired Lord Jiraiya since I was a kid..." Sae laughed it off, playfully slapping his companion's shoulder.

Their hands brushed briefly, and Sae could feel the sweat in Itachi's palm.

(End of Chapter)