The Entry of The Mask Man [IUPM - 5]

They halted abruptly, sensing an unexpected presence. There weren't just four enemies; there seemed to be at least three more lurking nearby.

"Is something wrong, Naruto?" Sakura asked with concern.

"It looks like there are more enemies around us. Perhaps more members of the Akatsuki," I replied cautiously.

"Is that so..." Kakashi-sensei murmured, his eyes narrowing in thought.

"Someone is there!" Hinata exclaimed, "I can sense a chakra signature," she pointed out as we paused in front of the suspicious area.

"So, you noticed me, huh? That's impressive. How's everything going down there?" came a voice. We looked up to see a man standing on higher ground.

He was draped in the iconic Akatsuki cloak and wore an unusual orange mask with a single eye hole and a spiral pattern.

"That robe... You must be from the Akatsuki!" Captain Yamato declared, his tone serious and alert.

"Can you believe running into Leaf Village ninjas in a place like this? And it's eight of you against just me—what terrible luck!" the masked man chuckled.

"Even so, he wasn't on the list we received of known Akatsuki members," Kakashi-sensei remarked, analyzing the situation.

"I'm kind of new to this whole thing!" the masked ninja replied with a laugh, "Pleasure to meet you all!"

"Ha! You think you're funny, huh? Listen, pal, don't waste our time," Kiba snapped, clearly annoyed.

"Hold on, don't act rashly. Let's take a moment to assess the situation first. We do have the numbers on our side," Kakashi-sensei advised, keeping a level head.

"Oh my... Are you guys really underestimating me?" the masked man exclaimed, feigning surprise.

"What's your name?" I asked, curious.

"You really want to know? I can't just give out my name like that..." he replied, a teasing tone in his voice.

"Let's just get to the fight—we don't have time to waste! We need to reach Sasuke," Sakura insisted, her determination clear.

"Right, team, get into battle formation. Are you ready, Naruto?" Kakashi-sensei asked, looking at me.

"Humph, you guys go ahead and fight. I'll just hang back and watch for a bit," I said casually. "Or, I might just move ahead while you all deal with him."

"So, you're underestimating me too?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow. "But I'm sorry; I can't let you pass. It's one of the rules of the game, you know. You have to complete this challenge before moving on to the next level. So, you can't go any further until you defeat me, which, let me tell you, is... impossible."

He talks a lot, and honestly, he's a bit strange. Don't get me wrong; he's not like the other Akatsuki members. There's something different about him—he doesn't seem serious at all. Yet, there's this feeling I can't shake. Something about him feels mysterious in so many ways, and I can't quite figure out why I think that.

"Stop joking around, you fool!" I heard Kiba shout as he charged toward the Akatsuki guy, but the masked man didn't even flinch.

"Oh my god, is that a dog? I hate dogs!" he exclaimed, his expression shifting as Kiba closed in for an attack, still remaining completely still. "Oh no... what's going to happen to me?" he added dramatically.

Just as Kiba's attack was about to hit, he suddenly found himself unable to make contact and landed a few steps away instead. "I was just kidding! I've got this!" he shouted, trying to cover up his surprise. The same thing happened when Akamaru launched his attack—no impact whatsoever.

"CHA!!!!!!" Sakura yelled as she sprang from behind the masked man, aiming a punch at him, but she missed completely. As she stumbled forward, I quickly teleported to her side and caught her just in time and teleported back. "You alright?" I asked, looking into her eyes.

She nodded, a mix of determination and frustration on her face.

"Good!" I said, standing up to face the masked man again.

"You're quick... It seems you're the strongest one on your team. So, why aren't you the one fighting?" he asked, a smirk hidden behind his mask.

Suddenly, Shino sent his bugs flying toward the masked guy in an attack, but in an instant, the man vanished into the trees. He reappeared a short distance behind Shino, catching him off guard. With a swift punch, he sent Shino crashing to the ground, "You guys are way predictable!" He said

[A. N: Thanks for reading, drop Powerstones that will help a lot and drop reviews if you like the story and add to your library]