Chapter 64: Fiery Youth
Ibiki Morino's arrangement was very reasonable: one overt and one covert guard detail along the route. However, his reputation in the Torture and Interrogation Unit was too well-known; almost no one who fell into his hands failed to talk.
Kisame Hoshigaki was not yet aware of Ibiki Morino's promotion. He only knew that Ibiki was an elite of Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Unit, and that was enough to make him take a desperate risk.
Because he was still under the Four Limbs Heavy Seal, Ibiki Morino didn't pay too much attention, or perhaps he also felt there was no better means of controlling an enemy than the Uzumaki clan's sealing jutsus.
Thus, after Kisame Hoshigaki finally broke the seal through continuous attrition and consumption of chakra, he suddenly erupted in violence!
Fuguki Suikazan, having detected the tracks of the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Unit and discovered Kisame Hoshigaki's actions, seized the opportunity to jump out and begin slaughtering the members of the Mist Cipher Division.
This was the heartland of the Land of Fire; after a successful strike, he had to retreat immediately!
The captain of the Mist ANBU never intended to save anyone; he only wanted to silence them! If he had the chance, he wouldn't even spare Kisame Hoshigaki!
Until the Raidō Namiashi squad and the Might Guy squad, who were secretly guarding Ibiki Morino, appeared.
Upon seeing Fuguki Suikazan, Might Guy roared "Fugu" and charged forward with passion, automatically assigning this survivor of his father's battle to himself.
Looking at that campus-vibe bowl cut, that aesthetically unpleasing green jumpsuit, that vibrant youth…
Fuguki Suikazan had suffered a loss once, and that was enough. A second time would cost him his life. He temporarily chose to join forces with Kisame Hoshigaki, attempting to use Kisame to hold back the frenzied Might Guy and the Konoha ninjas.
As a result, he and Kisame Hoshigaki, working together, actually managed to put down this group of Konoha ninjas!
He himself wouldn't have dared to imagine it!
Before leaving, Fuguki Suikazan and Kisame Hoshigaki took Ibiki Morino with them, leaving only Might Guy barely holding on and chasing after them.
"Shisui, you must... you must save Captain Ibiki!"
Genma Shiranui's face was slightly red; entrusting a heavy responsibility he couldn't complete to a junior was a bit difficult to say.
Uchiha Itachi and Kitahara simultaneously glanced at Shisui. The meaning was clear: explain...
Senior Ibiki had been praised so highly by Shisui, yet in half a day, his team was wiped out in a reverse sweep.
They hadn't seen his interrogation and torture abilities, but they had certainly come to a solid understanding of his worrying combat strength.
"We have to catch up quickly, we can't just watch Senior Ibiki get into trouble... Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu!"
The flock of crows summoned by Uchiha Shisui cawed and spread out in all directions, searching for traces of Fuguki Suikazan's departure.
If Ibiki Morino was really captured and taken back to the Hidden Mist Village, that would truly be a spectacle... Konoha had no precedent for an ANBU high-ranking official of Ibiki Morino's status being captured.
The last ordinary ANBU member who was captured had alarmed the entire Konoha leadership, because ANBU members carry many of the village's classified secrets!
That captured ANBU member seemed to be... also named Ibiki Morino.
This was extremely awkward... He was always refreshing his own lower limits and raising the upper limit of captured Konoha personnel.
Although that time he was trying to save his younger brother and was captured by a rogue ninja from the village, he didn't confess any intelligence even after undergoing cruel torture.
"Caw..."
Shisui's method is too slow! We have to find those two serial offenders quickly! And Might Guy is actually chasing Kisame Hoshigaki; is he entering a fated duel ahead of schedule?
Wisps of cold wind suddenly blew...
Kitahara absorbed the surrounding natural energy and infused it into Uchiha Itachi's body. The natural energy surged within the little boy, and the wings on his back suddenly unfurled, "Sage Mode: Release!"
"Shisui, Kitahara and I will go after them first!"
Uchiha Itachi's wings slowly flapped, carrying him gradually higher. He traced an arc in the sky and soon disappeared from everyone's sight.
Genma Shiranui was surprised, "He's the new disciple Lord Jiraiya took on? Uchiha Itachi?"
"Truly worthy of being Lord Jiraiya's disciple!" Raidō Namiashi nodded. That suffocating presence was completely different from the gentle style of Jiraiya's other, deceased disciple.
They both gave off a very strong impression! Both were people capable of accomplishing impossible, heavy tasks!
Uchiha Shisui: "..."
These words sound so familiar!
The perception range of Sage Mode was very wide. Uchiha Itachi pursued in a southeasterly direction. At his speed, he would soon discover the tracks of Kisame Hoshigaki and the others.
Moreover, the crow on him was continuously transferring natural energy and sage art chakra to him. Therefore, the duration Itachi could maintain Sage Mode was a number that would make Jiraiya cry...
In the distance, a flash of fire, like a firework, flickered for an instant and was reflected in Uchiha Itachi's eyes, "...Did Teacher Jiraiya ever mention that the Hidden Mist Village has Fire Style?"
"Caw!" The crow glared at him in dissatisfaction. Forget Fire Style, they even have Boil Style!
Not long after the firework vanished, a voice faintly drifted over, "Night Phoenix!"
It was Might Guy's voice.
Uchiha Itachi flapped his black wings and rushed over quickly. He had seen Might Guy and his group of young men before!
After all, the drama of a rebellious son running away from home had played out in Itachi's favorite sweet shop. And the one in the green jumpsuit who awkwardly comforted the Third Hokage at the end seemed to be Might Guy.
Doesn't know how to talk, doesn't know how to comfort people, likes to buy lots of Three-Color Dango and various high-calorie sweets—this was Uchiha Itachi's impression of Might Guy in the village.
Arriving above the battlefield, Uchiha Itachi's perception of Might Guy was refreshed. This man was fighting two against one!
One of them was precisely Kisame Hoshigaki, the person who had forced Uchiha Itachi into a tough fight, compelling him to activate Sage Mode to cope.
The other should be the Hidden Mist Village's Fuguki Suikazan. He was being beaten miserably by Might Guy... especially miserable kind, with his hair scattered and broken, and his body covered in wounds...
The Samehada in the hands of the Mist ANBU captain had long been unwrapped, but it also appeared listless.
Might Guy was only chasing and beating Fuguki Suikazan alone, clearly treating the shark-faced man as a salted fish... Otherwise, with the Fugu's personality, he would have long since thrown Kisame Hoshigaki behind to cover his retreat!
Guy's injuries were no better. After one move, he immediately spat out a large mouthful of blood, yet still stood tall and resilient, striking a pose as if he could continue fighting...
His body not only bore the burden of the Eight Gates, but also injuries from Kisame Hoshigaki's attacks.
"Hey, you're pretty much at your limit, aren't you!" Fuguki Suikazan, not seeing the appearance of red steam, felt slightly relieved, "Kisame Hoshigaki, go kill him!"
"..."
Guy's performance was clearly that of a spent force, yet Fuguki Suikazan was still not reassured!
Kisame Hoshigaki seriously carried out his superior's order, walking towards Might Guy with his ninja sword in hand, and swung his sword without a word!
Might Guy still stared intently at Fuguki Suikazan, his trembling body murmuring, "Seventh Gate... Gate of Wonder..."
He no longer had the strength to say the last word.
Uchiha Itachi, witnessing this scene from high above, widened his eyes, "His fighting spirit is too terrifying..."
A shuriken shot towards Kisame Hoshigaki, stopping his movement.
"Who?"
Kisame Hoshigaki abruptly raised his head and saw a familiar pair of black feathered wings.
It's that little brat!
The little boy descended from the sky, a kunai in his hand, sage art chakra spreading over it, "We meet again, Mr. Kisame Hoshigaki..."
The crow stood on Itachi's shoulder and cawed, its voice sounding somewhat pleased, "Caw!"
Not bad... you actually broke the Four Limbs Heavy Seal!
(End of this chapter)