Location: Unknown
"Hmph, so that's how it is," Sasuke muttered, his Sharingan blazing.
"What's going on?" Naruto asked anxiously, hearing Sasuke's words.
"Kai!" Sasuke formed a hand seal, his Sharingan spinning rapidly.
Instantly, their surroundings shifted. Just moments ago, they had been on Konoha's tea street, but now that scenery had vanished. The four of them were now standing in the midst of a dense forest.
"This... Where is this?" Naruto stared at their surroundings, dumbfounded. "Weren't we on the tea street?"
"This is the enemy's genjutsu. It seems we were caught in it long ago, back at the fields," Sasuke said calmly.
"Genjutsu! How is that possible?" Naruto exclaimed in disbelief.
"To trap all four of us in a genjutsu without any of us noticing... that level of skill isn't something an ordinary ninja can achieve. If it weren't for the Sharingan, we might still be unaware," Sasuke's voice grew colder. "This kind of genjutsu can only be achieved with the Sharingan."
"Sha... Sharingan," Naruto stammered. "Is it... Kakashi-sensei?"
"No, Kakashi-sensei isn't a genjutsu-type. Even if he uses the Sharingan to cast genjutsu, it wouldn't be as refined as this," Sasuke said coldly.
"Then who could it be? Don't you and Kakashi-sensei have the only Sharingan?" Naruto glanced at Sakura, noticing she was still sitting on the ground, dazed.
"The Sharingan... there's one other person who possesses it. He's a rogue ninja from the Uchiha clan," Sasuke said, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "Right, Itachi Uchiha?"
"It seems you've grown quite a bit these past few years, Sasuke." A voice came from their side.
A sudden gust of wind followed, striking towards the two. Sasuke and Naruto were forced to separate. Naruto rushed toward Sakura with Sasuke.
"Sakura... Sakura..." Sasuke called out to her.
"....."
Sakura remained seated on the ground, showing no reaction to Sasuke's calls.
"Itachi-san, it seems your plan has failed," a shark-faced man wearing black clothing said.
"It doesn't matter, Kisame. We're no longer within Konoha's territory. Our mission is merely to confirm the jinchuriki," Itachi Uchiha said.
"Hehe, that one over there seems to be from the Uchiha clan," Kisame said, looking at Sasuke. "Who is he?"
"......."
Itachi looked at Sasuke's three-tomoe Sharingan, feeling a sense of pride in his heart, but he couldn't show any emotion on his face. It seemed Sasuke had grown stronger over the years, but it wasn't enough. Only by awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan could he have any hope of protecting himself in this chaotic world.
"Long time no see, Sasuke!" Itachi Uchiha said, his face cold and aloof as he looked at Sasuke.
"Itachi Uchiha..." Seeing his sworn enemy, Sasuke didn't immediately rush forward. Sasuke's plan was to revive his parents, and then, together, they would kill Itachi. Allowing his parents to take their own revenge was also one of Sasuke's desires.
"What happened to Sakura and Karin...?" Sasuke asked Itachi, a question that surprised him.
Itachi had anticipated that upon seeing him, Sasuke would scream and charge at him. But Sasuke hadn't. It seemed Sasuke had improved not only in strength... But this wouldn't awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan...
"Those two were troublesome to deal with, so I cast a different genjutsu on them than the one I used on you. With your current strength, you can't dispel it," Itachi said, trying to provoke Sasuke.
"Hmph, is that so? Sakura isn't as weak as you think," Sasuke retorted.
Itachi was slightly surprised to hear this. He knew Sasuke's personality well; his younger brother's unyielding nature was something Itachi was very familiar with. Itachi had intended to use Sakura to compare and stimulate Sasuke, but unexpectedly, Sasuke showed no sign of being affected.
Little did Itachi know, Sasuke had been belittled by Sakura countless times. Simple verbal provocations no longer had any effect on him. As they say, you get used to being prodded after a while.
"Hmm... The Sharingan. I didn't realize there was another survivor from the Uchiha clan besides you. And he's quite strong too, to have broken Itachi-san's genjutsu. He looks a lot like you... Who exactly is he?" Kisame said, observing Sasuke while listening to their exchange.
"He is... my younger brother," Itachi said coldly.
"Oh? I heard the Uchiha clan was wiped out by you..." Kisame scrutinized Sasuke.
"......Let's get down to business," Itachi said, seemingly unwilling to dwell on the topic. "Naruto Uzumaki, please come with us."
"Huh?" Naruto was confused, the focus suddenly shifting to him.
"Don't be ridiculous. No one here is going with you," Sasuke said, stepping in front of Naruto.
"What's going on?" Naruto asked. "Are you guys after me?"
"Hehe, it seems he won't come quietly. But that's fine too," Kisame said, taking the large sword from his back.
"Our target isn't you, Sasuke," Itachi said, looking at Naruto but directing his words to Sasuke.
Being ignored once again finally ignited a spark of anger in Sasuke's heart. But Sakura and Karin being trapped in genjutsu forced him to remain calm.
"Naruto, prepare to fight. Be careful to protect Sakura," Sasuke said as the curse mark's patterns spread across half his body, activating Curse Seal Level One.
"Huh? Sasuke, what is that?" Naruto asked, seeing Sasuke's cursed seal form for the first time.
"Shut up. You're the enemy's target now. If you have any trump cards, use them now. The enemy's strength is beyond your imagination," Sasuke snapped at Naruto, his mood becoming irritable due to the curse seal's influence.
"Got it," Naruto replied, forming hand seals. "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Naruto used his signature ninjutsu.
"Remember, don't look him in the eyes," Sasuke warned Naruto. "His eyes can cast genjutsu."
"Okay, let's go!" A thousand Narutos answered in a deafening roar.
"Itachi-san, I'll take care of the Nine-Tails," Kisame said.
However, Itachi held up a hand to stop him. "No, I'll handle it. Your ninjutsu is too noisy. We're too close to Konoha."
"Alright then. I'll clean up after you knock the Nine-Tails unconscious," Kisame said, sheathing Samehada once more.
Kisame had considerable respect for Itachi.
Sasuke looked at Itachi, his hands forming seals.
"Chidori!"
He immediately used the strongest ninjutsu he currently possessed.
Sasuke wasn't a fool. Even if Sakura was conscious, their side was no match for Itachi. Escaping with Naruto was impossible, and Sakura and Karin were still here.
From Itachi's words, he gathered that they were not far from Konoha. Therefore, he needed to create a large enough disturbance, to hold out until the village noticed the commotion.
If he couldn't hold out, Sasuke would have to choose one person to escape with. The reason he hadn't used Curse Seal Level Two was to prevent Itachi from discovering his ability to fly. Besides, he couldn't carry all three. At most, he could safely carry one, two would be highly risky, and three was impossible. It was a truly agonizing multiple-choice question.