The next day the clean-up continued. Miyako had just finished cleaning up the second of the snakes and was making her way to the third when she sensed a very familiar chakra nearby. She froze, mid-step, reaching out with her mind as she searched for the location of said chakra.
"Miyako-san."
Miyako jumped in surprise and turned to face Kakashi, who was leaning against a building with his book out, though this time he appeared to not be reading it. "Kakashi-san, what brings you here?" Miyako questioned with a weary smile, still tense from sensing the familiar chakra.
"I'm waiting for Sasuke," Kakashi stated with a shrug. "Have you seen him lately?"
"Not since last night. He didn't even eat dinner. It was such a waste," Miyako replied with a pout as she leaned up against the building next to Kakashi, noting the chakra she could sense was stronger, obviously in the building, though she heard no thoughts. "Where's the rest of your team?"
"I'm not sure where Sakura is, but Naruto is heading off with Jiraiya-sama to find Lady Tsunade," Kakashi explained and Miyako raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.
"Lady Tsunade? Is she going to be the next Hokage?"
"That's the plan," Kakashi replied as Asuma and Kurenai walked into their view. "Hey. You two look good together. Are you two dating?" Kakashi asked the two, putting his book away in the process.
"What are you doing here? I thought you didn't like sweets," Kurenai questioned and Asuma nodded in confused agreement. "Hello, Miyako-san." Miyako nodded in acknowledgment of Kurenai's greeting.
"I'm here to pick up a few things. And I'm also waiting for Sasuke," Kakashi explained.
"It's very different for you to arrive first, Kakashi," Sasuke stated as he walked up to the group of four. He looked into the shop and frowned. "I hate sweets."
"Do you?" Kakashi questioned and Miyako nodded.
"Yep. He doesn't even eat ice cream or most chocolate. He doesn't mind dark chocolate though. Not that I can I blame him. Dark chocolate is divine," Miyako explained as she noticed the familiar chakra was now gone, making her frown.
"Well, we best be heading off," Asuma stated and waved bye to the trio before leaving with Kurenai to scope out the danger.
Miyako-san go with them. They'll need the backup, Kakashi thought out to Miyako who nodded in agreement.
"I need to get going too," Miyako stated before walking off, following the thought waves of Asuma and Kurenai. She followed them to the river, where she saw two men in black cloaks with red clouds on them. Both of their chakra's were familiar, one more-so than the other.
Asuma and Kurenai stood in front of the men on the water, blocking their path as Miyako walked up behind them. She easily recognised the shorter of the two as Itachi, but she ignored him and looked at the largest of the two, who she suspected to be Hoshigaki Kisame thanks to her almost run-in with them a few months back.
"You guys don't look like the locals. Why are you here?" Asuma questioned the men.
"Long time no see, Asuma-san. Kurenai-san. Miyako-chan," Itachi replied as he removed his making the two Jōnin senseis stiffen up.
"So, you know who we are? Does that mean you were a shinobi originally from this village?" Asuma questioned stiffly.
"Of course he was. It's Uchiha Itachi," Miyako stated and Itachi removed his straw hat and opened up part of his clock, crimson eyes locked only on Miyako who was now meeting his red gaze with her blue.
"You three already know Itachi, so I should introduce myself," the taller man stated and removed his hat, revealing blue skin and shark-like features. "I'm Hoshigaki Kisame. Now we all know each other."
"There is no need for a greeting. I'll just have to take care of you both," Asuma stated and Miyako sighed at his brashness.
"Not on your own you don't," Miyako stated simply and Kisame chuckled.
"It seems the people from your village don't like you, Itachi," Kisame stated with a fanged smirk.
Kurenai's eyes widened as she had an epiphany. "I know who you are. Hoshigaki Kisame, a former Kirigakure shinobi. You were suspected of killing the daimyo as well as planning the destruction of other countries. Therefore, you are a missing-nin that Kirigakure and the other countries are looking for. You are all S-Ranked criminals from the bingo book."
"You know, I think we all already knew that, Kurenai-san," Miyako stated, sarcasm dripping from her voice. When she gets nervous, she gets sarcastic, and being in front of her old crush – one who happened to have massacred his entire family to potentially have saved Sasuke – was nerve racking, even for the strongest of shinobi. Her gaze went back to Itachi. "How dare you come back tot the village after what you've done to us, and Sasuke."
"Asuma-san, Kurenai-san, Miyako-chan, please don't interfere. I don't want to kill any of you," Itachi stated blankly, making Asuma snort in disbelief.
"I never thought a person who killed his own family would say such words," Asuma stated, and Kurenai nodded in agreement. "I know you wouldn't be here without a reason, so what is it? Why are you here, Itachi?"
Kisame frowned and pulled out his sword. "That is pissing me off. Should I kill him?" Kisame questioned and Itachi frowned.
"Looks like they won't let us leave the village easily. But don't go too far, you could cause more trouble than needed."
"Then it's decided?" Kisame paused for a second before rushing forward, swinging his sword towards Asuma. Asuma blocked with his chakra blades, protecting Kurenai in the process. Kurenai weaved some hand signs, and before Miyako could tell her it was a bad idea, she vanished from view, hiding in a Genjutsu.
Kisame smirked and the bandaged around his sword ripped apart as it sliced into Asuma's arm. "My sword, Samahada, is not used to cut people. It's used to slice them to pieces," Kisame announced proudly as Asuma bent down, clutching his arm in pain.
"Kurenai, you are pretty slow," Asuma puffed out, just a tree sprouted from the ground behind Itachi, wrapping him up with its branches. Kurenai came out of the tree with her kunai, all intentions to kill the man before her, only for Itachi to switch the two.
"This level of Genjutsu is useless against me," Itachi stated simply and pulled out a kunai/. He aimed it at her stomach, but it was blocked by Miyako with her own kunai. Itachi's eyes widened in surprise at her speed.
"Don't think I'll let you hurt her," Miyako snapped, and Itachi's eyes narrowed.
"Do you really think you stand a chance against me, Miyako-chan? I suggest you leave the fighting to the adults," Itachi stated and Miyako's eyes narrowed in a glare, before pulling her kunai back and aiming it towards Itachi. Itachi easily dodged her attack. Separating the two by a few metres.
"I'm a Jōnin now, Itachi-san. I'm more than capable of fighting you or your partner," Miyako replied before weaving some hand-signs and calling forth two shadow clones. They shot over to Asuma, who was still fighting Kisame. She then shot towards Itachi with Kurenai by her side. The two females aimed punches and kicks towards the elder Uchiha, who dodged their attacks with almost complete ease. Itachi then pulled out some shuriken and shot them towards the females. Miyako managed to dodge, but Kurenai got struck by three of the shuriken, all in her arms.
"As expected from you two. But..." Itachi started but was cut off by Kakashi, who had finally arrived at the battle.
"But the person it's over for, is you, Itachi."
"Hatake Kakashi," Itachi stated, his gaze meeting the gaze of the person behind him, as the shadow clone stood in front of Asuma, blocking him from Kisame after his jutsu that matched Kisame's died down.
"Impressive. So that's why he has the same jutsu as me," Kisame stated, looking at Kakashi-s Sharingan eye. "I never thought I'd see someone other than Itachi with those eyes. That said, you must be the Copy Ninja Kakashi."
"It appears that the suspicious people at the tea shop were Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame," Kakashi stated, his gaze flickering over to Miyako for a split second, worried about her feelings getting in the way of what needs to be done.
"Well, well, you know my name. I'm honoured," Kisame stated with a wide grin.
"I see, you are one of Kirigakures' 'Seven Ninja Swordsmen'. You hold the Samahada, if I recall correctly," Kakashi stated and Miyako frowned, getting sick of all the talking going on around her. She wanted the battle to finish sooner rather than later.
"I heard Zabuza and you fought, and he lost. Now I guess it's my turn to have a shot at the great Hatake Kakashi," Kisame stated with a smirk.
"Kisame, stop messing around," Itachi stated with a glare to his teammate. "You will take too long if you fight with him. If you take too long, other shinobi will arrive. Don't forget our mission, Kisame. We didn't come here to get injured."
"What is this mission you speak of?" Miyako questioned with a frown, using her mind reading jutsu to try and hear their thoughts, but getting nothing from Itachi, and Kisame was too busy focusing on the enemies in front of him.
"We are looking for something," Itachi replied and Kakashi's dark-grey eyes narrowed.
"Looking for something? What are you looking for, exactly?" Kakashi questioned wearily as Itachi turned to face him properly.
"Unlike Kisame, I won't waste any time," Itachi stated and he attacked Kakashi. The water attack didn't last long, and soon it showed Itachi holding kunai in his hands. "Your insightful eyes is remarkable, Kakashi. Am I right? Itachi questioned and a clone was suddenly behind Kakashi, a kunai pressed into Kakashi's back.
"A shadow clone? His jutsu is incredibly fast," Kurenai gasped in shock as Miyako's eyes narrowed, secretly grabbing out a kunai from her holster.
No, Miyako-san. This is between Itachi and I. Get Kurenai up to Asuma, and keep Kisame distracted, Kakashi ordered Miyako through her mind.
Miyako frowned, fritting her teeth as she put her kunai away, just as the Kakashi that had a kunai in his back disappeared in a burst of water, much like a bubble popping. Miyako grabbed Kurenai and shot up next to Asuma, just as Itachi's clone exploded. Kakashi was now in front of Miyako, Asuma, and Kurenai, dripping wet.
"Don't let your guard down. Remember, he became an ANBU Captain at only thirteen," Kakashi reminded the trio.
"No need to remind me, Kakashi-san," Miyako replied, not taking her eyes off of Itachi. "Besides, we haven't seen he's real power yet."
"It's impressive that without any Uchiha blood you can use that eye to the extent that you can. But your blood isn't like ours, so that eye weakens you just as much as it helps you," Itachi stated and Kakashi frowned. Itachi closed his eyes. "Why is the Uchiha Clan known as the strongest clan? I'll let you experience the Sharingan to its full effect."
"Everyone, under no circumstance are you to open your eyes," Miyako ordered as she shut her eyes in a panic, Asuma and Kurenai following quickly as Kakashi closed his normal eye. "Listen, do not open your eyes. If you do, it could be devastating."
"Most likely another Uchiha can counter this technique," Kakashi stated.
"That is correct. As long as one has the Sharingan, some resistance can be made to this Mangekyo Sharingan. However, this is a special eye jutsu, Genjutsu Tsukuyomi, only another Sharingan user with the same blood flowing in them could possibly defeat me," Itachi stated as Kakashi was pulled into the Genjutsu.
Only a second passed before he returned to the world of the waking. "Kakashi, are you alright? Can we open our eyes? What happened? While was talking, you collapsed," Asuma questioned frantically.
I see, so while it felt like there days, it was only a second or so, Miyako heard Kakashi's thoughts whisper as flashback of the Genjutsu filled her mind, making her skin pale in shock as the images crossed her thoughts.
"It isn't over yet," Kakashi stated while panting.
"Hehe, that jutsu is used to break an opponent spirit. I'm surprised he's still alive," Kisame stated with a sharp grin. "However Itachi, you should be careful, since that eye is dangerous to you as well."
"Are you after Sasuke?" Kakashi questioned Itachi.
"We are after the Fourth Hokage's inheritance," Itachi replied simply.
"The Fourths... inheritance?" Kakashi questioned in slight confusion.
"What are they talking about?" Kurenai questioned in even more confusion as Miyako gasped in realisation as a stray thought crossed Kisame's mind.
"Is it the nine tails?" Miyako questioned and Kisame chuckled.
"She's smart, for a fifteen-year-old," Kisame stated and Itachi frowned at his words.
"I know that you two aren't the only ones," Kakashi stated. "You work for an organisation called the Akatsuki, am I correct?"
"Akatsuki?" Asuma questioned and Itachi frowned further.
"Kisame, take Kakashi and Miyako with us, kill the other two," Itachi ordered and Kisame smirked before charging towards the four Jōnin. Just as he was about to reach them, he was kicked out of the way by a man dressed in green and orange with a bowl haircut.
Might Guy has arrived.