A/N: I humbly submit to you: chapter 19.

Nope, don't own Naruto.


Chapter XIX: Storm

The Konoha squad flew out of the main gate and headed south, fanning out to cover as much ground as they could. They stayed close to the main roads that branched out from the village gate, keeping their senses on high alert for the two Akatsuki members. Sasuke, Kakashi, and Naruto searched for chakra signatures with their respective dōjutsu.

The rocky terrain made stealth difficult, since trees were sparse in the Land of Lightning. Fortunately, the roads were built in such a way that they cut through the few wooded areas present. They stayed in sight of each other, just in case something unexpected happened. Exercising caution was paramount, and maintaining the element of surprise was key.

It wasn't long before the group spotted two figures walking along a lightly wooded path. Thankfully, the few trees present provided some cover as Kakashi signaled for everyone to get into position. They steeled themselves for what was to come as they waited.


Kisame and Itachi strolled along the road as though they were simply taking a leisure walk. They were being sent to Kumo to capture not one, but two jinchūriki. Both were surprised and slightly suspicious of the leader's orders. He seemed almost unhinged at the time, stating that it was of the utmost importance to gather all the Tailed Beasts quickly. Whether or not it was done quietly was secondary. Zetsu appeared to be on triage duty, clarifying when necessary and issuing assignments in a more comprehensible manner. They did as they were told, however, since they knew that defying the orders would lead to a punishment that the leader said would be worse than death.

The two Akatsuki still had a way to go before they reached even the outer limits of Kumogakure. They were in no rush, of course. Taking their time was part of the element of surprise. Villages always expected attackers to move fast and strike hard, but Kisame and Itachi preferred to take their time and move quietly. At the rate they were moving, they'd reach Kumo in a few hours.

The duo abruptly stopped when they noticed a light mist covering the area. Itachi's eyes immediately flared crimson, while Kisame couldn't help but smirk. It had been awhile since he'd seen anyone use this jutsu. But something was off that made him scan the area with his beady eyes: a faint smell of ozone. Normally, he'd be able to clear the mist easily and reveal the location of their would-be opponents, but the mist was laden with lightning chakra that would disrupt any jutsu he attempted. He clicked his tongue with a smirk as he removed the massive, bandage-wrapped sword known as Samehada from his back.

Even Itachi slowly panned his gaze around the area they were in. The chakra-laden mist was making it difficult to see much of anything besides Kisame and his gargantuan sword. He had to rely on his hearing to pick out the slightest shuffle in the dirt, the smallest rustle of a single leaf. A silence that usually made its home in cemeteries settled over the area as the mist swelled into a thick fog.

Out of the fog, the sounds of a swarm of chirping birds and a whirlwind were heard, along with sandals hammering against the ground.

"Rasengan!"

"Chidori!"

The spiraling mass of chakra collided with Kisame's back, digging itself into his spine. Sasuke's lightning-covered forearm speared through Itachi's chest, piercing his lung, and only just missing his heart. Not a split second later, Kisame dissolved into a puddle of water, while Itachi morphed into a mass of crows that flew away.

Naruto and Sasuke grit their teeth as they whipped their heads around, searching for the two rogue shinobi. Haku released the jutsu, causing the mist to thin as the two friends beheld their targets emerging from the shadows on either side of the road. Naruto glared daggers at the blue-skinned shark man, who hefted his sword upon his shoulder. Sasuke threw an icy crimson stare at his older brother, whose own Sharingan were also ablaze.

"Well, well. Looks like we've hit a bump in the road, eh, Itachi?" Kisame sneered. His partner only hummed with indifference.

"I'd stay out of our way if I were you, boys. You could get seriously hurt if you tried to fight us," the rogue Kiri nin mocked.

A deep scowl marred Naruto's face. "You bastards are looking for a jinchūriki, right?" He growled.

"Don't interfere," Itachi warned with a flat tone. He may have been answering Naruto, but his crimson gaze never left his younger brother.

"You sons of bitches want a jinchūriki so bad? Well you can't have them! I won't let you!" Naruto roared.

Immediately after his declaration, a flurry of senbon zipped towards Kisame, while a hail of kunai and shuriken barreled toward Itachi. The former hefted Samehada and blocked the senbon, while the latter drew a kunai and deflected each of the projectiles as though it were child's play.

Kakashi appeared next to Sasuke with a kunai drawn. The younger Uchiha drew his blade as Naruto produced his own kunai and turned to face Itachi. Sakura, Haku, and Yamato flickered into position in front of Kisame, senbon and kunai at the ready.

The combatants stared each other down for what felt like hours. No animals dared call or show themselves. A heavy silence settled over the area, further thickening the air with tension. Only the wind dared whisper through the trees, rustling some of the leaves.

Sasuke rhythmically tightened and relaxed his grip on his blade to keep himself grounded as his heart pounded in his chest. Naruto simply glared at the murderer of the Uchiha clan, taking deep breaths to keep his emotions at bay. Kakashi's exposed Sharingan showcased his furrowed brow. Haku, Sakura, and Yamato held stern expressions, their senses on high alert.

Without warning, Haku flew through hand seals with one hand. The puddle that was Kisame's water clone boiled to life, forming itself into a group of water needles. The razor-sharp water flew straight for Kisame. The shark man raised his bandaged sword and blocked the needles. Just as he regained his footing, a great wooden fist burst from the ground, cocking back to punch him. He raised Samehada, which bore the brunt of the impact, but not without sending him flying into the rocky woods. The two medics and Mokuton user leapt after him.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi flew through hand seals before they each unleashed a fireball hurtling towards Itachi. The rogue Uchiha narrowed his crimson eyes before dissolving into a group of crows and flying away from the road. The trio followed him, their dōjutsu as much ablaze as the trees they ignited.


Haku, Sakura, and Yamato knew to keep their distance. Konan may have skipped her briefing on the shark man but the dossier in the mission scroll held valuable tactical information on their opponent. They couldn't get close to him and risk being hit by Samehada, but they also couldn't let him have any openings to perform any water jutsu.

Haku and Sakura immediately leapt up into the trees, hopping from branch to branch and flinging senbon at the rogue Kiri nin. Yamato slammed his hands onto the ground, channeling his chakra into the surrounding tree roots, forcing them to shoot up below Kisame's feet. He was quick. Whatever he didn't dodge, he blocked with Samehada. The chakra-reinforced tree roots shattered with each swing of the mighty blade as though they were made of glass.

The game of cat and mouse continued, with Kisame bobbing and weaving while intermittently cleaving through erupting tree roots. Finally, an opening presented itself. Yamato's roots seized the rogue's ankles, holding him in place. More wood exploded from the ground, binding his wrists. Kisame was unable to move, much less heft Samehada.

Sakura and Haku took their opening, weaving through unusual hand seals. The temperature of the surrounding air plummeted to sub-zero temperatures as they molded their chakra.

"Hijutsu, Makyō Hyōshō!" They cried in unison.

A dome of ice sheets materialized before Kisame's beady eyes as they widened. He tightened his grip on Samehada as images of Sakura and Haku rippled onto the sheets. In the blink of an eye, Kisame's head jerked to one side from a sudden impact while a senbon lodged itself into his shoulder. Again and again, his head jerked while senbon hit pressure points on his shoulders, arms, and torso. He grit his sharpened teeth as Sakura landed punch after punch.

Kisame resembled a bruised pincushion by the time the ice mirrors dissolved. Haku and Sakura stood side by side behind Yamato, panting. They tensed as they felt a shift in the air. Kisame suddenly melted into a puddle of water. Yamato cursed as he released his hold on the now empty space.

"Suiton, Suikōdan no Jutsu!" Kisame roared from the trees.

A large, shark-shaped water bullet screamed towards the trio. Yamato acted quickly, slamming his palm onto the ground.

"Mokuton, Mokujōheki!" Tightly clustered wooden pillars burst from the ground, forming a half-dome that shielded them from the water jutsu. Sakura and Haku turned, waiting for their foe to show himself.

They didn't need to wait long before the wooden half-dome was reduced to splinters by Samehada. The three immediately leapt back, creating some distance between them and their attacker.

Kisame chuckled as he pointed his sword at them. "It's been a long time since I've seen the Hyōton used. Color me surprised." He focused his attention to Haku and Sakura. "You two must be from Kiri, which only makes this all the more interesting. Even Samehada is getting excited." He bared his sharpened teeth as he smirked. Haku and Sakura's faces set into a scowl as they each fell into a defensive stance.

Kisame charged, his eyes wild, Samehada pulled back to deliver a sweeping strike. The trio dodged. Haku drew more senbon and threw them at the shark man. As he dodged the needles, Sakura charged him, aiming a chakra-enhanced kick to his torso—only for it to be halted by the broad side of Samehada. She immediately pushed herself off of the sword, narrowly avoiding being cut by Kisame's counterattack. Yamato launched sharpened wooden projectiles at Kisame. Samehada reduced them to mulch with a single swing.

Sakura repositioned herself, this time aiming for the shark man's back. She charged in, her chakra-enhanced fist cocked back. The blow connected with a sickening thud, sending the cloaked rogue shinobi flying. Not one to be made a fool, he adjusted himself, skidding to a halt as he landed on his feet.

Haku seized the opportunity and hurled a kunai tagged with a paper bomb, detonating it as close to the sword-wielding Akatsuki as he could. In a flash, Yamato created a wooden dome to trap Kisame after the explosion. Black smoke leaked through its cracks as the trio watched with bated breath. A moment of silence passed before the wooden dome was once again reduced to splinters, revealing an unharmed Kisame. A conniving grin was plastered on his face, his eyes wild.

Sakura grit her teeth before turning to her comrades and nodding to them. They returned the nod before she and Yamato barreled towards Kisame. Haku kept his distance, watching and waiting for his chance to strike. Sakura and Yamato split up, but not before Kisame launched a large water bullet at them.

The kunoichi channeled ice chakra into her hand, encasing it in a hard layer of ice. She raised her fist and punched through the water bullet, reducing it to a harmless splash as she continued her charge.

Kisame's smirk grew into a sadistic smile as he let out a chuckle. His smile held fast as he watched the two split up to pinch him. Yamato formed his fist into a spiked wooden block, while Sakura increased the thickness of her ice fist and added spikes to her knuckles.

Just as their blows were about to connect, they saw a flicker of white. Their fists impacted the bandaged blade with a muffled clang. The two pushed off, creating some distance before Haku sent another volley of senbon to be blocked by the accursed sword.

More wooden spikes burst forth from the ground, hurtling towards Kisame. At the same time, a swarm of water needles formed in the surrounding air, jetting towards him. He managed to block the wooden spikes, but some of the water needles tore through his cloak. However, they hadn't pierced his torso as Haku intended.

Kisame turned his feral gaze towards his challengers, a single cut running along his left cheek leaking blood. He let out a low, menacing laugh. "You three sure are persistent. This is going to be fun."


Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi found Itachi in a rocky clearing. They slowly approached the rogue Uchiha, careful not to make any sudden moves. Itachi's Sharingan was ever-present as he stared them down, though he was mostly focused on Sasuke.

The only sound was the wind whistling through the clearing, making Naruto and Sasuke's cloaks billow ever so slightly. They all stood motionless. The three Konoha shinobi glared at the rogue nin, being careful not to look directly into his eyes.

Another breeze blew through before Itachi finally broke the silence. "So, do you think you're strong enough to finally face me, little brother?"

Sasuke remained stone-faced as Naruto clenched his jaw. Neither wanted to give Itachi the satisfaction of letting him get under their skin. It took all of Naruto's self-control to not show his anger. Sasuke maintained his façade, vowing to himself to not let his doubts manifest and make him weak in the face of Itachi.

After being met with silence, the older Uchiha spoke again. "You know it's useless, Sasuke. Even if you've trained, you can't beat me. You may have your Sharingan, but I don't sense any hatred from you. You're still weak, foolish little brother."

A moment passed before Sasuke found his voice at last. "We'll see about that, foolish older brother."

Sasuke's right hand twitched as he charged. His Sharingan blazed as he let a swarm of shuriken fly. Itachi quickly produced a kunai and blocked every single one without flinching. In an instant, Sasuke swung once he closed the distance. His ninjato collided with Itachi's kunai with a resounding clang.

The other two Konoha shinobi darted behind Itachi, flying through hand seals and launching two fireballs at him. Sasuke pushed off just in time to avoid being incinerated, but Itachi dissolved into a swarm of crows. He rematerialized in front of Sasuke, swinging a kunai. Sasuke parried, aiming a stab at Itachi's torso. Empty space between crows appeared where a punctured lung should have been.

Sasuke sheathed his ninjato as Itachi rematerialized a few yards in front of him. Naruto and Kakashi retreated behind their comrade, trying not to interfere too much. This was Sasuke's fight more than anyone's, but he still wanted their help in creating openings for him to incapacitate his brother.

Itachi stowed his own kunai before the two Uchiha flew through hand seals. They inhaled deeply, and on the exhale, a stream of flames shot from each of their mouths, blooming into a fireball the size of a small house. Just before they collided, Sasuke's fireball exploded to the size of the main Konoha gate, easily devouring his brother's fireball.

Itachi's eyes widened as he stopped his jutsu to dodge the oncoming wall of flame. Just as he was out of harm's way, the trio charged once more. Sasuke and Kakashi barreled towards him, one from the front and one from behind, their dominant hands covered in lightning chakra. They narrowly avoided hitting each other as Itachi once again dissolved into a swarm of crows.

Sensing danger behind him, Sasuke drew his ninjato and turned to block what would have been a debilitating stab from Itachi's kunai. The two traded blows, blocking each other's slashes and stabs in a glorified stalemate. Sasuke grunted as he pushed off from his brother, who sent a cluster of kunai flying.

The younger Uchiha blocked them with a single swing of his ninjato. Naruto growled, creating five shadow clones and charging Itachi, each with a kunai in hand. The blond wasn't as proficient with thrown weapons but could hold his own in a close-quarters fight.

Itachi was fast. He dodged all the blows Naruto and his clones threw, even the ones that couldn't be seen with the naked eye. Itachi's counterattacks would normally have landed, but Naruto was able to dodge and block thanks to the enhanced perception the Rinnegan gave him. His spars with Sasuke had paid off.

Itachi took notice of how Naruto was fighting. The boy was able to dodge kicks, punches, and slashes from his kunai as though he saw them coming from a mile away. The blond managed to surround Itachi with five shadow clones, all of which were fighting alongside the original. Itachi had his hands full, but he had to admit that his opponent was nothing if not persistent.

One of the clones drew his fist back for a sucker punch, only for his target to dissolve into crows once more. He rematerialized behind what he assumed was the original, kunai drawn. The fight would be over once he put the kunai to his throat—

At least that's what would have happened. Naruto spun and slammed his foot into Itachi's stomach with a sickening thud. All the wind left the Akatsuki member as he nearly doubled over with a grunt. Naruto followed up with another punch meant for Itachi's face, only for it to be blocked with his forearm, taking the opportunity to put some distance between himself and the blond.

The older Uchiha stifled a wet cough as he internally reeled over what just happened. There was no way Naruto should've been able to see that coming. He made sure to conceal himself until the very last second before rematerializing. The only ones who could have seen him were Kakashi and Sasuke, and they were off to the side. Itachi noticed a strange concentration of chakra around Naruto's eyes, but he put that thought aside. He had other things to worry about.

Just as he straightened, he felt something grab his ankles. Itachi looked down to see Kakashi's gloved hands holding him in place. His head snapped back up to see Naruto charging him, Rasengan roiling in his hand.

The blond slammed his Rasengan into Itachi's torso, sending him flying backwards. Naruto cursed as he watched the Akatsuki member turn into another mass of crows and fly off. After dispelling his clones, Naruto made his way back to Kakashi, who had resurfaced.

Itachi rematerialized in front of Sasuke, who instinctively swung his blade. A resounding clang echoed through the clearing as it was blocked by a kunai. Sasuke's jaw clenched as he was locked in a battle of will. Neither would budge as their weapons twitched against each other. Finally, Sasuke managed to leap back, putting some distance between the two of them once more.

The Uchiha brothers stood for a moment, catching their breath and staring each other down. Sasuke watched Itachi's eyes morph into their Mangekyō form, resembling a three-pointed, curved shuriken against his crimson iris.

"Your jutsu are impressive, and you may have your third tomoe, but your eyes are still weak. You are still weak. Now, let me show you true strength and the true power of the Sharingan, Sasuke."

Sasuke took a deep breath, closing his eyes. "Naruto, sensei; it'd be better if you didn't interfere from here on out. This is between me and my foolish older brother. Go check on the others, they might need your help."

Naruto's brows shot up as he took a step forward. "But, Sasuke, I thou—"

"Trust me, Naruto. I'll be fine. Go."

Naruto bit his tongue as Kakashi nodded to him. The two set off in the direction of the road to look for their teammates and Kisame. Sasuke's eyes remained closed as he exhaled through his nose.

"I wouldn't worry about my eyes, if I were you, Itachi." He pointed his ninjato at his estranged brother. "I have questions. You have answers. I'm going to get those answers. One way…" Sasuke opened his eyes to reveal his crimson pinwheel Mangekyō. "…or another."


A/N: Clash! Fight scenes are a challenge, to be certain.

Translations:

Hijutsu: Makyō Hyōshō - Secret/Hidden Jutsu: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals/Crystal Ice Mirrors

Suiton: Suikōdan no Jutsu - Water Release/Style: Water Shark Bullet/Water Shark Bomb Jutsu

Mokuton: Mokujōheki - Wood Release/Style: Wood Locking Wall/Domed Wall

Thank you so much for reading! Chapter 20 in the works!