Being a rogue ninja is worse than being Hokage.

However, there's no need to explain Sage Mode to Kisame Hoshigaki.

Naruto conjured a Rasengan in his right hand and looked at Kisame Hoshigaki:

"So, Kisame Hoshigaki, you're the fifth one now..."

The fifth Akatsuki member to die.

Hidan and Kakuzu.

Deidara, Sasori.

Kisame Hoshigaki and Itachi Uchiha, who will soon die at Sasuke's hands.

More than half of the ten members of the Akatsuki organization have already been eliminated.

The remaining ones are the most troublesome Obito Uchiha and Zetsu.

There's also Payne and Minami.

After Sasuke kills Itachi Uchiha, Naruto can start preparing to deal with the remaining members of the Akatsuki organization.

But what needs to be done now is naturally to get rid of Kisame Hoshigaki.

Naruto raised the Rasengan, infused with Sage Chakra, and attacked Kisame Hoshigaki.

Just as the Rasengan was about to slice off Kisame Hoshigaki's entire head.

The shadow clones that were originally intended to be placed in the forest were released from the spell at this moment.

The various kinds of information obtained by the shadow clones filled Naruto's mind.

This information led Naruto to change his plan to kill Kisame Hoshigaki on the spot.

The chakra that had been gathered for the Rasengan was instantly dissipated by Naruto.

Naruto's heightened senses, amplified by Sage Mode, also allowed him to perceive Sasuke's current situation.

In that instant, Naruto made a new decision.

He captured Kisame Hoshigaki and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to take the mysterious Kirigakure man away with him.

……

Not long after Naruto used the Flying Thunder God Technique to take Kisame Hoshigaki away, the Sound Four and Suigetsu Hozuki finally arrived at this place.

"Ugh... I can't stand this damp environment."

Hozuki Suigetsu carefully avoided the puddles on the road.

No one paid any attention to Hozuki Suigetsu, who was spouting strange things.

There was no trace of Kisame Hoshigaki or Naruto Uzumaki.

Sakon and Ukon quickly made their judgment.

"So what should we do next?"

Jiro asked.

"...Let's go back to town and wait for Lord Sasuke to return. If Lord Sasuke doesn't come back, we'll go and find him."

Tayuya also shared her thoughts.

The other three members of the Sound Four considered it for a moment and did not object to Tayuya's suggestion.

However, they chased Kisame Hoshigaki and Naruto for a long time.

In the end, both goals disappeared. The feeling of working hard for nothing is truly frustrating.

However, Hozuki Suigetsu reaped a great harvest.

"It's the Executioner's Blade—Samehada is here too!"

Hozuki Suigetsu shouted excitedly.

Faced with the two Hidden Mist Ninja Swords left behind, he no longer hesitated as before, and stepped across the puddle towards where the swords were.

He didn't mind the weight and carried both the Executioner's Blade and Samehada, two enormous ninja swords, on his back.

"Good weight!"

Although the body is heavy.

But Hozuki Suigetsu felt incredibly relaxed.

Chapter 60 Uchiha Itachi

Let's rewind the timeline a little.

An abandoned town that Itachi Uchiha used as his base.

With Naruto's help, Karin was able to leave Kisame Hoshigaki's side and, together with Sasuke, quickly headed towards Itachi Uchiha's location as a special team.

However, the chakra unleashed by Naruto and Kisame Hoshigaki during their battle behind Karin made her feel a sense of unease.

Kisame Hoshigaki is not easy to deal with.

Among the ninjas Karin had seen, Naruto's chakra reserves were always exceptionally high.

His chakra was so immense that no one could compare; even the combined chakra of several ninjas couldn't match Naruto's.

But Kisame Hoshigaki, who appeared in the abandoned town and intercepted everyone, shattered Karin's perception.

Besides Naruto, Kisame Hoshigaki was the second ninja Karin had ever seen who possessed a massive amount of chakra.

The type of enemy she had never encountered before made Karin constantly turn her head to look back and sense Naruto's situation.

Karin's anxious behavior naturally caught Sasuke's attention.

"If you're still worried, you can go back now."

Sasuke spoke.

He originally only intended to deal with Itachi alone.

He only relented slightly because Naruto insisted, remaining silent and offering no opinion on Karin's coming along.

"I trust Naruto, so my mission now is to sense other enemies that might be lurking in the shadows for you!"

Karin resolutely rejected Sasuke's "understanding" offer.

She was indeed worried about Naruto, but she wasn't the kind of person who was foolish enough to only think and act based on emotions.

Karin never thought Naruto would lose to Kisame Hoshigaki; she just felt that the man who looked like a shark might require Naruto to use some methods to deal with him.

Naruto was accompanied by the Sound Four and Hozuki Suigetsu, who possessed a secret technique.

No matter how you look at it, Naruto's situation hasn't reached the point where Karin needs to intervene.

Furthermore... Karin was trained by Naruto to be a support ninja specializing in sensory perception and medical skills. Her other strengths are probably various sealing techniques, large and small, with "Diamond Sealing Technique" as the most prominent example.

Karin also has methods of direct attack, but they are definitely not as good as the others.

Furthermore, Naruto had already made a decision about Karin's next move.

If you abandon the mission and return to Naruto's side at this time, it will only make Naruto angry.

Karin adjusted her glasses. She and Sasuke were getting further and further away from Naruto, while getting closer and closer to Itachi Uchiha.

Karin then stopped looking back to check on Naruto's situation.

She was actually a little curious, curious about Sasuke's current reaction.

Karin had also seen something similar in Naruto, based on Sasuke's current reaction.

Aren't you worried about Naruto?

After hesitating for a moment, Karin finally asked the question that had been bothering her.

I don't think he will lose.

Sasuke's answer allowed Karin to grasp that lingering, uncertain thought that had been swirling in her mind.

Uchiha Sasuke had also met Karin once before, in the Forest of Death in Konoha.

However, after the Chunin Exams, these two former teammates from Konoha's Team 7 chose their own paths.

We haven't had any contact for three years.

But having not seen Naruto for so long, Sasuke's current behavior is as if he never imagined that Naruto would lose to Kisame Hoshigaki.

Sasuke wasn't as carefree as Suigetsu Hozuki; his Sharingan had, of course, already seen Kisame Hoshigaki's power.

However, Sasuke believed in Naruto even more firmly than Karin, who had always been by Naruto's side.

This kind of trust can even be described as "blind".

This kind of "blind" trust.

Karin was also seen on Naruto.

Blindly.

Karin never imagined that this word would one day be used on the meticulous Naruto.

While Sasuke killed Orochimaru and resisted the corruption of the Reanimation Jutsu within the Cursed Seal, Naruto once said something similar.

Karin, who had studied the Reanimation Jutsu, once suspected that the real Uchiha Sasuke had already had his spirit possessed by Orochimaru.

At that time, Naruto was certain of Sasuke's existence.

Naruto's trust in Sasuke has reached an unbelievable level.

"arrive."

Sasuke wasn't interested in Karin's wild thoughts.

He had already seen the location of Itachi Uchiha that Deidara had marked on the map.

The hills bear the marks of human intervention, and Itachi—Sasuke's long-time nemesis—is hiding among them.

Sasuke glanced at Karin sideways.

"Wait a minute!"

Karin called out hurriedly, gathering her chaotic thoughts and closing her eyes to perceive everything around her.