Kabuto turned around and saw Itachi standing there, his eyes calm yet unreadable. A faint smile tugged at Kabuto's lips.
"You really do live up to your reputation, Itachi. You managed to bypass my barrier and still found this place. I'm quite curious—how exactly did you do it?"
Itachi stared at him expressionlessly. "You think your concealment is flawless, but every jutsu has its weaknesses. There will always be someone who can uncover them."
Uchiha Shisui stepped forward, his Mangekyō Sharingan glowing faintly. He looked Kabuto up and down. "So this is Kabuto?"
Itachi nodded. "Yes. Once Orochimaru's right hand. And now… he's grown to this level."
Kabuto narrowed his eyes. The chakra pressure radiating from Shisui was formidable—almost suffocating. His eyes… That aura… This wasn't someone to take lightly.
And then Kabuto noticed something that shook him.
Itachi.
He wasn't in the state of Edo Tensei. He wasn't reanimated.
He was alive.
Kabuto's Sage Mode-enhanced senses confirmed it. No foul chakra of the Impure World Reincarnation. No summoned vessel. This was a living, breathing Itachi Uchiha.
"…Impossible," Kabuto muttered. "You're not in the state of Edo Tensei. You… you're alive. But you died. I saw the records. Who brought you back? Who performed the resurrection?"
Itachi's voice was cold and final. "That's not something you need to know anymore."
Hoshigaki Kisame let out a chuckle and stepped forward, Samehada resting lazily on his shoulder.
"Why waste time talking to this guy? We already know the drill. Let me handle him. Just like reeling in a tailed beast—once we knock him out, the rest will be a piece of cake."
Kabuto scoffed. "You sound awfully confident."
Kisame bared his sharp teeth. "Listen, Kabuto… I'm not saying I could take you down singlehandedly. But with this lineup? Let me be blunt—even capturing the Eight-Tails wouldn't be this troublesome. You're not tougher than a damn jinchūriki."
Kabuto's brow furrowed. His eyes darted between Kisame, Itachi, and Shisui. He felt the pressure closing in. Kisame—the "Tailless Tailed Beast." Itachi—the infamous prodigy of the Uchiha clan. And now Shisui—the man whose presence filled him with inexplicable dread. Something about Shisui set him on edge. The stories, the rumors of his genjutsu prowess…
Still, Kabuto wasn't without his own cards.
He straightened his back, brushing dust off his cloak.
"I know why you're here. You're working for Naruto now. Your mission is to capture me and stop Edo Tensei, right?"
His lips curled into a smug grin.
"Sorry to disappoint you… You can't kill me. If I die, no one will be able to stop the Edo Tensei jutsu. That means this war continues regardless of your interference! Hahaha!"
He laughed maniacally, his voice echoing off the cavern walls.
Shisui narrowed his eyes. "He really wants to test me, huh?"
Itachi frowned. "I want to try reasoning with him again—"
"No," Shisui interrupted sharply. "Naruto said we should respond based on the situation. Right now, I'm the only one who should act. You hang back. If he tries to escape or pulls any tricks, you counter immediately."
He turned and shouted toward Kisame.
"Hey! Kisame! Be ready. Don't let him slip through."
Kisame's grin widened. "No worries. He's not going anywhere."
Kabuto's eyes flicked toward Shisui. "Kisame, you sure seem to trust this guy."
Kisame shrugged. "Can't blame you for not recognizing him. I was surprised too, the first time. But hey—if I told you this guy is the legendary Uchiha Shisui, master of the Body Flicker and the strongest genjutsu in our history—how would that sit with you?"
Kabuto's pupils dilated. "Impossible… Uchiha Shisui has been dead for years. Danzo took his eye and—"
He stopped.
His mind raced. Danzo had only taken one eye. The other… had never been recovered. And now, Shisui was standing in front of him, alive. Just like Itachi.
He looked between the two Uchiha—both long dead, both now living. Kabuto's analytical mind churned.
Who was behind this?
Resurrection—true resurrection—was supposed to be impossible.
Could it be… Naruto?
Kabuto's breath caught. If Naruto had brought them both back to life…
This wasn't just Edo Tensei.
They were living beings.
The implications made Kabuto's spine tingle with anticipation. He wanted to dissect this—unravel it—understand it.
He stepped forward, but Itachi suddenly spoke.
"Kabuto… I have a question for you."
Kabuto narrowed his eyes. "What is it?"
Itachi took two deliberate steps toward him, locking eyes. "I know Orochimaru well. He never acts without purpose. This war—it was started by Obito. It has nothing to do with you. So why are you involved? It's not just about test subjects. If that's what you needed, you could've gathered them from anywhere."
Kabuto smirked and adjusted his glasses. A gleam of light flashed across the lenses.
"As expected of Itachi. Always so perceptive."
He chuckled darkly.
"You're right. I'm not just here for bodies. The reason I helped Obito initiate this war… is because he promised me something I couldn't refuse. Something I needed, more than anything."
Itachi's Sharingan spun.
Kabuto's smile widened.
"Yes… he promised me Sasuke's body."
At that moment, Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan activated with a flicker of rage. The air around him darkened, his killing intent spiking.
Shisui felt the change immediately and smirked. "There it is. Anyone who threatens Sasuke dies. That's always been your line, huh, Itachi?"
Kabuto saw Itachi's Mangekyō awaken and remained calm. He had prepared for this.
He ducked beneath his cloak. From behind him, several enormous white snakes slithered out, writhing in all directions. Their tongues flicked in and out, sensing chakra signatures.
Unbeknownst to them, Kabuto's eyes had already been modified—refracted lenses added to prevent genjutsu infiltration. He was ready.
Kisame scoffed. "Kabuto, that might've worked on someone else, but not Shisui. His teleportation and genjutsu are on another level. Even I know that much."
Kabuto ignored him, fully retreating under his cloak. His chakra flared. Nature energy gathered rapidly.
Itachi shouted, "Shisui! Be on guard! It could be a trap!"
Kabuto's muffled voice came from within the swirling snakes.
"Trap? This is no trap. This is my domain. Here, nature fights alongside me. Even the legendary Shisui of the Body Flicker won't change that!"
With a screech, one of the massive snakes lunged forward—fangs bared—aimed directly at Shisui.
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