Naruto: Tobirama Reborn, Invincible in the Ninja World

"Itachi's location has been relayed to Nagato. Now, we just sit back and watch the show unfold," sneered the black half of Zetsu, a wicked smile creeping across its face.

"Wow, Black Zetsu, you're really leaning into the whole evil mastermind vibe. Do you have to make us sound like the villains here?" quipped the white half, its tone dripping with mockery.

"Shut up!"

With a faint rustle, Zetsu's form sank into the ground, vanishing from sight.

Itachi, having briefly rested, set off again, his faithful crows fluttering alongside him as he disappeared into the dense woods. Time ticked by as the forest grew eerily silent.

Suddenly, Itachi halted. A sharp, piercing caw from the crow on his shoulder shattered the quiet, its tone laced with alarm.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

A slightly smaller-than-usual fireball erupted from Itachi's mouth, its scorching heat blasting through the forest, leaving a charred clearing in its wake.

BOOM!

An explosion ripped through the clearing, and five figures sprang out of the fire. Alongside them came a storm of kunai, shuriken, and various deadly tools, hurtling toward Itachi like a tidal wave.

Despite being unable to see the precise trajectory of the attacks, Itachi's honed instincts and battle experience guided him as he deftly evaded the relentless onslaught.

"Tch, see? I told you, Itachi's instincts are too sharp. Why bother with ambushes? Let's just hit him with everything at once!" came a playful yet scornful voice.

Hidan.

Emerging from the shadows, Hidan's grin was as irreverent as ever. Behind him, the rest of the Akatsuki stepped forward, their presence exuding menace. Pain, Sasori, Kakuzu, and Deidara—nearly half the Akatsuki had gathered here to eliminate a single man: Uchiha Itachi.

Familiar chakra signatures filled the air, and Itachi's heart sank. He thought grimly,

This many of them… all to stop me from returning to Konoha with intel?

"I see Kisame isn't here. So, he couldn't bring himself to attack his former partner, or is Pain worried he might go easy on me?"

Even as he analyzed the situation, Itachi's retreat had already been cut off by the encroaching Akatsuki members.

"Itachi, you slipped through our fingers last time, but not today. When I'm done, your corpse will be my finest puppet, far surpassing even the Third Kazekage," Sasori taunted, his voice laced with malice.

The crimson sheen of Sasori's new armor glinted ominously. Having abandoned his fragile shell of Hiruko, he now bore a body reinforced with tempered steel, a design that left even Deidara stunned at its youthful appearance.

"Sasori, you can have the body, but I want his heart. A heart of this caliber will elevate me far beyond these mediocre elite Jonin ones," Kakuzu said, his tone blazing with greed.

"Hehe, this quality of sacrifice will surely please Lord Jashin!" Hidan declared, his maniacal grin widening as he brandished his massive scythe.

"I have no particular reason to fight you, Itachi, but I promised to show you what true art is!" Deidara proclaimed, feeding a handful of clay to the mouths on his palms, already preparing his next explosive masterpiece.

Just days ago, these people had been Itachi's allies. Now, they were his executioners.

"This is bad…"

Itachi crouched slightly, his body trembling. His expression twisted in pain as if enduring an immense internal struggle.

What's happening to him?

Suddenly, a brilliant crimson chakra erupted from his body, forming a skeletal frame around him.

Susanoo.

Even without his Mangekyō Sharingan, Itachi had unleashed Susanoo. The reason was simple: once unlocked, Susanoo could be summoned again. However, without the Mangekyō, the chakra and physical toll were far greater. It was Itachi's unyielding will to protect Sasuke and Konoha that allowed him to manifest it now.

Itachi coughed up blood, his already frail body trembling under the strain. The crimson construct struggled to maintain its form, barely reaching its second stage—a skeletal frame with faint muscle layers.

He had no choice but to go all out from the start.

Susanoo's massive skeletal hand lunged toward Sasori with a deafening roar.

CRASH!

Sasori flinched, his chest springing open to reveal a steel cable that shot out, latching onto a nearby tree to pull him to safety.

"Attack!" Pain's calm yet commanding voice cut through the chaos.

"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

"Wind Style: Pressure Damage!"

The combined assault of fire and wind from Kakuzu's masks unleashed a massive, devastating blast.

"C1!" Deidara shouted, hurling a swarm of clay spiders into the fray.

"Sand Iron Drizzle!" Sasori's Third Kazekage puppet unleashed a flurry of near-invisible metallic particles at blinding speed.

The barrage left no room for escape, completely enveloping Itachi's Susanoo.

In seconds, the skeletal frame crumbled under the relentless onslaught, exposing Itachi's vulnerable form.

"Let's end this with a bang! Behold the art of explosion!" Deidara declared, sending three clay birds soaring toward Itachi.

"Deidara, you idiot! Don't destroy his heart!" Kakuzu roared, furious.

Even Sasori gave Deidara a side glance, as if questioning his sanity.

"Relax, it won't turn to ash," Deidara muttered, scratching his head.

But before the birds reached their target, Itachi's form dissolved into smoke.

"A shadow clone?!"

Everyone tensed, scanning the battlefield.

"There!" Hidan's sharp eyes locked onto a figure emerging from a nearby stream.

"HAHAHA! That one's mine! I'll offer him to Lord Jashin!"

Hidan charged, scythe raised high, closing the distance with terrifying speed.

"Uchiha Itachi, prepare to die!"

Just as the scythe was about to fall, Hidan's peripheral vision caught a kunai hurtling toward him.

The kunai bore strange markings etched into its blade.

"Who's there?!"

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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