Itachi's expression faltered. "How is this possible?"
He secretly cast another genjutsu. If the opponent had only resisted the first time by luck, then the second wave of intrusion would definitely be enough to make the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki lose consciousness temporarily.
After doing all this, Itachi discovered that Naruto was still standing there looking at him, his eyes clear, showing no signs of being disturbed by the genjutsu.
He immediately realized that his genjutsu was ineffective against the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
"Kisame, the situation is a bit troublesome."
"Itachi-san, what happened? Did you use a genjutsu on that brat?" Kisame asked in a low voice.
Itachi nodded. "Yes. If the situation isn't right, evacuate immediately, do not engage."
Kisame felt some doubt in his heart. It was just a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, even if genjutsu didn't work on him, could he really be strong enough in Ninjutsu and Taijutsu to threaten both of them?
But he had been partnered with Itachi for so long that he knew Itachi's judgment would never be wrong.
"Understood, Itachi-san. I will act according to the situation."
Then Kisame grinned at Jiraiya and Naruto. "I just had a small encounter with a few Jonin from your village, and now I've met the legendary Sannin here. It is truly an honor."
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. "Akatsuki fellow, what do you mean by fighting with Konoha's ninja?"
Kisame took Samehada off his shoulder and carried it in front of his chest. "It doesn't mean anything. I was just passing through the Land of Fire, stopped by Konoha, and chatted for a while with a few Jonin who had some free time."
Konoha? Just now?
These two guys had already been to Konoha before?
What did they do after entering Konoha?
Who did they meet?
Did they fight?
A series of questions flashed through Jiraiya's mind.
Just then, Naruto's voice rang out. "Pervy Sage, which one are you picking?"
"Huh?" Jiraiya was taken aback.
He turned his head to see Naruto sizing up the two people opposite them. Contrary to the expected nervousness or fear, there was a sense of eagerness in his eyes.
"If you aren't picking, it wouldn't be impossible for me to take on both."
Jiraiya snapped back to reality and immediately raised his voice. "Naruto, don't mess around!"
"The Akatsuki is a terrorist organization composed of S-rank rogue ninjas from major ninja villages. Every official member has Kage-level combat power. They are definitely not comparable to the opponents you faced during the Chunin Exams."
"Mm, I know." Naruto nodded.
Seeing Naruto's enthusiastic appearance, the corners of Kisame's lips curled even wider.
"It seems we've been underestimated by the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Itachi-san."
He turned to look at Itachi, who nodded, signaling to proceed according to the plan.
Kisame immediately put away his smile, his hands forming hand signs at an extremely fast speed, his cheeks bulging.
Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!
He opened his mouth wide, and a massive volume of water poured out.
The forest within several dozen meters was submerged by the surging water flow within a few short seconds.
Jiraiya and Naruto jumped backward at the same time, landing on high tree trunks that were not affected by the water.
"Pervy Sage, it seems this guy has a lot of Chakra. Are you going to deal with him, or should I?" Naruto asked while retreating.
Jiraiya looked at the artificial lake that had been created in an instant, and then glanced at Kisame, who was standing on the water surface carrying Samehada. He knew this battle was now unavoidable.
He looked at Naruto and finally gritted his teeth and nodded. "Be careful, don't be reckless."
After speaking, he bit his right thumb, quickly formed hand signs with both hands, and slammed his palm onto the ground.
Summoning Technique!
The sealing script spread rapidly from under his palm, and a huge cloud of white smoke exploded on the lake surface.
After the smoke dissipated, Gamabunta appeared on the water.
"Jiraiya, what's the background of this opponent? To actually produce so much water in a place without a water source, his Chakra level is a bit terrifying."
After Gamabunta steadied himself, his gaze swept over Kisame, who was carrying Samehada on the water.
"Kisame of the Akatsuki, an S-rank rogue ninja from Kirigakure, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and the wielder of Samehada. The other one is Uchiha Itachi." Jiraiya jumped onto the top of Gamabunta's head and explained.
"Akatsuki? I've heard you mention this name recently. I didn't expect the first encounter to be a rogue ninja of this level." Gamabunta said.
"Gamabunta, let's finish this quickly, let's go!"
"Going in."
Gamabunta drew the katana at his waist and rushed toward Kisame at a speed completely inconsistent with his size.
"As expected of the legendary Sannin, the first move is a Summoning Beast from Mount Myōboku. Since that's the case, let me show you my move."
Seeing Gamabunta's blade slashing down, Kisame grinned.
He held Samehada horizontally in front of him and quickly formed hand signs.
Water Release: A Thousand Feeding Sharks!
Kisame slapped the water surface next to his feet with his right palm, and the lake water beneath him surged.
Immediately following, countless sharks leaped out from the ripples, rushing toward Gamabunta's massive body from all directions.
The shark swarm bit into Gamabunta's skin, creating a dense, muffled sound of impact.
Although the damage from a single shark wasn't enough to pierce Gamabunta's thick skin, there were too many sharks, and the cumulative force of their impact significantly slowed Gamabunta's movement across the water.
Jiraiya stood atop Gamabunta's head, quickly forming hand seals.
Fire Release: Flame Bullet!
The flames vaporized the water sharks lunging from the front into white mist, but more sharks swarmed in from the sides to fill the gap.