Chapter 110: Itachi and Kisame are Still Polite - The White Eyed Princess of Konoha
Chapter 110: Itachi and Kisame are Still Polite "Could this darn sword really be acknowledging me as its master?" On her way home with the Samehada on her back, Hinata could feel the sword continuously absorbing her chakra. It was subtle, doing it ever so cautiously. But the chakra belonged to Hinata, and there was no way she wouldn't notice if it was being siphoned by a sword. "You naughty sword, I might just have to throw you into the furnace and melt you down," she threatened viciously upon returning to her courtyard, tossing the Samehada to the ground. "I heard you used to be a little fish that followed the Three-Tails. Can you be eaten?" The Samehada struggled violently, but as a mere tool, it couldn't resist Hinata's power and was firmly held down by her hand. "But now that you've been turned into a ninja tool, there probably isn't much meat left on you!" The sword wiggled its body and nodded frantically. "Then behave and listen to me from now on, okay?" The Samehada nodded with all its strength, even returning a surge of massive chakra to Hinata. It not only replenished the chakra that had been absorbed but also restored the amount she had expended during the recent battle. "Good job! From now on, you roll with me!" Since she got scammed with the executioner's blade last time, Hinata resolved never to hand good stuff over to the village again. She also remembered something from the original story: during the fourth great ninja war, Killer B just took the Samehada without any complaints from the Hidden Mist Village. Hinata had woken up crying several times over this realization, her pillow soaked with tears—what a loss! The Samehada rubbed its body affectionately against Hinata's cheek, as if trying to be cute. "Get off!" Hinata said with disdain, before leaving the sword in her house and heading to the dumpling shop to bring back the packed dumplings and red bean soup. The village of Konoha seemed unaffected by the recent battle, the streets as bustling as ever. As Hinata walked along, she pondered how many skewers of dumplings she should save for Hanabi. Hanabi was young and presumably didn't eat much. "Hey, Sasuke? What are you running around for?" Sasuke turned his head at the sound of her voice, his eyes lighting up as he grabbed Hinata's hand urgently. "Hinata, come with me!" What's going on? Still baffled, Hinata was dragged by Sasuke to the outskirts of Konoha, nearly running out of the village. Hinata quickly shook off Sasuke's hand and angrily scolded, "Are you trying to elope with me? I’m telling you, Uchiha Sasuke, you can forget about it! You stand no chance!" "What crazy ideas are swirling in your head?" Sasuke massaged his forehead, helplessly explaining, "Itachi's back in the village. I need you to help me find him!" Hinata glanced at Sasuke and sighed, "Even I can't beat Itachi, let alone you. You should train for three years before thinking about such things!" With a grimace, Sasuke gritted his teeth, "I'm an avenger. I was born for revenge. For the sake of revenge, I can abandon everything." "For little me back then, everything that happened that night seemed like an illusion. I wished it was just a cruel genjutsu, but... it was an undeniable reality." Sasuke clenched his fists, looking earnestly at Hinata, "Please help me!" Hinata looked at Sasuke and could clearly see his helplessness and pain in his eyes. The might of Itachi and the Uchiha clan's hatred placed immense pressure on him. Sasuke knew the vast difference between his current strength and Uchiha Itachi's, yet he was still determined to pursue him at all costs. Carrying the Uchiha clan's honor, Sasuke couldn't afford to die by anyone else's hand. Yet, dying by Itachi's hand might feel like a sort of relief. For Sasuke, his future only held two possibilities: either he dies by Itachi's hand, or he kills Itachi himself. "Alright!" Hinata nodded, sighed softly, and agreed, "I'll help you!" Sasuke's expression grew a bit complicated but then he turned away, saying softly, "Thank you." On their way to track Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke explained briefly how he got the information on Itachi. Apparently, it had leaked from Kakashi, who was briefing other Jōnin about the Akatsuki. Hearing that Uchiha Itachi was investigating Naruto, Sasuke pursued him relentlessly. The two tracked down Itachi to a nearby town. This town was close to Konoha, and those coming to the village for missions often chose to stay here overnight. Over time, the place had grown commercially with inns, taverns, and restaurants everywhere. "Hinata, please!" Hinata nodded, made a few hand seals, and said in a low voice, "Byakugan, activate!" "Got it!" "They're this way, follow me!" Without another word, Hinata dashed forward, Sasuke right behind her. Inside a room at an inn, Naruto was sitting cross-legged on the bed, training his chakra. The sound of windows shattering suddenly erupted as Hinata and Sasuke crashed through, landing on the floor. Naruto turned his head in bewilderment, "Hinata, Sasuke! What are you doing here?" Sasuke looked at Hinata, frowning, "Weren't we supposed to go directly to Itachi? Why are we here with Naruto?" Annoyed, Hinata shot back, "Are you dense? If Itachi's target is Naruto, finding Naruto means we can stake out here and ambush him!" Sasuke: "..." Uchiha Itachi still maintained his courteous demeanor; he famously knocked on the door when he came looking for Naruto in the original narrative. Hinata had her plan ready. She'd wait patiently until Itachi and Kisame knocked, and then she'd blast them through the door with an explosive attack! If fate allowed her to take one out, she’d gladly accept it. If Itachi was accidentally killed by Hinata, she intended to keep his eyes safe for Sasuke. Sasuke nodded slightly, and although there was a burning desire to face Uchiha Itachi one-on-one, ambush seemed like an effective tactic. "What are you talking about?" Naruto asked curiously. "None of your business!" Hinata and Sasuke replied in unison. Hinata asked, "By the way, Naruto! Where's Pervy Sage?" At the mention of Jiraiya, Naruto pouted in anger and complained bitterly, "We just met a pretty lady at the entrance, and Pervy Sage got lured away!" Hinata nodded in understanding. Despite Jiraiya's goofy exterior, he was one wise elder. Without money, no woman would actively chase him for just his charm. With his chakra sensing ability, Jiraiya would quickly deduce that the woman was under genjutsu. Perhaps he even left on purpose to find out just who was trying to distract him from Naruto. "Shh!" Hinata hushed everyone, gathering Sage Chakra in her fists while waiting at the door. To Hinata, whose Byakugan was active, Uchiha Itachi and Kisame were like beacons heading straight for the room. 'Knock, knock, knock.' As expected, Itachi and Kisame were still quite polite.