Chapter 156 Uchiha Itachi

The Akatsuki organization's gathering was held in a hidden cave. The light in the cave was dim, and only a few red dots of light could be vaguely seen. They were the ever-burning lamps hanging on the stone walls. The dim light made the outlines of each person look particularly hideous.

A group of people sat around a huge stone round table. They were all wearing the same clothes - long robes with black backgrounds and red clouds, and conical hats on their heads. A few white tassels hung from the edges of the hats, swaying gently in the breeze.

They all wore masks to a greater or lesser extent, or covered their faces in some special way, leaving only a pair of cold and ruthless eyes exposed.

"Now, each of you should report the status of the tailed beasts." The leader was a man with a deep voice. He was tall and his face was covered by shadows. He was the leader of the Akatsuki organization - Pein.

The first person to speak was a tall man with silver hair, "Kakuzu and I have successfully captured the One-Tailed Shukaku, and are currently preparing to seal it."

Then, a burly man spoke up, with a mysterious companion sitting next to him, "The capture of the two-tail and four-tail is also going smoothly. We expect to complete the mission soon."

At the other end of the stone table, a young man wearing a black robe, with black hair and black eyes said calmly: "The three-tail has been captured by me and Kisame, and is currently being transported."

Pein nodded, his eyes swept across everyone, and finally stopped at Uchiha Itachi, "Itachi, it's your turn."

Uchiha Itachi slowly raised his head, his Sharingan flashing with a cold light, "Understood."

"Your target is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki - Uzumaki Naruto. His strength cannot be underestimated. You need to be extremely careful."

Itachi nodded slightly, "I will complete the mission with Kisame, and there will be no omissions."

Pein nodded with satisfaction, "Let's begin the action. The future of Akatsuki is in the hands of each of us."

Following Pain's order, members of Akatsuki stood up one after another, and their figures quickly merged into the darkness, leaving only a quiet cave, as if the gathering just now had never happened.

As night fell, Konoha Village was shrouded in a thin layer of fog.

The village streets are brightly lit, but the quietness of the night still makes people feel uneasy.

Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame, wearing black robes with red clouds, sneaked into the edge of Konoha quietly and silently.

Their faces were hidden by their hats, and only Itachi's cold Sharingan flashed a strange light in the night.

"Let's find out the situation first and don't act rashly," Itachi whispered.

Kisame nodded, and the sharpness of the Samehada sword in his hand was faintly revealed. They moved lightly on the rooftops of Konoha, observing the movements in the village.

However, just as they were about to take further action, a breeze brought a hint of danger.

"Who is it?" Suddenly, several swift figures rushed out from the dark alley next to them. Asuma and Hongyue had already been alerted to their presence, and they approached quickly, their weapons flashing coldly.

"It seems we have been discovered," Kisame showed a ferocious smile, with the Samehada sword already in his hand.

Asuma looked at them coldly, "A person from Akatsuki organization, how dare you trespass into Konoha without permission, aren't you afraid of death?"

Itachi's eyes were still cold, "We are just here to do something, and don't want to cause any more trouble. However, since we have been discovered, there is nothing we can do."

Hongyue said nothing more and launched the attack directly. She threw the kunai in her hand at Kisame quickly, while Asuma rushed towards Itachi, the chakra knife in his hand flashing a sharp light.

The battle broke out instantly, Kisame wielded the Samehada to fight against Beniyue, and the sound of the collision of swords rang out in the night sky.

Hongyue's attack was swift, but Kisame was stronger. Every swing he made was powerful, which made Hongyue feel doubled pressure.

At the same time, Asuma's battle with Itachi was also extremely fierce.

Asuma's chakra blade was extremely sharp, but Itachi's figure was as elusive as a ghost. He cleverly dodged every attack and then counterattacked with lightning speed.

Just when the two sides were in a stalemate, a familiar voice sounded, "Itachi, Kisame, I didn't expect you to come to Konoha."

Kakashi walked out of the darkness, his Sharingan activated. His appearance made the situation even more tense.

"Kakashi, just in time," Asuma said, breathing heavily.

Kakashi nodded, his eyes locked on Itachi, "Looks like we'll have to fight today."

Itachi looked at Kakashi calmly, "Kakashi, it's been a long time. Let me see if your strength has improved."

The battle escalated again, Kakashi and Itachi fought fiercely, their Sharingan competing with each other, as if time had stopped between them. Kisame's battle with Asuma and Benizuki also became more intense, and the entire battlefield was shattered.

However, just when the two sides were evenly matched, Itachi suddenly stopped attacking. He said coldly, "Kisame, retreat."

Kisame was obviously a little unwilling, but he still obeyed the order and retreated quickly. Itachi glanced at Kakashi and others, "This is just a test. You won't be so lucky next time we meet."

With a puff of thick smoke, Itachi and Kisame's figures quickly disappeared into the night.

Asuma, Benizuki and Kakashi stood there, looking vigilantly in the direction they disappeared.

"It looks like Akatsuki's move has begun," Kakashi whispered, his expression serious.

“We have to be prepared and not take it lightly,” Asma responded.

The three nodded to each other, then quickly left the scene and reported to the village leaders what had just happened.

The night in Konoha returned to calm, but everyone knew in their hearts that a bigger storm was about to come.

After Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame retreated, Konoha's top leaders quickly held an emergency meeting.

The conference room is located on the top floor of the Hokage Building. It is spacious and solemn.

On the wall hung portraits of successive Hokage, each of them seemed to be silently watching the current situation.

An old oil lamp was placed in the center of the conference table, the light flickering and casting dancing shadows.

The Fifth Hokage Tsunade sat in the main seat with a frown on her face and a look of deep worry in her eyes.

The two advisors beside her, Utane Koharu and Mitokado En, also looked solemn. Their eyes were focused on Kakashi, Asuma and Benizuki who had just arrived.

"The situation is very urgent. People from Akatsuki have already infiltrated Konoha," Kakashi spoke up to break the silence.

Tsunade's sharp eyes swept over the three people, "What exactly is the situation? Report in detail."

Asuma nodded and took over the conversation, "We spotted Itachi and Kisame while on patrol. They seemed to be investigating something. We attacked immediately, but they were so powerful that they eventually retreated."

Hongyue added, "Their target may be the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Naruto. This time it's just a test, next time they might be serious."

Tsunade was silent for a moment, thinking, "The movements of the Akatsuki organization are becoming more and more obvious. Their target is the tailed beasts, which we already know. But this time Itachi and Kisame personally sneaked into Konoha, which means that their actions are imminent."

Utatane Koharu frowned, "We must immediately strengthen the village's defenses, especially Naruto's safety. Any omissions could lead to disaster."

Mitomon En nodded in agreement, "In addition, we need to send out more reconnaissance teams to closely monitor the movements of the Akatsuki organization. We can't let them have any chances again."

Tsunade nodded and said firmly, "From now on, Konoha will enter the first level alert status. All Jonin and Chunin must be on standby at all times. Kakashi, you are responsible for protecting Naruto and making sure he is not contacted by the Akatsuki organization."

Kakashi immediately responded, "Understood, I will do my best to protect Naruto."

Tsunade turned her gaze to Asuma and Beniyue, "You continue to be responsible for the patrol and defense of the village. Do not let any suspicious people go."

They both responded in unison, “Yes!”

The atmosphere in the conference room was heavy and tense, and everyone knew that the days ahead would be full of challenges and dangers. Tsunade took a deep breath and looked at the portraits of successive Hokage on the wall, as if drawing strength.

"No matter what, we must protect Konoha and never let Akatsuki succeed." Her voice was full of determination and strength.

Everyone present felt this determination. They knew that every next step was crucial and they had to be cautious in order to defend Konoha and face the coming storm.