roccoschili Ch 40 - Itachi Always Pays His Debt
Ch 40 - Itachi Always Pays His Debt
The Hokage’s office was as busy as ever, a flurry of papers stacked on the desk, and sunlight filtering through the large windows. Hiruzen sat behind his desk, he had a tired expression. Yet, there was a fire in his eyes, maybe even the will of fire he kept talking about. He was sipping from a cup of green tea but his mind was as always calculating the ways to strengthen Konoha.The door opened, and Might Guy entered. He was not used to visiting Hokage’s office and there was a noticeable mix of worry and respect on his face. He stood straight, his hands clasped behind his back.
“You called for me, Lord Hokage?” Guy asked, his tone eager but respectful.
Hiruzen set the cup down and crossed his fingers. “Ah, Guy. Thank you for coming. I understand you recently had a sparring match with one of the Takimura shinobi, a young woman named Maki. Is that correct?”
Guy nodded and his expression lightened. “Yes, Lord Hokage! It was incredible! She’s one of the strongest opponents I’ve faced.”
Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, his expression remained calm and neutral. “Tell me about her. What was your impression?”
Guy tilted his head, thinking for a moment. “Maki… well, she’s strong. Really strong. Her taijutsu skills are on a completely different level. At first, I thought I’d have the upper hand, but the moment she activated that… uh, technique of hers, it’s quite similar to mine Eight Inner Gates, I realized just how wrong I was.”
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow, taking another sip of tea. “Similar to Eight Inner Gates, huh? What kind of technique is it?”
Guy rubbed the back of his neck, looking both impressed and a little sheepish. “It’s… terrifying, to be honest. Her chakra surged, and her whole demeanor changed. It’s like she turned into a predator, completely focused and overwhelming. Her speed and strength were amplified beyond what I thought was possible for someone her size. Honestly, I had to push myself to my limits—well, the Fourth Gate, actually—just to keep up.”
Hiruzen’s hand paused on the teacup, he had already started analyzing the information Guy gave him. [Fourth Gate… at his age? And she pushed him to that? Interesting.ernity to Kaoru, who had to maintain the water barrier holding Sugeru’s wound closed. When the healer finally arrived, Kaoru removed the barrier and quickly explained the situation. The healer immediately assured them that Sugeru’s condition wasn’t life-threatening and that he would recover shortly with proper treatment.
Relieved, Kaoru, Akane, and Mizuki rushed toward the exit, eager to find Akito. But just as they reached the doorway, they saw him entering the tower.
“What? How?” the three exclaimed in unison, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Akito, who looked exhausted but uninjured, gave them a faint smile. “How are Sugeru and Yuji?” he asked, deflecting their astonishment.
“They’re fine,” Akane replied, her voice tinged with confusion. “But how did you manage to get here?” She did not want to offend Akito with their surprise but they were praying he’d be okay by the time they found him.
Akito rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Well, soon after I drew the attention of those two teams, I ran into an ambush by another team—this one from Konoha. But…” He paused, his expression shifting to one of disbelief. “They didn’t do anything to me. In fact, one of the Konoha ninjas gave me this scroll and told me, ‘You’re even now.’” He handed Kaoru the scroll with a puzzled look.
Kaoru accepted it, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “What did this ninja look like?” he asked, though he already had a strong suspicion.
Akito shuddered slightly as he recalled the encounter. “He was just a kid—barely nine years old, maybe even younger. He had jet-black hair and these black eyes… like an abyss. Honestly, kinda scary.”
Kaoru chuckled, confirming his guess as he examined the scroll. It was the Heaven Scroll—the exact one they needed. “It looks like we both passed the second exam,” Kaoru said with a wide grin.
Akane and Mizuki exchanged surprised glances before Mizuki muttered, “Who even is this kid?”
Kaoru just laughed. “Someone worth keeping an eye on. Let’s head inside and rest—we’ve earned it.”
**
A/N -
I was not sure about this ending but It felt like something Itachi would do. I had a few different scenarios in mind, but in the end, I went with this one. It just felt like the best fit for his character.
Also, about that earlier scene where Guy said Maki was stronger than him—I’m not saying he was wrong, but just because he said it doesn’t make it the truth. Guy is only 15 or 16 years old here, and he was clearly being modest. He’s strong, but he still has room to grow into the powerhouse we know.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! From here on out, the exam is about to get way more heated.
Character Notes:
Might Guy – “The power of Youth is stronger in Maki than me, and because of that I will do 500 more pushups!”
Akito –
Hiruzen Sarutobi –
**