Rorin and Gaara hurried forward, occasionally glancing back toward Uchiha Itachi's position.
After nearly fifteen minutes of travel, the two arrived in an open valley.
"Let's do it here, Gaara!" Rorin gave a slight nod, and Gaara returned it.
They stopped and waited for Uchiha Itachi to arrive.
Before long, Itachi appeared, looking at them with a cold expression.
"What, not running anymore?"
Rorin smiled faintly. Bone spikes protruded from his body, and he pulled a bone blade from his shoulder.
"Run? We never planned to. Let's settle this here!"
As soon as he finished speaking, both Rorin and Gaara took their stances. Sand swirled around Gaara as he stared intently at Itachi.
Hearing Rorin's declaration, Itachi shook his head slightly.
"Overestimating yourselves." His hands swiftly formed seals.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Barrage!
Itachi expelled three massive fireballs in succession, rushing toward the two.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
They quickly retreated to dodge. Seeing the power of the flames, both frowned.
"Gaara, I'll take the lead. Support me from the side!" Rorin suggested. Gaara nodded.
Rorin turned, locked onto Itachi, and with a step forward, his figure vanished like a phantom.
In an instant, he appeared beside Itachi. Bone spikes extended from his leg as he launched a fierce kick.
Unfazed, Itachi raised his arms to block, but Rorin's strength forced him to slide back five meters.
After stabilizing himself, Itachi glanced at the wound on his arm, then slowly lifted his head.
"Interesting."
In the next moment, he activated the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. Behind him, the orange-red second-stage Susanoo reappeared.
"Let's see if you can stay so calm," Itachi said.
He controlled Susanoo's arm to smash toward Rorin. The speed was so fast Rorin barely had time to react—
Just as the massive hand was about to strike, Gaara acted instantly.
Sand Shield!
Sand wrapped around Rorin, blocking the blow.
Crack!
Unexpectedly, the shield couldn't hold for long. Cracks spread before it shattered. Gaara frowned slightly.
But it bought enough time. Rorin retreated, his expression turning serious.
"Looks like I'll have to get a bit serious too."
Rorin quietly activated the power of his Curse Mark. Black patterns spread across his body.
Itachi observed him calmly, a faint smile appearing.
"Finally getting serious?"
Soon, bones began growing outward, intricately covering Rorin's body.
A bone helmet formed, leaving openings for the eyes. Two curved horns extended symmetrically from both sides. Behind him were no longer flesh wings, but bone wings. The armor fit tightly, allowing full mobility.
Curse Mark Power: Bone Armor!
Rorin locked eyes with Itachi and charged again, faster than before.
In an instant, he closed the distance. A cyan spiral long bone spear formed in his right hand and thrust forward.
This time, Itachi used Susanoo to defend.
Crack!
The bone spear shattered Susanoo's defense and shot toward Itachi.
Itachi paused briefly, then regained composure and used the Crow Clone Technique to escape.
Gaara, seeing the defense broken, felt a surge of excitement.
Reappearing, Itachi looked at Rorin more seriously.
"I didn't expect you to break my defense."
Rorin replied calmly, "Looks like that level still isn't enough."
Itachi nodded. "Next, let's see if you can withstand the baptism of power."
Once again, the orange-red Susanoo appeared—but this time, it wore Tengu armor. The third form had manifested.
"Now we both have armor. Let's see whose power is superior," Itachi said.
The Totsuka Blade appeared, and Susanoo swung it down at Rorin.
Rorin clasped his hands, channeling Curse Mark power.
Curse Mark Power: Bone Shield!
A three-meter-wide cyan circular bone shield formed in front of him, blocking the strike.
Clang!
The blade and shield collided, producing a burst of sparks. Though the shield didn't shatter, Rorin was pushed backward by the force.
He was driven back continuously, smashing into the cliffside. Rocks collapsed, and dust filled the air.
Only after being pushed nearly ten meters did he stabilize himself. His bone armor dissipated. He looked at Itachi warily, then glanced at Gaara before forcing himself to spit out a mouthful of blood.
Rorin appeared beside Gaara, wiping the blood from his lips.
"Gaara… this isn't looking good. I didn't expect him to be this strong. We'll have to retreat for now."
Gaara froze, then gave a bitter smile. He had seen the fight—Itachi still looked completely at ease. He likely hadn't even used his true trump cards. The situation was indeed dire.
Gaara nodded. "Then how do we avoid his pursuit?"
Rorin lowered his head in thought, then said,
"We'll head back to the Hidden Sand Village. Help Guy-sensei deal with the other Akatsuki member, then we'll come back together to face him."
Gaara nodded seriously. "Alright."
Rorin placed a hand on Gaara's shoulder. They glanced at Itachi—and vanished.
Itachi stood calmly as Susanoo faded away.
...
Rorin and Gaara appeared outside the Hidden Sand Village. Just as Gaara was about to rush in, he noticed Rorin standing still.
With a guilty expression, Rorin said,
"Sorry, Gaara. I won't be going into the village. I'll leave it to you. I have to go back and stop him."
Gaara was stunned. "Why?!"
He stared at Rorin.
Rorin replied calmly, "Compared to there, the Hidden Sand Village is safer. Sorry, Gaara. Don't worry—I'll hold him off."
With that, Rorin disappeared.
Gaara stepped forward. "Rorin!"
He frowned, but there was nothing he could do. Even if he returned to the battlefield now, it would be pointless. The priority was to return to the village, defeat Kisame Hoshigaki, and then rescue Rorin.
Gaara rushed toward the Hidden Sand Village at full speed.
...
Meanwhile, Rorin reappeared in the valley where they had fought. He saw Itachi sitting on a large rock.
Seeing him return, Itachi asked, "Finished?"
Rorin frowned and walked over, complaining, "Itachi, didn't we agree to be a little serious? What was that just now? If I hadn't forced myself to spit blood, wouldn't it have exposed everything?"
"..."
Itachi remained silent, inwardly grumbling: I thought I was already being serious enough!
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