Promoted to Special Jonin, Entering the Akatsuki, Fighting with Everything He Had—

  Link had already pyed out the sario in his mind. The moment he saw the bck cloak adorned with red clouds, he instinctively lowered his gaze and began to retreat.

  There was no choio matter who was in front of him, keeping a distance was always the safest bet, especially avoiding eye tact with Itachi Uchiha.

  This guy’s preferred bat style was silent and stealthy ambushes. A casual versation could end with someone ensnared in a genjutsu—a cssija strategy.

  And not just asu, but the infamous Tsukuyomi. Acc to the databooks, its range was cssified as "close," about five meters or less. The best approach was to maintain distand avoid eye tact.

  Ohin range and log eyes, the target would be dragged into a nightmarish world for three days and nights.

  "Itachi!" Sasuke Uchiha called out his oppo's name.

  "Sasuke. It's been a while," Itachi said, his Sharingan activating, three tomoe spinning as he observed his brother. Seeing Sasuke had also activated his three-tomoe Sharingan, Itachi’s expression remained calm, though he was slightly surprised.

  Kisame Hoshigaki, carrying his massive bde, grinned. "Oh ho, I didn’t expect to see a sed pair of Sharingan today."

  "Don’t look at him. He’s a genjutsu specialist," Link curtly warned his teammates, who were foolishly trying to maintain eye tact with their oppo.

  Homeing mist? But the Konoha Crush pn just ended yesterday—why are they here? They’re supposed to be after Narutht? Or is this about Sasuke?

  A whirlwind of thoughts spun through Link’s mind as he activated the Mystical Palm Teique, swiftly casting both a e Jutsu and a Transformation Jutsu.

  "Boom!" His clothes tore as his transformed, rger body emerged.

  This time, let’s settle this with Rashōmon. veiming too— Without pausing, Link pleted a summoning jutsu and called for help. Smming his hand on the ground, he unleashed another jutsu.

  "Boom!" Rashōmon gates rose behind the four of them.

  Creak! The gates opened, and figures stepped out. The first was his father, Anbu gear. The sed was Fugaku Uchiha. Surprisingly, there was a third figure—Baki.

  What?! Link stared at the Sunagakure Jonin, baffled. How is my summoning jutsu eg to him?

  His father, in full Anbu attire, took the front. Fugaku stepped out, gng briefly at Sasuke before his gaze nded on Itachi. His expression grew plex, and his Sharingan activated, three tomoe spinning.

  "Itachi," Fugaku said, calling his son's name.

  The three Uchiha stood silently, tension thi the air.

  "Wow," Kisame broke the moment. "Three pairs of Sharingan. I thought, Itachi, you’d killed off the entire ?"

  "If it weren’t for this mission, I wouldn’t have known you even had a brother. Fas—"

  "Shut up, Kisame," Itachi cut him off coldly. His eyes shifted to Fugaku, who had stepped forward. "Father. It’s been a long time."

  Kisame’s surprised expression hi realization. So that kid’s jutsu... is it a forbidden teique that transds the boundary between life ah?

  "We are the Akatsuki," Itachi said, his gaze sweeping past the group until it nded on Link, who had carefully avoided direct eye tact. "We’ve e to recruit you—"

  "Link."

  "You’ve e to Konoha to recruit a newly promoted Special Jonin?" Link asked.

  "No choice; it’s the leader’s order," Itachi replied, his tone calm. "But it seems you’re not ied in joining us."

  "A pity."

  "So it’s going to be a fight?" Kisame formed hand seals a back, spewing a torrent of water below.

  "Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"

  "Whoosh!" A massive wave surged forward with violent force. The group, all at least in-level, easily evaded the initial attack by leaping into the air. But the assault wasn’t over.

  From the crest of the waves emerged shark-shaped water bullets, one for each person.

  "Fireball Jutsu!" Fugaku Uchiha, mid-air, spewed fireballs, iing the water bullets aimed at himself, Sasuke, and Link. Landing oer’s surface, he charged toward the two Akatsuki members.

  Kisame’s ability to produce such a rge-scale Water Release teique in a dry area marked him as a high-chakra, ninjutsu-focused oppo. Closing the distance was the best strategy.

  Sasuke followed closely, running across the water. He even tossed a kunai to his father, moving with perfect synicity.

  "Sorry, son."

  His father was less fortunate, sacrifig himself to shield Iris and Ami from three water bullets. His body shattered auro the afterlife.

  Unlike Edo Tehe Rashōmon summoning didn’t grant immortality. While the deceased retaiheir chakra and physical capabilities, they cked Edo Tensei's unkilble bodies and limitless chakra.

  Baki, still fused, sliced through a water bullet before nding beside Link.

  "The war’s over, isn’t it?" he asked.

  "If you want another ce at life, help out," Link replied calmly, standing atop the Rashōmon gate.

  Baki’s expression remained ral, but after a deep g Link, he charged into the fray. For a soul tethered to the living world, such a threat was highly effective.

  If Baki’s appearance rules out needing a physical medium for summoning, it’s not tied to objects or bloodlines. It feels more... spiritual.

  Link remaiationary, knowing full well he was the Akatsuki’s target. Charging in would be pying into their hands.

  Whether it was Tsukuyomi or Kotoamatsukami, getting caught once would likely mean game over. Sharingan-enhanced genjutsu was unreasonably powerful, and Sunagakure tactics dictated that fag a Sharingan user alo fleeing, while two could potentially manage a fight.

  In Uchiha skirmishes, g three-tomoe Sharingan made close bat impossible. A single genjutsu would instantly incapacitate someohere was no time for terpy.

  And this was Konoha, his home turf. If not for Sasuke’s impulsive charge, Link would’ve preferred for everyoo stay back, letting Fugaku and his Father fight Itachi while Kisame engaged Baki, waiting for reinforts from other Jonin.

  Standing silently atop the gate, Link pohe meics of summoning.

  He had ional ties to Baki, no shared bloodline, and barely any verbal unication. So what exactly ected them?

  Suddenly, he recalled Baki’s gaze just before his death a a spark of uanding.

  Bleam