The tension in the air was thick.

Itachi and Kakashi stared each other down, while Kakashi's clone on the other end glared at Kisame.

"Well, well," Kisame smiled. "That's how you copied my jutsu. So there really is someone besides Itachi with those crazy eyes. You're Kakashi, aren't you? The copy ninja?"

"You can imagine my surprise," Kakashi's clone retorted. "I go to check out a couple of low life vagabonds in the tea shop, and I find none other than Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki, the scourge of the Hidden Mist Village,"

"How about that..." Kisame smirked. "You know my name. I'm honored,"

Kakashi's clone looked at Kisame's sword. "I assume that bizarre excuse for a sword is one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist? The one called 'Samehada the Shark Skin'?"

Kisame chuckled and grasped the hilt of his sword. "I heard that you and Zabuza had an outing a while back,"

"Yes, we did,"

Kakashi reached behind his back for a kunai and Kisame rose his sword. "Go ahead, I'd love to cut you to ribbons,"

"Kisame, stop it," Itachi ordered. "If you take this man on, it won't be without cost. Furthermore, it will take time and the commotion is likely to bring more ninjas running. Your way is inefficient and unnecessarily risky. Don't lose sight of our goal,"

"Let's hear it," Kakashi's clone spoke before disappearing. "What is your goal exactly?"

Itachi briefly made eye contact with me and looked at the real Kakashi. 

"We're looking for something and we know it's here," he replied.

"And what would that be?" Kakashi asked.

Itachi didn't reply and Kakashi raised his kunai, threatening him. "What is it you're looking for?"

Itachi didn't seem fazed and just continued staring at Kakashi stoically. 

"My way is more efficient than Kisame's,"

"Water style: Water wall!" Kakashi exclaimed. 

Itachi somehow made four tendrils of the water attack Kakashi, but then a big spout of water surrounded him and blocked Itachi's attack. The wall collapsed and Kakashi glared at Itachi. 

"You're good," Itachi complimented. "You almost anticipated my move,"

"Almost?" I asked quietly.

A shadow clone of Itachi appeared out of nowhere and stabbed Kakashi in the back. I gasped and he dissolved into water, revealing that it was a water clone. 

Kurenai grabbed a kunai from the water and smirked. 

"Nice job, Kakashi," She praised, but then kunai revealed to be Kakashi. 

Asuma quickly pulled me back and Kakashi grabbed Kurenai, leaping away with her.

"Get back! That one's the shadow clone!"

A huge amount of water shot up and drenched all of us.

Kakashi looked worn out and panted.

"Stay on your toes," He advised us. "This guy was made chief of ANBU black ops when he was only thirteen,"

"Alright he's tough," Asuma said, getting himself ready to fight again. "We get it,"

"Tough?" Kakashi replied. "You haven't seen half of what he can do,"

"For someone who is not part of the Uchiha clan, you've mastered the sharingan well," Itachi said, still stoic. "However, not being one of us, you lack our physical strength and that's something you can't copy,"

"Why is it that Uchiha clan is known by all and feared by all?" Itachi asked rhetorically and shut his eyes. "I'll show you what a sharingan can do when it's wielded by a true heir of the bloodline,"

"Close your eyes! Don't look in his eyes!" Kakashi shouted at us.

I quickly closed my eyes.

"Listen, all of you!" Kakashi continued. "Whatever happens, don't look! If you meet his gaze, you're finished. I'm gonna have to do this alone. My sharingan against his,"

Itachi caught Kakashi in his mangekyo and claimed that he was using something called "tsukuyomi" and Kakashi was now frozen into place.

Within a few seconds, Kakashi panted hard and I heard him collapse to the ground from exhaustion. 

"Kakashi!" I shouted worriedly.

"What is it? Can we look now?" Kurenai asked.

"No, not yet..." Kakashi panted.

"What just happened?" Asuma asked. "One second the guy's talking, and the next, you're hitting the ground,"

Kisame spoke next. 

"After all of that, the fool's spirit is intact," Kisame said. "And meanwhile you overused those eyes of yours. You know that's dangerous,"

"This thing you've come for...is it Sasuke?" Kakashi asked, still sounding exhausted.

"No," Itachi answered. "It's the legacy of the Fourth Hokage,"

I had no idea what he was talking about and he's never told me anything about this. 

Of course, I knew who he was talking about and why, but I didn't know his mission was to go after Naruto. 

"The nine-tailed spirit inside Naruto...that's what you're after?" Kakashi asked. "You're not the only ones aren't you? There are seven more of you out there...searching...hunting...I know all about you. You call yourself the Akatsuki, right?"

I was surprised that Kakashi already knew of the organization.

Itachi didn't reply and only spoke to Kisame.

"Kisame, we'll take Kakashi with us, but get rid of the others. We don't need them,"

What the hell? He would actually harm me? He doesn't need me?

"Leaf Hurricane!"

Guy's voice came out of nowhere and I heard Kisame grunt.

"Well! Who do we have here?" Kisame asked, excitedly.

I didn't have to look at Guy to know that he was posing and smiling with his signature smile. 

"I'm the Leaf Village's fiercest beast of Battle! I'm Might Guy!" He shouted.

"You're Might Guy, huh?" Kisame snickered. "'Mighty Stupid-Looking Guy' is more like it,"

"Don't underestimate him," Itachi warned.

"Close your eyes Guy!" Asuma shouted. "Don't look at Itachi or you'll be caught in his jutsu!"

"Relax, I know what I'm doing," Guy replied. "After spending this much time training to fight Kakashi, I know all about the sharingan,"

I was still bothered by what Itachi said, but Guy cut my thoughts off.

"Alright, you three, open your eyes now!"

"But...if we..." Kurenai hesitated.

"Don't worry. Just don't look into his eyes. That's the key to fighting an opponent using sharingan. Focus on his feet, you can read what he's about to do from his feet," Guy assured.

We opened our eyes and avoided Itachi's gaze.

"That trick sounds a lot easier said than done," Kurenai stated.

"We haven't had all of your training. We're not you, Guy," Asuma added.

"True," Guy agreed. "It takes skill to anticipate an opponent's move merely by watching his feet, but I don't have time to teach you now. You'll just have to do your best,"

"So what do we do?" I ask, breaking my silence.

Guy handed Kakashi to Kurenai, who was passed out from exhaustion. 

"Kurenai, get Kakashi to the hospital," Guy started. "And you two, you'll be my backup,"

Guy turned back around and I felt torn now.

"Alright, I've sent word for the ANBU black ops, but until they get here, we hold them off. Just us three," Guy finished.

"Interesting," Kisame snickered. "I'll give you credits for guts,"

"No Kisame," Itachi said. "We're pulling out. We're not here to fight a full-scale battle. Tempting as it may be, it's not the way to do this. Let's go,"

Kisame took a minute to reply. "That's too bad...it was just getting fun. They don't know how lucky they got."

They left and now we were left a little dumbfounded.

"Well, I guess that's the end then?" I ask.

Guy rose an eyebrow. "Let's go meet with Kurenai,"

Asuma and I both nodded and followed Guy.

She was coming out of the hospital, with Kakashi still unconscious and she looked at us. 

"Did the ANBU get them yet?"

"No, they left right after you did," I said.

"Let's go talk at Kakashi's place and that way he can rest at home," Guy said.

We went to his apartment and Kurenai carefully set Kakashi down on his bed. I put the covers over him and sat down on the edge of his bed.

I couldn't get over how Itachi just said to get rid of me and that he doesn't need me anymore. The hell was that supposed to mean?

I came to the conclusion in my head that I may be the one who has to stop Itachi, so I decided I'd catch up with Naruto after I get done talking with them. I heard from someone else that he was training with Jiraiya anyway. 

Guy was the first to break the silence.

"They're trouble," He stated. "But from the look of things, it doesn't appear that they found Naruto yet,"

"That's what's crazy," Asuma said. "It doesn't add up. I mean, they already infiltrated the village. It should be easy for them to find Naruto here. Besides, Itachi knows Naruto's face already,"

Guy shushed him and we heard the door open.

We all looked to the door and saw it was just Sasuke.

He looked surprised to see all of us in here.

"Why is Kakashi asleep?" He asked. "And why is his room full of jounin? What are you doing? What in the world is going on here?"

I got choked up since I didn't know how to hide the fact that his older brother is here.

"Uh..." Guy trailed off. "Not much, really,"

Sasuke rose his eyebrow in suspicion and the door burst open again.

"Hey, is it true that Itachi has returned and that he's here to get Naruto?" Some other jounin asked loudly.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and the intruder saw Sasuke, realizing what he's just done.

"Idiot..." Kurenai muttered.

"Frickin' dumbass," I said.

"Why does this always happen?" Guy groaned, smacking himself in the face. 

I looked up and Sasuke's expression completely changed.

His eyes widened, his brow furrowed, and he frowned. 

"Sasuke-" I started.

He ran out of the room before I could tell him to wait.

I had no words, but all I knew is that things were about to go down. 

We all exchanged looks and Guy stood up at the same time with me. We both looked at each other and nodded.

I followed Guy out of the apartment and we rushed to where Naruto was. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I feel like this isn't the best chapter, but it's getting the story to where it needs to be.