Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 340 Uchiha Itachi

When the Fireball Jutsu struck the wall, it produced a dull thud, sending flames flying everywhere. However, the wall remained unmoved, standing firmly in place, completely blocking the attack. Kakashi Hatake stood behind the wall, a serious expression on his face. He knew that although he had successfully neutralized Itachi Uchiha's attack, the real battle had only just begun.

However, Itachi Uchiha did not launch another attack. Instead, he looked calmly at Sasuke Uchiha in the group, a hint of relief in his eyes. However, this emotion was fleeting, and almost no one present noticed it. Only Hyuga Kanan, standing at the edge of the battlefield, clearly saw the emotion for Sasuke in Itachi's eyes.

However, Itachi Uchiha's displayed strength far exceeded Kakashi Hatake's expectations. He effortlessly used Fire Release techniques, as if it were child's play. Moreover, the Sharingan, which was not yet fully revealed, put immense pressure on Kakashi.

Kakashi knew that the Uchiha clan was renowned for its unique bloodline limit—the Sharingan. These eyes possessed extraordinary power, allowing them to see through an enemy's movements, copy ninjutsu, and even unleash more powerful genjutsu. As an elite member of the Uchiha clan, Itachi's Sharingan must possess even more profound abilities.

Kakashi gripped his kunai tightly, his mind racing with vigilance. Facing such a formidable opponent, he needed to remain calm and utilize his intelligence and strength. He knew that the slightest mistake could lead to defeat. But Kakashi wasn't afraid; instead, a fierce fighting spirit surged within him. He wanted to prove to Itachi that even against such a powerful adversary, he wouldn't easily back down. Behind him were the members of Team 7; they had no confidence in dealing with Itachi, who could annihilate the entire Uchiha clan. Especially since Sasuke would certainly not let this opportunity slip by and would continue the fight.

However, despite Itachi Uchiha's exceptional strength, Kakashi Hatake was no ordinary opponent. Moreover, with Team 7 and Elder Chiyo of the Sand Village as their backing, their combined attack would undoubtedly put immense pressure on Itachi, and might even defeat him, obtaining information about the Akatsuki organization.

Kakashi Hatake stared coldly at Itachi Uchiha, his hands rapidly forming hand seals. He knew the strength of the man before him, but that didn't mean he would back down. His fingers moved nimbly, creating a series of complex hand seals.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" Kakashi Hatake roared, unleashing a massive ball of flame that swept towards Itachi Uchiha. The flames raged through the air, carrying intense heat and overwhelming force.

Meanwhile, Sasuke Uchiha gripped his sword tightly, his eyes gleaming with unwavering resolve. He understood Kakashi Hatake's intentions. Although his heart was filled with hatred for Itachi Uchiha, he had to endure and wait for the opportune moment.

Itachi Uchiha stared expressionlessly at the incoming fireball. With a gentle wave of his sleeve, a powerful force surged from his body, forming an invisible shield that easily blocked the fireball. The flames dissipated before the shield, turning into wisps of black smoke.

Itachi Uchiha's gaze fell on Kakashi Hatake, a slight smirk playing on his lips. He seemed to be mocking Kakashi's weakness, believing such an attack posed no threat to him.

However, Kakashi Hatake was not swayed by Itachi Uchiha's contempt. He took a deep breath and formed hand seals again. He knew that ordinary ninjutsu might not be effective against such a powerful enemy, but he had other methods.

"Lightning Blade!" Kakashi Hatake shouted, gathering a ball of blue lightning in his hand. He flashed forward like lightning, charging towards Itachi Uchiha, his Lightning Blade carrying astonishing power, aiming straight for Itachi's heart.

Itachi Uchiha's eyes narrowed; he sensed the power of Kakashi Hatake's attack. He dared not be careless, moving swiftly to dodge Kakashi's Lightning Blade. At the same time, a kunai appeared in his hand, which he swung towards Kakashi.

The kunai and the Lightning Blade clashed, producing a piercing sound. As the two figures passed each other, a bead of cold sweat trickled down Kakashi Hatake's forehead. Itachi Uchiha, however, stood firmly in place; his robes were torn by the Lightning Blade, but he suffered no real injury.

However, Kakashi Hatake did not stop his movements; he continued to approach with extremely rapid speed.

Meanwhile, Itachi Uchiha stood still, making no move to dodge. However, the three tomoe of his Sharingan began to spin at an astonishing speed, making his gaze even deeper and sharper.

Just then, Kakashi Hatake's kunai rapidly approached, poised to strike Itachi Uchiha. Surprisingly, Itachi seemed to have anticipated all of Kakashi's movements. At the very instant the kunai was about to hit him, Itachi subtly shifted his body, deftly dodging the attack. Not only that, he also extended his hand, accurately grabbing Kakashi's attacking wrist. Then, with a powerful flick, Itachi sent Kakashi flying like a cannonball.

Sasuke Uchiha, who had unleashed a Chidori attack, was stopped by Kakashi's flying body, but a triumphant smile appeared on his lips. Both Kakashi's attack and Sasuke's own were feints; a direct attack on Itachi Uchiha, who possessed the Sharingan, would be extremely difficult. As two ninjas who also possessed the Sharingan, Sasuke and Naruto knew exactly how to attack the moment Kakashi made his hand gesture.

Sasuke Uchiha was in the second stage of his feint attack. He was desperately trying to hold off Itachi Uchiha, creating a perfect opportunity for Naruto Uzumaki to launch a sneak attack. At this time, Itachi Uchiha was also preoccupied with Sasuke Uchiha's attack and had no time to pay attention to Naruto Uzumaki behind him. This allowed Naruto Uzumaki to successfully condense the Rasengan and approach Itachi Uchiha at an astonishing speed.

Naruto Uzumaki moved with lightning speed, each step imbued with unwavering determination and boundless power. He gripped the Rasengan tightly, as if it were his last hope. His eyes gleamed with an indomitable light, and only one thought occupied his mind: Defeat Itachi Uchiha!

Itachi Uchiha found himself in a dilemma. On one hand, he had to deal with Sasuke Uchiha's fierce attacks, and on the other hand, he had to be constantly vigilant about Naruto Uzumaki's movements behind him. However, in the instant he was distracted, Naruto Uzumaki had already appeared behind him.

At this moment, Naruto Uzumaki and Itachi Uchiha were only inches apart. He only needed to take one more small step forward to smash the Rasengan into Itachi's body. Time seemed to freeze; the whole world fell silent, leaving only the space between Naruto and Itachi.

However, in Naruto's eyes, the instant the Rasengan struck Itachi, Itachi's body transformed into countless crows that scattered in all directions. This bizarre scene caused Naruto to look on in astonishment; his eyes widened as he stared in disbelief at what was happening before him.

"What?" Naruto Uzumaki muttered to himself, his heart filled with doubt and shock. He had thought that his Rasengan had hit Itachi Uchiha, but he did not expect that the other party would evade his attack in such a bizarre way.

The crows circled in the air, cawing as if mocking Naruto's incompetence. A sense of defeat welled up in Naruto's heart, and he couldn't help but doubt his own strength.

However, just as he was falling into self-doubt, he suddenly remembered what his teacher Jiraiya had once said: "Don't give up easily! Unexpected situations can happen in battle, so stay calm and look for your opponent's weaknesses."

Naruto Uzumaki took a deep breath and rallied his spirits. He knew that facing a powerful enemy, he couldn't be defeated by temporary setbacks; he had to persevere. He clenched his fists tightly, his eyes revealing unwavering determination. He continued to gather Rasengan and charged towards the newly formed figure of Itachi Uchiha, giving him no chance to dodge.

However, Kakashi Hatake and Sasuke Uchiha witnessed a completely different scene. Just as Naruto was about to strike Itachi Uchiha, he suddenly stopped and stood upright behind Itachi. The Rasengan in his hand vanished instantly, as if it had never existed. Immediately afterward, Naruto began a frenzied, indiscriminate attack on the surrounding trees, showing no sign of stopping.

This sudden turn of events left both Kakashi Hatake and Sasuke Uchiha quite surprised. Their eyes widened as they realized what was happening. Sasuke was particularly astonished, unable to understand when Naruto had chosen the genjutsu and was acting so strangely. Kakashi, on the other hand, frowned, pondering the reason behind it all.

As time passed, Naruto's attacks grew increasingly fierce, but his target remained exclusively the innocent trees. Every punch and palm strike carried immense power, causing the tree trunks to teeter on the brink of collapse. Leaves fell in droves, forming a green rain in the air. The entire scene appeared eerily unsettling, inspiring a sense of dread.

Just a moment ago, Naruto Uzumaki clearly didn't make eye contact with Itachi Uchiha, so how could he suddenly fall under Itachi's genjutsu? Neither of them noticed when Itachi activated the genjutsu, and Naruto attacked from behind. However, now is not the time to worry about that; they need to quickly help Naruto break free of the genjutsu and return him to normal.