the darkness of the akatsuki
episode starts with Juzo asking itachis whether hes heard of someone named Gai, and itachi says he knows a might guy. the partner says he was once one of the 7 swordsmen and they were reduced to 3 by that guy using pwoerful taijutus. He asks itachi his abilities which itachi humbly says are just genjutsu fire style and shurkin jutsu. they decided on a formation and make their way to their target.
the pair assassinate a target, then blow up a bridge among other missions. as the partner explains the akatsuki takes all missions no matter who it is and don't care about the details. as they speak pein summons then they appear via the holo jutsu. orochimaru asks itachi how hes getting along and if hed like to change partners and join him. some argument breaks out with juzo objecting while sasori agrees to the change.
pein compliemnts their work saying the akatsukis reputation is growing and they are getting bigger better paying jobs. he says its time to move on to the next stage of locating the tailes beasts and sends Juzo and itachi to the land of water.
juzo says he hates having to go abck to the land of water and itahci asks him if that's where hes from. juzo says its a mere assassination mission involving interclan politics not uncommon in the land of water. juzo asks itahci if hes ever been to the land of water before itachi says no and juzo asks him if he knows what happens to a a foreign shinobi captuired in the land of water. itachi asnwers that the land of water has no prisoner exchange policy and the shinobi is stripped of their jutsu and executed. juzo says the leaf is naïve and that's why orochimaru can wander around like a rogue ninja so easily the water has a special tracker division designed to hunt rogues.
juzo suddenly mentions formation C and says if he's captured by the mist itahci should kill him immediately he then asks itachi what he should do if formation D becomes necessary? itahci says not much.
itachi and juzo successfully infiltrate the palace of the target and eliminate him only to find themselves pursused by the mist tracking unit and the mizukage himself Yagura
surrounded juzo says this is a formation c and itachi says he understands and then cuts down juzo on the spot. but yaguras sees the illusion as juzo is revealed to be a water clone and he attacks yagura while itachi defends himself. juzo cuts down several of the hunters while itachi engulfs yagura with a giant fireball. yagura breaks out by usingn his tailed beast cloak and say hell show them no mercy.
yagura promptly proceeds to wreck the pair up to using a tailed beast blast that juzo deflects with his sword only for it to blast the sword and him breaking it and impaling juzo with part of the sword.
itachi activates his magekyo and covers yagura in amateratsu causing him to collapse badly burned. itahci ahs trouble with his eyes as the effects of the magekyo hit him. he asks juzo if ehs ok but juzo says hes done for and itahci should go. itachi asks him if hes got any last words for anyone but juzo says no but sees that itachi has someone special.
the aktsuki reconvenes and itachi explains juzos death. pein reveals that another akatsuki died at kakuzus hands. kakuzu says his partner was too slow to dodge one of his attacks and paid the price. orochimaru accuses him of wanting to kill his partner which kakuzu doesn't deny merely saying "so what?"
pein asks kakuzu if hell team with itahci and kakuzu says aslong as itachi doesn't annoy him. itahci says he doesn't know what kakzuzus moods are and kakuzu says team up and find out.
orochimaru offers to team with itachi which annoys sasori but pein shelves the matter for the moment saying they need new blood.
on a stairway orochimaru approaches itachi and attempts to take his body but itachi schools him easily cutting off his hand in the process. kabuto saves orochimaru at the last moment and they escape with orochimaru promising payback
the akasuki reconvenes in person this time and itachi reveals orochimarus treachery. pein says they'll hunt him down in time, and sasori says that kabuto us his puppet. they ask who willt eam with itachi but pein says he has someone in mind for itachi and sasori as well as Kakuzu to work with.
ona dock itachi meets kisami whos says they'll be partners.
next episode deidaraa is recruited and he and sasori try to kill orochimaru.
