On one side, Uchiha Obito was still seething with helpless rage in front of Nohara Rin's gravestone.
Meanwhile, deep in the forest, Seimei had already begun his move.
He didn't recklessly reveal himself to confront Obito directly. Instead, he quietly circled around the cemetery, heading in the direction Kakashi had just left.
Then, forming hand seals, he performed a jutsu—Transformation Jutsu!
Poof!
A cloud of chakra smoke dispersed.
When it cleared, Seimei had taken on the exact appearance of Kakashi, just as he had looked moments ago.
Next, he adjusted his facial expression, making it appear heavier, more burdened.
With everything set, he no longer bothered concealing his presence. He lifted his foot and strode directly toward the cemetery—or more precisely, toward Uchiha Obito.
That's right. He planned to approach Obito while disguised as Kakashi.
Then, at the right moment, he would seize the Hashirama Cells from him.
Would Obito refuse to meet him?
If it were the real Kakashi, then yes—Obito might have just teleported away.
But Seimei was confident that a mere Transformation Jutsu wouldn't fool someone as familiar with Kakashi as Obito.
Not to mention, he hadn't even put much effort into perfecting the disguise.
So, there was no way Obito wouldn't see through it.
Then why do it?
The answer was simple—to provoke him.
That's right. He was deliberately provoking Obito.
Based on his understanding of Obito and the emotional state he was currently displaying, it was obvious that the man desperately needed an outlet for his anger.
And what better target than someone impersonating Kakashi?
If Obito thought more deeply about it—why someone would disguise themselves as Kakashi right in front of him, whether it meant they already knew his true identity, and so on—then he definitely wouldn't just walk away.
As long as Obito didn't teleport away immediately, Seimei was confident he could accomplish his goal.
---
Step. Step. Step.
His shoes splashed lightly against puddles on the ground, the sound of his footsteps deliberately slow and heavy.
From a distance, Obito immediately noticed him.
"Who's there?"
He turned his head, instantly straightening his posture, shifting into a guarded stance.
His lone visible eye locked onto Seimei, filled with killing intent.
Seimei ignored the murderous gaze and kept walking forward.
Step. Step. Step.
The distance between them shrank.
As soon as Obito saw Seimei's disguised form, he hesitated for a split second, instinctively preparing to activate Kamui and disappear before he had to face Kakashi.
But just before he could use his Mangekyō Sharingan, something felt…off.
Without hesitation, Obito activated his three-tomoe Sharingan.
Immediately, Seimei's every movement slowed in his vision, as if played in slow motion. He began comparing the figure before him to the Kakashi in his memory—the one who had just left.
And then—he noticed.
Subtle details, ones he had almost overlooked before, suddenly stood out.
The expression on this fake Kakashi's face—yes, it carried sorrow, but it lacked the true weight of grief.
That alone was enough for Obito to tell—this was an imposter.
And beyond that, based on everything he knew about Kakashi, there was no reason he would return to the cemetery so soon after leaving.
If that were the case, Obito himself wouldn't have come out so eagerly.
As for the idea that Kakashi had somehow just now sensed him and was doubling back for an ambush?
That was even more ridiculous.
For one, if Kakashi had sensed him, why not just expose him immediately instead of pulling some elaborate scheme?
More importantly, Obito had absolute confidence in his stealth abilities.
Kakashi's reactions over the years had only reinforced that belief.
So, there was no doubt about it—this person was a fraud.
---
At that realization, the anger Obito had been barely holding back finally found its release.
Without a word, he vanished—and in the next instant, he was lunging straight at Seimei.
As he moved, his hand snapped up, ready to unleash a devastating jutsu—Wood Style: Piercing Stalk Technique!
He was going to kill this impostor in the most brutal way possible.
This jutsu allowed the user to instantly grow sharp, branch-like wooden spikes from their body, impaling the enemy.
Once inside the target's body, the wood would branch out rapidly, spreading like a tree—tearing through organs and limbs from the inside out.
Not only was it deadly, but it was agonizing.
And on top of that, the wood could absorb chakra on contact, making it even harder for the victim to defend themselves.
The fact that Obito was using such a cruel technique without hesitation showed just how furious he was.
---
On the other side, Seimei acted as if he hadn't expected Obito to attack immediately.
He was a fraction of a second too slow to react.
By the time he tried to dodge, Obito was already upon him, the wooden spikes mere inches away from piercing his body.
Obito's lips curled into a twisted grin beneath his mask.
He could already picture this fake Kakashi being ripped apart from the inside.
But just as the attack was about to land—
Boom.
At the very last moment, Seimei activated a defensive jutsu—Earth Style: Hardening Technique!
A sudden resistance stopped the wooden spikes from piercing him instantly.
Obito could feel his wood absorbing Seimei's chakra—but the attack didn't go through.
Not only that—Seimei grabbed Obito's right arm.
A bad feeling shot through Obito's mind.
Logically, Seimei should've been trying to escape or counterattack—not grabbing his arm.
And of all things, he grabbed the one arm that Obito knew was different.
Something was wrong.
At the same time, Seimei's expression changed.
The strange timing of his appearance, his sudden shift in expression, and his bizarre reaction all clicked together in Obito's mind.
He was being set up.
Without thinking, he activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, preparing to phase his arm out with Kamui.
But Seimei was a step ahead.
His own Mangekyō Sharingan flared to life.
Yes—Seimei had the Mangekyō Sharingan too.
He had known from the start that in order to pull this off and steal Hashirama's cells, he would have to reveal some of his abilities.
And out of all his secrets, revealing the Mangekyō Sharingan was the least risky.
For one, many high-ranking officials in Konoha and the Uchiha clan had already suspected he had awakened it.
And more importantly, as long as he didn't expose his Mangekyō's unique abilities, it would still remain an unknown variable.
So, he made his move.
---
Obito's visible eye widened in shock.
"You—?!"
The moment he sensed the genjutsu coming from Seimei's eyes, he instinctively activated his own Mangekyō Sharingan to counter it.
But he was too slow.
With only one Mangekyō, he was immediately overpowered.
His mind blurred for a split second.
And in that one instant—
RIP.
Seimei tore off his right arm.
Blood splattered everywhere.
Pain snapped Obito back to reality.
Without hesitation, he activated Kamui and teleported away, appearing on a distant tree branch.
Clutching his severed arm, his lone eye burned with fury and confusion.
"…Who the hell are you?"
He demanded, his voice filled with rage and disbelief.
How had a Mangekyō-wielding ninja suddenly appeared in the Shinobi World—without him knowing?