Toward the Konoha gates...
"Boom!"
Even with its thick armor and the support of the Earth Grudge Fear, the giant puppet couldn't withstand being swarmed. Lightning flashed as Kakashi drove his thunder-wrapped fist straight into the puppet's head, smashing it back into the ground.
"Tch. If I'd been properly prepared, there's no way my puppet would've lost just because you outnumbered it."
"But whatever. He already said he'll reimburse the expenses for this mission."
"If I'm going down, might as well go down with some flair."
"Next..."
Kabuto wasn't someone who couldn't accept losing. If the puppet failed, he'd just refine it again. No big deal. But he wasn't without a backup plan.
He made a one-handed seal, a sly grin creeping across his face. The toppled giant puppet suddenly blared an alarm.
"Beep!"
"Beep beep!"
Kakashi, standing on top of it, froze for a moment. What? It's still reacting after being taken down? But he quickly realized something was very wrong.
"Kakashi, get back!"
"That's an auto-destruct sequence!"
"Chōza! Can you throw it out of the village!?"
Hatake Sakumo urgently called Kakashi back. If a puppet this size blew up, the village would be caught in the blast. And no one knew how powerful the explosion would be. With something this unpredictable, they had to move carefully.
Hidden in the shadows, Kabuto let out a contemptuous snort as he watched Konoha scramble.
"Trying to deal with the explosion?"
"Let's see if you have the skill. Kakuzu, we're leaving."
"Retreat. The stone wall is already rising, and the backup is active. Stay too long and we might get caught in it ourselves—not that I'd die from it."
"But the idea of being buried in mud is irritating."
Kabuto flicked his fingers. A seam cracked open on the puppet's back. A small square box, wrapped in black tendrils, burrowed down into the ground and emerged moments later right into Kabuto's hand.
"The heart mustn't be destroyed. With this, improving the puppet will be much easier."
He turned to leave, taking his Kakuzu puppet with him. Everything he needed to do was already done. Time to return and continue refining.
His sudden retreat was something both Kurozumi and Muren Uchiha hadn't expected. He was the type to hit and run without hesitation. Luckily, Black Zetsu was still spreading spores in the village, and Muren Uchiha was fighting Kazuyama Gekkō. Otherwise, watching Kabuto flee like that would've infuriated them to no end.
The alarm continued blaring nonstop.
Akimichi Chōza tried several times to lift the puppet but couldn't move it at all, leaving the clan head baffled.
"This doesn't make sense. It's just a big puppet—how am I not able to move it?"
"Sakumo-senpai, I can't budge it."
Hatake Sakumo nodded grimly. With the self-destruct active, there were definitely traps inside. They needed another approach. And for some reason, he suddenly thought of that brat Kazuyama Gekkō.
If that kid were here, he could've relocated the whole puppet with Flying Thunder God Technique without breaking a sweat.
"Damn it! Of all times, where did that brat Kazuyama Gekkō run off to!?"
"Ahem… Father, Sensei went to deal with Madara Uchiha."
"...Forget it. We'll solve this ourselves."
Everyone was already fighting. Sakumo could only sigh.
"Shikaku! Think of something, now!"
"I know, I know. A sealing technique could work, but… we don't have anyone here who knows it."
As strategist, Nara Shikaku scanned the group and shook his head. Fūinjutsu required rare talent, and only a few in the village truly grasped it.
But his words made Kakashi's eyes brighten.
Kakashi pulled out a scroll-like object from his clothes. When he opened it, a streak of light shot into the sky. Space distorted in front of him the next second, and an irritated voice drifted out.
"Kakashi! Are you insane!?"
"We're in the middle of a full-blown battle! Why would you call me over!?"
Uchiha Obito stepped out of the spatial warp, clearly annoyed.
Seeing him arrive, Kakashi grinned and shoved him toward the puppet.
"Obito, now's your chance.
Use Kamui and get rid of it."
"It's already started the self-destruct countdown."
Only then did Obito notice the massive puppet and the crowd watching him.
"I knew you calling me wouldn't be for anything good."
"And you used Sensei's signal scroll like this? Ugh."
"My poor eyes…"
"Fine. You owe me a bottle of anti-fatigue eye drops."
"Kamui!"
Hearing the beeping grow faster, Obito knew things were bad. His Mangekyō spun as Kamui activated. Under the stunned eyes of everyone present, the gigantic puppet began twisting.
"Haa!"
But its size was too much. Obito had already burned through a lot of chakra earlier. Forcing something this enormous into Kamui was brutal.
With a strained roar, bloodshot veins spread across his eyes. Yet the power of the Mangekyō was absolute—no matter the cost. Under Kamui's distortion, the giant puppet finally warped and vanished.
"Huff..."
The price was harsh. Obito crouched down, his eyes throbbing as he gasped for air.
Kakashi rushed over, pulling out a medicine bottle and pouring several pills into his palm before offering them to him. Obito swallowed them immediately and exhaled deeply after a long moment.
"Man… that wiped me out."
"The last giant puppets weren't this bad. Looks like their puppeteer's gotten better."
"And that self-destruct system… bastard."
Obito collapsed onto the ground, not caring how dirty it was—he was exhausted.
Hatake Sakumo stared at the vanished puppet in shock, then looked at Obito.
"Young heroes really are something. Obito, the power of your eyes is terrifying."
"But judging from your condition, the strain is huge. Use them sparingly."
Since the Uchiha clan's reforms, and with Hokage Minato Namikaze's mediation, the villagers had grown to accept the clan. Even the appearance of the Mangekyō Sharingan no longer caused panic.