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With Elder Genji's sudden move, the entire Hidden Mist Village plunged into complete chaos.
Battles erupted all over the village. Each shinobi fought for their own beliefs, refusing to yield.
Yet amidst the frenzied fighting throughout the village, the hidden headquarters of the ANBU remained eerily quiet, almost unnaturally so.
"Rin…"
Kakashi closed his eyes in anguish. Everything was just as he had feared all along.
Obito had become like this... because of that incident.
It was because of her... but how did he even know about it?
"You know,"
A low voice interrupted his thoughts. Uchiha Obito no longer seemed inclined to put up a facade.
Perhaps remembering that day made the pain too sharp to hide. His face twisted as he spoke coldly, a bitter chill lacing every word.
"I was there that day too."
""I ran with everything I had to reach her. I pushed myself until I couldn't breathe. But when I arrived... what I saw was something I could never accept. Something I never wanted to believe."
"From that moment on, I understood. This world I lived in... was nothing but hell. A twisted, false reality with nothing worth holding onto."
"Konoha will always be too late. The world will never change. Everyone is suffering in their own little hell. So..."
"I will create a new world. One without pain. A peaceful world where Rin can live forever."
Perhaps it was because he had run into Kakashi, or perhaps because his identity was no longer a secret—Obito's voice turned hoarse, as though the weight of his conviction was grinding down his throat. He bared his heart without reservation.
The things he said cast a heavy silence over the room.
Even Kisame, who had still been trying to figure out what kind of person he was dealing with, now felt a surprising resonance. This man's thoughts, it seemed, were not so different from his own.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya furrowed his brows deeply. He now realized that everything Kitagawa Gen had said was right. His own perspective had been too narrow due to lack of information.
Uchiha Obito... his ambitions went far beyond just Konoha.
"This organization... is far more dangerous than I imagined."
Jiraiya's gaze sharpened with the weight of realization. And beside him, Kakashi stood in stunned silence.
He understood now how grave the situation was. But even now, he could not understand why Obito had descended into madness so deeply
"You said just now that you saw everything that day?"
Suddenly, the one who had remained quiet all this time, Gen Kitagawa, opened his mouth at last.
"In that case, why are you blaming Konoha for being late? If you'd moved a little faster, maybe you would've made it in time."
"…"
His abrupt comment shattered the tense stillness in the air. Obito's expression turned sullen, but before he could reply, Gen's voice cut in again.
"Also, if I sum up what you just said, your goal is to bring peace to the world, right?"
"…"
"But judging by what you've been doing… you're not planning to kill everyone in the world to achieve that peace, are you?"
"???"
"Because if everyone's dead, there'd be no more conflict. The world would be peaceful then, sure—but don't you think that's a bit… extreme?"
Gen's words made both Jiraiya and Kakashi suck in a sharp breath. Even Kisame found himself glancing at Obito, momentarily speechless.
And Obito, at that moment, had no words.
It wasn't that he didn't want to argue. It was that he couldn't exactly reveal the Moon's Eye Plan, could he?
But his silence, in the end, only made it seem like he had accepted everything Gen said.
Right now, all he wanted was to curse someone out. Was he really that extreme?
"Obito,"
Kakashi's voice came through low but resolute. He had no more words to waste.
"We have to bring you back. No matter what it takes."
He fixed his Sharingan on Obito, sharp and unwavering.
"And one more thing—last time you showed up in Konoha, Naruto's chakra reacted. Ten years ago... that was you too, wasn't it?"
"That's right. It was me."
Obito admitted it without hesitation. Things had already reached this point—there was no longer anything to hide. His eyes turned cold as they swept across the faces of those before him.
"But if you think you can catch me, you're welcome to try... if you're capable."
As he spoke, the Fourth Mizukage suddenly lifted his head. Chakra surged around him, dense and oppressive. At the same time, Obito turned to Kisame.
"Things didn't go exactly as planned, but let me ask you this. Are you still willing to help me create this new world?"
"I don't have much of a choice now, do I?"
Kisame gave a half-smile and slowly drew the massive Samehada from his back. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he turned toward the shinobi of Konoha.
In an instant, the tense atmosphere in the underground base solidified. It was as if the very air grew heavier.
"Let's do this."
Obito spoke in a low, commanding voice.
The Fourth Mizukage's chakra erupted in a fierce wave, and a mirror of rippling water materialized in midair.
From the surface of that water, a perfect replica of Jiraiya emerged, launching a sudden attack straight at him.
"What a pain..."
Jiraiya muttered inwardly, cursing the timing. He recognized the technique instantly. This was the Fourth Mizukage's signature jutsu: Water Mirror Technique.
This jutsu could replicate an opponent's exact appearance—and nearly identical strength—to create a mirror clone capable of mimicking all their skills.
Jiraiya swiftly dodged the incoming mirror and began forming hand seals.
"Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"
His white hair shot forward like a flurry of needles, piercing toward the water mirror clone with vicious precision. But even before the strike could land, the real Fourth Mizukage came rushing in behind it.
"Lord Jiraiya!"
Seeing this, Kakashi immediately tried to rush to his aid—but a massive blade swung out, barring his path.
"Kakashi Hatake... I've heard of you."
Kisame's voice came low and amused, tinged with curiosity.
"I've always wondered just how powerful that Sharingan of yours really is."
He swung Samehada with terrifying force, the blade cleaving through the air like a guillotine aimed straight at Kakashi's head.
Kakashi had no choice but to leap back swiftly, narrowly avoiding the strike. But Kisame was already in pursuit.
In an instant, chaos erupted within the underground base. Everyone had plunged into battle—everyone except Obito and Kitagawa Gen.
"You little brat..."
Obito flicked his sleeve. A pitch-black iron chain slipped from it, coiling tightly into his hand.
"I didn't plan on dealing with you myself. But it looks like I don't have much of a choice. In that case... this might be the perfect opportunity."
SWOOSH—!
In the blink of an eye, Obito shot forward, a dark blur streaking toward Gen like a falling shadow.
"We've still got a score to settle from last time. Let's finish it now."
"Tch."
Gen gave a cold snort and dashed forward to meet the charge head-on.
They had never been far apart to begin with. And for shinobi, that distance could vanish in a heartbeat.
With lightning speed, Gen's hand snapped to his blade—the short sword White Fang. Purple lightning surged to life, crackling along the blade's edge.
"That sword…"
Obito's eyes narrowed. The sight of it only deepened his scorn.
Of course he recognized that blade. Years ago, it was with that very blade that Kakashi had saved him.
Only, back then, the blade had snapped.
He hadn't expected Kakashi to have repaired it—and even less, to have handed it over to this brat.
"Hmph."
Obito let out a cold snort, his eyes fixated on the blade that had just sliced through his body like a shadow through mist.
And in the very moment the blade passed, he struck without hesitation.
SWISH—!
With a soft slicing sound, the chain snaked through the air, coiling tightly as it lunged toward Kitagawa Gen.
In the blink of an eye, Gen's body was shredded into pieces right where he stood. Yet Obito merely snorted again, unimpressed.
But just then, Kitagawa Gen burst out from beneath the ground like a phantom and swung his blade toward him in a sudden ambush. Unfortunately, Obito had already vanished into the Kamui dimension.
"A water clone. Not bad. You're quick."
Obito snorted again, his tone dripping with contempt as he watched Gen retreat swiftly after the failed strike.
"But it won't help you. Every move you make is laid bare before this eye. And unlike before, we're not in Konoha. I've got all the time in the world. So let me ask you a question..."
He paused, voice heavy with condescension.
"Kakashi and Jiraiya are both barely keeping themselves alive right now. So tell me, who's going to save you this time?"
Even before the last syllable fell, his hands had already completed the hand seals.
"Fire Release: Blast Wave Wild Dance!"
Flames surged forth, carried by the twisting ripple of distorted space, coalescing into a fiery vortex that roared toward Kitagawa Gen like a living storm.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
With a single-handed seal, Gen called forth a massive wall of solid stone in front of him. It rose in an instant, firm and thick as a fortress.
BOOOOM—!
The swirling fire smashed into the wall with deafening force, and in the next breath, the entire ANBU base was filled with a suffocating heat that spread like wildfire.
"Is that kid really going to be alright?"
Elsewhere, Jiraiya was fending off the relentless assault of the Fourth Mizukage, yet his gaze still drifted toward Gen whenever he found the chance.
He wasn't the only one watching. Kakashi, entangled in his own fierce battle with Kisame, was just as concerned.
He had wanted to face Obito himself. But with Kisame bearing down on him, he simply didn't have the chance. And this opponent… he was far more dangerous than he had imagined.
As for Obito…
At the very least, Gen had once bested him. And more importantly, Gen had revealed something to them.
The Fourth Hokage's sealing mark—there was a high chance it was hidden on Uchiha Obito's body.
You'd better be careful…
Kakashi silently repeated the warning in his heart. But just as the thought formed, Samehada's massive blade came tearing through the air once more.
"This isn't the time to be spacing out, Hatake Kakashi."
Kisame's voice rang out, dragging Kakashi back to the harshness of the present. And on the other side, Jiraiya too had no choice but to give his full attention to the battle before him.
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH—!
Just then, a furry of kunai suddenly shot out from within the swirling flames. One after another, they came pouring out, densely packed and relentless, completely engulfing Obito in a storm of steel.
"That trick again?"
Obito let out a cold laugh. His entire body had already entered a state of intangibility. He had no intention of absorbing even a single kunai this time.
He ignored the scattering blades as they passed through him harmlessly. Instead, his eyes snapped toward Kitagawa Gen, who had charged in from the side.
"I've already fallen for this once. It won't happen again. Your fate is already sealed!"
"Is that so?"
Gen rushed forward, his blade swinging down with swift force, and his voice followed just behind the motion.
"You said before that you wanted to create a world where Rin still existed. But my teacher, Kakashi-sensei, told me she... died in an accident."
SWISH—!
As he spoke, the White Fang short blade sliced cleanly through Obito's body once more. Yet it wasn't the attack that stirred Obito—it was those words. A flicker of anger sparked in his eyes.
"What do you know?"
Obito struck out in an instant. His chains erupted toward Kitagawa Gen like serpents uncoiling from the shadows.
"Don't presume to understand my thoughts with your ignorance."
CLANG—!
As the chains made contact, a violent explosion of purple lightning erupted from Gen's body, forcefully halting Obito's attack.
"Is that so?"
Gen responded calmly and countered with a backhanded slash, his eyes now fully focused, unblinking, tracking Obito's every move with unwavering concentration.
He knew he had held back long enough. The moment he had been waiting for was finally upon him.
"You're just asking to die."
Obito no longer held back either. Having suffered once before, he was determined not to fall into the same trap. He hadn't absorbed anything this time, and he had already confirmed that the Gen before him was the real one.
This time, he would not leave a single opening.
As the ninja blade once again passed through his intangible form, Obito struck decisively. His hand shot forward straight toward Gen, and the power of Wood Release began to gather in his palm.
But at that very moment, a glimmer sparked in Gen's eyes. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for.
"You said just now…"
His voice rose, light and almost mocking. But right then, Obito's face changed drastically.
Because in that single instant, the figure of Kitagawa Gen before him suddenly vanished, and the voice now echoed from behind.
"…you wouldn't fall for the same trick twice?"
"What? That's impossible!"
Obito's eyes went wide. There was no time to react, no time to activate his intangibility. And in that moment, those long-buried memories surged up again, battering his mind like a tidal wave.
Flying Thunder God?
And then—
BOOOOOM—!
Agony exploded from his back, a sharp and blinding pain like being struck by a massive, spiraling weight at terrifying speed.
He knew what it was. It was the Rasengan.
His mind reeled, struggling to comprehend how this brat had managed to learn such a technique.
Why?
Why was everything from that night… happening all over again?
"And those people… they're already dead. You're not seriously trying to use genjutsu now, are you?"
Just then, Kitagawa Gen's voice rang in his ear once more.
"No… this is just self-deception, isn't it? Who in their right mind would use an illusion to replace reality?"
"…"
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[Chapter End's]
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