Around the same time, Hoshigaki Kisame was strolling down the streets of Konoha with Samehada resting on his shoulder, leisurely contemplating where to gather some valuable intelligence.
Four silent Anbu trailed behind him.
When Kisame approached a deserted open area, the Anbu immediately quickened their pace. Using Body Replacement Technique, they appeared in four directions around him, surrounding him completely.
Kisame lifted the curtain of his hat slightly, revealing half his face as he eyed the four men. He grinned widely, "Copy Ninja, Kakashi..."
The silver-haired Anbu twitched at the corner of his mouth, thinking inwardly, Maybe I should resign from Anbu and ask Hokage-sama for a transfer already... This disguise—it's like wearing it or not makes little difference.
"What I want to know seems to only come out from your mouths."
As he spoke, Kisame formed hand seals while opening his mouth wide, spitting out a massive water sphere directly ahead.
[Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique]
The surge of water burst forth, creating large puddles on the ground—though not causing significant damage to Kakashi and the others, it clearly altered the battlefield terrain.
At the Uchiha compound.
"Tsunade, you've done all you could..." Half of his body intangible, hidden within Kamui's space while the other half floated mid-air, Obito mocked her with amusement.
Tsunade's temple pulsed visibly with rage.
Can't hit him, can't catch him—so annoying!
Plus, who did he think he was? Talking down to her this whole time as if she were his junior.
Absolutely unacceptable!
Beside Obito, Itachi stood motionless with an expressionless face awaiting orders. His eyes flickered as he looked at Tsunade, seemingly lost in thought.
Obito kept taunting Tsunade non-stop while staying alert enough to ensure she couldn't even graze him.
They had been going at it for a while now.
After confirming Tsunade couldn't harm him, Obito's mind began considering other possibilities.
Izumi Uchiha, who possessed Spatial Ninjutsu.
This woman needs to be either eliminated or rendered useless.
Her Mangekyou must never fall into someone else's hands.
Thinking thus, Obito turned his gaze toward Izumi.
He activated Kamui (his Spatial Ninjutsu technique).
Izumi's body began slowly distorting.
The wooden clone stiffened in horror but didn't know how to intervene.
She stepped forward and grabbed onto Izumi's body.
Before the eyes of Tsunade and others, along with the wooden clone, both Izumi and her copy began morphing grotesquely.
Obito snickered inwardly.
If you're so insistent on sticking together, then disappear together.
Frowning deeply, Tsunade charged toward him without hesitation.
As her Monstrous Strength erupted, Obito had no choice but to stop the absorption and turn intangible to dodge the blow.
Originally caught within Kamui's spatial vortex, appearing dazed and indifferent to the commotion around her, Izumi Uchiha slightly turned her head. Her lifeless eyes fixed upon Obito, locking eyes with him.
Salvation!
At this very moment, Obito finally saw clearly the Mangekyou pattern swirling within her eyes.
In her crimson irises, at the very center, was a small black diagonal cross, with three Tomoe forming three red dots connected end to end—like the trail left by leaping fish, or the path traced by moving stars.
This time, he didn't feel that familiar sensation of his vision pulling away endlessly like before. Instead, a tearing force gripped him, trying to pull him out from Kamui's space into the real world.
Izumi Uchiha stared fixedly at him, ignoring the rapid depletion of her chakra.
As the power grew stronger, Obito cursed inwardly, calling her crazy.
Suddenly, it was as if a pebble dropped into a still lake, sending ripples outward in perfect circles.
Obito's face changed drastically; his heart raced and panic surged.
A faint smirk flickered across Tsunade's lips.
The battle had kept her close to Obito all along.
One way to locate him had always been by touch—distinguishing between solid and void.
Another method was through sound—listening for his heartbeat, listening to his breathing.
Now, she once again caught the sound of his beating heart.
[Heaven's Grieving Sole!]
Tsunade leapt upward and delivered a heavy kick straight onto Obito.
*Boom!* Obito shot downward like an accelerated cannonball, slamming into the ground and shattering it into pieces.
"Crack"—accompanied by a faint sound—an initial hairline fracture appeared across the orange mask. Then, more cracks quickly followed.
The spiral mask shattered completely, turning into fragments that fell one after another onto the ground.
Head bowed low, Obito clutched his chest and spat dark blood toward one side before his expression turned entirely grim.
"This face…" Tsunade frowned, murmuring to herself, "It kind of reminds me of someone in Kakashi's related files…"
She had already left Konoha after the Second Great Ninja World War and thus had no impression of Obito.
But she did feel that his face resembled a certain ninja whose file photo she'd seen before.
At this moment, Itachi also carefully studied Obito's face.
Obito casually wiped blood off the corner of his mouth before pulling an identical mask from Kamui's space and coldly placing it back over his face.
The whole process lasted merely two or three seconds, catching everyone present off guard.
Tsunade and Itachi exchanged odd glances.
Obito stood up looking somewhat disheveled.
Had half his body not been composed of White Zetsu, that single kick from Tsunade might have seriously wounded him.
Staring toward Izumi Uchiha, Obito's eyes darkened while his mind became filled with shadows.
Why could that woman's ability specifically counteract his own?
It was like it was specifically made to counter him!
That woman must die—Uchiha Izumi couldn't be allowed to live.
At this very moment, Tsunade sensed the intense Killing Intent rising from him and heading straight toward Izumi Uchiha.
"Was it Izumi Uchiha who helped just now?" Hiroki asked Kaguya from where they observed the fight.
Kaguya nodded, "Correct. Their Eye Jutsu seem interlinked—capable not only of shifting targets into another dimension but also returning those within the dimension back to reality."
[Heart's Reflection on Reality]—it's as if she wants to cast out the wrong people and restore the right ones into this world.
"The illusion left behind marks a pivotal point in her heart — a lingering hope."
"When the one she longs for finally returns, that illusion will vanish."
With effortless ease, Kaguya had already unraveled Izumi Uchiha's Mangekyou Eye technique.
"So near, yet so far. Abandonment or salvation—one exiles, the other redeems. This gift of romance… is this love? Not bad at all."
Kaguya mused with a light chuckle, her gaze settling on Izumi Uchiha.
Meanwhile, under their intense gaze, Izumi had activated the Eye Jutsu three times in succession. Her vision became blurry, her eyes dry and bloodshot from rapid blinking.
"Itachi, kill her. Use your Black Flame!" Obito ordered coldly.
If that Mangekyou could not be obtained, it had to be destroyed.
Should he use Amaterasu? Itachi hesitated for a moment.
The flames of Amaterasu would consume a person entirely — leaving not even bones behind.
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