"Cooperate with me?"
"That's certainly not impossible!"
The Masked Man responded in his deep, resonant voice as he slowly approached Sōmi.
Sōmi subtly formed a hand seal, barely noticeable, and then raised his right hand slightly.
The Starfall Rod behind him instantly transformed into countless golden spikes, which hovered around him like a rainstorm.
The slender spikes gleamed with a cold metallic luster. Intricate purple patterns adorned their surfaces, all aimed directly at the Masked Man.
"Oh?"
"Such vigilance... This doesn't look like the attitude of someone who wants to cooperate," the Masked Man remarked, his gaze suddenly turning icy as he lunged forward.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The purple-patterned golden spikes shot toward the Masked Man like a torrential storm, accompanied by faint whistling sounds as they cut through the air.
But something unexpected happened. As the golden spikes made contact with the Masked Man's body, they simply passed through him, as if he were nothing more than an illusion.
Sōmi, however, remained calm, showing no surprise at this peculiar phenomenon.
His hands swiftly shifted through a series of seals, and the number of golden spikes increased, filling the entire area in front of him.
The Masked Man's right eye flickered with a hint of doubt. Sōmi's actions seemed to suggest that he was aware of the abilities of his Mangekyō Sharingan, leaving no opportunity for a surprise attack.
Suddenly!
A sharp glint flashed in the Masked Man's eye. He had noticed that the purple-patterned golden spikes, which had been scattered in all directions, had somehow encircled him without his realizing it.
The surface of the golden spikes simultaneously emitted a blinding purple glow.
Thin, radiant purple beams extended from the spikes, forming a delicate yet intricate web around the Masked Man—a spatial sealing network.
"Sage Art: Sealing Technique - Spatial Restriction!"
Sōmi's presence surged with power as a fierce whirlwind erupted from beneath his feet, tearing up the grass and soil around him.
He wasn't sure of Obito's exact intentions—whether he planned to defeat him and capture Shukaku, or whether he intended to use the One-Tail within him as a substitute for the Nine-Tails to wreak havoc in Konohagakure.
Regardless, since Obito had shown hostility, Sōmi had no intention of holding back. From the very start, he unleashed a thunderous offensive, aiming to kill him on the spot!
After all, with Obito's space-time ninjutsu combined with Zetsu's reconnaissance abilities, there was only one chance to catch him off guard.
"Hmm?!"
When the Masked Man attempted to retreat into Kamui's Dimension, he was horrified to discover that the normally seamless transition into the dimension was being disrupted by an immense repulsive and gravitational force.
Not only was he unable to move freely within Kamui's Dimension, but even the part of his body hidden within it was being forcibly expelled bit by bit.
For the first time, a trace of panic appeared in the Masked Man's heart. His thoughts raced.
Though he had once considered himself invincible after mastering the techniques imparted by the "Old Dancer," tonight's encounter with Sōmi felt like a heavy blow, shattering his confidence.
For the first time, cracks appeared in the invincible mindset he had cultivated.
But Sōmi showed no hesitation. After sealing the space around the Masked Man, he swiftly formed another series of hand seals.
"Sage Art: Storm Sand Formation!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The ground suddenly erupted with fine yellow sand, which rapidly expanded into a violent tornado.
The tornado seemed to be composed of countless sharp wind blades, slicing through the ground and carving out a massive circular crater.
Yellow sand filled the air, and the wind blades danced wildly. The tornado, as thick as a water barrel, shot skyward, shattering the concealed barrier Sōmi had previously set up.
Pop!
It was as if an invisible bubble surrounding the area had burst. A terrifyingly chaotic energy erupted just outside Konohagakure, alarming the village's ninja who had been lying in wait.
Sōmi was confident that, given Obito's current strength, forcing him out of Kamui's Dimension would result in the storm shredding every inch of his body into minuscule pieces, scattering them into the wind.
Whoosh... Whoosh...
As the storm subsided, the ground was left with a massive crater, and the surrounding vegetation appeared as if it had been ravaged by a thousand blades, leaving behind a scene of utter devastation.
Sōmi narrowed his eyes slightly, using Sage Mode to carefully sense his surroundings.
Apart from the group of Konohagakure ninja rushing toward the area, there was no trace of Obito's presence.
"Did I kill him outright?"
Sōmi pondered to himself.
However, with tonight's plan already foiled, Sōmi had no intention of staying to clash with Konohagakure. He prepared to leave the area.
Ding...
The surrounding space rippled faintly, almost imperceptibly.
But the next moment, Obito's presence was instantly detected by Sōmi.
"Izanagi, huh..."
"So he..."
A hint of regret flashed across Sōmi's face as he looked toward the Masked Man, now standing about twenty meters away.
After all, failing to eliminate him this time meant Obito would likely go into hiding for a long while.
Obito's right eye still glowed with a blood-red light, but now it carried a mix of caution and fear.
If not for his foresight in preparing Izanagi, tonight might have been his end.
"A ninja from Sunagakure, huh..."
"With such formidable strength, cooperating to deal with Konohagakure wouldn't be out of the question..."
"We'll meet again..."
Though his heart was still shaken, Obito spoke in a lofty, enigmatic tone, leaving these words before a vortex of space spiraled out from his right eye, swallowing his figure completely.
Sōmi's form began to sink into the ground, while the floating gold sand around him swarmed back into the Starfall Rod on his back.
After all, with Konohagakure's ninja closing in, flying away would expose him too easily.
A few moments later.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, clad in battle gear and wielding the Adamantine Staff transformed from Enma, was the first to arrive at the hill.
His face was unusually solemn as he surveyed the battlefield's remnants.
Jiraiya followed closely behind, arriving almost simultaneously with Hiruzen.
"It seems the Great Toad Sage's prophecy was correct..."
"Good thing we brought Kushina to Mount Myōboku..."
Jiraiya closed his eyes briefly, sensing the area before speaking with a slight sense of relief.
"This level of Wind Release ninjutsu..."
"And Fire Release as well..."
Hiruzen analyzed the scene, deducing the types of techniques used based on the traces left behind.
"Not just that..."
"There was also Sage Techniques and space-time ninjutsu!"
Jiraiya's expression grew even graver. The lingering Natural Energy in the area was something he was all too familiar with.
"Two unknown enemies fought here?"
Jiraiya voiced his speculation.
"Sage Techniques..."
"It seems the ninja world is still far from true peace," Hiruzen murmured, his face heavy with worry.
"Lord Third Hokage!"
"Lord Jiraiya!"
"Where are the enemies?!"
At that moment, a group of Jōnin arrived, their faces filled with disbelief as they took in the battlefield.
After all, this had happened right under Konohagakure's nose...
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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