While Deidara and his team were heading toward the Hidden Cloud Village, Obito and his group arrived first at the Hidden Sound Village. This time, it wasn't just Obito and Zetsu—both the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee had joined them, showing a rare level of respect for Orochimaru.
After all, their current plan was hanging by a thread. If Orochimaru's part didn't succeed, the entire plan would fall apart, so they had no choice but to treat this seriously.
"Who are you people?" A lively Kimimaro blocked the four of them.
"The Shikotsumyaku of the Kaguya Clan," Black Zetsu muttered, clearly displeased. How dare these brutes use the name of Kaguya?
Universal Pull!
Without wasting words, Obito directly used the Rinnegan technique to pull Kimimaro toward him.
Dance of the Willow!
Bone spikes sprouted from Kimimaro's joints, aiming to pierce Obito as he was pulled closer.
"Hmm?" To Kimimaro's shock, his body phased right through Obito's, his attack having no effect.
"Die!" A flash of lightning streaked through the air as the Fourth Raikage, moving faster than the eye could follow, delivered a thunderous punch toward Kimimaro. At this moment, Kimimaro was still stumbling after passing through Obito's intangible body and had no time to adjust his stance.
Boom!
Kimimaro was slammed hard into the ground, but he wasn't severely injured. Thanks to the extraordinary density and strength of his Shikotsumyaku bones, his defense was formidable.
As for muscle damage? It didn't matter much—Shikotsumyaku combat wasn't heavily reliant on muscles.
Kimimaro slowly lowered the bone shield in his hand, which was faintly entwined with branches. Even the Raikage's punch hadn't managed to break it.
"Wood Release! Orochimaru, that bastard!" Obito grumbled, clearly annoyed. He had underestimated Orochimaru's scientific prowess; otherwise, he never would have handed the perfected version of Hashirama's cells to Danzō.
Dance of the Clematis: Flower!
Kimimaro launched another attack, but unfortunately for him, his opponents were no ordinary foes. His strikes had no effect at all.
After exchanging a few more moves, Kimimaro realized the enemies were too strong. He decided to use his most powerful technique.
"Bracken Dance—"
Before he could finish, his move was interrupted. Kimimaro was sucked into Obito's Kamui dimension, completely caught off guard due to his lack of information about Obito's abilities.
The four of them continued their assault, bulldozing their way through with unstoppable force. Even Kimimaro, whose bloodline disease had been cured and who had gained Wood Release, seemed insignificant—let alone the other defenders.
When Obito and his group reached the deepest part of Orochimaru's underground base, they entered the innermost room and frowned.
"Where's Orochimaru?" Obito asked, puzzled.
"He was here earlier; I've been monitoring him the whole time," Black Zetsu replied, equally confused.
There was no trace of Orochimaru in the room—only a boy who appeared to be eleven or twelve years old.
"Hey, kid. Where's Orochimaru?"
"I don't know. Lord Orochimaru was just here," Uzumaki Yūsuke replied.
The four of them searched the area thoroughly but still found no sign of Orochimaru. They even interrogated the base's subordinates using genjutsu, but all of them insisted Orochimaru had been there moments ago.
"Could Orochimaru have been reverse-summoned to Ryūchi Cave?" Black Zetsu speculated, thinking it was the only plausible explanation.
"Damn it!" Obito cursed, clearly frustrated.
"Why don't we just take Orochimaru's subordinates and his research materials with us? That way, he'll have to come looking for us eventually," Black Zetsu suggested.
He glanced at Uzumaki Yūsuke and couldn't help but admire Orochimaru's work. "An Uzumaki with transplanted Sharingan and Wood Release... This kid must be one of Orochimaru's most important experiments. And there's also that Shikotsumyaku user with Wood Release, not to mention Itachi's younger brother, Sasuke. Let's take them all."
Obito nodded. "That's our best option."
"You think you can capture me that easily?" Uzumaki Yūsuke said defiantly. He clapped his hands and shouted, "Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!"
Almighty Push!
The rapidly growing trees were obliterated by a powerful repelling force. Standing calmly in the aftermath, Obito remarked, "So, you can even use the Advent of a World of Flowering Trees? Impressive."
"And that's not all!"
"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"
A massive wooden dragon emerged, lunging toward the four attackers. The Raikage, ever impulsive, charged forward and punched the dragon, resulting in a stalemate.
Seeing his brother in action, Killer Bee joined the fray, cloaked in the chakra of the Eight-Tails, and launched an attack directly at Uzumaki Yūsuke.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
Four massive golden chains of chakra erupted from Yūsuke's back, instantly binding the unsuspecting Killer Bee.
"Uh-oh! My chakra's sealed! I'm in trouble! Oh yeah!" Killer Bee rapped, even in the dire situation.
"Why are you still singing at a time like this?!" the Eight-Tails roared in his mind. "This is the Uzumaki Clan's unique sealing technique. You need to be extra cautious when facing it in the future. Even we Tailed Beasts find it extremely troublesome!"
Despite being captured, Killer Bee wasn't in any real danger with so many allies present. The Raikage, desperate to save his brother, smashed his elbow into the golden chains. Though he couldn't break them, the impact caused Yūsuke to stumble.
"Fine! I give up!" Yūsuke said, sounding petulant like a child.
Seeing Yūsuke's impressive abilities, Obito decided to recruit him. "How about joining us?"
"What's in it for me?" Yūsuke asked warily.
"We can make you stronger," Obito replied.
"That way, you'll be even more valuable to Orochimaru, won't you?" he added.
Yūsuke looked skeptical. "Hmph! Only Lord Orochimaru can make me stronger. Your words mean nothing to me!"
"Why don't you come with us and see for yourself? If I'm lying, you can leave anytime," Obito said, continuing to coax him.
After a moment of hesitation, Yūsuke reluctantly agreed. "Fine. But if Lord Orochimaru needs me, I'll leave you without hesitation."
"Of course!" Obito nodded and absorbed the unresisting Yūsuke into the Kamui dimension.
Inside the Kamui dimension, Kimimaro and Sasuke were already there. When they saw someone else enter, Kimimaro immediately asked, "Uzumaki Yūsuke? Did they capture you too?"
Kimimaro was visibly anxious. Yūsuke was supposed to be Orochimaru's long-prepared vessel for reincarnation. Now that he had been captured, what would Orochimaru do?
"Heh!" Yūsuke licked his lips with a long tongue, his demeanor suddenly turning sinister.
"Don't worry, Kimimaro."
Meanwhile, as Obito finished securing Kimimaro, Sasuke, and Yūsuke, Deidara and his team had just arrived at the Hidden Cloud Village.
As for why Obito didn't keep them in the Kamui dimension for long? After being struck twice in quick succession by Guy's attacks during their last encounter, Obito no longer dared to store anything there for extended periods.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~ The story isn't over...🤔 Want to know what happens next to the characters? 🤫 Eager to explore the untold secrets of this world? ✍ Ready to read more of my wildest stories?✨patreon.com/GoldenLong