The Masked Man — Obito's current guise — wore a grim expression, his disfigured face twisting unpleasantly beneath the orange mask.
While the Umbrella shinobi were shocked by his strange, intangible abilities, Obito was just as surprised by their strength.
That strange chakra armor they wore… what was it made of? How could it be so durable? And these shinobi — their coordination, their chakra levels — they could rival the elite forces of the Five Great Nations!
Leaping between tall buildings, Obito's figure flickered in and out of existence. Below him, the Umbrella shinobi reacted swiftly, launching Ninjutsu to drive him into an open area where they could surround him.
The Umbrella's strength wasn't born overnight. It was the result of Naruto's policies — an organization that welcomed shinobi from all lands, nurtured talent through shared Ninjutsu resources, and even distributed training videos.
The rise of new talent had become almost industrial.
Though few, aside from Shisui and a handful of veterans, had reached the level of true masters, the chakra armor changed everything. Even a Chūnin could fight on par with a Jōnin once equipped.
And Jōnin — they were the core combat power of any Hidden Village.
"Is that the intruder?"
"Who dares invade the Umbrella Base? How did he even get through the barrier?"
A familiar voice cut through the noise. Zabuza Momochi appeared before the group, the massive blade resting on his shoulder.
He knew better than anyone how strong the base's defenses were. The barrier here had been personally established by Naruto — even the Five Great Nations couldn't easily penetrate it.
Could there have been a spy? The thought made Zabuza's expression harden. He refused to believe such a thing.
Zabuza's power had grown immensely since his battle with Kisame. The aura rolling off him now was that of a seasoned warrior who had long surpassed his former self.
"What is your purpose here, member of the Akatsuki?"
Zabuza's voice thundered across the square.
From the masked man's attire — black cloak adorned with red clouds — the answer was obvious.
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Obito's lips, though it was hidden beneath his mask.
Black cloak. Red clouds. The Umbrella shinobi knew exactly who he was dealing with. Under Naruto's guidance, they had chosen to avoid direct conflict with Akatsuki until the time was right — but that didn't mean they would allow themselves to be trampled.
Obito ignored Zabuza's question and instead turned his gaze toward several masked figures standing nearby — each bearing the unmistakable glow of three-tomoe Sharingan.
His single Sharingan spun slightly, narrowing in disbelief.
More Uchiha? Here?
Black Zetsu's earlier warning echoed in his mind — this organization could interfere with the Eye of the Moon Plan.
Now, it all made sense.
They had secretly gathered Uchiha survivors. They possessed unknown ninja tools, high-level barriers, and even housed the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki along with members of the Hyūga branch family.
A shadowy network of powerful shinobi, hidden from the world…
In Obito's mind, he had already painted the picture — a vast, secretive organization growing strong enough to threaten his plan.
These Uchiha must be the ones who vanished during the last war, presumed dead on the battlefield.
Zabuza, however, was burning with rage.
He had been overseeing the base's security these past few weeks. For an intruder to appear now — right under his watch — was humiliating. He could already picture Naruto's disapproving look at the next meeting.
But that could wait. Right now, he needed to take this man down.
"Capture him!" Zabuza barked, gritting his teeth.
The surrounding Umbrella shinobi sprang into action, fury blazing in their eyes.
No matter where this intruder came from, this breach was their failure — and they would atone for it here.
A dozen shinobi formed seals in unison.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Destruction!"
A blazing inferno erupted, turning the square into a sea of flame. Yet the fire washed through Obito harmlessly — his body flickered, becoming ghostlike and intangible.
To the outside world, it looked as though the man had become nothing but a mirage.
In truth, his real body had already slipped into the Kamui Dimension. What everyone saw was merely a spatial projection, a hollow image.
"Fire Release is useless. Deploy the Kirin Formation!"
Zabuza didn't personally move. Instead, he gestured sharply.
Another squad of shinobi rushed forward, forming seals.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
"Water Release: Water Wall!"
Streams of water surged forth, meeting the flames in midair.
The two forces collided with a deafening roar — fire and water canceling each other out, blanketing the battlefield in a thick, rolling steam.
Obito narrowed his eyes, scanning the mist. Something felt off.
Even the most incompetent commander wouldn't issue such conflicting orders.
Then it hit him — this was no mistake.
The mist was their strategy.
As the water vapor thickened, drifting upward into the sky, Obito's instincts screamed a warning.
The true battle was about to begin.
At that moment, another team of shinobi stepped forward, swiftly forming just three hand seals.
"Lightning Release: Kirin Formation!"
Their collective shouts echoed through the battlefield, and a sense of dread rose in Obito's heart. The name alone — Kirin — stirred something dark within him. It reminded him too much of Rin.
That memory alone was enough to ignite his killing intent.
The sky darkened as clouds gathered unnaturally fast. Obito's Sharingan turned upward, narrowing as a palpable threat began to take form above.
"What's this…? A cooperative Ninjutsu?" he muttered, his tone low.
"So they've combined Fire Release and Water Release to create storm clouds… I see."
Obito might have been a late bloomer, but under Uchiha Madara's tutelage, his understanding of Ninjutsu had become profound. Even if he didn't fully comprehend the technique, he could already gauge its devastating potential.
From within the rolling thunderclouds, a colossal beast made of pure lightning took shape — a divine creature of destruction descending from the heavens.
Bolts crackled and split the air apart. The Kirin's power far surpassed what Sasuke had once unleashed. After all — how could one man's strength compare to the combined might of many?
This was the fruit of Naruto's guidance.
Unlike those who hoarded power, Naruto shared every ounce of his knowledge for the sake of the Allied Shinobi Forces. Even Ninjutsu as advanced as Kirin had been adapted — turned into a coordinated technique that multiple shinobi could perform together.
Individually, it was nearly impossible to master. But by dividing the control of chakra among the group, each shinobi could handle a part of the process. With enough chakra output shared between them, the technique's destructive potential multiplied severalfold.
Zabuza stared up at the roaring beast in disbelief. Even for someone like him, hardened by war and blood, this was overwhelming.
"This Ninjutsu… it's easily S-rank," he muttered. "A direct hit would kill even me."
Lightning crashed down, scattering across the ground and detonating small explosions wherever it struck. Each blast might have been minor on its own, but the sheer scale — the rhythm of destruction — was enough to make even veterans falter.
The massive Kirin descended under perfect coordination, plunging toward Obito like divine retribution.
Obito's Sharingan spun. With a sharp breath, his body blurred — phasing out just as the Kirin struck. He wasn't foolish enough to test that power head-on.
Zabuza's eyes narrowed.
"Mangekyō Sharingan…?"
So that was his dōjutsu ability. Zabuza had heard of it from Shisui and the others — every pair of Mangekyō possessed a unique power. But even that wasn't invincible.
"Every jutsu has a limit," Zabuza growled.
"Even Izumi's Mangekyō can be overwhelmed if you strike fast enough. Her illusion takes time to activate — it can be broken through."
He turned sharply to the Kirin team.
"Use a Lightning Net! I refuse to believe he can stay intangible forever!"
Following his command, the Kirin roared and released streams of concentrated lightning from its maw — beams that cut through the air like radiant spears.
They wove together into a vast net of electricity, sealing the battlefield in layers of radiant thunder.
Obito's expression hardened. He could phase through matter for only about five minutes — and once that time ran out, he'd be forced to rematerialize. But with this much Lightning Release saturating the air, even a moment of vulnerability could mean being torn apart.
"Tch… looks like it's time to retreat."
He hadn't achieved his objective, but he'd gathered valuable intel — a new cooperative technique, the nature of Naruto's forces, and hints of an ambition that could potentially interfere with the Eye of the Moon Plan.
A spiraling distortion appeared beside him — the mark of Kamui's space-time warp.
Obito's voice echoed as his form began to fade.
"We'll meet again."
And with that, he vanished.
The lightning storm gradually dispersed, leaving only the scent of ozone and silence in its wake.
Zabuza exhaled deeply.
"A space-time dōjutsu…" he muttered.
That answer — though troubling — was far better than discovering another traitor among their ranks.
...
TN:
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