The silence after Kakashi was swallowed into the void was deafening.
Tsunade and Jiraiya stood rooted to the ground, their expressions darkening as they tried to process what had just happened. Moments ago, the mysterious Masked Man had appeared without warning, and before they could react, Kakashi was dragged into that strange distortion of space.
Even after years of wandering the shinobi world, enduring countless battles and brushes with death, the Sannin had rarely felt such powerlessness. To watch a comrade be torn from their side, stolen away as if by some invisible hand, was a humiliation neither of them could easily accept.
Tsunade's fists clenched tightly, her nails digging into her palms. The veins in her temple pulsed as fury boiled in her chest. She raised her chakra-infused fist and slammed it into the ground with all her strength.
Boom!
The forest floor erupted, cracking apart like shattered glass. Rocks splintered and scattered, the violent tremor making trees sway as leaves rained down.
Her voice was sharp, carrying both anger and frustration.
"Damn it! That Masked Man… his Sharingan wasn't ordinary. That was Mangekyō-level power."
Jiraiya's face was equally grim. "It doesn't resemble Uchiha Itachi's eyes. Whoever he is, he's someone dangerous."
The tension in the air was palpable. Both Sannin knew all too well what a Mangekyō Sharingan user was capable of. That such a person could move freely, without them even being able to properly counter, was a threat they couldn't ignore.
"What is his goal?" Tsunade muttered, her eyes narrowing with cold suspicion.
Jiraiya's tone carried unease. "Perhaps… he's after Kakashi's Sharingan. A Mangekyō user would see it as valuable."
But before they could draw further conclusions, the space before them twisted violently once more.
Zzzt—crack!
A vortex of distorted space blossomed open, sucking in air with a deep hum. The pressure shook the branches overhead, scattering leaves into the swirling current.
Two figures leaped out of the void almost simultaneously—Kakashi and the Masked Man.
The clash was instantaneous. Steel glinted under the dappled forest light as kunai flew between them like sparks. The air rang with crisp clangs as weapons met mid-flight. Kakashi's movements were sharp, his Sharingan spinning, while the Masked Man's body flickered with impossible speed, slipping through attacks with unnerving ease.
In the blink of an eye, the Masked Man vanished from Kakashi's front and reappeared behind Jiraiya, his kunai poised to strike.
"Jiraiya! Behind you!"
Kakashi's shout cut through the chaos. His fingers blurred through hand seals, chakra molding swiftly in his chest. But this time, his eyes glimmered faintly with calculation—he needed something new, something convincing.
"Water Release: Raining Mist!"
His voice rang clear, and the jutsu erupted forth.
Moisture thickened instantly in the air, coalescing into countless droplets that shimmered like threads of silver in the light. The mist spread out in fine sheets, weaving around the battlefield with uncanny precision.
Kunai met the mist and were slowed, diverted, and finally intercepted, their deadly momentum dulled into harmless clinks. The forest floor darkened as water pooled across it, droplets pattering like rain.
Jiraiya spun around, momentarily stunned. "That's—!"
But the Masked Man, caught in the spreading mist, did not linger. With a final glance toward Kakashi, his body flickered again, twisting into the vortex of Kamui space.
The rift closed with a deep hum. Silence fell once more, broken only by Kakashi's ragged breathing.
Tsunade and Jiraiya rushed forward.
"Kakashi!" Tsunade's sharp voice carried concern, though her expression remained steely. "Are you hurt?"
Kakashi shook his head, one hand resting lightly on his knee as he steadied his breath. "I'm fine. That spatial ninjutsu… it drained a lot of chakra, but I can still fight."
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. "Did you learn anything? Who is that man?"
For a moment, Kakashi's gaze darkened. In truth, his heart was conflicted—he had reconciled with Obito within Kamui. But now, in front of the Sannin, he had to maintain the façade. He inhaled slowly, his voice calm but heavy.
"He… claimed to be part of an organization called Akatsuki."
At once, Jiraiya's expression hardened. His eyes widened with recognition and alarm.
"Akatsuki?" he repeated, voice low.
Kakashi continued, spinning the lies with a measured tone. "From what he said, their objective is terrifyingly simple. They want to use the asteroid Uchiha Gen summoned to ensure a complete impact… to destroy the entire ninja world. Only then, they believe, can so-called 'absolute peace' be achieved."
Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged shocked looks. The idea was insane, yet delivered with such conviction that it couldn't be dismissed outright.
"And," Kakashi pressed on, "he let slip that their current members include Orochimaru and Uchiha Itachi. As for their leader… he's said to possess the legendary Rinnegan."
The word froze Jiraiya in place.
Rinnegan…
His heart pounded in his chest, old memories clawing their way up. He saw the faces of three children standing in the rain, fragile yet hopeful: Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato. Could it be? Was the Rinnegan wielder the same boy he had once trained?
He masked his turmoil with silence, but Tsunade's sharp gaze caught the flicker of unease.
She turned instead to Kakashi, suspicion in her tone. "And how, exactly, did he reveal all this?"
Kakashi's face remained unreadable, his voice firm and steady. "He was arrogant. Overconfident. He wanted to display the Akatsuki's power, to intimidate me. In doing so, he revealed far more than he should have. My guess? He's not a core member. More like an immature recruit who let his mouth run."
He said it so naturally that even Tsunade, though doubtful, found no cracks in his words.
Jiraiya frowned but didn't press further. His thoughts remained with the Rinnegan. "Hidden Rain… could it be…?" he muttered to himself, his voice barely audible.
The three stood in tense silence before Tsunade abruptly asked, "Kakashi, that jutsu you used… Water Release: Raining Mist. Is that a new technique?"
Kakashi blinked, caught slightly off guard. "Yes. It's something I developed recently. A small-scale ninjutsu, mainly meant to serve as preparation for other techniques."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, surprised despite herself. Developing a new ninjutsu was no small feat—it required not only mastery over chakra's nature and form, but also deep creativity.
Her eyes narrowed, replaying the scene in her mind. The fine mist, harmless at first glance, had shifted the battle in subtle ways—obscuring vision, diverting kunai, and setting up for greater techniques.
"So this isn't just a defensive jutsu," she murmured. "It's a foundation. A base to build stronger ninjutsu upon."
Kakashi nodded. "Exactly. With my Sharingan no longer consuming me constantly, I can finally focus on refining my own techniques. Raining Mist is only the first step."
Jiraiya smirked faintly, though his eyes remained troubled. "You've always had a knack for ingenuity, Kakashi. Just don't overdo it—you'll need your strength in the days ahead."
Tsunade crossed her arms, her sharp gaze softening slightly. "To be able to develop ninjutsu of your own again… you've truly grown, Kakashi."
Though her words were measured, there was an undertone of pride.
Kakashi lowered his head slightly, his usual calm smile masking the storm within. He had lied, manipulated, and planted seeds of misinformation. Yet in the end, even Tsunade and Jiraiya had accepted it.
Obito… this is the path I've chosen. For now, we'll play our parts as enemies. But someday, maybe this world really can be remade.
The forest around them was silent again, save for the faint dripping of water from the Raining Mist. The battle was over, but its consequences were only beginning.
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