Outside the Mizukage Building, chaos reigned.
With a single swing of his great blade, Zabuza Momochi cleaved open the reinforced door. The impact echoed through the courtyard, and the once-proud gates of the Mist's central fortress fell apart like rotten wood.
"Move in!" Zabuza roared, his voice a mix of triumph and bloodlust. "Find the Fourth Mizukage! Once he's dead, this will all be over!"
His subordinates surged forward, blades flashing. The defenders outside had been crushed with alarming ease, and none of the supporting clans had arrived to reinforce the Fourth Mizukage. The coup was proceeding far smoother than Zabuza had dared hope.
As he stepped into the mist-shrouded corridors of the building, his grin widened. He could already see it — the image of Yagura Karatachi's lifeless body at his feet.
---
Meanwhile, in one of the upper corridors, a small resistance formed. Kisame Hoshigaki and Uchiha Obito stood side by side, having just subdued Anko, Sora, and Hanryu, who had attempted to hold them off.
When Zabuza rounded the corner and saw them, his expression hardened. These two weren't ordinary guards — their presence alone radiated power. To him, they must have been the Fourth Mizukage's last line of defense.
"Kisame… and some masked freak," Zabuza muttered, gripping his sword tighter. Then he bellowed, "Kill them! Whoever brings me their heads will be rewarded handsomely!"
The promise of reward was all his men needed. Fueled by greed and adrenaline, they charged forward, filling the narrow corridor with the sound of rushing footsteps and clanging steel.
---
Far away, in a high building overlooking the chaos, Orochimaru stood on a rooftop, arms crossed, his snake-like eyes glimmering with amusement. The Hidden Mist Village — once feared as the "Village of Bloody Mist" — was tearing itself apart.
"What a delightful mess," he murmured, his lips curling into a faint smile. "How fragile peace is when people are driven by fear and pride."
His tongue flicked across his lips as he descended from the rooftop, moving silently toward a hidden laboratory deep underground.
Inside, a young figure stood waiting — Haku, calm and pale, her expression serene.
Orochimaru approached, his golden eyes narrowing as he inspected the faint mark glowing at her neck — the Heavenly Curse Mark he had implanted not long ago.
"Haku," he said smoothly, "how do you feel?"
"Lord Orochimaru," Haku answered softly after a brief hesitation. "I… feel fine. Better than fine, actually. The energy flowing through me feels… peaceful."
"Peaceful?" Orochimaru raised a brow, genuine surprise flickering across his face.
Normally, a human body afflicted with the Curse Mark would writhe in pain as natural energy corroded its flesh, transforming it into a vessel suitable for his soul. Even Kimimaro, his most gifted subject, could only withstand the Earth Curse Mark with great difficulty. Yet here Haku stood — calm, unscathed, and glowing with controlled power.
"Interesting," Orochimaru mused, his tone darkly pleased. "Could it be… that you have a natural affinity for Sage energy?"
He was about to test further when his golden eyes darted toward the foggy courtyard outside. A faint smirk formed at his lips.
"Heh… am I being watched now?" he whispered. "Tonight truly is full of surprises."
---
Deep within the Mizukage's vault, a spatial vortex rippled open. Obito stepped through, his single Sharingan eye gleaming beneath his mask. His gaze immediately locked onto two figures rifling through the hidden repository.
Dressed in the uniforms of Mist shinobi, they were none other than Hyuga Neji and Uchiha Hikari.
Obito froze, momentarily confused. "Not Zabuza?" he muttered. "Who are these two?"
Before he could fully process the situation, he reached out instinctively, laying his hands on both their shoulders.
Instantly, Neji's body went rigid. A numbing wave spread through his limbs, and his thoughts grew sluggish.
Kamui!
Unlike ordinary jutsu, Kamui's space-time properties dulled both body and mind, making escape nearly impossible. Those struck by its effects were often left completely defenseless before being dragged into Obito's private dimension.
But Neji wasn't just anyone.
"Obito!" he hissed between clenched teeth.
With immense effort, Neji summoned his chakra, forcing his body to move. The Tenseigan's power ignited within him, his eyes glowing a fierce turquoise. "Tenseigan Repulsion!"
A tidal wave of invisible force erupted outward, crashing against Obito like a sudden storm. At the same moment, Hikari broke free from the spatial distortion, her Mangekyō Sharingan spinning rapidly.
"Susanoo!"
A crimson spectral warrior materialized around her in an instant. Hikari's version of Susanoo was raw and feral — skipping the skeletal phase entirely, it formed a half-bodied giant wielding an enormous blade. With a thunderous roar, the red apparition swung its sword down toward Obito.
Caught off guard, Obito's eyes widened. They broke free of Kamui?
He hadn't expected resistance — much less an immediate counterattack.
The wave from Neji's Repulsion slammed into him, knocking him off balance. In the next heartbeat, Hikari's Susanoo blade followed through with terrifying precision.
SLASH!
A streak of blood arced through the air.
Obito stumbled back, staring in disbelief as his left arm — severed cleanly at the shoulder — hit the ground with a wet thud.
---
Neji straightened, his pale eyes glinting coldly. He glanced at the fallen arm and allowed himself a small smile.
"Not bad," he murmured.
He knew how resilient Obito's body had become after grafting Hashirama's cells. The man had once survived a full-force Rasengan from the Fourth Hokage. For them to wound him like this was a statement in itself.
Beside him, Hikari placed her hands on her hips, her crimson Susanoo looming protectively behind her. "Hmph. Losing an arm already? Some 'legendary Uchiha' you are."
Obito's gaze hardened. "Who are you?"
He recognized Neji instantly — the Hyuga prodigy who had once captured the Six-Tails Jinchūriki. But the girl beside him… her chakra felt ancient, her Sharingan blazing with an intensity that unsettled him.
"Mangekyō Sharingan?" he muttered. "But… I've never seen you before."
Hikari tilted her head, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips. "You've never seen me because I come from before your time, brat. I'm your ancestor."
---
For a brief moment, Obito just stared. Then he snorted in derision. "Ridiculous. You dare claim that title before me? I inherited Madara's will!"
"Madara?" Hikari chuckled mockingly. "You mean the corpse whose name you hide behind? Please. Even Madara would have called me 'ancestor.'"
Her words struck like venom. Obito's patience snapped. "You—!"
"You're nothing more than a shadow wearing a dead man's mask," she continued, her childish voice sharp with defiance. "A coward who hides in the dark, clinging to the past because he couldn't protect the people he loved."
That last jab hit home.
Obito's body stiffened, his visible eye trembling. The mention of Rin made the world narrow to a single, burning point of rage.
"You—shut your mouth!"
"Touched a nerve?" Hikari teased, smiling sweetly.
"You know nothing," Obito spat. "Nothing of my pain!"
But before he could continue, Neji's calm voice cut in. "Obito. Do you remember the Night Moon Clan shinobi you killed years ago while stealing the Red Gourd?"
Obito froze.
"He left behind a dying message," Neji went on. "He spoke of a mysterious Uchiha with a single Sharingan in his right eye. Later, when I fought Kakashi Hatake, I noticed his left eye bore the same visual prowess. Two halves of the same whole."
Neji's gaze sharpened. "The odds of two Sharingan users possessing identical ocular powers in opposite eyes? Astronomically low. So, after eliminating the impossible, the truth became clear — the two eyes belong to one person."
He smiled coldly. "Uchiha Obito. You didn't die in the Third Great Ninja War."
---
Obito's mask tilted downward, his breathing roughening. "So what if I didn't? You think you can judge me?"
Neji's tone was merciless. "No. I merely wonder why you did it. Why you unleashed the Nine-Tails, why you caused the death of my lord and lady. Was it because Rin Nohara died? Because Kakashi was chosen over you?"
Obito's teeth clenched audibly.
Neji's smile turned sharp. "How pathetic. You blame everyone but yourself. You weren't strong enough to save her, yet you curse the world for it. No wonder Rin chose Kakashi over a weakling like you."
"SHUT UP!"
Obito's chakra flared violently. The air distorted around him as Kamui's dimensional energy gathered. "You'll pay for those words!"
With a deep snarl, he summoned the massive Gunbai War Fan, its surface glowing with flame. "Hyuga Neji… Uchiha Hikari… you'll both die here!"
Neji kicked Obito's severed arm aside like debris, chuckling softly. "Overconfidence suits you, Obito."
Obito's reply was a roar as he lunged forward, the Gunbai slicing through the air with deadly force.
---
Neji's eyes flared, activating the Tenseigan Chakra Mode. His body was surrounded by a radiant aura, and nine glowing Truth-Seeking Orbs materialized behind him, circling protectively.
As Obito's speed increased, Neji tracked every motion with perfect precision.
In an instant, the two clashed — Obito's Gunbai against Neji's invisible repulsion field. The resulting shockwave shattered the floor, sending fragments flying like bullets.
At that same moment, Hikari's crimson Susanoo advanced, its giant blade swinging in perfect sync with Neji's attacks. The ground quaked beneath the combined assault.
Obito found himself forced on the defensive, phasing in and out of reality to avoid their strikes. But even then, he couldn't find an opening.
Despite the intensity of the battle, his mind flickered with unease. They're coordinating perfectly… just like—
---
Across the battlefield, far from the secret chamber, Ao stood atop a distant watchtower, his Byakugan active. He peered into the Mizukage Building, tracking every surge of chakra.
"Lord Genshi," he reported, turning to the elderly strategist beside him, "the battle inside continues. Zabuza is at a disadvantage, but the building's defenses are holding stronger than expected."
"No sign of the Tailed Beast's chakra?" Genshi asked.
"None," Ao replied. "But Kisame and three Bloodline ANBU are engaging Zabuza's forces."
"Kisame…" Genshi sighed. "A pity. Of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, only he still carries that title with pride. It seems he, too, has fallen under Yagura's control."
Beside him, Mei Terumī frowned. "Then shouldn't we intervene?"
But Genshi shook his head calmly. "Patience. Everything is unfolding as it should."
Turning to the blonde kunoichi at his side, he smiled faintly. "Miss Samui, I trust Hidden Cloud isn't disappointed by our little performance?"
Samui's sharp eyes gleamed with understanding. "Not at all, Elder Genshi. You made it clear — once Neji enters the Mizukage Building, our people will move if Zabuza's forces falter."
Genshi nodded approvingly. "Good. Then… the curtain on this chaos is about to rise."
---
To be continued…
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