Kisame immediately broke off his thoughts the moment he heard the voice, springing aside with sharp alertness.
Obito frowned deeply — why was he here?
Uchiha Natsuki strolled out leisurely. "My bad. Your acting was just so clumsy that I couldn't help but laugh."
Kisame furrowed his brow. "You're that guy from the other day?"
Natsuki raised an eyebrow and greeted Kisame casually.
Obito, speaking in a forced deep tone, said, "What's so funny?"
The corner of Natsuki's mouth curved into a mocking smirk.
"You're the one who sent Kisame on those bloody missions. You're the one who drove him into confusion. And you have the audacity to say you'll 'free him from pain'? Who do you think you are?"
"The tyranny Mist suffered these past years — wasn't it all you, controlling Yagura with genjutsu? And now you show up pretending to be Madara Uchiha? Wanting it both ways, playing all the parts?"
Obito kept silent. He didn't know what "wanting it both ways" meant exactly, but the ridicule was obvious.
Natsuki's appearance was troublesome for him, but since he had already committed to acting as Madara, he could only hold his ground.
Then Natsuki suddenly asked, "Are you really Madara Uchiha?"
Obito could only grit his teeth and reply, "That's right. I am Madara."
Hearing him still bluff at this point, Natsuki burst into wild laughter. "Hahahaha! Hahaha!"
Obito grew flustered with anger. "What's so funny!?"
"You? Madara Uchiha?"
"You!? Madara Uchiha!!??"
"Madara spent his life dominating the battlefield! When did he ever hide his face behind a mask?"
"How could Madara ever be some coward who skulks in the shadows!?"
"Your genjutsu might fool others — but do you really think it can fool another Uchiha!?"
Natsuki spat out his contempt. To him, Obito was the most revolting existence in this world. If not for Obito stirring chaos everywhere, would he need to run around cleaning up all the messes?
Kisame, standing nearby, kept silent. That "others"… was he being included in that?
Obito snorted coldly, stepping back to stand behind Yagura.
Yagura waved his hand, conjuring a mirror before him. Reflected inside was Natsuki's own image.
"Oh? Isn't this the legendary Water Mirror Technique?"
Sure enough, a clone identical to Natsuki burst out from the mirror.
Natsuki's eyes lit up — time to test it.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
The mirrored clone cast the same Great Fireball. The two collided mid-air and canceled each other out.
"Impressive… it really can replicate."
"But what about Susanoo?"
Natsuki's Mangekyō Sharingan spun violently.
A golden Susanoo erupted upward, chakra surging wildly and filling the dim chamber.
Obito's face darkened. How could Uchiha Natsuki's ocular power be this strong!?
The Susanoo formed from skeletal frame upward. The mirrored copy wavered and shattered instantly.
So, the Water Mirror couldn't duplicate Susanoo.
Natsuki's Susanoo gained flesh, then burst through the ceiling with a crash.
Moonlight poured down, bathing his golden Susanoo in a hazy glow.
Meanwhile, Yagura had already begun a half-tailed beast transformation, his chakra spilling out wildly in all directions.
Behind him, Obito's mask gleamed with an ominous red glow from his Sharingan.
Once Yagura entered tailed beast form, Obito couldn't fully phase anymore.
This was deep inside the Hidden Mist — the battle needed to end quickly!
The half-beast Yagura charged, palm striking straight at Susanoo.
Natsuki braced intentionally, letting Susanoo's arm take the blow.
Boom! A massive coral sprouted on Susanoo's arm.
But Susanoo didn't retreat an inch. With a flick, it shook the coral off, then slapped Yagura away — right in Obito's direction.
Obito stood still as Yagura's body hurtled toward him. Sure enough, Yagura phased right through him.
Natsuki's Susanoo drew its massive blade and swung at Obito.
"Strike back, you worm! Aren't you supposed to be Madara Uchiha!?"
Boom! The ground split open, rubble flying everywhere.
But the blade passed harmlessly through Obito's body. He was unscathed.
Obito smirked. "You can't hurt me."
Yagura, cloaked in tailed beast chakra, charged again with furious speed.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each of Yagura's devastating attacks was met head-on by Natsuki's Susanoo.
Every rock shattered, every strike — none of it touched Obito.
Still, Obito's Sharingan kept Yagura under his thrall, pressing the assault. Yet he hadn't noticed that Mist reinforcements had gathered nearby.
"Lord Mei, shouldn't we intervene?" someone asked beside Terumī Mei.
She narrowed her eyes. "Not yet."
"But the Mizukage—"
"That's not the Mizukage. That's just a puppet."
Yagura's high-speed attacks were blocked again and again, while Natsuki still stood vigorous.
Could his eye technique reduce Susanoo's chakra cost? Mei wondered.
Obito sneered, "How long can your Susanoo last?"
Mist still hadn't entered the fray. Mei really had nerves of steel.
Kisame, holding Samehada, stood silently not far away, watching with sharp eyes.
Natsuki grinned, pointing Susanoo's weapon at Obito. "That's none of your concern."
"Where's your Susanoo!? A Madara Uchiha without Susanoo? A Madara who hides behind a mask!?"
"Without Susanoo, you're nothing but a maggot!"
Though Mei had cleared the nearby area, the battle was too fierce. Susanoo towered tens of meters tall, blazing like a giant torch in the night, illuminating everything like daylight.
More Mist shinobi were gathering. Seeing this, Mei could no longer hold back. She raised her voice, rallying the crowd to surround them.
Only then did Obito realize he was surrounded.
"Natsuki!" he shouted in fury, eyes blazing as he forced more power into his Sharingan — driving Yagura into full tailed beast transformation.
In an instant, Yagura became Isobu.
The beast's body swelled, towering to nearly the same size as Susanoo.
Like a colossal armored turtle, it swung its three tails violently.
"Hff… hff…" Even Obito strained, pouring his full ocular power into controlling the fully transformed Yagura.
Isobu hunched down, tucking its body into its massive shell — then rolled forward like a living boulder!
Rumble! The ground shook like an earthquake!
Isobu hurled its enormous bulk forward, intent on crushing everything.
Natsuki's Mangekyō spun, Susanoo growing denser, evolving from flesh into full armored form.
Its weapon grew larger, heavier, sharper!
Susanoo swung sideways, colliding with Isobu's rolling form.
Boom! The earth quaked violently, the battlefield itself trembling from the clash.
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