The Uchiha Flame Formation still blazed, its crimson walls towering skyward. Other than space–time ninjutsu, there was no way to slip inside unnoticed.
When the distortion of a spatial vortex rippled through the air, Gen instantly recognized the intruder. The soul signature was familiar—unmistakable.
"So it was your Flame Formation after all. What a coincidence, Uchiha Gen… we meet again."
On a ledge overlooking the mountain path, Uchiha Obito emerged from the swirl of space, his spiral orange mask glaring in the firelight, his black cloak blending with the mist.
His lone eye drifted to Pakura. She stood unharmed at Gen's side. A pang of frustration twisted in Obito's chest. He had intended to use her death to gauge Gen's reaction. Clearly, she held weight in his heart—perhaps not as Rin had in Obito's, but far from insignificant.
How did he detect this ambush so quickly? Obito wondered grimly. Does he have informants in Suna… or Mist? I'll need to dig into that later.
Pakura instantly slipped free of Gen's embrace and squared herself, wary gaze fixed on Obito.
"You really are like a ghost that refuses to disappear," Gen said flatly. His eyes narrowed. "Coincidence? No. This isn't your den, is it?"
"For me," Obito replied with a low chuckle, "the entire shinobi world can be a den."
Gen's lip curled. "Spare me the theatrics. If you have something to say, say it. If not, get lost." He flicked his hand dismissively.
Obito's tone turned cold. "Very well. I don't like wasting words either."
A vortex spun open in front of him—three massive shuriken tore out with crushing speed, rotating with the vortex's force. Too fast for seals, too heavy for ordinary defense.
Dark chakra surged from Gen's body. In an instant, black rib bones snapped into being, extending into two massive arms. They swung out, catching the incoming blades.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The giant shuriken slammed into rock, embedding deep, stone fragments raining down.
"Susanoo…" Obito muttered darkly, already forming the next seal.
"Fire Release: Blast Dance!"
A wall of crimson flame burst from the vortex, roaring down the mountain path. It rolled forward in a suffocating tide, leaving no room for escape.
Gen stood unshaken. His Susanoo thickened, bones growing into a full skeletal form, a towering skull sealing around him. The black giant absorbed the inferno, flames breaking harmlessly against its surface.
By the time the firestorm faded, Obito's figure had vanished into the mist. Pakura spun, back to Gen, scanning every angle.
Gen's eyes sharpened. His blade Shizukamaru flashed into his hand, lightning racing along the edge. He stabbed straight into the ground.
Obito's hand had just reached for their ankles from below when the electrified steel pierced through his phased body, sinking into the earth as if into waterlogged rot. Snarling, Obito slipped back underground and disappeared again.
"Husband, what was that?" Pakura asked, startled.
"Space–time ninjutsu," Gen answered curtly, tossing her the blade. "Keep Shizukamaru close and guard yourself."
Even as he spoke, he was already moving. His thumb bit against his teeth; blood welled. He ran through seals, then slammed his palm forward. The air trembled as a black summoning array unfurled across the void.
"Summoning Technique!"
Boom! Boom!
White smoke split open the air.
From it emerged a crimson divine dragon, its serpentine body entwined with Gen's black Susanoo. Lightning boiled above its crown—brilliant-white bolts flickering within a thundercloud perched on Susanoo's head like a war-helm.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Obito reappeared on Pakura's flank, White Zetsu's chakra writhing inside him. He clapped his hands, and the earth responded. Roots exploded from soil and cliff alike, swelling into massive, serpent-thick vines. In seconds, the gorge was choked with writhing green—an overwhelming flood of vegetation.
Pakura's breath caught, but fear didn't take hold. With Gen beside her, despair could find no purchase. Instead, she braced herself to strike.
"Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Murder!"
Nine glowing spheres of flame spun into orbit around her. With a sharp motion, she launched them. Midair, they fused into a single searing mass three meters wide, heat warping the very air, vaporizing moisture in an instant.
Boom!
The fireball detonated against the vine-wall. A blazing column erupted skyward, shockwaves shattering stone, stripping the gorge bare. The first wave of roots disintegrated, reduced to ash and splinters.
But Deep Forest Emergence was not so easily undone. It was a jutsu meant to smother armies, a nightmare beyond what most shinobi could ever withstand.
Kyouki, coiled within Susanoo, opened its maw. Golden-white liquid fire streamed forth in a torrent, hot enough to soften stone.
Lightning crackled from the stormcloud above, rivers of white bolts cascading downward, carving the vines apart. Shizukamaru sang in Pakura's grip, its edge drawing down arcs of thunder to strike whatever slipped through.
At Gen's side, wind gathered in his lungs. "Sage Art: Great Breakthrough!"
A hurricane burst from his mouth, its howl ripping through the valley, tearing roots from earth. The wind caught the dragon's breath, magnifying it into a sea of fire that surged outward, molten and unstoppable.
Flame, lightning, and gale fused together into one all-consuming inferno. The vines shriveled to ash, the cliffs glowed red-hot. Smoke and fire billowed upward, turning the gorge into a blazing cauldron.
Obito reappeared at the edge of the flames, cloak singed, eye narrowing. Gen's Mangekyo Sharingan flared within the storm. Its abilities were unnatural—dangerously close to rivaling his own Kamui. And the man's sensory awareness had foiled every ambush so far.
"Tch… troublesome," Obito muttered.
He had no choice. With a whirl of space, his body blurred, sucked into Kamui's vortex.
Gen felt the distortion recede and exhaled slowly, relief hidden beneath his calm exterior. Obito wasn't unbeatable—merely aggravating to pin down. He could fight him, perhaps even prevail, but not without risk. Better to let him slink away—for now.
And there was another reason: Flying Thunder God. He refused to reveal it yet. Only his closest allies, and the old Konoha F4, knew he could use that technique. If Obito learned, word might reach Danzo, and that would complicate matters. [T/N: Basically hiruzen, and the two old folks? what's stopping them from telling Danzo? Kinda weird tbh...]
No—so far he had left only decoys, misleading trails. Even in Kumogakure, he had masked his infiltration by relying on Kyouki, not teleportation. Unless someone pieced it together, his secret remained safe.
Obito, you'll overplay your hand one day. When you do, I'll be waiting.
Pakura's voice pulled him back. "The barrier… the air is thinning. We should go."
Gen nodded. With a thought, Susanoo dissolved, and the towering walls of the Uchiha Flame Formation collapsed into embers. He wrapped an arm around her waist and leapt lightly onto Kyouki's back.
The crimson dragon unfurled its wings and soared skyward. In moments, they vanished into the clouds, leaving only the towering inferno below.
By the time the Mist-nin reinforcements arrived, all they found was fire, smoke—and silence.