"Maybe set up a meeting next time. Jumping to conclusions can only lead to misunderstandings... you'd think people with such burdensome responsibilities wouldn't be privy to acting with such rashness," you said, watching the ninja writhe in pain.
You snickered a bit, your eyes gleaming with amusement at the situation. The blood and carnage around you seemed almost like a playground. "Not really minding the exercise these shinobi would grant me though."
Obito regarded you with growing wariness, his Sharingan never leaving your form. "You find this... entertaining?" He gestured toward the dismembered bodies surrounding you both.
"Is the Mizukage strong? I think I'm up for a good challenge and some limb stretching," you asked, completely ignoring his question. You allowed your vectors to become visible - translucent black appendages that wavered like dark veils before fading back to invisibility. The captive ninja's eyes bulged with terror at the brief glimpse of your weapons.
"The Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumī, is one of the strongest alive," Obito answered carefully, studying your reaction. "But challenging a Kage would bring the full might of their village down on us. Is that what you want?"
The suspended ninja gave a choked laugh despite his pain. "You're both dead already! The other teams will be here any moment!" At his words, a distant rustling sound came from deeper in the forest, followed by the unmistakable glint of metal as kunai flew toward you from multiple directions.
You smiled as your vectors shot out in all directions, catching the kunai mid-flight before they could reach either of you. The metal weapons clattered harmlessly to the ground as more shadows moved through the trees.
"I don't know if you've noticed," you said casually to Obito while maintaining your grip on the suspended ninja. You winked at the terrified man dangling upside down, your lips curling into a predatory smile that made him flinch. "But I'm well equipped for the larger groups."
A dozen more masked ninjas emerged from the forest, surrounding your blood-soaked clearing in a tight formation. Their hands flashed through signs in perfect synchronization, and the ground beneath your feet began to rumble and crack. You laughed, the sound echoing through the trees as your vectors expanded outward, creating a deadly perimeter.
"Their chakra levels are higher than the others," Obito warned, his body beginning to distort as he activated his Kamui once more. "These must be the jōnin-level hunters." His eye fixed on you with renewed wariness as he added, "Try not to enjoy yourself too much."
Your vectors ripped through the first wave of attackers before they could complete their jutsu, severing limbs and piercing torsos with brutal efficiency. Blood sprayed across the clearing in violent arcs as bodies fell to the forest floor. Two ninjas managed to evade your initial assault, their hands completing the signs for a massive water jutsu that surged toward you like a tidal wave.
Obito's form solidified beside you as the water crashed through the trees. "Behind me!" he shouted, his Mangekyo Sharingan spinning wildly as the jutsu swept toward you both. The water passed harmlessly through his body, but you noticed his eye widen slightly as your vectors sliced through the wave, splitting it down the middle and redirecting its destructive force away from you.
"I know you said not to enjoy myself too much but..." You grinned wildly as the water crashed harmlessly around you both. Your eyes gleamed with dark excitement as you surveyed the carnage surrounding you.
The forest clearing had become a crimson canvas of death. You raised your hands, feeling a new power surge through you as you connected with the spilled blood of your enemies. It responded to your will, rising from the ground in thick, undulating streams.
"What are you doing?" Obito stepped back, his Sharingan tracking the unnatural movement of the blood. The two remaining ninjas froze in horror as their comrades' blood began to move with purpose, swirling into the air like macabre ribbons.
You manipulated the crimson fluid with delicate precision, shaping it into razor-sharp blades that hovered menacingly in the air. The blood hardened under your command, gleaming like polished obsidian in the filtering sunlight.
With a flick of your wrist, you sent the blood-blades whistling through the air toward the last two shinobi. They tried desperately to evade, but the weapons changed direction mid-flight, following your mental commands. The first blood-blade pierced through a ninja's throat, while the second sliced clean through the other's abdomen. They collapsed to the forest floor, adding their own blood to your growing arsenal.
Obito watched you with undisguised wariness, his body halfway between solid and intangible. "Those abilities... they're not from this world either." He kept a calculated distance between you now. "Just how many powers do you possess?"
You smiled enigmatically, the blood-soaked clearing around you a testament to your deadly capabilities. Every body part lying scattered across the forest floor represented years of careful study and acquisition.
"I lost count.... but I got rid of alot... 10 at the most. But they're nothing compared to the array of tricks and techniques the shinobi of this world offer. I find the kunai and paper bombs fascinating," you replied, letting your vectors retract. The suspended ninja's body dropped with a wet thud to the ground, adding another corpse to your macabre collection.
Obito's Sharingan eye narrowed, studying your form with new intensity. "Paper bombs? Such basic tools impress someone who can manipulate blood and tear bodies apart with invisible arms?" He kept his distance, clearly reassessing the threat you posed. The forest had grown unnaturally quiet, as if all wildlife had fled from the slaughter.
"What exactly is your purpose here?" Obito asked, his voice hardening. He stepped over a severed arm, blood squelching beneath his sandals. "These abilities... this bloodlust. Are you merely collecting techniques, or do you have greater ambitions?" His hand hovered near his weapons pouch, ready to draw at any moment.
You knelt beside one of the fallen ninjas, examining their gear with genuine curiosity. The simple effectiveness of their weapons and tools fascinated you - small, practical items that could channel chakra or explode on command. Different from the powers you'd collected, but no less lethal in skilled hands.
You looked up at Obito, blood splattered across your face like war paint. The forest breeze carried the metallic scent of death around you both. "For now, I'm just exploring. Learning. Though I must admit-" you gestured at the carnage surrounding you both, "-this kind of fun is hard to pass up." Your vectors manifested briefly, hovering around you like phantom limbs before vanishing once more.
"But it's as I said. I'm just here for knowledge and adventure," you told Obito, your tone lighter than the blood-soaked scene around you would suggest was appropriate.
You began to stretch casually, arms reaching skyward as your joints popped satisfyingly. Your eyes slid toward Obito, taking note of his defensive stance. Despite your casual demeanor, you recognized the wariness in his posture - the way his weight shifted slightly forward, ready to spring into action or phase through reality at the first sign of threat.
"I have no interest in harming you... there isn't exactly a higher interest or purpose. But I do genuinely love seeing you use that Kamui of yours. With that eye..." You lowered your arms, blood dripping from your fingertips onto the forest floor. "While I'm here. Before I'm ripped away to some other world. I'd like to stay by you. And witness you in action."
Obito's visible eye narrowed, suspicion etched across his scarred features. "You speak as casually about dimensional travel as most people discuss the weather," he said, stepping over a severed arm. "And you find enjoyment in this carnage. Yet you expect me to believe you harbor no greater ambitions?" Despite his words, there was a hint of curiosity in his tone.
You shrugged, wiping some blood from your cheek with the back of your hand. The forest had grown eerily quiet, the only sounds being the wind rustling through the trees and the soft dripping of blood from the dismembered bodies surrounding you both. The remains of the elite tracking ninjas were scattered throughout the clearing, testament to your lethal efficiency.
"I've seen enough 'collectors' to know they rarely stop collecting," Obito said after a moment, though his stance relaxed fractionally. He studied your face, his Sharingan spinning lazily as if trying to peel away your layers. "If you truly wish to stay by my side, understand this - I don't trust you. But I'm curious enough about your abilities to allow it... for now." The forest shadows played across his scarred face as he added, "Just remember that if you ever turn those vectors on me, I'll make sure you never collect another ability again."
"You don't trust me? Super sad face," you said mockingly, placing a hand over your heart in an exaggerated gesture of hurt. The blood spattered across your face made the expression grotesque against the backdrop of dismembered bodies surrounding you both.
You didn't really care if he trusted you. You were used to suspicion and wariness from others. Having traveled through multiple dimensions, trust was a luxury rarely afforded to someone like you - especially when your abilities often left behind scenes like this one.
"Trust is earned," Obito replied coldly, his Sharingan eye never leaving your face. He stepped over a severed torso, the squelch of blood under his sandals adding a macabre soundtrack to the conversation. "Your power is... impressive. But that doesn't mean I want it aimed at my back."
You wiped a splatter of blood from your cheek, smearing it rather than cleaning it. The crimson forest around you had fallen silent except for the occasional drip of blood from the trees where your vectors had flung parts of your victims. You found the wariness in Obito's eye amusing rather than offensive.
"Fair enough," you conceded with a casual shrug. "I can respect that. Should we head out before reinforcements arrive? I'm happy to continue our... friendly debate about trust while walking." You gestured toward the forest path ahead, deliberately stepping on a ninja's hand as you moved forward, bones crunching under your weight.
Obito regarded you for a long moment, his scarred face unreadable except for the calculating look in his mismatched eyes. "Let's move then," he finally agreed, falling into step beside you but maintaining a careful distance. "But remember, Raven - I've played this game before. I've been both the manipulator and the manipulated. I won't be either with you." His body briefly flickered with transparency, a casual reminder of how easily he could escape if needed.
"I'd rather you be yourself," you said suddenly, breaking the tense silence between you. Your eyes tracked the last shimmer of his phasing ability as his body solidified completely once more.
Obito's visible eye widened slightly at your unexpected words. "Myself? Which version would that be?" There was a bitter edge to his question as he scanned the trees ahead.
You pointed upward toward the dense canopy. "Besides, I wouldn't kill you to take your ability. Not with intuitive aptitude. I was thinking we should 'vibe' instead." Without waiting for a response, you jumped into the tree line, landing gracefully on a thick branch. Blood still dripped from your clothes, leaving dark spots on the bark beneath your feet.
Obito followed with fluid ninja precision, moving branch to branch beside you through the forest canopy. He seemed to consider your words carefully, his scarred face partially hidden by shadows cast by the leaves above. "Vibe?" he repeated the unfamiliar term with skepticism. "Your dialect is as foreign as your abilities."
You balanced effortlessly on a narrow branch, looking back at your companion with amusement. For weeks now, you'd been calling him "Obi-one" in reference to a character from another universe entirely, and he had yet to correct you. Perhaps he found some small comfort in the nickname-a reminder that he wasn't just the monster history would remember him as.
The forest grew thicker around you both, offering better cover from any remaining pursuers. You increased your pace, vectors occasionally stretching out to help propel you forward through particularly dense patches of foliage. The blood-soaked clearing faded behind you, but the metallic scent of death still clung to your clothes like a grim perfume.
Night was settling over the forest as you leapt from branch to branch, the darkness deepening between the trees. The scent of blood still clung to your clothes, mixing with the earthy smell of the forest floor far below.
"Which version? How many versions do you have?" you asked curiously, glancing over at Obito as he moved silently beside you. His form was becoming harder to make out as twilight faded into full darkness, the scarred side of his face catching what little moonlight filtered through the leaves.
Obito didn't answer immediately. He landed on a thick branch, pausing momentarily as his single eye scanned the terrain ahead. "I've worn many masks," he finally replied, his voice low and contemplative. "The boy who dreamed of becoming Hokage. The broken tool Madara shaped. The monster who called himself Tobi. The man who sought redemption too late." There was no self-pity in his tone, only a cold statement of facts.
"Vibe," you began to explain, changing the subject as you both resumed your journey through the darkening canopy. The moonlight was stronger now, casting silver patterns across your path. "It's like getting along really well. Like feeding off each other in a pleasant way. Taking in personality traits from one another due to all the time spent... like friends. I don't know what you call it in this world." You kept your explanation deliberately vague, concealing that "vibing" was actually another method of ability acquisition you'd developed - one that didn't require dissection or death.
Obito made a sound that might have been a humorless laugh. He glanced sideways at you, his Sharingan gleaming red in the darkness. "We don't call it anything because shinobi aren't supposed to form such bonds. We're weapons first, people second." Despite his words, there was something in his tone - a hint of regret, perhaps, for the connections he'd severed throughout his life.
You landed softly on a high branch overlooking a small clearing, the night air cool against your blood-spattered skin. Below, a stream glittered in the moonlight, offering a chance to wash away the evidence of your earlier carnage. "We should rest here," Obito suggested, his voice cutting through the chorus of night insects that had begun their evening songs. "If more trackers are following, they won't reach this position until morning." He studied you with that calculating gaze again, as if still trying to determine exactly what kind of weapon - or monster - you might be.