"You—"
Behind the mask, Obito Uchiha was filled with shock.
Five minutes.
The five-minute limit of Kamui—this was his greatest secret.
Relying on that transformation window, Obito had defeated countless opponents.
At this stage, very few people could survive against him for a full five minutes—and every time he attacked, the timer reset.
But this time—
He had truly run into a nightmare.
The lesson from before was still vivid. With a Flying Thunder God mark on his body, he didn't dare act recklessly.
That was why, this time in Konoha, he had stayed hidden inside Kamui almost the entire time.
Who would've thought—
This brat still showed up.
Not only that—he had figured out Obito's biggest secret.
And worse—
Obito had been wounded by him again.
"Still pretty good at hiding."
After landing his hit, Ren had intended to press the advantage, but the Flying Thunder God sensation suddenly weakened again.
He instantly understood—Obito had retreated back into Kamui.
So Ren simply stopped where he was, looking at Obito with open mockery.
The disdain on his face was unmistakable.
"He really is a rat that loves hiding in the sewers," Ren said calmly.
"Being this good at hiding is honestly impressive. Among all the Uchiha I know, only you are like this."
"Damn brat—!"
Obito finally snapped.
When had he ever been humiliated like this?
And yet here he was—wounded twice, humiliated twice, all by the same kid.
His anger was boiling over.
"Are you wondering why your secret was exposed?" Ren asked lightly.
Right now, Ren's goal was simple—provoke Obito, force him to attack more, and make him use Wood Release.
That would be perfect.
"The last time you showed up, I already felt something was off," Ren continued.
"Every so often, a strange Flying Thunder God mark would appear."
"Especially during the Chūnin Exams. The feeling was particularly clear."
"So I calculated it."
"The Chūnin Exams…"
Obito's gaze flickered.
He knew exactly what Ren meant.
He had been watching then.
But he never imagined that his flaw had already been noticed back then.
"I just didn't realize it was you at the time," Ren said, the mockery on his face unchanged.
"But after fighting you, I kept thinking about it. And this time—you gave me the answer."
"Every jutsu has a limit."
"And five minutes—clearly—that's yours."
Ren's eyes narrowed slightly.
"So now, rat, you have no chance of winning."
"What other tricks do you have left?"
Obito fell silent.
He never expected his exposure to come from something like this.
This brat's mind was terrifyingly sharp—able to grasp such faint details with absurd precision.
Yet Ren's words also stopped Obito from retreating.
"Is he deliberately provoking me… or telling me it's time to leave?"
Obito's eyes darkened.
Either way—
He was furious.
"Do you really think that's all I can do?"
His voice turned hoarse and low as chakra surged violently within him.
The next moment, Obito lunged forward.
The wound on his shoulder—still stained with blood—had already fully healed.
"I'll show you what else I can do!"
"Go, Shisui."
"Got it!"
Ren showed no hesitation. He leapt forward with a kunai in hand.
Behind him, Shisui Uchiha drew his short blade.
For Shisui, there was only one target now.
Only by dealing with Obito could everything be made clear.
Buzz—
Ren took the lead.
He did not activate the Cursed Seal—but Yang Release was already circulating quietly within his body.
[Yang Release] activated.
His already formidable physical abilities surged again—speed, strength, reaction time—everything leapt to a new level.
It felt remarkably similar to Sage Mode.
The only difference—
Yang Release did not enhance ninjutsu.
"But this is more than enough."
The kunai flashed, slicing straight through Obito's body—
Yet Obito was still hiding within Kamui.
No matter how many times he saw it, Ren couldn't help admiring how absurdly broken this jutsu was.
"Die!"
Obito seized the momentary stiffness after Ren's strike. A black rod appeared in his hand and smashed downward.
"Only you can dodge?"
The rod struck nothing but an afterimage.
Ren had already used Flying Thunder God to pull away.
At the same time, Shisui followed up, his short blade slashing toward Obito.
"Hmph."
Obito snorted coldly, amusement flickering in his eyes as he watched the blade fall.
Buzz—
The blade passed through harmlessly.
"Since you know my secret, did you really think I wouldn't counter it?"
Suddenly, Obito struck.
He reached out and grabbed toward Shisui.
In an instant, Shisui felt a terrifying pulling force around him—as if space itself was trying to drag him away.
Then—
The force vanished.
Ren had already appeared in front of Obito, his kunai slashing down again.
The three figures separated instantly.
In that brief exchange, it was as if they had all struck nothing but air.
"Still a rat," Ren mocked.
"So this is your 'other method'? Truly impressive."
"Hmph."
Obito snorted again.
He was about to speak—
When Ren cut in.
"Honestly, your ability is fascinating," Ren said casually.
"It looks exactly like someone trying to escape reality."
"Perfectly suited to you."
"Shut up, brat!"
Obito's face twisted violently beneath the mask.
Shisui looked confused—but remained silent.
He could tell Ren was deliberately provoking Obito, forcing him to truly reveal his hand.
"I've read the records," Ren continued, ignoring him.
"And made some deductions."
"You were once extremely kind. You valued bonds deeply."
"Kakashi. Nohara Rin."
"They were the people you treasured most."
"I'm guessing you saw Kakashi kill Rin—and your heart shattered, dragging you completely into darkness."
"For someone like you, the kinder you once were, the darker you'd become."
"You probably started denying this world itself."
Ren smiled faintly.
"So your ability really does suit you."
"Because it lets you escape from this world."
"Am I right, Uchiha Obito?"
Silence fell.
Shisui stared at Obito in disbelief—then slowly turned to Ren.
Did this guy read Mangekyō-level classified files…?
Obito's body trembled.
Then he suddenly raised his head.
His crimson gaze looked as if it wanted to devour Ren whole.
Chakra exploded outward, violent and oppressive, warping the air itself.
The ground shook.
Ren and Shisui reacted instantly, leaping away.
And then—
A massive tree erupted from the ground.
In Shisui's stunned expression and Ren's faint smile—
Obito vanished—
Then reappeared right beside Ren.
A sharp wooden spike formed in his hand.
His voice sounded like a demon crawling up from hell—hoarse, low, and furious.
"I told you…"
"Shut. Up."
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