At present, all the Tailed Beast Jinchuriki were fighting with restraint.
Every major ninja village adhered to an unspoken rule: as long as no one recklessly unleashed the power of a Tailed Beast, the other villages would refrain from doing so as well. After all, while the ongoing Shinobi World War raged fiercely, its flames had never reached the heart of the Five Great Nations' villages.
Now, however, Kirigakure seemed poised to break this delicate balance, and Konohagakure's leadership didn't dare gamble on the consequences. Even Kushina Uzumaki had been prepared, ready to take the field as a weapon of war if necessary, just like the other Jinchuriki involved in the conflict.
"Where's Sensei Minato?"
As usual, Shimizu Uchiha was the last to arrive.
They stood at the gates of Konohagakure, where several squads were already gathered. Some were discussing plans before departing, while others waited for their teammates to show up.
"Minato-sensei has already gone ahead," Kakashi Hatake replied, straightening from where he leaned against the wall and slinging his travel pack over his shoulder. "He told us to follow after him."
"Let's go," Shimizu said.
Kakashi and Rin Nohara nodded, and the trio set off toward the war.
Meanwhile, at the Hokage Tower, Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the map spread across his desk, feeling the weight of responsibility pressing down on him.
Sunagakure was gradually reducing its forces across various fronts, deliberately pulling back its defenses. It was clear they were growing weary of the fight. If Konoha offered to cede some interests, Sunagakure would likely be the first to sign a peace treaty.
The other villages, however, were not so easily dealt with. Smaller ninja villages could be ignored, their raids inconsequential. But the major players—Kumogakure and Iwagakure—required careful handling. While clashing with each other, both villages frequently launched raids into the Land of Fire.
To address this, Hiruzen had dispatched Fugaku Uchiha to bolster the defenses along that front. The Uchiha Clan had historical ties to the Land of Lightning, dating back to a time even before the rivalry between Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju. The Sarutobi Clan's records spoke of a secretive history: long ago, the Uchiha had overseen the Blood Pond Clan, who possessed the Blood Dragon Eye, after they were exiled to Hell Valley for reasons lost to time. If anyone could handle Kumogakure's aggression, the Uchiha were likely the best choice.
For Iwagakure's front, Hiruzen had sent Orochimaru to lead the defense. Though his disciple harbored ambition and darkness in his heart, Orochimaru's intellect and strength made him more than capable of the task.
As for Kirigakure, Hiruzen had decided to deploy Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze, and a host of seasoned ninja to confront them.
"This is the final stretch of the war," Hiruzen sighed.
The other villages were in a similar position to Konoha, all vying for the last scraps of advantage. The first to yield would lose the most.
After a long journey, Shimizu, Kakashi, and Rin arrived at a temporary outpost.
Rin wiped the sweat from her brow. The relentless march had been exhausting, requiring them to conserve energy and convert some of their stamina into chakra in case of a sudden ambush.
"I'm going to wash my face," Rin said.
The outpost was bustling with ninja, a relatively safe haven. Rin wasn't about to let herself stay sticky and uncomfortable. After all, this was war, not begging—she'd fight better if she felt refreshed.
"Hurry up," Kakashi said, setting down his travel pack. "Minato-sensei's already on his mission. We need to catch up."
The rest of their journey would require traveling light. With the possibility of encountering enemies at any moment, they carried only a small pouch of water and a single soldier pill for sustenance.
Rin nodded, glancing at Kakashi, who was slightly out of breath, and Shimizu, whose expression remained impassive, as if the long march hadn't fazed him at all. She was used to their stamina surpassing hers—especially Shimizu's, which seemed almost inhuman.
Two minutes later, Rin dampened a cloth with water from the outpost's precious supply. Water was scarce during wartime, and this was how she usually freshened up.
"Much better," she murmured, feeling a faint coolness as a breeze brushed her damp face.
"Are you a medical ninja?" a voice suddenly asked.
Rin turned to see a wounded ninja approaching, his arm a mangled mess of blood and flesh. "Do you need treatment?"
"Please, can you help me?" the ninja groaned, staggering closer.
Without hesitation, Rin pulled out her medical kit. The outpost was full of injured ninja, so this wasn't unusual. She began treating the man's arm, her hands glowing with faint green chakra.
But in that moment, the "patient" struck. A swift palm to her neck sent Rin crumpling to the ground, her vision fading to black as she stared in shock at her attacker.
"Heh, disguising myself as a patient was too easy," the figure sneered.
His form shimmered, transforming into a white humanoid figure—a White Zetsu—before shifting again into an unfamiliar ninja. He produced a sealing scroll, pulled out a thick blanket, and wrapped Rin inside, sealing the ends tightly before hoisting her over his shoulder and slipping away.
"You fighting a war or going on vacation? Bringing a blanket—feeling chilly?" another ninja remarked, eyeing the odd scene.
"War's a way of life," the disguised Zetsu replied with a grin. "Just airing out my blanket. Be right back."
The passing ninja frowned, sensing something off. But he recognized the ninja carrying the blanket—he'd been working at the outpost for weeks. Shaking his head, he returned to sharpening his kunai.
No one in the busy outpost noticed that a ninja had been stolen right from under their noses.
Kakashi waited for half an hour. With night approaching, they couldn't afford to delay any longer.
Rising to his feet, he went to look for Rin. But after searching every corner of the outpost for nearly an hour, he found no trace of her. A sinking feeling gripped his heart.
"Rin's in trouble!" Kakashi's voice carried a rare note of panic. How could he face Obito's spirit if something happened to her? He'd even visited Obito's grave before they left.
"Don't panic," Shimizu said calmly. "Let's check for anything unusual."
Shimizu had a suspicion—likely Madara Uchiha's forces had taken Rin. After asking around the camp, they uncovered a lead: the ninja "airing out his blanket" had never returned.
"This is the Kirigakure front," Kakashi said, frowning. "It must be their ninja who took her."
He couldn't fathom what kind of transformation technique could fool everyone at the outpost. And why would Kirigakure go to such lengths to kidnap Rin, a mere Chunin and medical ninja? It didn't add up.
"I've reported this to the outpost's commander," Shimizu said, clapping Kakashi on the shoulder. "Let's scout the surrounding area. Kirigakure's ninja can't have gotten far."
Shimizu suspected White Zetsu was behind it. Zetsu's disguise technique was unmatched, able to perfectly replicate a target's chakra after absorbing it, fooling even the most perceptive ninja or those closest to the victim.
"Alright," Kakashi said with a firm nod. The two quickly left the outpost.
At the Graveyard of the Mountains, White Zetsu emerged from the ground.
"Madara, it's done," he reported.
Other Zetsu clones had relayed the information through their telepathic link. Rin was being taken to Kirigakure's Anbu, where other disguised clones were ready to assist.
"There can be no failure in this," Madara Uchiha said, his frail eyelids trembling as he opened them. His body was nearing its limit. Training other candidates would take too long, and his strength was waning. If he could turn Obito to his cause in the coming days, making him a pawn in his plans, it would be ideal. If not, he'd move on to the next candidate—Shimizu Uchiha.
"With Kirigakure's Anbu and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen involved, failure is impossible," White Zetsu said silently, his lips moving without sound.
Madara glanced at him and waved him off. "Proceed as planned."
"Yes, Madara." Zetsu melted into the ground, calculating the timing. Once Rin reached Kirigakure's forces, he'd inform Obito.
Madara's gaze shifted to Obito, lying on a nearby bed, a faint spark of anticipation in his heart. His conversation with Zetsu had been conducted in lip-speak, and in the dim light, Obito couldn't possibly have overheard.
The Sharingan was a mirror of the soul. What kind of Mangekyo Sharingan would Obito awaken? Madara was eager to find out—the stronger, the better for his Moon's Eye Plan.
"Soon, soon," Madara murmured, his aged face illuminated by the glint of his Sharingan. "Once Obito becomes 'Madara' and walks the ninja world in my stead, I'll rest. Then, I'll rise as the savior of this wretched world."
Obito stared blankly at the dark ceiling, shirtless on the bed.
"My body's integrating smoothly…" he muttered, clenching his right fist with a faint smile.
He didn't know how long he'd been gone, but his hair now reached past his shoulders. Months, at least.
"Soon… soon I'll see you again, Rin… Kakashi…"
Obito's thoughts drifted to happier times.
But time passed quickly, and half an hour later, White Zetsu emerged from the wall.
"I just went out!" Zetsu exclaimed. "Rin and that idiot Kakashi are in danger!"
"What happened?!" Obito shot up from the bed, alarmed.
"They're surrounded by Kirigakure ninja!"
Obito's pupils contracted, his heart racing with urgency. He leaped from the bed, landing on the ground, and slammed his regenerated fist into the wall.
Boom!
The wall cracked like a spiderweb, shards of stone flying.
"Argh!" Obito clutched his right arm, trembling in pain as the artificial limb fractured like brittle wax.
Gritting his teeth against the agony, he staggered toward the wall, step by determined step.
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