The black flames enveloped Uchiha Obito's body, the heat so intense it felt like the surface of the sun, leaving him absolutely no time to consider retrieving anyone's eyes.
However, such a lethal attack couldn't actually kill him. A spiral-shaped distortion in space appeared where he stood. Uchiha Obito could either absorb the black flames or warp himself away – either method would successfully deal with Itachi's Amaterasu.
But just at that moment, a dark figure, like a heavily armored knight, charged out from the blackness of the night. By the time this figure entered Obito's field of vision, it was already erupting with brilliant lightning. In the next instant, this seemingly cumbersome form moved with ghostly speed.
BOOM!
Habara slammed into Obito with an "Iron Mountain Strike." Under the colossal force, like that of a battering ram, Obito was sent flying backward, his body crashing into the deeper, more intense inferno of black flames.
Obito had been in the middle of channeling his Kamui to absorb the Amaterasu. Unfortunately for him, his technique was forcefully interrupted.
Habara, in his Eightfold Aegis state, was covered head-to-toe in menacing iron armor, built like a bull. Compared to him, an ordinary ninja was like fragile porcelain. Trying to clash with him head-on wasn't just throwing an egg against a rock; it was an overestimation even to call it that.
Due to Habara's reckless charge, the black flames had also spread onto his shoulder, but he didn't immediately try to shake off the dangerous fire. His armor was coated in a high-density layer of chakra. Before the black flames could burn through his chakra and then his iron plating, they couldn't harm him.
On the contrary, the black flames covering him effectively "enchanted" his attacks, making him even more dangerous to his enemies.
After sending Obito flying, Habara ignored the man's agonized howls from within the black flames and turned to survey the surroundings. He quickly pieced together what had happened.
His gaze then fell upon Uchiha Itachi. "Itachi, leave this place."
Uchiha Obito's target was the Mangekyo Sharingan. Habara didn't want Amaterasu or Tsukuyomi falling into the enemy's hands either. Although Obito looked miserable right now, Habara didn't believe he could be killed so easily by mere burning.
Uchiha Itachi clenched his jaw. Without wasting words, he turned decisively and left.
Seeing Itachi act sensibly, Habara refocused his attention on Obito.
Just as expected, the black flames on Obito's body and in the surrounding area began to vanish rapidly, visible even to the naked eye.
"Should I say, 'nice to meet you,' or perhaps, 'good to see you again'?" Habara asked, looking directly at Uchiha Obito.
The black flames still clinging to Habara were rapidly draining his chakra, yet he seemed unconcerned, almost looking like he wanted to have a casual chat with Obito.
"I have no business with you," Uchiha Obito said, his breathing ragged.
Because he hadn't warped away the Amaterasu damage in time, he had suffered extensive burns. His right side, in particular, had almost completely melted away – that half of his body was, after all, a construct patched together from White Zetsu material.
Seeing Obito in this state, Habara felt a surge of temptation. Opportunities to severely injure Uchiha Obito, who used Kamui so fluidly, were rare. Was this a golden chance to eliminate him once and for all?
Amaterasu had finally demonstrated its proper destructive potential.
Uchiha Obito indeed hadn't come to Konoha looking for Habara. Seeing his objective unattainable and considering his current poor condition, he prepared to leave.
He activated Kamui again, intending to avoid any further entanglement with Habara.
But how could Habara simply let him leave? He forcefully hurled an iron spear towards Obito.
For Obito, dodging such an attack was simple – just phase part of his body. The problem was, to completely 'absorb' himself into the Kamui dimension, his body needed to be fully tangible. This conflicted with the logic required to dodge the attack. In other words, if Obito wanted to avoid being impaled by Habara's spear, he had to abandon using his space-time ninjutsu to escape.
However, Habara had still underestimated the situation. Obito let out a low shout, "Tobi!"
"Coming, coming! Who called me?"
A unique White Zetsu, its body covered in spiral patterns, burst out from the ground directly in front of Obito, just in time to be struck by Habara's thrown spear.
The spear pierced clean through the Swirly Zetsu, but its body clamped down firmly around the shaft, the immense impact causing it to stagger forward.
"What's this? Ooh, neat! Now I have a hole like humans do! Does this mean I can poop too?" This Zetsu kept scratching its head. "Doesn't hurt, doesn't hurt at all!"
But in the next moment, it started screeching.
"Wait, hot! So hot!"
Although Obito had cleared the black flames beneath its feet, the Amaterasu clinging to Habara's spear now spread from the Zetsu's chest and back. As mentioned, it was an enchanted attack; Habara's spear naturally carried Itachi's Amaterasu.
Simultaneously, numerous White Zetsu surged up from the ground beneath Habara's feet. Their heads, limbs, and torsos twisted together, expanding rapidly like foaming agent, completely burying Habara.
"Spore Technique! Where did these White Zetsu come from?"
Habara was momentarily restrained. Brilliant blue lightning erupted from his body. He steadily increased the ratio of nature energy within the Lightning Release, intensifying it until it became a blinding white light.
The pure, high-intensity energy quickly carbonized the twenty-odd surrounding White Zetsu. However, Habara had still been delayed by several crucial seconds. When he looked towards Obito's position again, the man had long since vanished.
Well, not a total loss. He had managed to eliminate Tobi – unfortunately, it was the Swirly White Zetsu Tobi, not the "Masked Man" Tobi.
"A pity."
Habara scanned the area. The remains of the Uchiha genius, Shisui, had already been consumed by the black flames. He couldn't help but repeat:
"Such a pity…"
He released the iron armor from his body, letting the iron sand mixed with black flames fall to the ground. With the Amaterasu in the courtyard burning ever stronger, he had to leave quickly. As for dealing with the inextinguishable flames, they would need to call in the Sealing Team before it spread further.
However, as Habara stepped out of the courtyard, a Konoha ninja, covered in blood, stumbled frantically towards him.
"You're… Tadashi? You scared me! Don't just rush out like that at a tense time like this… What happened to you? Are you injured?"
Habara peered at the man's face, recognizing him as Konoha Special Jonin, Kinoshita Tadashi.
Seeing Habara still acting so calm and unhurried, Kinoshita Tadashi nearly exploded with frustration and wanted to curse. Where the hell have you been all this time?! If he didn't know Habara well enough to guess that major chaos usually meant Habara was nearby, and hadn't risked charging into the Uchiha Compound, he wouldn't have found Habara in time.
"Habara, cut the crap! Let's go, quickly!"
"Go? Go where? What happened? Is there a situation even more urgent than what's happening with the Uchiha here?" Habara still hadn't grasped the severity of his situation.
"Where?! Leaving Konoha! ANBU are hunting you!"
"Who? ANBU hunting me? Why?"
"Because they're saying you assassinated the Third Hokage!" Kinoshita Tadashi yelled, practically dying from anxiety.
Habara blinked, feeling like he hadn't quite heard correctly. "Who assassinated whom?"
"You assassinated the Hokage!"
"..."
Habara truly hadn't expected this. He had assumed the Uchiha incident was solely directed at the Uchiha. How had it suddenly turned against him?
He looked again at Kinoshita Tadashi, noticing the man was indeed in bad shape. Tadashi must have paid a heavy price to deliver this message.
Kinoshita Tadashi. Konoha Special Jonin. Participant in the Three Great Systems project. Beneficiary of the Curse Mark of Man. Also an ANBU ninja, code name "Mokusu."
Although Habara had always remained indifferent to Konoha's internal struggles, it was clear someone was still relentlessly targeting him, and this time, it was exceptionally serious.
Almost instantly, Habara made his decision. He looked deeply at Kinoshita Tadashi, a standard, chilling smile spreading across his face. Then he asked, "Tadashi, let me ask you: if I had already gone so far as to assassinate the Hokage, why would I still fear Konoha's ANBU?"
The Uchiha incident wasn't impactful enough for someone's liking. Someone felt Konoha wasn't chaotic enough yet. Well then, that problem was easily solved.
So they just want Konoha to be a little more chaotic?
Simple enough.
Habara rather wanted to ask: just what did it feel like to be a missing-nin?