Chapter 136: The Rescue
In the dimly lit underground cavern, Obito Uchiha lay on a wooden cot, flexing his right hand, trying to rebuild the coordination between his arm and the rest of his body.
Honestly, he had long lost track of how long he'd been stuck in this forsaken place.
The only thing he remembered was waking up in this underground chamber, surrounded by two eerie, inhuman-looking spiral-faced beings…
…and an old, half-dead man who called himself Uchiha Madara, with strange tubes protruding from his back like a dying relic clinging to life.
"When the hell can I go back to Konoha already!?"
Obito grumbled under his breath, bitterness thick in his voice.
"Those spiral freaks told me that Uchiha Kei awakened his Sharingan and even became a hero of Konoha! It's infuriating! If I hadn't been stuck here, that title would've been mine!"
Maybe Madara had sensed he'd go stir-crazy in here—so from time to time, he had White Zetsu bring back news from the outside world.
Among the updates was the outcome of the mission they were supposed to complete together.
Obito learned that after his supposed "death," Uchiha Kei and his team had been reassigned to Minato's squad—and ended up finishing the task Obito was meant to complete.
That gave him a tiny sense of relief.
Obito knew Kei—not exactly friends, but not enemies either. Still, he had never particularly liked the guy.
"He looks cheerful, but something about him feels cold underneath."
Every time Obito recalled Kei, he pictured that quiet, composed boy—seemingly kind, yet always distant. Something about him had always unsettled Obito.
He shook his head, trying to cast the thought aside. Oddly enough… he almost missed that guy.
Yes, there was still an "Uchiha" here—but Madara? That lunatic had once gone on about abandoning the real world and creating a "dream filled with eternal peace."
That was the moment Obito knew the old man was completely unhinged.
"Even if that plan could work—which it can't—it's still fake.
So what's the point of living in a fake world?"
"Putting everyone under genjutsu? That's impossible!
Guess living too long really does break your brain."
Obito had made up his mind.
He needed to find a way out of here—and tell sensei everything.
Being around these lunatics was far too dangerous. The spiral-faces were crazy. The old relic Madara was even crazier.
And Obito?
He was not crazy.
All he wanted was to get stronger, recover fully, and leave this hellhole.
He had to get back to Konoha.
Back to Kakashi and Rin.
He still had friends waiting.
He still wanted to become Hokage!
---
Just then, a white silhouette emerged from the wall above him.
It was White Zetsu, looking unusually flustered.
"Obito! Bad news. I just got back from the surface. The ones you mentioned—Rin and that idiot Kakashi—they're in trouble."
Obito's heart nearly stopped.
This was the first time he'd heard any direct news about Kakashi and Rin since he woke up here.
"What happened!?" he shouted, eyes full of panic.
"They've been ambushed. Just the two of them—surrounded by Mist ninja."
"What!?" Obito's pupils shrank.
"Mist-nin? But… isn't this still the Land of Grass!?"
His thoughts spun in confusion.
It didn't make sense—but there was no time to figure it out.
Obito leapt to his feet.
The sheer force of his movement shattered the wooden cot beneath him.
He stormed toward the wall—and with one furious punch, sent a thunderous crack through the stone.
It wasn't much, not for the deep underground.
But it was just the beginning.
But Obito's right arm, still not fully healed, cracked under the recoil. It bent unnaturally, like some limp, gelatinous mass stuck to his side.
"Damn it!"
He clutched his shoulder, pain and frustration flaring in his eyes.
"With your current body, there's no way you can break through the wall,"
a spiral-faced being appeared behind him, speaking calmly.
"Even so—I have to go. I'm going to save Kakashi and Rin.
No matter what, I will go."
Obito's voice trembled with resolve, each word heavy and absolute.
The spiral-faced creature was silent for a moment, then its body began to unfold—like a flower blooming. Beneath the spiral-patterned mask, there was... nothing.
"Wear me,"
its voice echoed beside his ear.
"That way, you can borrow my strength."
The creature's white, plant-like form began wrapping around Obito's body like an armor or cloak.
"Aren't you Madara's subordinate? Why are you helping me?"
"Didn't you say you wanted to save Kakashi and Rin? Stop asking pointless questions."
"...Thank you."
For once, Obito spoke those words sincerely.
Moments later, his body was covered by the white, spiral-patterned "cloak." He stretched his right arm—now completely unrestricted.
Through the white tubes embedded in the cloak, power surged into him from the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Obito clenched his fist—and then drove it forward with full force.
Boom!
The massive stone blocking his path shattered instantly, reduced to rubble in the blink of an eye.
---
Madara lifted his gaze slightly, watching Obito with a calm, indifferent look.
"So, you're leaving."
"Yeah. I'm grateful you saved me... but I have a reason I must go."
Obito didn't try to hide his urgency. His heart was racing.
"You're rushing too much. It might be too soon to thank me,"
Madara said, still exuding an air of authority despite his frail appearance.
"I don't think I'll be back.
In any case—I've already thanked you. I'm going."
"You'll come back.
And when you do, I'll accept your true gratitude."
This time, Obito ignored him.
He'd already confirmed Kakashi and Rin's location. Grabbing a black cloak on his way out, he sprinted toward the exit.
---
Minutes later, Obito was greeted by the long-lost light of the surface.
It was dusk.
Not blinding, but soft and warm. Familiar. Real.
As soon as he reached open air, the spiral-shaped mask surrounding his head peeled back like petals, folding into a white hood.
"Where are Kakashi and Rin?"
he demanded urgently from the White Zetsu cloak enveloping him.
His heart pounded with anxious desperation.
"Relax," White Zetsu replied, still annoyingly nonchalant.
"That's one of my clones covering your body. We can communicate through shared thought. He'll guide you."
"Spiral-face—can you hear me?"
Obito called out.
"Loud and clear," the familiar warped voice echoed in his mind.
"Head directly east. I'll lead you."
"Got it."
Without hesitation, Obito dashed eastward, leaping across the forest canopy with incredible speed.
"What's their situation now?"
he shouted as he ran, voice tense.
"From what my buddy reported, it's bad.
They're surrounded by dozens of Mist ninja.
All of them are elite ANBU types.
They were also talking about some kind of 'test subject.'
No idea what that's about though."
"Test subject...?"
Obito muttered, expression darkening.
He pushed himself even faster. The roaring wind couldn't cool the storm in his chest.
"What about Minato-sensei? Where is he?"
"Who?"
"I said—what's the Yellow Flash doing right now!?"
"Oh... he's off handling some other mission, negotiating with the Stone ninja, I think.
Word is that Konoha's about to win big,"
Zetsu's voice remained maddeningly casual.
"About to win the war...
Then why—why does it have to be now of all times...?"
Obito clenched his fists, feeling helpless—but he didn't stop running.
Kakahi... you promised me.
You said you'd protect Rin.
Hold on just a little longer.
I'm coming.
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