The black feathers swirling through the Kamui dimension were none other than the torn remains of Satori's wings.
Normally, these feathers—manifestations of chakra and concentrated negative human emotion—would gradually disperse and reabsorb into Satori's body, much like a shadow clone returning to its user. But Obito's unexpected presence triggered a resonance with them.
Pain. Hatred. Despair.
He embodied it all. The remnants recognized him.
And so, the feathers fused with Obito.
Even if the wings made up only a fraction of Satoru's form, the being was still on par with a Tailed Beast. The fusion granted Obito an immense surge in chakra—tenfold, even dozens of times more than he had before. With this power, he felt he could erase the entire Konoha force outside with the flick of a finger.
But power always came with a price.
Along with the energy came the maddening flood of emotion—rage, hatred, despair, and grief that weren't his own. If Obito hadn't already adapted to existing in a half-living, half-dead mental state, the backlash would've torn his psyche apart and left him another puppet of the Box of Bliss.
Even now, that end seemed inevitable. It was only a matter of time.
"AAAAAGH—!"
He collapsed onto a stone platform, curled in agony.
His mind felt like it was being carved open by a thousand blades, swirling with hatred and static, as if every nerve were being shredded. The Mangekyō Sharingan in his eye pulsed with unnatural light, not out of intent—but as a passive defense, the only thing keeping him conscious amidst the agony.
A twisted irony: the cursed eyes of the Uchiha granted him clarity in his suffering, forcing him to feel every second of it with complete lucidity.
The Uchiha Clan... truly cursed.
But Obito wasn't one to break easily. Even in this state, he refused to let go of his thoughts.
What is this? Why… why is there foreign chakra in Kamui space? This dimension should be mine alone…
Suddenly, realization struck him like lightning.
"Kakashi," he hissed, eyes wide. "It's you...!"
There should be no one else capable of entering Kamui's space. But there was another—his former friend, the one who inherited his eye. Kakashi.
The only person who could send something into this space besides Obito himself.
And now this power was driving him mad.
Obito's fury ignited—burning brighter than ever. Hatred from the past mixed with new rage, and the dark emotions from the Box of Bliss fanned the flames, feeding on his anger and making it more volatile, more uncontrollable.
He screamed.
With a stomp that shattered the platform beneath him, Obito vanished into the Kamui vortex once more—this time with crimson light pulsing in his eyes and violence burning in his soul.
---
Back in the real world—
"Lord Hokage, the masked man hasn't shown up for four minutes," Akimichi Chōza said gravely. "He may think he's delayed us long enough and decided to flee."
Hiruzen nodded, gesturing silently.
Half the Konoha forces split off and rushed to reinforce Kakashi's team.
The sound of wind rushing through the trees faded into silence, replaced by the cautious presence of hunters waiting for a predator to reappear.
"...If he's truly gone," Chōza murmured, "there's no way we can catch someone who uses space-time ninjutsu. It's as simple as him thinking it."
"No need to worry, Lord Chōza," a calm, feminine voice interjected.
Chōza turned to see the pale blue-white form of the Slug Sage.
"Orochimaru is heading this way."
Chōza blinked in surprise. "The Slug Sage... If Orochimaru is coming, we may still have a chance."
Though he couldn't help but notice: she called him "Your Excellency" and referred to Orochimaru by name. Odd.
"Let's focus," said Hiruzen firmly. "That masked man is more dangerous than the rest of Akatsuki combined. If we get another chance to capture him, we must use everything we've got."
He was right—but capturing Obito would require a mistake on his part. The ninjas here were elite, yes, but they weren't trained to deal with such unpredictable, intangible enemies. They were built to battle giant beasts and summon monsters.
If only we had more from the Nara or Aburame clans, Hiruzen thought. Their shadow or insect techniques would've made this a very different battle.
"After this... I'll have Orochimaru fast-track the reinforcement projects."
The old Hokage stood still, eyes locked on the battlefield like a patient predator waiting for movement in the grass.
But there was nothing.
No wind. No noise. Only tension.
"Did he really escape…?"
Then—
A ripple.
A figure in the red-and-black cloak of Akatsuki emerged from nothing.
"He's back!" someone shouted.
But something was wrong.
Obito's chakra was unstable, violent. His very presence radiated chaos. The Konoha forces didn't hesitate—they launched a coordinated barrage.
Wind howled. Fire erupted. Lightning surged.
"You dare stand in my way!?" Obito roared. "Then DIE!"
A monstrous Wood Release jutsu burst from the earth—a giant black demonic cat, easily the size of a Tailed Beast. It devoured the incoming jutsu with ease, its fur unscathed.
"Impossible," Hiruzen muttered. "Wood Release…? From him?"
Obito had barely demonstrated any control over Wood Release before—just fragments. This was something else entirely.
But there was no time to think. Hiruzen's instincts flared. "Everyone, fall back! DEFENSIVE FORMATION!"
The cat reared up, its twin tails bristling with jagged, needle-like fur. Then—
BOOM!
The tails fired, releasing a storm of deadly spines across the forest.
Trees shattered. Rocks exploded. Ninja screamed as the storm tore into them.
Even with the enhancements from Orochimaru's physical surgery, many fell with horrific injuries—torsos pierced, limbs shredded. Some were lucky enough to protect their vitals. No one escaped unscathed.
It was the first time in years the Konoha shinobi truly feared the power of Wood Release.
The Slug Sage quickly split herself into dozens of small forms and rushed to tend to the injured.
Standing atop the beast, Hiruzen drew a deep breath, ripped a wooden spike from his side, and made his decision.
If I don't act now…
He leapt onto the beast, racing toward Obito.
Controlling such a jutsu required a physical anchor. That meant Obito had to be present. This was their best chance.
"I won't let you destroy this village!" Hiruzen's gaze sharpened with resolve.
He only had one technique that could end this quickly: the Reaper Death Seal.
A forbidden jutsu—costly, but effective.
He dashed forward, but strangely, the wooden cat didn't resist.
Obito stood atop it… and vanished.
The beast froze. Motionless.
So did Hiruzen.
He's gone? Really? Just like that...?
The old Hokage clenched his fists. The bastard had nearly wiped them out—only to leave?
He glanced around. His men were alive. Barely. But alive.
Still, the way the enemy retreated without finishing them off—it was irrational. Unpredictable.
"…This guy," Hiruzen muttered. "He really is insane…"
A memory of Orochimaru's voice returned: "The Uchiha? They're all sick."
Maybe that wasn't so wrong.
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out overhead.
"What's the matter, old man? You froze again."
Orochimaru stood on the cat's unmoving head, smiling with faint sarcasm. "Another Hokage almost dragged back to the afterlife by the Reaper. You're lucky I arrived when I did."
"…When did you get here?" Hiruzen asked, only mildly annoyed. "In any case, go support Kakashi's unit."
"No rush," Orochimaru replied, forming a hand seal. "They're doing fine. Let's patch up these people first before that freak comes back."
BOOM!
With a puff of smoke, the Slug Sage's full body appeared and pressed the wooden beast down. She immediately split into hundreds of tiny clones, rushing to treat the injured.
Orochimaru sighed.
Even summoning a full-size slug was pushing the limit for his clone. The earlier battle had drained too much of his chakra.
Hiruzen noted the strain. "So you did have a hard time with the Akatsuki leader."
He assumed Orochimaru's current weakness was from his fight with Pain, not realizing this was a clone from the Slug Split Technique.
Orochimaru grinned, but then… he paused.
His head snapped toward Kakashi's direction.
"…No way. He actually did it?"
"What is it?" Hiruzen asked, frowning.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. "Forget what I said. Kakashi's in deep trouble."
He leapt into the treetops.
Hiruzen stayed behind, watching him go.
He trusted Orochimaru to handle it.
---
Earlier—
After choosing to let the retreating Kusanagi forces escape, Kakashi and the others redirected all their efforts onto Satori.
This creature had mocked them enough.
At first, the Konoha shinobi hesitated, afraid to break the earthen shackles binding it. But when they saw its wings begin to regenerate—then stop—they went all out.
Even the taijutsu users joined in.
Blow after blow. Fist after jutsu. Roars and laughter filled the air.
At last, Kakashi narrowed his eyes. The backup unit should be arriving any moment.
"Sealing team—are they here yet!?"
The Hyūga-led scouts signaled.
Several sealing specialists stepped forward.
But before they could approach, a swirling vortex tore through the air.
From it stepped a man in a black cloak with red clouds.
His eyes locked on Kakashi—and burned with madness.
"I finally found you!"
_____________________
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