"Can't sleep?"
Late at night, in a valley within the Land of Waterfalls, the Konohagakure group had set up camp to rest.
Kakashi was casually reading his novel when he noticed Kitagawa Minamoto stepping out. Unable to suppress his curiosity, he asked.
"It's not your turn for watch yet, and you could just use a Shadow Clone."
"You're not sleeping either, Kakashi-sensei."
Minamoto smiled as he sat down beside him.
"Besides, you don't know the Shadow Clone Technique either."
Kakashi shrugged. He couldn't exactly admit he was using the moonlight as an excuse to read his book.
And knowing Minamoto, Kakashi suspected this kid was up to something again—after all, this was the same guy who once used Shadow Clones to run away.
"What are you planning this time? Don't tell me you're thinking about sneaking into the Hidden Waterfall Village?"
"You really know me well, Kakashi-sensei."
Minamoto didn't even bother denying it. Instead, he nodded seriously and spoke.
"The Hidden Waterfall Village is too mysterious. From what I've studied, they don't seem like much.
But that guy in the Akatsuki from there is ridiculously strong. So, I want to go in and investigate."
"You're going alone?"
"Of course. Trust my skills. Besides, I can get in and out easily. No one will be able to stop me."
Minamoto's confidence was evident, and even Kakashi couldn't help but nod in agreement.
Indeed, this kid might not excel in other areas, but when it came to escaping from battle, he was unmatched!
And honestly, the Hidden Waterfall Village did seem a bit enigmatic. Perhaps scouting it out in advance wasn't a bad idea.
"Then go ahead."
Before Kakashi could respond, a new voice spoke from behind them.
"Jiraiya-sama, you're still awake?"
Kakashi turned to see Jiraiya yawning as he approached.
"This boring place is killing me. Besides, when has this great sage ever gone to bed early?"
Jiraiya plopped down beside them, grinning.
"If you want to go, then go. The Fourth Raikage still has the Flying Thunder God mark on him.
Just remember not to cause too much commotion, and don't let anyone see you. Got it?"
"Don't worry."
Minamoto nodded with a smile. After a moment of thought, he clasped his hands together and performed a Transformation Jutsu.
"What do you think of this?"
"..."
Jiraiya's mouth twitched, and Kakashi immediately lost interest in his book.
Minamoto had transformed into none other than Obito Uchiha, complete with the iconic mask.
Even knowing it was a setup, this was going too far!
"But why is your hair short?"
The awkward silence was broken as Kakashi suddenly noticed something odd and looked at Minamoto in confusion.
"Isn't it easier to recognize this way?"
Minamoto replied matter-of-factly.
"After all, we keep running into each other during missions. What if someone mistakes me for the real thing?"
Currently, Obito Uchiha still sported long hair similar to Madara Uchiha's. Who knew when he had decided to cut it?
But this discrepancy gave Minamoto the perfect opportunity to exploit. He was well aware that the Akatsuki would show up.
"Well then, I'm off."
Minamoto waved, and in the next instant, his figure vanished.
"What a jinx. Kakashi, your teaching methods are seriously problematic."
Jiraiya muttered as he watched Minamoto disappear. Kakashi, however, wasn't having it.
"Jiraiya-sama, he picked up all his bad habits from you! I never took him to any hot springs!"
"Oh really? Then why do I remember that the first time we met, he was already eyeing the wealthy merchant in the Land of Waves?"
"..."
"And let's not forget how he scammed Naruto out of his allowance and made the Third Hokage pay for it. That wasn't my doing, was it?"
"..."
"And just now, he—"
"Enough! Clearly, the problem lies with Konohagakure's education system!"
Meanwhile, Outside the Hidden Waterfall Village
Bathed in moonlight, Obito Uchiha stood in the shadows, gazing at the distant waterfall.
He spoke in a low voice, "How's the setup going?"
"It's almost done. There won't be any issues," Black Zetsu replied, his gaze also fixed on the waterfall.
"What's wrong? Are you thinking of going in?"
"Yeah, I want to confirm the situation in advance.
The Seven-Tails may not be much, but it's still a Tailed Beast."
Obito didn't deny it. For him, infiltrating a village was child's play.
"Who knows how much longer Nagato will need, but we can't afford to start the operation without sufficient intel on the Tailed Beasts."
"True."
Black Zetsu nodded in agreement. The current situation was already troublesome enough.
Kitagawa Minamoto's actions remained an unresolved issue, and this uncertainty only added to Black Zetsu's anxiety.
If anything, he was the one most eager to see things resolved quickly, so he could finally stop worrying.
"Then I'll go take a look. You keep an eye on Kakashi and the others."
Obito made his decision without hesitation. Black Zetsu immediately responded.
"I've already had White Zetsu watching them, but he can't get too close.
Those people are incredibly perceptive."
"I know. I'm off."
As he spoke, Obito's body began to distort, and in the next instant, he disappeared.
"What a hassle. Let's hope nothing goes wrong this time."
Black Zetsu sighed as he watched Obito leave, but a sense of unease lingered in his heart.
After all, nothing good ever came from encountering Kitagawa Minamoto!
Inside the Hidden Waterfall Village
As space distorted, Obito appeared in the shadows, overlooking the village below.
He shook his head at the sight.
The Hidden Waterfall Village was in shambles, but that was hardly surprising.
The Land of Waterfalls wasn't a major nation, and despite possessing a Tailed Beast, the village had never developed into a significant shinobi force.
Sandwiched between Konohagakure and the Land of Earth, its mission opportunities were siphoned away by these two powerhouses.
The village's ninja population had also been decimated once by Kakuzu.
All that remained were the so-called Hero Water and the Seven-Tails.
"Still, the Seven-Tails spared them from the chaos of the Shinobi World Wars."
Although the Seven-Tails wasn't particularly strong, a rampaging Tailed Beast was still a force to be reckoned with.
"First, I'll find the Seven-Tails' Jinchūriki and assess the situation."
With that thought, Obito's body shifted, and in the blink of an eye, he moved toward Fū's location.
Thanks to prior investigations, he already knew roughly where she was.
"Wait, something's wrong."
As he got closer, Obito felt a growing sense of unease.
"Why is it so quiet? Where are the Anbu?"
Even for a rundown village like the Hidden Waterfall, they wouldn't neglect the protection of their Jinchūriki, would they?
But when Obito found an unconscious Hidden Waterfall Anbu in a corner, he immediately realized something was off.
"What's going on? Has something happened to the village? Or is someone else targeting the Tailed Beast?"
With questions swirling in his mind, Obito quickened his pace toward Fū's room.
Using Kamui, he phased directly into the room—only to freeze in shock.
In front of him, he saw "himself" standing in the room.
The sudden appearance of the real Obito also caught the attention of the other figure, who immediately looked up.
For a moment, the two identical individuals, wearing the same outfit and mask, stared at each other in stunned silence.
Back in the Forest Outside the Village
In a hollowed-out tree, Konan looked at Nagato with concern.
"Is sending just one Deva Path enough?"
"This time, we're up against Jiraiya-sensei, and he's not alone. One body might not—"
"Now's not the time to reveal all our secrets.
Besides, controlling six bodies simultaneously isn't easy," Nagato interrupted with a shake of his head.
While he didn't want to hold back, exposing everything prematurely wasn't an option.
Moreover, the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path drained his strength significantly, making it difficult to control all six bodies perfectly.
"Once the Demonic Statue is fully prepared, I'll be able to focus entirely on control.
For now, the Deva Path will suffice. Trust me, there won't be any problems."
Nagato was confident in the Deva Path's power.
If not for the limitations of Yahiko's body, he wouldn't have needed to create so many other paths in the first place.
Ever since Yahiko's death, the overlapping beliefs they once shared had faded.
Now, Nagato's sole purpose was to use Yahiko's body to create a world of peace—a world where Yahiko's ideals could be realized.
"Get some rest. Tomorrow—"
Before Nagato could finish, a surge of powerful Chakra erupted in the distance, shaking the ground.
BOOM!
The violent tremor left both Nagato and Konan momentarily stunned.
Nagato immediately activated the Deva Path.
"What's happening?"
Elsewhere, Itachi and Kisame arrived, equally bewildered.
"What's going on? Did that brat get exposed and start a fight?"
Meanwhile, Kakashi and Jiraiya, who had been waiting for Minamoto to return, were wide-eyed in shock.
Even Tsunade, who had been rudely awakened by the sudden Chakra explosion, stormed out in annoyance.
Feeling the distant eruption of Chakra, they all realized something big was happening and rushed toward the Hidden Waterfall Village.
Inside the Village
Kitagawa Minamoto and Obito had already clashed!
"You bastard! How dare you impersonate me!"
Obito was livid. He had never imagined that he would encounter Minamoto while scouting the village.
Not only that, but Minamoto had disguised himself as Obito and seemingly done something to the Seven-Tails' Jinchūriki.
Furious and uneasy, Obito couldn't help but wonder if his plans had been exposed—or if Minamoto was also after the Tailed Beast.
"Relax. Even if I try, I could never truly impersonate you."
Standing on the rooftop of a building, Minamoto looked down at Obito. After a moment of thought, he sighed.
"Honestly, I really admire you."
"???"
"No matter how hard I try, I could never use Genjutsu to paralyze myself, fantasizing that the dead could come back to life and pretending it's all real."
"..."
"After all, who would replace reality with illusion?
But you—you're a true hero!"
"GO TO HELL!!!"
(End of Chapter)
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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