Kitagawa Minamoto didn't fully understand what was going on with Obito Uchiha.
He couldn't figure out the peculiar reaction between Obito and Isshiki within him either.
But one thing was clear—Obito's condition had undeniably changed.
"The Kāma has been activated. Is this the first stage?"
Minamoto recalled Jigen's situation. Under his Byakugan's gaze, Obito's state seemed far from ordinary. In fact, his condition appeared even stronger than Jigen's during their encounter.
"So Jigen's body was always holding Isshiki back?"
Minamoto nodded thoughtfully. Meanwhile, Obito appeared unusually excited. He raised his head, stared at Minamoto, and spoke in a low voice.
"Do you see it now? I'm not like Kakashi!"
Buzz—
As soon as Obito finished speaking, he charged at Minamoto with incredible speed.
"This is the power Rin has guided me to achieve!"
His fist roared through the air, causing the surrounding trees to collapse instantly. But just as his punch was about to land, Minamoto sidestepped and moved forward with a single step.
In that moment, Obito's fist grazed past Minamoto, while Minamoto's White Fang short sword swung toward Obito's arm.
Obito's reaction speed was equally impressive. After his punch missed, he immediately twisted to dodge Minamoto's blade.
He then aimed a left-handed punch at Minamoto's chest. But Minamoto remained motionless, gently pressing his left hand against Obito's fist. With a subtle push, Minamoto lifted himself into the air.
In the next instant, Minamoto's foot shot toward Obito's head.
Bang—
Obito raised a hand to block the kick, but the force sent him flying backward. He crashed through a wall on the roadside, leaving a gaping hole before phasing into Kamui's Dimension.
"That fast, huh? No wonder Ōtsutsuki Isshiki labeled you as an 'Evolved Being.'"
In a blink, Obito reappeared, his face filled with excitement.
"But I'm not the same as I used to be. Feel the shared will of Rin and me!"
Whoosh—
The air trembled as Obito charged at Minamoto again, moving even faster this time. But to Minamoto, he truly looked like an idiot.
"Shared will with Rin? Did Isshiki use some special trick?"
Minamoto's thoughts wandered, but his movements effortlessly countered Obito's attacks.
There was no doubt Obito had grown stronger. Yet his basic abilities were still far from enough to pressure Minamoto.
Buzz—
Obito threw a punch, but Minamoto simply tilted his head to dodge. Before Obito could kick, Minamoto had already sidestepped to avoid him.
As if predicting Obito's next move, Minamoto raised his hand to block Obito's spinning elbow strike.
Buzz—
With a roar of wind, Minamoto's left fist connected with Obito's stomach. Following up with an elbow to Obito's face, Minamoto shattered Obito's mask with a muffled blow.
Bang—
Obito flew backward once more, but Minamoto's short sword followed his retreat. The blade, infused with Yin-Yang Release, warped the surrounding space as it danced.
"Tch."
Obito gritted his teeth and phased into Kamui's Dimension again. But his body, uncontrollably flying backward, passed through distorted and blurry scenery.
"Ugh!"
With a low growl, Obito steadied himself. But before he could return to the battlefield, Minamoto had already appeared before him.
"So this is your so-called 'shared will with Rin'?"
Minamoto's expression remained peculiar. He couldn't help but wonder if Isshiki had turned into some kind of "cross-dressing clown."
To Obito, however, Minamoto's strange expression and words felt deeply mocking.
"You'll pay for this!"
Obito growled and pulled out a kunai. Phasing out of Kamui's Dimension, he charged at Minamoto once more.
Buzz— Buzz— Buzz—
The kunai in Obito's hand danced with incredible speed, creating countless afterimages. The sheer force generated gusts of wind that roared around them.
Yet no matter how hard Obito tried, his efforts seemed utterly ineffective against Minamoto.
Minamoto continued to evade with effortless simplicity, blocking and deflecting attacks without breaking a sweat.
His movements lacked any excessive flair or explosive power. But even so, Obito felt as though he was facing an unbreakable wall—no matter how much he struggled, he couldn't overcome it.
"How is your tactical skill level this bad?"
Obito's face darkened, but Isshiki's expression was far worse.
Isshiki was stunned. He had never expected Obito's combat performance to be this poor.
"Are you even a shinobi of this world? Aren't these tactical skills supposed to be fundamental for ninjas like you?"
As an Ōtsutsuki, Isshiki had always dismissed the so-called "tactical skills" of shinobi. After all, with their inherent power, the Ōtsutsuki could easily crush lower beings without needing such techniques.
However, centuries spent attached to Jigen had forced Isshiki to adapt. With limited freedom and an incomplete Kāma, he had reluctantly studied ninja tactics and even mastered their use.
But now, watching Obito—a legitimate shinobi—perform so poorly, Isshiki couldn't believe his eyes.
"How did this guy even become a ninja?"
Isshiki was filled with questions, while Minamoto couldn't help but smile.
Blocking another of Obito's attacks with a raised hand, Minamoto sighed softly.
"It seems you and your so-called 'shared will with Rin' haven't truly resonated."
With those words, Minamoto's speed suddenly increased. The abrupt escalation left Obito momentarily disoriented.
"Damn it, what is this..."
Obito's face twisted in disbelief. But as his attack was deflected, Minamoto launched a counteroffensive.
Clang—
Obito's kunai snapped in half. Minamoto followed up with a punch to Obito's face, then a kick to his abdomen.
This time, Minamoto didn't hold back. The unleashed force distorted Obito's features, sending him hurtling toward the surrounding buildings like a cannonball.
As he collided with the structures, a strange spatial distortion occurred, transporting him to the outskirts of Konohagakure.
Boom—
Obito crashed into the ground, sending debris flying and dust billowing into the air. He wasn't even sure how far he had been thrown.
Just as he steadied himself, Minamoto appeared before him once again.
"So this is your so-called 'shared will with Rin'?"
Bang—
Another muffled impact. Obito felt as though his internal organs were being crushed. His body flew away once more, wracked with pain.
Despite the agony, the energy within him continued to surge, healing his wounds and restoring his strength.
Yet no matter how much his power grew, it remained futile against Minamoto.
"Damn it, I won't accept your words!"
Obito roared in defiance as Minamoto approached him again. His Chakra flared wildly.
"Fire Release: Blast Wave Wild Dance!"
The flames erupted with ferocity, infused with Kamui and traces of Yin-Yang Release. The violent aura was enough to make anyone's heart tremble.
The overwhelming firestorm seemed poised to consume everything in its path.
"Is that so?"
But before the flames could fully manifest, Minamoto's voice echoed from behind Obito.
In the next moment, Minamoto swung his blade. Obito instinctively phased into Kamui's Dimension, but seeing Minamoto seemingly unable to retract his sword, he reappeared to strike again.
That's when he noticed Minamoto's smile.
"You really haven't learned a thing."
Obito's breath hitched. He tried to phase back into Kamui's Dimension, but Minamoto had already reached him.
In his hand, a black-and-gold Rasengan shimmered ominously.
"Yin-Yang Release: Rasengan."
The visible shockwave rippled outward, followed by an explosive roar.
"What's going on?"
"What happened?"
"We felt fighting earlier, but the battle shifted too quickly to track."
"Is someone attacking the village again?"
The tremors jolted Konohagakure's residents awake. Though the situation seemed chaotic, the villagers didn't panic. They had grown accustomed to such events.
"Sensei, what's happening now?"
On the Hokage Monument, an elderly Hiruzen Sarutobi emerged, visibly distressed. At seventy-plus years old, such occurrences were becoming increasingly taxing.
Looking at his "younger" teacher, Hiruzen couldn't help but feel awkward.
"Your vigilance is too weak."
Tobirama Senju crossed his arms, snorting at Hiruzen before Hashirama Senju chimed in with a smile.
"It seems to be Obito Uchiha. He came here but was caught by Minamoto."
"Obito Uchiha?"
Hiruzen sighed in frustration upon hearing the name. With his mastery of space-time ninjutsu, normal shinobi vigilance seemed futile against Obito.
Still, Hiruzen couldn't help but express his gratitude.
"Good thing we have Minamoto. Otherwise..."
"We can't rely on him for everything. He's the Hokage; he should focus on more important matters."
Tobirama's remark left Hiruzen momentarily speechless. After some thought, a strange idea crossed his mind—perhaps it was better if he just... died again?
"But something seems off about Obito."
As Hiruzen mulled over his thoughts, Hashirama spoke up.
"He seems stronger than you described, but also weaker in some ways. And what's his purpose in coming to Konohagakure?"
"Who knows? But..."
Tobirama sensed the battlefield and concluded,
"It seems Minamoto's fight is nearing its end."
Amid the smoke and rubble, Obito lay in a massive crater, struggling to sit up.
"Ugh..."
With a slight movement, he coughed up blood. His mind buzzed, unable to fully comprehend his situation.
Minamoto's voice, sharp and biting, rang out once more.
"So this is your 'shared will with Rin'? How disappointingly weak."
"Damn it..."
Obito tried to stand, but his body was half-destroyed. The black markings on his skin surged, as a strange energy worked tirelessly to heal him.
However, the damage caused by Yin-Yang Release was far from easy to recover from.
"And I'm curious about one thing."
As Obito struggled, Minamoto appeared before him.
With the moonlight behind him, the natural energy enveloping Minamoto gave his face a hazy glow. But his white eyes gleamed piercingly.
"How can you be so sure that the one guiding you is 'Rin'?"
"You..."
"And don't forget, I've asked you before—do you truly know who you are?"
"..."
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