Chapter 153: The White Mask!
'The Ghost of the Uchiha,' but with Water Style?
'Is there something wrong with the Lazy System?'
Keisuke frowned as he glanced at the mission information on his panel. He maneuvered the Shadow Creature out of the massive cloud of steam, putting distance between them and the attack range of the advanced water jutsu. They came to a stop in the sky above a patch of land near the riverbank. This created a natural visual barrier between them and the river, preventing the water-style user from easily launching another attack.
'It has to be an Uchiha, but are there any Uchiha who are masters of Water Style?'
Keisuke was well aware that Uchiha Madara was pulling the strings behind the Battle of Kannabi Bridge and had been on guard for it. But he also knew that among Madara's many abilities, "Water Style" was definitely not one of them.
'Is Madara deliberately hiding his abilities and identity? Or is this surprise attack the work of someone else entirely?'
At the same time, Minato and the others were also contemplating the identity of their mysterious assailant.
"A water jutsu of that caliber, with both a rapid, large-scale barrage and a follow-up Water Dragon, has to be A-rank or higher!" Minato's brow furrowed as he sifted through countless bits of shinobi intelligence in his mind. "Based on my knowledge, there is no one among Iwagakure's forces who is that skilled with Water Style. Could it be that Kirigakure has intervened in this war?"
In Minato's view, the Village Hidden in the Mist certainly had the strength and capability to interfere in the Third Great Ninja War. Considering the old grudge between the Second Tsuchikage and the Second Mizukage, it wasn't impossible for Kirigakure to dispatch elite ninja deep behind enemy lines to cause chaos and assassinate key figures.
However, that raised another question...
"But aren't Kirigakure and Iwagakure separated by us, by Konoha?" Uchiha Shisui voiced the doubt in his mind. "Why would the Land of Water and the Land of Earth decide to fight each other across the vast territory of the Land of Fire?"
The others on the back of the Shadow Creature turned their gazes to Minato, hoping he would have an answer. But how could he? He could explain that the grudge existed because the Second Tsuchikage and Second Mizukage had killed each other during the Second Great Ninja War, but that wasn't the real answer. Because even Minato couldn't explain why those two Kage had crossed paths on the battlefield in the first place...
"Everyone, let's ignore that question for now," Keisuke's voice cut in. "The priority is to confirm the attacker's identity and origin. As for his motive... he chose to attack us even after we destroyed Kannabi Bridge, so he's definitely no friend to Konoha. Retsu."
Hearing her captain's command, Hyūga Retsu understood immediately and activated her Byakugan. Its powerful vision pierced through the thick layer of earth, scanning the raging river below where the bridge once stood.
"No sign of anyone, and no trace of chakra flow," Retsu reported quickly. Her answer, however, only made Keisuke and the others frown.
"Keep searching," Keisuke ordered, prompting the Shadow Creature to gain more altitude. "Don't forget the ground beneath us."
Retsu kept her Byakugan active and silently popped a soldier pill into her mouth.
At the same time, Minato bit his thumb and performed a summoning.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Poof!
With a burst of smoke, a small toad wearing goggles appeared on the back of the Shadow Creature.
"Kōsuke," Minato said, addressing the toad by name. This particular toad was stationed in Konoha to maintain contact with Mount Myōboku. Occasionally, Jiraiya and Minato used it to relay intelligence to the village.
"Minato-sama," Kōsuke greeted him with utmost respect.
With the situation being urgent, Minato explained briefly. "We've been attacked behind Iwagakure's front lines by one or more powerful water-style users. Our mission to disrupt their supply lines will be affected. Please relay this information to the Third Hokage-sama and Orochimaru-sama immediately."
"Yes, Minato-sama!" Kōsuke bowed to Minato and vanished in another puff of smoke.
Minato's original plan had been to continue destroying Iwagakure's supply lines, but now, faced with a powerful and unidentified enemy, he had to put that mission on hold.
"Keisuke, I'm going down to check the situation. You all stay alert."
Keisuke looked back and saw Minato take a three-pronged kunai from his pouch, preparing to throw it.
"Be careful, Minato-san."
As Keisuke spoke, the three members of Team Minato chimed in with their own words of concern for their teacher. Minato aimed for the ruins of the bridge and hurled the kunai with all his might. The unique weapon flew through the air like a shooting star before landing in the empty river valley below.
In the next instant, Minato's figure vanished from the back of the Shadow Creature.
"So fast!" Shizune's eyes widened as she gasped in amazement.
Hearing her, Obito and Rin smiled, and even Kakashi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. But before the three could start boasting about their teacher's skills, Retsu's urgent warning rang out.
"Captain! Below! Four o'clock!"
Keisuke instantly controlled the Shadow Creature, making it flap its wings and veer away from its original position. A split second later, a thin, spear-like blade of water shot up from the ground, its ferocious momentum carrying it past where they had just been and high into the clouds above.
"With Water Style on that level, you'd think the Second Hokage himself had shown up!" Keisuke said, maneuvering the creature around to look at the long, lingering pillar of water. "Or did Kirigakure send their Mizukage to the Land of Earth again?"
Considering the murky relationship between Uchiha Madara and the Hidden Mist Village, Keisuke felt his guess wasn't entirely without merit.
Thanks to the attack, they had finally pinpointed the assailant's location.
Standing on the ground below was a dark figure, looking up at the sky. He had a well-proportioned build and wore a peculiar white mask that covered almost his entire head. Simple, circular lines decorated its surface, with two comma-shaped holes for the eyes.
A white mask?
Keisuke's eyelid twitched. He instinctively wanted to turn and look at Obito behind him but forcefully suppressed the urge.
'This should be the normal timeline for the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, not some corrupted, broken version, right?'
It was no wonder Keisuke's mind was racing. The figure below looked exactly like the "White Mask Obito" from the period before the Fourth Great Ninja War. But considering the man's mastery of Water Style, Keisuke was even more confused.
To Keisuke's right, Uchiha Shisui stared at the figure below, his brow slightly furrowed. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt a strange sense of familiarity...
Just as they spotted the enemy, Minato, who had gone down to the river valley, also sensed the unfamiliar chakra on the ground and instantly flickered out of the ravine.
'Such a powerful ability to conceal his presence, and that linear, ultra-long-range water jutsu just now...' Minato landed on the ground, facing the white-masked ninja from a distance, his blue eyes tracking the man's every move. 'And that strange attire...'
"You aren't wearing any village's forehead protector. Are you deliberately hiding your identity, or are you a bounty hunter who wandered onto the battlefield?" Minato asked gravely, holding his Flying Thunder God kunai in one hand. The great ninja villages were powerful, but that didn't mean they handled every mission in-house. As far as Minato knew, Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, was particularly fond of hiring bounty hunters.
Considering that, it was possible. As for the man's exceptional skill... hadn't Keisuke encountered an absurdly strong "Immortal Ninja" before? Konoha still had very little intelligence on him.
"I'm no bounty hunter," a young voice emanated from behind the mask. Dark eyes stared at Minato, filled with an unreadable emotion. "I am merely... a ghost who has vanished from history."
"A ghost?" Minato's brow tightened.
At that moment, a black pellet shot down from the sky, sinking directly into the white-masked ninja's shadow. In the next instant, the Yin Release chakra packed within it erupted, forming powerful shadow hands that pinned the man in place.
Spiraling Shadow Binding Bullet!
'A perfect chance!'
Minato was deeply familiar with the Nara clan's shadow techniques. He immediately seized the opportunity, hurling the kunai in his hand straight at the white mask's head.
Clang!
The Flying Thunder God kunai struck the mask right between the eyes like a thrown dart, but it couldn't advance a single inch.
Minato's attack failed to penetrate the enemy's mask.
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