"Shun, do you need help?"
After swiftly dispatching the two clan leaders, Kakashi turned his attention to the lone figure weaving through the battlefield with an almost ghost-like grace.
"Have you already taken care of the enemy leaders? As expected of you, Senior Silver Fox," Shisui said with a faint smile, appearing beside Kakashi in a blur of movement.
"In that case, it seems I've been holding back too much."
There was admiration in Shisui's voice, but also a trace of competitive spirit. Throughout the battle, he'd been conserving his chakra by relying heavily on his Body Flicker Technique, darting among enemies, striking with precision, and fading away before they could react.
It was a risky but efficient method—one that allowed him to outlast most foes by minimizing direct confrontations.
But now that Kakashi had wrapped up his side of the battlefield, Shisui knew it was time to go all out.
He made a silent decision, forming a seal with his left hand. At the same time, he swung the blade in his right hand downward with practiced ease. Instantly, flames erupted around the blade, twisting and roaring with elemental fury. Fire and wind combined to produce a terrifying display of raw power—the air itself seemed to crackle with heat.
This was none other than Uchiha Style: Sword Leaping Flame, a composite technique blending Fire Style and Wind Style to devastating effect.
"Now that Senpai has acted, I should end this quickly too!"
Shisui's eyes gleamed. He took a deep breath, and his chakra flared.
"Uchiha Style: Halo Dance!"
In a flash, Shisui's main body and eleven afterimages appeared. They moved in perfect sync, a dozen figures sweeping through the battlefield like a storm of flame. Each one unleashed searing streams of fire upon the sixty remaining enemies before them.
The Mist shinobi from the Kaguya clan were momentarily blinded by the blazing radiance. A wall of white-hot light assaulted their eyes, disorienting them and leaving them vulnerable.
Realizing they couldn't dodge in time, they instinctively triggered their kekkei genkai.
The skin beneath their flesh hardened as layers of protective periosteum formed. With a roar, their bodies erupted with jagged white bones—this was their famed Dead Bone Pulse: Karamatsu Dance.
Their skeletal armor surged forth, boosting their defense to extraordinary levels.
But Shisui, sensing the power behind the technique, acted quickly.
Rather than waste energy attacking those with enhanced bone defenses, he strategically bypassed them. The twelve blazing figures leapt into the air, arcing gracefully like phoenixes, and hurled their flames at the less prepared shinobi.
The twelve Kaguya who couldn't react in time were engulfed in fire. The intense heat surged through their bodies like a raging inferno, melting flesh and armor alike. Their defenses crumbled under the onslaught.
Before they could scream, Shisui's real body flashed forward like a phantom, slicing through them in swift, merciless strikes.
Kakashi, watching the battle from afar, nodded in appreciation.
"That's some impressive work. I'd say those look like perfectly cooked spareribs," he joked lightly, though his tone carried genuine approval.
He stepped forward, preparing to end the skirmish and regroup with Lin and Shisui. But suddenly, his expression darkened.
A Flying Thunder God mark—one he'd placed long ago—suddenly reactivated a hundred miles away and was speeding toward him at an unimaginable pace.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed.
Obito…?
That speed could only be achieved with White Zetsu's assistance. Which meant…
Madara.
This could be a trap.
Still, Kakashi quickly evaluated the situation. The seal on Lin had already been removed. The Kaguya forces had been all but wiped out. There were no immediate threats left.
So what was Madara planning now?
Whatever it was, Kakashi braced himself for the worst.
---
Meanwhile, deep underground, Obito was pushing himself to the limit.
The tunnel around him made rapid travel difficult, but he urged his companion to move faster.
Faster. I have to get there in time.
Kakashi. Lin. Please be safe…
Suddenly, a curly-haired White Zetsu clone emerged from the earth. Its expression was strangely calm.
"We're here. Kakashi and Lin are just up ahead," it said, releasing its possession of Obito.
Obito didn't wait for another word. "Thanks, Curly!" he shouted as he leapt forward, not even noticing that his helper wasn't following him anymore.
He sprinted across the terrain, a blur of emotion and motion.
"Kakashi! Lin! I'm here to save you—"
But his triumphant call faltered the moment he arrived.
There stood Kakashi, hands in his pockets, calm and observant. Lin was beside him, perfectly safe, watching the battlefield with quiet confidence.
And ahead of them was Shisui—fighting Mist shinobi with fearsome skill. His flaming afterimages danced across the field, tearing through the enemy like vengeful spirits.
Obito blinked in confusion.
This wasn't the scene of danger and desperation he had imagined. In fact, it looked like everything was under control. Shisui was dominating the field. Lin was unhurt. Kakashi was… supervising?
What happened to the life-or-death crisis?
Obito's mind reeled, caught between relief and disappointment.
He had imagined himself appearing at the critical moment—saving Kakashi, shielding Lin, changing everything. He'd imagined the admiration in their eyes, the praise, the renewed sense of belonging.
But instead…
"Obito!"
Lin's joyful cry interrupted his thoughts.
She ran up and threw her arms around him tightly.
"You're finally back! I thought… I thought you were already…"
Tears filled her eyes as she clung to him.
"Welcome back, Obito," she whispered.
When Lin finally let go, she turned away to wipe her eyes. Kakashi stepped forward next, giving Obito a casual hug.
"Good to see you again."
Obito's own eyes welled up. His throat tightened. A thousand thoughts fought to come out, but in the end, all he could say was a quiet:
"Yeah…"
Lin looked at him, still sniffling. "Where have you been? Kitsune and I were worried sick!"
Obito scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly. "It's a long story. I'll explain everything later."
Kakashi nodded. "No rush. But I'm curious—how'd you find us?"
Obito explained briefly, then asked, "So… why is Shisui the only one fighting?"
Kakashi grinned. "Ah, well… We already took care of most of them. What you're seeing now is just cleanup. Shisui insisted on handling it."
Then, in a lighter tone, he added, "Since you're here, why not stay and watch your junior's performance? He's not bad."
Kakashi gave Obito a light pat on the shoulder.
He had noticed the flicker of loss in Obito's expression.
And Obito, now that he was observing the battlefield with fresh eyes, couldn't help but feel that sting of displacement.
So… I've been replaced?
Was Shisui now Minato's student? Had his absence made it that easy for the village to move on?
He understood, of course. On the battlefield, an unexplained disappearance often meant death. The village would have assumed he'd fallen in combat and moved forward.
But still…
"Haha, now you see it, don't you?"
A chilling voice slithered into Obito's mind like a serpent.
"You're not as important as you thought. You're just a tool. Replaceable. Forgotten the moment you're gone."
Obito's breath caught.
He spun around—there was no one there.
But the voice… it echoed inside him. It felt familiar. Insidious.
It was Madara's voice. Or perhaps, the voice of doubt he had carried with him all this time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
And now, as he watched his friends moving forward without him, even while they welcomed him back with open arms…
That voice grew louder.
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