"All teams, listen up and form the Mist Shinobi formation!"
As the two forces clashed in close combat, the leader of the Ghost Lantern Clan suddenly shouted a command.
At once, the Mist Shinobi who had not yet entered the fray stopped in place. They raised their left hands high toward the sky, forming seals with their right hands in front of their chests.
"Ninjutsu: Mist Shinobi Technique!"
A dense fog, conjured by hundreds of shinobi performing the jutsu in unison, burst forth and rapidly spread across the battlefield. The heavy mist instantly obscured the vision of the Konoha shinobi—so much so that even the Sharingan's clarity began to falter.
The Mist Shinobi already engaged in battle seized the opportunity to vanish into the fog and ambush their unsuspecting foes.
"Everyone, fall back!"
Fugaku, remaining calm amidst the chaos, immediately issued the retreat order.
Having clashed with Mist forces numerous times before, Fugaku had prepared for this scenario.
At his command, the Konoha Shinobi expertly disengaged, retreating in synchronized movements to avoid surprise attacks.
"Uchiha! Form the Great Dragon Fire Formation!"
Once his comrades had retreated safely, Fugaku barked the next command.
Hundreds of Uchiha moved swiftly into formation, their hands moving with rehearsed precision.
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
More than thirty blazing dragon heads rose from the flames, soaring through the sky. Combined with the power of nearly a hundred standard Dragon Fire Techniques, the fire jutsu merged into a colossal, roaring dragon nearly 100 meters long. It surged forward, tearing through the mist in a fiery charge!
"Not good!"
"Quick! Deploy the Water Barrier Formation!"
The Ghost Lantern Clan leader's face twisted in horror.
In previous encounters, Fugaku had used the Great Fireball Formation to disperse their mist technique. As a result, the Mist Shinobi had grown complacent, expecting the same strategy once more.
But Fugaku had escalated things.
He had changed the script—and it caught the Mist Shinobi completely off guard.
Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!
The massive flaming dragon clashed violently with the hastily raised water wall. A burst of steam erupted as the fire met water.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Within seconds, the weakened water barrier crumbled beneath the pressure of the fire dragon. Though the fiery beast had shrunk drastically, it still barreled forward and crashed into the Mist Shinobi ranks—triggering a violent explosion!
In a single exchange, dozens of Mist Shinobi were left injured.
However, upon closer inspection, one would notice something telling: the casualties were exclusively civilian ninjas.
The elite Mist Shinobi, particularly the hardened warriors of the Ghost Lantern Clan, remained untouched.
On the battlefield, ordinary ninja were just cannon fodder.
Kakashi, witnessing this grim reality, let out a silent sigh. Then, with a flicker of movement, he appeared beside Obito and whispered quickly into his ear.
"Obito, listen closely… Keep an eye on the battle between Chief Fugaku and the Ghost Lantern Clan leader. When the moment comes—go in and finish the fight. Take the kill."
"Eh? T-That doesn't sound right…"
Obito blinked in surprise.
Kakashi's suggestion was bold—almost underhanded.
"This is war," Kakashi said calmly. "If you help Chief Fugaku end the fight quickly, the whole battle will wrap up faster. That's a win for everyone."
"When the reports come in, you can always decline the military merit. We're not stealing credit—we're showing the world what Mangekyō Sharingan can do. It'll boost morale."
He patted Obito's shoulder with a sigh. "You're still too soft. You need to learn how to seize the moment."
Obito hesitated, still unsure. Something felt off—but Kakashi had always been the more strategic one. If he couldn't fully grasp the logic now, maybe it was best to follow Kakashi's lead.
"…Alright. I'll do it."
Swish!
As they spoke, Fugaku darted forward like a streak of black light. Ignoring the lingering mist, he surged toward the Ghost Lantern Clan leader.
Raising his blade high, Fugaku struck with full force. The fire-infused weapon cut through the fog like paper, instantly evaporating the surrounding mist.
The Ghost Lantern Chief's figure emerged clearly through the cleared air.
"Water Cannon: Twin Nails!"
Knowing his hydrated form made him immune to most physical attacks, the clan leader still didn't dare take Fugaku's flaming blade head-on. He leapt backward, forming pistol-like gestures with his hands and fired two highly compressed water bullets!
Clang! Clang!
The high-pressure jets struck Fugaku's sword, creating a jarring metallic sound. A wave of force surged through his arm, causing momentary numbness.
Luckily, the blade—crafted by a legendary master—held firm under the impact.
"Biu! Biu! Biu!"
The Ghost Lantern leader didn't relent. He maintained his stance, continuously firing high-speed water bullets from his hands with precision.
Dozens of water projectiles rained down on Fugaku!
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
Fugaku knew escape wasn't an option at this range. He leapt into the air, spitting a flurry of small fireballs while simultaneously tossing over twenty shuriken.
The flames clung to the spinning blades like fiery petals, colliding mid-air with the water bullets.
Thanks to the Sharingan's tracking ability and Fugaku's masterful aim, more than a dozen shuriken struck true, detonating the water bullets in mid-flight.
The remaining flaming blades surged toward the Ghost Lantern leader without slowing.
"Water Style: Water Arm Technique!"
With no time to dodge, the Ghost Lantern Chief transformed his left arm into a massive water-formed limb. He swung it powerfully, knocking away the shuriken in a wide arc.
"Kamui!"
Just then—a voice echoed behind him.
An intense, instinctual chill surged up his spine. Without hesitation, the clan leader initiated his hydration technique to liquefy his body.
In the blink of an eye, space around his head twisted—and with a soft pop, his head liquefied and burst!
Kakashi, watching from afar, narrowed his eyes.
He dodged? Impressive. His reaction was fast.
But even such a defense meant little in the face of Obito's power.
"Fire Style: Explosive Wind Dance!"
Obito, unfazed by the failed strike, activated Kamui again—this time creating a vortex of spiraling space and wind.
A flaming serpent burst from his mouth, merging with the storm to form a blazing whirlwind!
Whoosh!
The massive fiery spiral engulfed the Ghost Lantern Chief, who hadn't yet reformed his liquefied head.
"AAHHHHH!"
His twisted liquid body thrashed inside the vortex, burning and shrinking rapidly.
As his chakra reserves depleted, he could no longer maintain his hydrated form. His true body emerged—vulnerable and completely exposed.
Sizzle!
The scorching heat cooked him alive.
The pungent stench of burning flesh filled the air.
"Chief!"
"You bastard kid!"
The Ghost Lantern warriors, once supremely confident in their leader, now flew into a rage.
All discipline vanished. Abandoning their current opponents, they turned their full fury on Obito, eyes wild with hatred.
"Water Style: Water Cannon!"
Dozens of high-pressure water bullets soared toward Obito at once, determined to annihilate the boy who had brought down their chief.
"Obito, watch out!"
Fugaku shouted in alarm, throwing more than twenty shuriken to intercept the attacks.
But there were too many.
Even with Fugaku's intervention, most of the water bullets broke through and continued hurtling toward Obito.
Yet Obito… smiled.
He stood still—unmoving, unflinching.
Fugaku's eyes widened. His Mangekyō Sharingan activated instinctively, the three tomoe spinning rapidly and merging into a single shape.
He's our future! We can't lose him!
Without hesitation, Fugaku prepared to use Body Flicker to reach Obito and activate Susanoo, even if it meant exposing his own hidden power.
He no longer cared about secrecy—only survival.