Clouds drifted across the sky, turning what had been a clear day into a gray, overcast one. Obito was finishing merging with the chakra of the Ten‑Tails.
"Is that Obito?" Kakashi frowned, beads of sweat forming on his brow.
Tō gave a wry, resigned smile. "Yes. He didn't die back then—Madara saved him. That moment may even have been orchestrated on his part. You can't stand idly by now—your Sharingan lets you fight within that space-time as well."
Might Guy also urged Kakashi, and Tō sprang into action. In an instant, she moved beside Obito.
He was faster. As she appeared, he spun and snapped a hand toward her. In that moment, he created a Yin–Yang Release sphere in his palm, a droplet-shaped chakra that could gravely injure anyone it struck.
Tō's Cloud‑Chain Shot lashed out, stabbing into Obito's arm even as he slipped into his space-time dimension. Blood spurted. Obito struck her with a punch, warping space itself, and she vanished in an instant.
Kakashi teleported in, his Sharingan spinning. The surrounding space trembled… then Obito disappeared. Kakashi paused, then yelled at Nagato: "Watch your back!"
Tō anticipated the situation even faster. Her chain shot went toward Nagato's back just as Obito seized Nagato's arm. Rinne‑Tensei failed. As Nagato tried to fight, Obito's finger stabbed through Nagato's left eye.
Obito shrugged off the chain shot and reappeared a short distance away, on the surface of the sea.
"Unbelievable—he'd take the risk of tanking my blow just to seize the Rinnegan?" Tō supported Nagato. "That all happened in a flash. Only Kakashi and I can even begin to counter his space-time ninjutsu. Even Naruto, with the Nine-Tails, stands no chance—Obito is the Ten‑Tails Jinchūriki."
Tō continued: "If we don't all use Sage Mode, once he enters it, regular attacks will fail."
Jiraiya, puzzled, asked: "You even understand the Ten‑Tails Sage State?"
Tō inhaled deeply and a lie: "Honestly… when I awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, what I truly gained was future sight. I've seen everything that's happened these past years, even the Ten‑Tails' power. That's why I set this trap."
She coughed, then added: "But that ability can't be used often—the Sharingan's side effects… worse than blindness."
Nagato covered his injured eye and smiled faintly: "That explains why you predicted my and Naruto's every move… though some slipped through!"
Tō laughed lightly: "Don't treat me like a god."
Suddenly, the Second Hokage reappeared with a roar, Bakuhatsu! A chakra explosion erupted at Obito's waist.
Yet Obito's chakra surged. A cloak of chakra extended, patterned with Six Paths runes. He truly was becoming the Ten‑Tails Jinchūriki—a tailed beast with both Sharingan and Rinnegan.
Despite the blow, Obito was now nearly unstoppable in that form. Tō knew: if the First and Second Hokage got hit again like this, even their Edo Tensei regeneration might fail.
Obito sneered: "Tō… now that I'm truly the Ten‑Tails Jinchūriki… what other tricks do you have? If it's just the stuff you used before… I could beat you."
He was arrogant, and Tō was furious—but her chakra was seriously drained. If she fought at full power now, she'd run out of chakra too soon.
She drew a deep breath, then ordered: "Naruto, Sasuke—use your synergy with the First and Second Hokage's Flying Thunder God Technique to attack Obito. Jiraiya, keep your Sage jutsu ready. Itachi, have your Yata Mirror prepped. If nothing else works, rely on you and Nagato."
"That leaves you?" Nagato asked hoarsely—his chakra was almost gone. He could only fend off some attacks.
Tō's answer was calm: "From the start… I've been fighting top-tier shinobi like the First Hokage, often under siege. Did you think I have unlimited chakra?"
Her words silenced everyone.