The twilight faded, and nightfall approached.
At the entrance of Hoshigakure, the echoes of explosions had yet to dissipate. Kakuzu and Kanon arrived with the Anbu.
'Never seen these enemies before-' Kakuzu's green pupils narrowed as his gaze locked onto the two figures not far away.
The leader wore a tiger-striped mask, while the other had a bizarre, venus flytrap-like appearance… utterly strange. At first glance, they seemed related to Kusagakure, but after a moment of thought, Kakuzu was certain they weren't Ninja from that village.
Neither of them had ever appeared on the bounty lists, either.
"Shura-sama, are they enemies?" Kanon swiftly appeared behind Menma and Hikari, her red hair fluttering in the wind, her expression tense
When he saw that red hair, Obito showed no reaction, but Black Zetsu was inwardly startled.
'The Uzumaki Clan…'
Black Zetsu mused to himself.
Though the White Zetsu he had planted across the Ninja World have strong stealth ability, they were somewhat vulnerable to Sensor Ninjas. And the Uzumaki Clan possessed the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, a sensory technique with an exceptionally wide range.
"Yeah, he claims to be Uchiha Madara." Menma tilted his head slightly, the corners of his lips curling upward beneath his mask as he contemplated how to mess with Obito.
"Uchiha Madara?" Neither Kanon nor Hikari recognized the name, but Kakuzu was all too familiar with it.
After all, he had lived through the era when Madara and Hashirama dominated the battlefield.
So when he heard the opponent calling himself Madara, Kakuzu couldn't help but let out a hoarse, mocking laugh from behind his mask: "Uchiha Madara wouldn't hide his face like this."
"Hey hey, Madara, they don't believe you~" The White Zetsu side of the face wriggled, whispering teasingly into Obito's ear.
"Shut up!" Obito snapped coldly.
A mere Three-Tomoe Sharingan was nothing in Obito's eye.
As for Shura, Obito didn't believe his opponent was strong enough to counter his Kamui!
He slowly drew out the sword from his waist and advanced step by step.
Since Rin's death, Obito had walked the shadows under the name 'Uchiha Madara', and has long since honed the demeanor of a master and the oppressive aura of a true powerhouse.
The moment his sword left its sheath, a chilling killing intent spread like a tide.
Kanon and the other Anbu were the first to be overwhelmed by this murderous pressure, cold sweat breaking out on their skin.
Kakuzu's expression also turned grave.
'This guy definitely wasn't the real Uchiha Madara… but this level of pressure wasn't something an ordinary Ninja could emit!'
Among those present, only Menma and Hikari remained completely unfazed.
"You guys should retreat first. He's not someone you can handle." Menma raised a hand, signaling Kanon, Kakuzu, and the others to retreat.
"Shura-sama, I…" Kanon's voice trembled, but Kakuzu pulled her away without hesitation.
'This level of battle is no longer something that ordinary Ninjas can participate in.' Kakuzu understood what Shura meant and directly took Kanon and the Anbu's Ninjas away to guard the prison area, ensuring the enemy wasn't using a diversionary tactic.
Hikari pulled out a kunai from her ninja tool bag and prepared to take action.
Seeing a mysterious new wielder of the Sharingan, one clearly not from Konoha's Uchiha Clan, piqued her interest.
"Let me test him first." Menma extended an arm to stop her.
Though he knew Hikari's strength and Ocular Power could easily overpower Obito in his current state, he still wanted to personally gauge Obito's abilities.
"I'd advise you both to come at me together." Obito said lightly, swinging his sword once as he advanced with measured steps.
"After all… I am Uchiha Madara." Obito continued to emphasize his 'Madara' persona.
Menma's foot tapped the ground, then cracks spiderwebbed beneath him as his body shot forward like an arrow!
At the same time, he hurled a single kunai.
His hands formed hand seals instantly.
[Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique]
That one kunai multiplied into a storm of gleaming steel, a relentless barrage aimed straight at Obito.
"Hmph." Obito didn't stop moving, letting the kunai pass harmlessly through his intangible body.
He had absolute confidence in his intangibility.
"Yaaah~" On the other hand, Zetsu behind him quickly sank into the ground to dodge the kunai before popping back out halfway from a nearby tree to spectate.
The sword clashed against a kunai, sparks flying from the violent impact.
The moment they engaged, Menma suddenly exerted force with his right hand, driving another kunai straight toward Obito's mask.
But both his hand and the kunai passed right through Obito's intangible head.
Seizing the opportunity, Obito swung his sword down… the instant the kunai passed through him, his sword was mere inches from the fox mask, about to land a direct hit!
However, the blade seemed to have hit an invisible barrier and could no longer advance further!
"What?!" Obito's pupil contracted sharply.
There was nothing in front of him… no Chakra Cloak, no visible defense!
In that moment of shock, Menma twisted his body and delivered a spinning kick… only for his entire leg to phase through Obito's body.
The two separated, standing apart as they reassessed each other.
The first round of probing attacks had ended.
"I thought your Taijutsu might be impressive, but it seems you're just relying on that phasing ability?" Menma mused, analyzing their brief exchange. Though only two moves had been exchanged, he now had a clearer understanding of Obito's intangibility.
Behind his tiger-striped mask, Obito's Sharingan sharpened with tension.
That sensation of his sword being blocked by something unseen in midair-
It reminded Obito of Nagato's Rinnegan Ability, Shinra Tensei!
But when he carefully recalled the feeling of being blocked just now, it was different from the feeling of being repelled by Shinra Tensei's repulsive force. It was more like something had physically blocked him.
As if an invisible barrier surrounded Shura, protecting him.
"You're not completely useless, I see." Obito's voice was low, his wariness toward this unknown power growing.
He was also growing more curious about the true face behind that fox mask.
However, his confidence in Kamui remained unshaken.
After all, not everyone had super-reflexes like Namikaze Minato, nor did they possess a Space-Time Ninjutsu like the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"But that's all. Next time, I'll take your life."
Before his words even faded, Obito lunged forward again, his sword flashing in a deadly arc.
Menma responded by throwing another kunai, but this time without the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique, aiming straight for Obito's mask before darting in right behind it.
Obito didn't even bother blocking, letting the kunai phase through his head. His Sharingan, hidden behind the mask, tracked every movement, ready to activate intangibility at any moment.
Then-
From the right eyehole of the white three-eyed fox mask, a scarlet Sharingan flashed.
Genjutsu: Shackling Stakes Technique!
Obito's body stiffened for an instant, and although he broke free almost immediately, his enemy's fist was already slamming into his chest!
With a bang, Obito was sent flying several meters, tumbling midair before barely landing on his feet.
"Cough-" The tiger-striped mask was suddenly raised, and the Three-Tomoe Sharingan was full of disbelief.
"You're… an Uchiha?!" Clutching his chest, Obito's mind raced to that fleeting glimpse of the Sharingan he'd just seen…
And it was a Three-Tomoe Sharingan at that.
'Since when were there so many Three-Tomoe Sharingan users?'
'And one outside the clan, no less!'
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself." Menma retracted his fist, flexing his wrist casually.
A teasing voice came from under the white three-eyed fox mask: "My name is… Uchiha Obito."