Hinata's chest tightened at Sakura's words. Her heart beat fast, and though she wanted to look toward the distant battle, she forced herself to focus on the task before her.
Naruto was stronger than ever—of that, she had no doubt. But if the sealing formation faltered here, then none of it would matter.
The Three-Tails thrashed violently, the earth trembling with its fury. Shizune's voice cut sharply through the roar of chakra.
"Hinata, Sakura, don't lose focus! Ino, keep steady!"
Her expression was tense, sweat forming at her brow as she maintained her role in the formation. "If the barrier breaks, we won't be able to restore it in time. The beast will slip free."
The three kunoichi answered in unison.
"Understood—we'll hold on."
They had no choice. Failure here meant all of Konoha's efforts were wasted. Each of them bore equal weight in the seal; even a single misstep could spell disaster.
Far from the formation, Guren finally reached Yukimaru.
Her breath caught as she knelt beside him. The boy lay unconscious, his small body trembling, yet his chakra raged unchecked, spilling outward in violent waves.
"No… Yukimaru…" she whispered, hands trembling as she reached for him. The strain on his body was obvious. Kabuto had pushed him too far.
Her gaze snapped toward the silver-haired medic, fury igniting in her eyes.
"Yakushi Kabuto!" she snarled. "Give me the antidote—now! If you don't, I swear I'll kill you myself!"
Kabuto tilted his head, lips curling into his usual sly smile. "Oh? Guren, since when were you so bold? You'd kill me? And then what? Do you think Orochimaru-sama would forgive you so easily?"
Her hand clenched into a fist. "I'll explain it to Orochimaru-sama myself. What I won't forgive is you using Yukimaru like this. His chakra is breaking him apart!"
Kabuto chuckled, shaking his head. "Explain? To Orochimaru-sama? You truly don't understand, do you?"
His glasses glinted as he leaned closer. "Once Yukimaru has ingested those pills, his chakra won't subside until the effects wear off. If you try to force it to stop…" His smile widened cruelly. "…then you should be ready to bury him."
The words hit Guren like a blade to the chest. Her face paled, her lips trembling with rage and denial.
"You…"
Her hands flashed into seals. "Crystal Release: Jade Crystal Dragon Technique!"
A dragon of glimmering crystal surged forward, its roar splitting the air as it tore toward Kabuto.
Kabuto's smirk didn't falter. "So you do dare. Then I'll play along."
His hands flickered with his own techniques, meeting her attack head-on.
Meanwhile, Kakashi and Kiba sprinted across the uneven ground. The forest blurred past them as they raced toward Naruto's chakra.
"We've got eyes on him," Kiba said between breaths.
"Good. Faster, Kiba." Kakashi pushed his speed, his single Sharingan burning as he locked on to the distant clash.
High above, Obito's lone Sharingan rotated within the mask's eyehole. His teeth ground together, his voice low with venom.
"Kakashi…" The name hissed from his lips like poison. The sight of his former comrade filled him with a hatred that threatened to consume him.
On the battlefield, Naruto and Deidara broke apart after another exchange, dirt scattering beneath their sandals.
Kakashi and Kiba landed on either side of Naruto, their arrival kicking up dust.
"Tch. Reinforcements already?" Deidara scowled, his clay-stained palms flexing. "As if fighting one Jinchūriki wasn't enough…"
His mind raced. Against Naruto alone, he had struggled. With Kakashi's Sharingan and Kiba's relentless offense added, his odds plummeted.
He turned sharply. "Oi, Tobi! Time to do your part!"
Obito froze for a beat, playing dumb. "Eh? Oh! R-right, Deidara-senpai!"
Deidara snapped, "Quit spacing out! If you die here, don't expect me to clean up your corpse! I'll barely be able to protect myself!"
But Obito didn't answer. His gaze had shifted past Naruto, past Deidara—onto Kakashi. His teeth clenched, silent rage burning hotter with every heartbeat.
Naruto leaned closer to Kakashi, his voice low but firm.
"Kakashi-sensei. You and Kiba—deal with the masked one. Be careful. He's got a Sharingan. Probably even a Mangekyō."
Kakashi's eye widened, his stomach dropping. "What? Mangekyō Sharingan? That would mean… he's from the Uchiha clan. But that's—impossible."
Naruto's tone left no room for doubt. "It's real. Trust me."
Kakashi nodded once, the weight of Naruto's certainty heavy on his shoulders. His thoughts swirled, but there was no time to dwell.
"Art is an explosion!" Deidara roared, his hands slamming into a seal.
Small clay spiders skittered across the battlefield, latching onto the ground beneath Naruto, Kakashi, and Kiba.
"Boom!"
The creatures erupted, the detonations thunderous, fire and smoke consuming the clearing.
The explosions rocked the forest, the ground trembling from the shockwaves. But as the dust settled, the three shinobi were nowhere in sight.
In the cover of smoke, Kiba barked to his partner. "Akamaru! Transformation!"
With a bark, Akamaru shifted, his body morphing until two identical Kibas stood side by side.
"Let's go!"
The pair crouched low, spinning into twin drills of teeth and claws.
"Fang Over Fang!"
Together, they tore across the battlefield, aiming straight for the masked man.
But Obito didn't move. Didn't even flinch.
Kiba's blood boiled. "Don't ignore us!"
The twin fangs ripped forward, crashing into Obito's form with full force—
And passed straight through him.
Kiba and Akamaru spun to a halt, skidding across the dirt. Their eyes went wide, disbelief etched across their faces.
"What…? We hit him! I know we did!"
Kakashi, watching from the side, felt his chest tighten. His Sharingan had tracked the whole sequence—yet Obito's body had let the attack pass through as though he were a phantom.
"That ability…" Kakashi muttered, shock hardening into grim realization.
The masked man turned his gaze on him, silent, but the weight of his hatred was suffocating.
---
A/N: Sorry For Taking A Break without any notice as compensation. I have uploaded an extra chapter on my Patreon
A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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