Kakashi apologized, and Uchiha Obito let out a small laugh.
"Kh… Our fight… let's say you win this round."
"But when it comes to the Fourth Great Ninja War and the Infinite Tsukuyomi… I will win in the end…"
The moment he finished speaking, Obito's body was swallowed by a swirl of space–time and vanished, reappearing outside the other dimension.
Inside the dimension, Kakashi lay half-reclined on the ground, panting heavily…
His emotions were a chaotic mix.
Obito's heart had been pierced straight through, yet he still insisted on pushing forward for the Infinite Tsukuyomi… It seemed he truly had lost all hope in this world…
After resting a bit, with Shinju's chakra healing him, Kakashi managed to recover some strength.
He frowned.
"…Wait, how am I supposed to get out of here? (꒪⌓꒪)"
When he practiced Kamui before, he only learned how to store objects… never how to release them…
...
At the same time, on the battlefield—
Obito's body reappeared on the ground.
His heart had been pierced; he had only moments left to live.
Naruto and the others were shocked and excited.
"Kakashi-sensei did it?! ( ˝ᗢ̈˝ )"
"Impressive… To defeat Obito—someone who gave even the Five Kage a headache—in a one-on-one fight. That's my friend for you," Guy said, stunned.
Then a hint of sorrow flashed across his eyes. He and Obito had been classmates. When Obito's "death" was announced, Guy had been saddened… He never imagined Obito would return like this.
On another part of the battlefield, Zetsu looked at the dying Obito.
"Useless. You actually failed."
"Whether to use that broken body to revive Madara… I'll have to reconsider."
Zetsu sank into the ground.
On the other side, Obito struggled to raise his arms…
And then—
"Fwsh!!"
A pitch-black hand burst from the ground and pressed onto Obito's body!
At the same moment—Black Zetsu's tar-like half-body adhered to Obito and began merging with him.
Black Zetsu was taking control of Obito!
Obito gritted his teeth and forced his trembling hands together!!
"Urrraaaa!!!"
With a roar, he formed a hand seal—his hair instantly bleaching white!!
"Six Paths! Ten-Tails Coffin Seal!!!"
"Fwooo—!!"
The change happened in an instant!!
The Ten-Tails, bound by Naruto convulsed violently!
Its enormous body began shrinking and warping, drawing toward the space where Obito stood!
The sudden pull nearly dragged Naruto and the others off the Ten-Tails' head!!
Thankfully, the Fourth Hokage split a clone and used Flying Thunder God to teleport everyone outside the barrier!
Just after they escaped, the Ten-Tails' massive body finished collapsing—It compressed into a small gray-white sphere floating in mid-air!!
Naruto: (≖╻≖;)
"What… is that?"
Second Hokage frowned.
"That Uchiha born evil!! Look at the mess he's making! ꐦ≖ ≖"
Third Hokage:
"This is bad. That seal… he absorbed the entire Ten-Tails… Did he become the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki? (⊙o⊙)"
The moment the Third Hokage spoke—
"Crack!!"
Fractures spread across the floating sphere!
"Crack-crack-crack—"
In seconds, the cracks covered the entire sphere—
Then— "crash!!"
It shattered like a breaking mirror!
From within the fragments, Obito's transformed body emerged.
His skin had turned pale gray; the right half was covered in scale-like markings.
On his back, intricate spiral and tomoe patterns formed—
Below and above them, on his shoulders and lower back, protruded fleshy horns.
"Jinchūriki…" Naruto murmured.
Below, the Allied Shinobi Forces had not yet grasped how dire the situation was.
"Strange… other tailed-beast jinchūriki look normal. Why does the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki look so weird…?"
"Who knows, but he looks seriously dangerous! (꒪⌓꒪)"
"I dunno. The Ten-Tails was a huge monster before, and we couldn't handle it. Now it's so small—shouldn't that make it easier for us to smash? ւ--0027ᴗ--0027 ի"
"Ever heard the phrase 'the more concentrated it is, the stronger it is'?"
"Plus, the Ten-Tails was acting purely on instinct. No strategy. But a human…"
"…Okay, yeah, now that you say that, it kinda makes sense…"
Obito scanned the battlefield with empty, emotionless eyes—like a puppet.
Then, on the horns on his back, crimson flames suddenly ignited—
"Fwsh-fwsh-fwsh!!"
The crimson flames extended outward, turning into massive hands that grabbed the Four Red Yang Formation's walls and yanked!!
"FWAP!!"
The barrier that had contained the Ten-Tails was ripped apart!!
...
At the same time, in Shinju's smithing hut—
Through the chakra he placed on various shinobi, Shinju sensed the change on the battlefield.
When he detected Obito absorbing the Ten-Tails and transforming into the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, Shinju hesitated.
"This might be trouble."
"Naruto, try pressing him down with the Gracious Deity Gates."
...
"Got it!!"
Naruto received the message and shouted with all the chakra he had left:
"Sage Art: Gracious Deity Gates!!"
"Crack-crack-crack-crack—!!"
Massive wooden pillars dropped from the sky, layer after layer smashing onto Uchiha Obito!
Everyone could clearly see a flicker of annoyance cross Obito's face—
But he couldn't break free…
Seeing this, the shinobi turned toward Naruto and gave him thumbs-up.
"Naruto, awesome!! ❛‿˂̵✧"
Naruto, drained nearly dry, gave a shy smile.
"No, no… I only managed because Shinju's chakra was supporting me…"
Before he could finish, the binding pillars above Obito suddenly shifted!!
"Crack—!"
Obito's body bulged in irregular, disturbing patterns!!
Second Hokage frowned.
"Seems the Ten-Tails is rebelling against his control, trying to break free!"
Raikage:
"Everyone, don't hold back—he's weakened! Hit him with everything!! (ꐦ ಠ 皿 ಠ)"
"Roger!!"
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!!"
"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet!!"
"Lightning Style: Black Spot Spear!!"
"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!!"
The Allied Shinobi Forces unleashed their strongest long-range jutsu!
One shinobi groaned,
"Hey!! Whoever used Water Dragon—you put out my fire!! (ꐦ°᷄д°᷅)"
Meanwhile—
Third Tsuchikage:
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!!"
"Fwooo—"
The Dust Release shot forward at incredible speed, reaching Obito instantly—
But at the last moment, it was blocked!!
Obito had created some unknown black substance that stopped the Dust Release completely!!
At the same time, emotion flickered for the first time in his blank eyes—
Regret, anger, defiance.
His swollen flesh shrank, returning to normal.
Just then, the barrage of dazzling ninjutsu detonated on him, engulfing everything in a cloud of smoke, obscuring all vision!!