Chapter 356: Infiltrating Kamui Space
They lost the trail!
Jūgo and that man had both vanished.
"What do we do now?" Suigetsu asked. Should they continue with the Akatsuki's mission to capture the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, or try to rescue Jūgo?
But considering the enemy's stealth abilities—and the fact that he could fly—they had no idea how to even begin searching for Jūgo.
"Let's go capture the Eight-Tails first. When we return, we can ask the Akatsuki members. They should have intel on that man," Sasuke said.
There was no way such a powerful individual could appear in the shinobi world without leaving any traces. The Akatsuki had been active across the Five Great Nations for years; they were bound to know something.
Once they had intel, they could determine why he took Jūgo.
"Alright," Suigetsu nodded.
"I'll do whatever Sasuke says," Karin murmured as she quietly edged closer to him.
With their plan decided, the three of them continued on toward Kumogakure.
Not long after they left, ripples formed midair above a mountaintop. A man in a wooden swirl-pattern mask emerged from the vortex.
It was our good old Obito. On the ground beside him, a Venus flytrap-like figure in Akatsuki robes emerged—Black Zetsu and White Zetsu combined.
"Who was that?"
Obito asked as he looked up at the spot where Li Yao's clone had disappeared. His tone carried a hint of unease.
There were many people in the shinobi world who could defeat Sasuke—but someone who nearly disabled him in a single clash? Very few.
Though it had the element of surprise, there was no denying the man's speed and strength, and the mysterious black-material jutsu that even Obito couldn't decipher.
That man's strength was no less than a typical Kage-level opponent.
But when had such a powerful figure emerged in the shinobi world?
Obito frowned in confusion.
Black Zetsu shook his head with a raspy voice. "This is my first time seeing him too."
That troubled him. In theory, someone like that shouldn't be unknown in this war-torn world.
There were no true "reclusive powerhouses" left. Without surviving hundreds of battles, one couldn't attain such strength.
He had watched the entire fight.
That man had defeated Sasuke and Suigetsu in mere moments. His precision and split-second decision-making were not the kind of battle instincts a rookie should possess.
Moreover, he had broken through Sasuke's Susanoo with a single strike.
It was the first time Black Zetsu had seen anyone shatter Susanoo's defense so effortlessly. That alone proved the man's extraordinary power.
"Why did he take Jūgo?" Obito asked.
"No idea… maybe to study bowel movements?" Black Zetsu hadn't even answered before the White Zetsu side—Tobi—chimed in, wearing a serious expression as he speculated nonsense.
Obito gave Black Zetsu a sharp look, ignoring White Zetsu's idiocy.
Until now, Black Zetsu had given Obito the impression that he knew every secret in the shinobi world. Yet now a mysterious powerhouse had appeared, and Black Zetsu was completely clueless.
Black Zetsu sighed and said, "Maybe it's someone in disguise?"
Obito shook his head. "No. That black-material jutsu—no one in the shinobi world uses anything like it."
"Will he interfere with our plan?"
Obito didn't care about unexpected variables unless they threatened the Moon's Eye Plan.
"Maybe try recruiting him," Black Zetsu suggested.
"Find him. I'll invite him myself," Obito said, eyes gleaming.
And if he won't join, I'll eliminate him.
That's what Obito added silently.
The man was powerful and clearly skilled in taijutsu—but that meant nothing against Kamui. Obito feared taijutsu types the least.
"I'll do my best," Black Zetsu replied, though his tone lacked confidence.
That was rare. White Zetsu's most renowned trait was tracking and intelligence gathering, yet even now he said "I'll try"?
But Obito wasn't surprised this time.
That man's sudden appearance had startled him too. Neither he nor White Zetsu had sensed the man's presence.
His ability to conceal himself was even more terrifying than his strength.
It was precisely that stealth skill that made Obito consider recruiting—or eliminating—him.
Vmm…
A vortex ripple emerged from Obito's Mangekyō. He was sucked into his Kamui space.
White Zetsu sank back into the ground to continue trailing Sasuke.
Inside Kamui, Obito appeared and began leaping across the suspended stone pillars.
Each massive pillar served as both a foothold and a corresponding spatial node linked to the real world.
Movement across the nodes translated to real-world positioning—though the ratio was significantly compressed.
After just three leaps, Obito had arrived above Kumogakure.
"Alright. Time to ensure the Eight-Tails is captured."
He stopped and waited for Sasuke to arrive. Once they had the Eight-Tails, and with Nagato bringing the Nine-Tails, the Moon's Eye Plan could finally begin.
Of course, with him as the leader—Madara, the old corpse, had no place anymore.
Whoosh…
Suddenly, a breeze brushed across his face.
Obito's expression changed instantly.
Wind?
How could there be wind in Kamui space?
Before he could react, the sound of rattling chains rang out. Countless black iron chains shot through his body, piercing into him.
In a split second, all his chakra was sealed—including the power of his Sharingan.
Even worse, Obito lost all sensation in his body. Only his mouth could move—he couldn't even blink.
"Heh… I didn't expect it to be this easy."
Li Yao's shadow clone appeared from midair in front of him, smiling faintly.
"You… you!!"
Obito was stunned. This man had vanished using some technique earlier—how was he here now?
How was he inside his Kamui dimension?
Obito was both shocked and terrified.
Only he—and Kakashi, to an extent—could enter Kamui.
But this man wasn't Kakashi, nor did he possess the Kamui Sharingan.
So how…?
"Why?"
"How are you here?"
"How did you do it?"
Obito's voice was filled with disbelief.
"It's simple—I came in with you," Li Yao's clone replied with a smile.
After discovering Sasuke's team and detecting Black Zetsu lurking nearby, another of Li Yao's clones had instantly teleported in using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
The clone that sealed Jūgo later teleported away, while another remained hidden using Hydration Permeation, blending into the air.
Li Yao had correctly guessed that Obito would appear to investigate such a mysterious and powerful new figure.
And sure enough, Obito emerged from Kamui.
Seizing the opportunity, the clone hovered near Obito, and when Obito reactivated Kamui to return, the hidden clone was caught in the space-time effect and pulled in alongside him.
Just like how Obito could suck others into Kamui, Li Yao's clone had hitched a ride by staying undetectably close.
Once inside Kamui, the clone secretly explored the dimension, leaving behind numerous Flying Thunder God markers before finally revealing himself.
"Impossible…"
"No…"
Obito, still in disbelief, suddenly recalled the man's stealth capabilities. Could it be…?
"You were hiding next to me the entire time?!"
"Correct," Li Yao's clone smiled. "Too bad there's no prize."
"This is impossible…" Obito still couldn't accept it.
His Sharingan could see chakra. How had someone stayed that close without being sensed?
(END CHAPTER)
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