Uchiha Obito dodged in time, but the robe across his chest still tore in a spiral pattern.
Through the damaged fabric, one could faintly see blood seeping from a spiral wound on his chest.
In that brief exchange…
Kakashi's planning had inflicted a non-trivial wound on Uchiha Obito.
Obito clutched his fractured arm with one hand, his single visible eye fixed on Kakashi.
As expected of you, Kakashi!
The pain from his arm and chest made Obito's mouth twitch beneath the mask.
Kakashi's eyes lit up with a flash of joy.
His guess was correct!
When different space-time techniques collided, they caused spatial disruption. Otherwise, this mysterious masked man would not have exited intangibility.
Kakashi panted heavily. Using Kamui had consumed considerable chakra.
"As long as I can limit your space-time technique, the rest of the fight becomes much easier."
He kicked off the ground and charged toward Obito at extreme speed.
As he ran, lightning-natured chakra gathered in his hand. Arcs of electricity crackled, forming a devastating lightning ninjutsu!
"Raikiri!"
Kakashi let out a low shout, doubling his speed. His body became a bolt of lightning.
Simultaneously, his single Sharingan eye locked onto Obito.
If Obito dared use intangibility again, Kakashi would immediately deploy Kamui to interfere!
"Heh heh heh…"
Obito looked at Kakashi, who seemed certain of victory, and let out a low chuckle from his throat.
I'm not the dead last anymore, Hatake Kakashi…
You really think you can handle me without intangibility?
A cold gleam flashed in Obito's eyes. He placed a hand on his chest and rapidly formed several seals.
At that moment, Kakashi had closed to within two meters.
Just then, Obito raised his uninjured arm toward the front and bellowed:
"Fire Style – Blast Fire Wild Dance!"
Obito opened his mouth, exhaling a massive fire serpent. Using Kamui's spatial ability, he warped the space around the fire serpent.
Boom!
In an instant, a tornado of flames hurtled forward with destructive force!
Facing the approaching fire tornado with its scorching heat, Kakashi's pupils contracted.
If he continued charging, he would be struck by this technique!
But if he stopped, he would lose this perfect opportunity!
Kakashi gritted his teeth, channeling more chakra into his hand.
With the added chakra, Raikiri's power surged again. Lightning enveloped half of Kakashi's body.
He continued charging forward!
Kakashi drove Raikiri directly into the fire tornado. The lightning collided with the flames, producing a thunderous explosion!
The searing fire instantly charred Kakashi's outermost layer of clothing. Waves of burning pain flooded his mind!
Kakashi clenched his teeth and kept pushing forward, using the wide-range electrical discharge from Raikiri to partially shield himself from the flames.
In a blink, Kakashi appeared before Uchiha Obito. Raikiri plunged unimpeded toward Obito's chest.
Kakashi's Mangekyo Sharingan remained locked on Obito, guarding against intangibility.
Blood sprayed everywhere!
Sizzle… sizzle…
Raikiri pierced cleanly through Obito's chest, accompanied by spurting blood and the smell of seared flesh.
Did I… hit him?
Kakashi's face showed a hint of disbelief, even feeling a sense of unreality.
He had expected Obito might use intangibility to dodge.
Instead, Obito had not used intangibility or even attempted to evade. He had taken the blow head-on!
If not for the blood gushing from the wound and the solid sensation, Kakashi would have thought the masked man was a clone.
"Cough…"
Uchiha Obito coughed, blood dripping from his mask.
"Are you… wondering… why I didn't dodge?"
Obito's weak voice sounded in Kakashi's ear.
At those words, Kakashi froze for a moment. The voice carried an inexplicable familiarity.
In the instant Kakashi was stunned, the Obito before him turned intangible and vanished into thin air.
Even the blood that had sprayed from his body disappeared, as if it had never existed.
Simultaneously, Kakashi felt a chill run down his spine. Every hair stood on end.
Uchiha Obito had appeared behind him at some point, as if he had been standing there from the start.
Before Kakashi could react, Obito's hand shot out like lightning, reaching for Kakashi's left eye. His fingers dug in directly!
Searing pain flooded Kakashi's mind, forcing a scream from his lips.
Obito's fingers retracted, ripping the Sharingan from Kakashi's left eye socket. A string of blood droplets trailed behind.
Obito clutched the eye and leapt backward, appearing dozens of meters away in a blink.
Kakashi's legs gave out. He dropped to one knee, trembling as he raised a hand to cover his left eye socket.
"Wh-what… just happened?"
Agonizing pain made his body tremble. His remaining right eye stared at Obito in the distance.
"Izanagi – one of the Uchiha Clan's abilities. It converts all damage into dreams."
Obito regarded Kakashi, whose face was filled with disbelief and frustration, and explained in a flat tone.
"That eye… that eye…"
Kakashi forced himself upright through the pain, his body trembling with rage and killing intent.
That Sharingan was a gift from his dear friend before he died!
No matter what, Kakashi would never allow it to fall into the enemy's hands.
"Oh, this eye?"
"It's been in your care long enough. Time to return it to its rightful owner."
Obito opened his palm, looking at the Sharingan, and spoke coldly.
Rightful owner?
Kakashi's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the masked man.
Obito reached up and removed his mask, revealing a face that was both familiar and alien to Kakashi.
Without caring about Kakashi's stunned expression, Obito used his finger to dig out the Sharingan that had gone blind after using Izanagi – the temporary replacement.
Then he raised his hand and pressed the left eye retrieved from Kakashi back into its socket.
A moment later, Obito rolled the eyeball slightly, a look of satisfaction crossing his face.
"Finally, I can use my full power!"
"Ha ha ha ha ha!!"
Obito's face broke into a smile as he let out a loud laugh.
In the next instant, the pupils in his eyes reformed, fixing on the stunned Kakashi before him.
"Obito…"
"Why?"
Kakashi's face was filled with disbelief and shock as he looked at Uchiha Obito.
"Why?"
Obito's voice carried a low, cold laugh:
"My survival doesn't matter. But if you truly want to know the reason – it's because you let Rin die!"
A frigid killing intent erupted from Obito's body!
He moved instantly, charging toward the weakened Kakashi.
In a blink, Obito appeared before Kakashi, his palm reaching for Kakashi's throat.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several kunai sliced through the air from the side.
As Obito's hand touched Kakashi's throat, the kunai passed through Obito's body.
Kamui!
Asuma's figure rushed in from the distance. He grabbed the weakened Kakashi and retreated explosively!
In a single breath, Asuma pulled Kakashi away, opening the distance between them.
"Kakashi, you will die by my hand."
Obito exited intangibility, watching Kakashi being carried away, and spoke in a sinister tone.
The three-way battle continued fiercely.
Konoha's village, as the Hidden Leaf's stronghold, could be described as impregnable.
Moreover, with the village on the brink of destruction, every Konoha shinobi fought desperately, unleashing astonishing power.
But as time passed, Konoha's disadvantage grew more apparent.
Perhaps Konoha had more shinobi of higher quality than the Hidden Mist and Hidden Stone.
But facing the alliance of two great villages, that advantage was neutralized.
Gradually, the defense at Konoha's main gate became critical.
This emboldened the Stone and Mist forces, intensifying their assault.
Just then…
The entire Aburame Clan – wrapped in thick coats, wearing dark sunglasses – appeared on the battlefield in unison.
The moment they appeared, they began forming hand seals, then pressed their palms together:
"Secret Technique – Great Insect Sea – Insect Devouring!"
"Secret Technique – Great Insect Sea – Insect Devouring!"
"Secret Technique – Great Insect Sea – Insect Devouring!"
Roars erupted from every Aburame shinobi.
Visible, swarming insects rose from each Aburame's body, filling the sky.
In a blink, the insects formed a massive sea several kilometers wide, blanketing the battlefield's sky.
The dense, overwhelming swarm and their shrill, piercing cries merged into one, covered everyone on the battlefield in goosebumps.
Female shinobi in particular turned pale, involuntarily stepping back.
As the Aburame Clan acted, the overwhelming insects descended from the sky, flying toward the allied forces.
Every shinobi's face changed!
"Fire-style users, step forward! Use Fire Style to burn these insects!"
Squad leaders bellowed orders, snapping the stunned shinobi back to action.
In moments, various Fire Style techniques were unleashed. A sea of flames collided with the insect swarm.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
The instant countless insects touched the flames, they were incinerated, releasing a charred, acrid stench.
But before anyone could celebrate…
The insects gradually withstood the fire techniques, eventually ignoring the flames entirely.
They burst through the fire defenses.
Seeing this, every shinobi's face changed.
"Damn it! These insects adapted to Fire Style in such a short time!"
A squad leader cursed.
The insects, dense as storm clouds, poured onto the battlefield and swarmed the Stone and Mist shinobi at the front.
In moments, the chakra of those shinobi was devoured by the insects, leaving behind desiccated corpses.
Screams echoed across the battlefield endlessly!
But that was not all!
With the Aburame Clan entering the battle…
Chubby Akimichi Clan shinobi also appeared on the battlefield.
"Expansion Jutsu!"
The fattest Akimichi at the front let out a low shout.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With thunderous rumbles, nearly ten massive figures materialized on the battlefield.
The Akimichi at the front shouted again.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Thunderous rumbles echoed as the giant figures appeared once more.
[
Dear Readers,
I hope you are doing well. I am writing to you today because things have become genuinely difficult, and I need to be honest about where I stand.
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