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They had made landfall.
Kagaya could feel it—the long-unfamiliar sensation of solid ground beneath his feet once more.
Yet, he could no longer see the surrounding scenery.
Unless he successfully transplanted his father's Mangekyō, Kagaya might spend the rest of his life in darkness, unable to see the world.
"Let's go, Kagaya."
Karin's voice spoke up as she took Kagaya's hand.
Kagaya nodded.
"Alright."
He could no longer see anything at all. Even walking required someone to guide him.
It was somewhat ironic. Orochimaru and Kagaya, having jointly crippled Konoha, were currently the talk of the shinobi world, their reputations soaring. But only a handful knew that their assault on Konoha was far from the effortless feat it was portrayed as.
For this battle, Orochimaru had lost the use of his hands. For this battle, Kagaya had nearly lost his sight.
And now, coincidentally, both "cripples" had thought of Tsunade and were actively seeking her out.
After some thought, Kagaya decided to remind Karin once more. "Karin, remember to pay extra attention to areas where gambling is taking place."
Karin sighed with a touch of exasperation. "I know, I know. I'll keep an eye out. How many times have you said it now?"
Kagaya offered an awkward smile.
"Just making sure you don't forget."
Truth be told, Tsunade was relatively easy to find. While Kagaya's memories of Tsunade from the original story were hazy, one fact was virtually universal knowledge for anyone aware of her: she was a notorious gambling addict, the "he Legendary Sucker," who almost never won yet was utterly obsessed with betting.
Therefore, Kagaya was certain Tsunade was currently at a gambling den. If not, she was definitely on her way to one.
Such gambling spots rarely attracted powerful ninja. Consequently, Tsunade's immense chakra would stand out to Karin's senses like a beacon in the night, unmistakable from a distance.
They just needed to head towards areas with gambling activity, have Karin perform a long-range sensory sweep, and they'd know if Tsunade was present.
Thus, Kagaya wasn't worried about being unable to locate her.
They continued their journey. Due to Kagaya's blindness, their pace couldn't be fast. But thanks to Karin's vast sensory range, they didn't need to move quickly.
What Karin didn't sense, however, was a pitcher-plant-like figure emerging from the ground in the distance, observing them. A low, cold chuckle escaped it.
"Found you..."
With that, the figure merged back into the earth and vanished.
*****
Land of Waves.
By the seashore, Obito sat upon a large rock, gazing out at the ocean as if waiting for someone.
Based on his information, this was Kagaya's last known location before disappearing. With no other leads, Obito had come here, hoping to stumble upon some clue.
Staring at the distant sea, a pang of regret stirred within Obito. Back then, 'I paid him far too little mind.'
Initially, Obito hadn't given Kagaya a second thought. Even when he was moments from killing him, Obito, to be honest, hadn't truly cared about Kagaya himself. Not at all.
He had infiltrated Konoha, even taken down a figure like the Fourth Hokage. How could he possibly concern himself with a mere Genin? It would have been laughable.
It was only later, during his time lurking in Konoha, when Obito discovered the situation with Kagaya's parents, that he began paying attention. Because Obito knew Kagaya's parents were unlikely to survive, and that outcome would likely cause Kagaya's Sharingan to evolve further.
So, it was then that Obito truly started to watch Kagaya. Then came the death of Kagaya's parents, and this brat skipped the two-tomoe stage entirely, directly awakening the three-tomoe Sharingan!
A three-tomoe Sharingan at seven or eight years old!
From that moment, Obito finally saw Kagaya as a genuine threat. This kind of person was far too dangerous, and he was still a Konoha ninja!
From that point on, Obito had already planned to eliminate Kagaya. But he never expected that before his plan could even begin, Danzō would deliver him a massive "gift"—Danzō intended to move against Shisui!
Obito knew that if Shisui died, Kagaya's fate in Konoha would be sealed.
Thus, a few days before Shisui's death, Obito changed his mind. He sought out Pain and the others, intending to recruit Kagaya into the Akatsuki.
That was the pivotal moment!
Obito was acutely aware that during that period, he had shifted his stance, reclassifying Kagaya from "enemy" to "potential ally."
"A miscalculation. I failed to grasp the depth of that boy's thirst for vengeance back then."
On a whim, Obito had brought Kagaya into the Akatsuki.
He never imagined that one day, that insignificant brat would become a formidable enemy who even inspired a flicker of fear within him.
Yes, fear! Others might not have recognized that golden warrior-god from before, but Obito knew. If Madara hadn't lied to him, that was Susano'o!
The ultimate power of the Mangekyō, as Madara had described it!
Before his death, Madara had told Obito many things, Susano'o among them. Though details were sparse, it had been mentioned.
In Madara's words, the pinnacle of Susano'o was "the power of a god"!
Obito had never faced Susano'o directly, but he knew how powerful Madara was. Legends across the shinobi world vividly illustrated Madara's terror. The "power of a god" spoken of by such a man—could he, Obito, contend with it?
"He must die."
The killing intent in Obito's eyes intensified. Upon reflection, Uchiha Kagaya seemed to be the only person who had truly slipped from his control.
Too powerful! Or perhaps, Obito could no longer see through him!
Even Nagato with the Rinnegan held no real concern for Obito. He knew Nagato wasn't the true master of those eyes. If Nagato could wield even thirty percent of the Rinnegan's power, Obito would be impressed.
In the original story, Madara, with a single Rinnegan, toyed with all nine tailed beasts. Nagato, possessing both Rinnegan, nearly died fighting just the Nine-Tails.
Thus, Obito didn't fear Nagato. Besides, Nagato had been thoroughly indoctrinated. Obito had even less fear of him breaking free.
Only this Uchiha Kagaya, bearing the "power of a god" spoken of by Madara, possessed the potential to become his enemy.
A cold sweat broke out on Obito's back. "Uchiha Kagaya... According to Zetsu's intelligence, his eyes are on the verge of blindness."
Having fully grasped Kagaya's threat, Obito had resolved: regardless of whether Kagaya intended to kill him, he would kill Kagaya first!
"You're slipping a bit out of control, Uchiha Kagaya."
A long while later, a White Zetsu emerged from the ground before Obito, reporting Kagaya's current location.
A faint smile touched Obito's lips. A spiraling vortex appeared, slowly engulfing him.
"Got you, Uchiha Kagaya."
*****
T/N: Dude can't catch a break...