Chapter 69: Three-Tails Jinchuriki: Nohara Rin
"Rin!!"
Uchiha Obito was burning with anxiety.
He stood on a treetop.
Borrowing the moonlight, he saw giant objects standing like spires behind the low hills—things that absolutely weren't part of the normal natural landscape.
"Over there?"
Obito's gaze sharpened. He caught his breath slightly, then immediately forced his uncomfortable body to continue controlling White Zetsu's body and started running wildly.
However, he suddenly stopped.
More precisely, the White Zetsu on his body stopped.
"Tobi, what are you doing? Why did you stop? Hurry up! Rin and Kakashi are still waiting for me to save them." Obito urged repeatedly.
"Obito, Nohara Rin and Hatake Kakashi have already been saved."
The White Zetsu worn on Obito's body bloomed and peeled off like a chrysanthemum, piecing together White Zetsu's face as it told Obito some good news.
"What? Really?"
"Really."
"Rin is safe! That's wonderful!"
Just like that, Obito believed it. He released a long sigh of relief. The anxiety and unease between his brows dissipated completely. He asked, "Then where are Rin and Kakashi now? I'll go find them."
"Obito, you can't go find them."
"Why?"
Obito frowned, then suddenly realized. "Is it because we can't tell anyone about Madara? Don't worry! I absolutely won't tell anyone—"
His voice stopped abruptly.
A blood-stained wooden spike protruded from his chest, easily taking his life. That crimson double-tomoe Sharingan instantly lost its luster.
White Zetsu Tobi slowly withdrew the spike that had pierced Obito's chest, then carried Obito's corpse back the way they'd come.
————
"Rin!"
Kakashi was burning with anxiety.
Running frantically the whole way.
But along the route, he'd encountered Uchiha Aika in danger under three Mist ninja's siege. He couldn't just ignore it. Moreover, Ritsu's shadow clone had told him Ritsu's main body was also on the rescue route, so he could only channel his rage and killing intent into ruthlessly striking down the Mist ninja.
After cooperating with Aika to kill the three Mist ninja, the two traveled together. But before walking far, they encountered Hyuga Akiba struggling in a bitter entanglement with two Mist ninja.
After quickly disposing of the two Mist ninja, the three continued rushing forward.
However, with Akiba's Byakugan, they could understand the situation from far away. Thus, they learned early that the Mist ninja had been defeated and Nohara Rin had been rescued by Ritsu.
This made Kakashi's tightly furrowed brow relax.
But they still rushed to this bone forest at maximum speed.
"This—this... is truly astonishing!"
Aika looked up at this bone forest, her pair of crimson eyes full of shock and amazement.
"It really is impressive!"
Akiba's voice sounded somewhat ethereal.
She'd seen this thing from several kilometers away. But now that she'd truly walked up close, looking at these hundreds—nearly a thousand—massive white bones four to five meters tall standing upon the earth, she finally comprehended just how powerful Ritsu-nii had become.
Kakashi's heart was also full of shock, but his mind was concerned with Nohara Rin. He couldn't spare time to properly examine this bone forest and hurriedly came to Rin's side.
Rin currently lay flat on the cold ground. Fortunately, her breathing was even and steady. Aside from her swollen, reddened chin, there were no other obvious injuries.
Wait—something wasn't right.
Rin's injuries seemed to be healing rapidly. Moreover, her chakra felt somewhat abnormal.
Kakashi widened his eyes, using that one Sharingan to observe with all his might. Then he really did discern something. His complexion changed drastically in an instant.
"Hyuga Clan Head, this—this... why does Rin have Tailed Beast chakra inside her body?"
"Oh? You can recognize it as Tailed Beast chakra?"
Ritsu was somewhat surprised.
"I once saw Sensei's wife use the Nine-Tails' power. That evil feeling left a deep impression!"
"Oh right, I almost forgot—Kushina-senpai is the Nine-Tails jinchuriki."
"Hyuga Clan Head, you still haven't explained why Rin has Tailed Beast chakra inside her!"
Kakashi pressed urgently.
"Because the Mist ninja sealed the Three-Tails into Nohara Rin's body."
As he spoke, Ritsu also looked toward Nohara Rin.
Earlier, he'd been single-mindedly watching White Zetsu, guarding against Black Zetsu. He truly hadn't paid much attention to this girl whom Uchiha Obito loved enough to destroy the world for.
Not until now, when the situation seemed to have stabilized, did he have the mental space. Black Zetsu and Uchiha Madara had possibly given up on attempting to make Obito awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan today, along with making him completely despair of this world.
In any case, Uchiha Obito hadn't appeared even now.
This also allowed Ritsu to spare mental energy to consider the current situation.
Today, he hadn't only seized the opportunity to strike it rich, obtaining the Senju clan's bloodline and advancing further on the path of atavism. This girl Nohara Rin had also transformed, becoming the Three-Tails jinchuriki.
But whether this was fortune or disaster for the girl was hard to say for now.
"Th-Three-Tails?"
Kakashi's eyes nearly popped out.
Nearby, Aika and Akiba—who'd just come over—heard these words and were immediately dumbfounded. Everyone had only been separated for this short time, and Rin had become the Three-Tails jinchuriki?
"Ritsu-nii, what exactly happened? Why did the Mist ninja seal the Three-Tails into Rin's body? Is there any way to remedy this?" Akiba couldn't help asking.
Having experienced the danger of being hunted by Mist ninja earlier, their small squad's camaraderie had been tempered by fierce flames, adding much more genuine feeling than before.
"Remedy? Do you think becoming a jinchuriki is a bad thing?"
Ritsu asked in return.
"This..."
"Jinchuriki aren't free."
Aika stepped forward boldly, her chest slightly puffed out. Looking up at Ritsu, who was a head taller than her, she smiled sweetly. "Ritsu-senpai, I don't believe you don't know that once someone becomes a jinchuriki, they'll definitely be subject to layers of village surveillance. From now on, even leaving the village will require the Hokage's permission. Moreover, if there are future wars, Rin as a jinchuriki will very likely be sent to the front lines to fight. Can these possibly be good things?"
Hearing this sharp rebuttal, Ritsu lowered his gaze and examined this Uchiha clan girl with interest. Her height was roughly one-fifty. Her figure was very slender, her long hair neat over her shoulders—clearly brushed after the battle ended. Even her bangs were perfectly even.
Delicate features, a high nose bridge, and especially that pair of crimson eyes—with just a slight gaze, one felt their soul would be drawn in.
Her smile was reserved, carrying a fox-like cleverness and cunning along with lion-like proud self-respect, yet not making people feel uncomfortably shrewd or arrogant.
After examining this beautiful, charming girl, Ritsu also smiled and asked, "Do you think the experience of being hunted by Mist ninja and fleeing desperately for your lives just now was so-called freedom?"
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