Jiraiya watched the scene unfold before him, the words of Uchiha Touhuan echoing repeatedly in his mind.
[If you believe your lies today, you'll be in big trouble tomorrow.]
"Itachi…" Jiraiya didn't know how much he had contributed to Itachi's death, but Itachi had died before his eyes, and less than a month had passed since Itachi believed his prophecy. Jiraiya
turned away, unable to bear the sight of Sasuke weeping over Itachi's body, but Sasuke's cries lingered in his ears, like a direct accusation.
With heavy steps, Jiraiya, escorted by Uchiha Inahi and Uchiha Zaito, walked towards the police headquarters.
The battlefield fell silent due to Itachi Uchiha's death. However, far away in the Hokage's office on the other side of the village, things were far from calm.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, I... you son of a bitch!" Fugaku Uchiha, his eyes bloodshot, slammed his fist heavily into Hiruzen Sarutobi's face.
Although he had foreseen his eldest son's fate through his eye technique, as a father, Fugaku still found it difficult to remain calm when the moment actually arrived.
After all, this was once his most prized son.
"Vice-Captain Fugaku, calm down, calm down!" The other security captains in the office rushed forward to restrain him.
Although Uchiha Fugaku was being held back by six people, he continued to mutter curses.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had taken a punch from Uchiha Fugaku, slumped into his office chair, listening to Fugaku's rants while staring blankly at the image in the crystal ball.
After exhausting his cursing, Fugaku also slumped into a chair in the Hokage's office, looking at Sarutobi Hiruzen with a somewhat numb expression.
"Tell me, if I hadn't taken four-year-old Itachi to the battlefield, hadn't agreed to let him graduate early, hadn't agreed to let him join the Anbu, would any of this have happened?"
"Maybe." Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind began to race through everything since the Second Hokage had promoted him to the position of Third Hokage.
Although he had led the village through two Shinobi World Wars, it was undeniable that the village had grown weaker under his leadership.
White Fang, Orochimaru, Tsunade, Minato, Hizashi, and now Itachi—each time, he could have done something, but he always delayed until it was too late.
In his youth, he was called a ninja hero, but now, could he still be considered a ninja?
Hiruzen Sarutobi asked himself.
...
On the other side, after luring Obito Uchiha to the Forest of Death, Touhuan Uchiha rapidly formed hand seals. His Susanoo hurled two longswords made of lightning chakra and natural energy into the sky. Soon, the two lightning swords transformed into a massive thundercloud, enveloping the area where the two were. Obito Uchiha,
in his intangible state, looked up at the thundercloud imbued with divine power and said, "Junior, your strength is quite impressive." "
Now it's just the two of us. Are you still going to play tricks? A coward like you doesn't deserve the title of Battlefield Rose," Touhuan Uchiha coldly replied.
"Looks like I need to teach you a lesson in manners, junior." Enraged, Obito clapped his hands together, and dozens of giant trees burst from the ground, forming a wooden figure roughly the same size as Touhuan Uchiha's Susanoo in its third form.
"The First Hokage's technique?" Touhuan Uchiha chuckled from within the Susanoo. "You've got quite a few tricks up your sleeve, but how much of the power of the God of Shinobi can you actually unleash?"
"Go to hell and repent for your rudeness!" Obito roared, manipulating the wooden figure to launch the first punch.
Uchiha Touhuan's Susanoo reached out and blocked the wooden golem's fist from both sides. The Susanoo and the wooden golem began to wrestle on the spot. A violent wave of chakra spread out from the two of them, sweeping across an area of nearly 100 meters. Within 100 meters, several giant trees that would take three or four people to encircle were torn apart by this wave.
After dealing with the immediate situation, Kakashi and the others who had come to provide support were kept outside the battle.
"Can't this guy fight a little less drastically?" Kakashi thought anxiously, now that he was kept out of the fray.
At this moment, besides worrying about Uchiha Touhuan's safety, Kakashi also wanted to confirm something, but he couldn't interfere with Uchiha Touhuan's battle at all. "
Hahahaha
!"
Uchiha Touhuan, inside the Susanoo, laughed maniacally, like a madman, while simultaneously increasing his chakra and ocular power output: "I haven't used my full strength in a long time since the war ended. I hope you can hold on a little longer, you rat!"
Uchiha Obito, on the wooden dummy, gritted his teeth. Uchiha Touhuan's strength completely exceeded his expectations. In a head-on collision, his summoned wooden dummy was no match at all, and was currently being suppressed and unable to move by the opponent's Susanoo.
Seeing this, Uchiha Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan circulated as his hands rapidly formed hand seals.
"Fire Release: Explosive Storm Dance!"
The Mangekyō Sharingan's Kamui jutsu distorted the space in front of Obito Uchiha, creating a raging spiraling storm. He then spewed forth flames, and with the wind fueling the fire, the spiraling fiery whirlwind attacked Touhuan Uchiha within his Susanoo.
"Water Release: Water Wall!" Facing Obito's sneak attack, Touhuan Uchiha calmly formed hand seals, creating a water curtain several meters high to block the fiery storm. Although the water rapidly evaporated under the terrifying heat, a resounding dragon's roar followed, and a giant lightning dragon burst through the water curtain, instantly engulfing the weakened fiery storm. Sage Art
: Lightning Release: Azure Dragon!
Compared to his previous battle against Orochimaru, the lightning dragon summoned by using Sage Chakra was even more solid and powerful.
Seeing the approaching lightning dragon, Obito's pupils constricted, and he quickly entered Intangible form.
The lightning dragon exploded in front of Obito, a massive explosion erupting instantly. A mushroom cloud soared into the sky, and blinding lightning illuminated the entire Hidden Leaf Village for a moment. The commotion reverberated throughout the village.
"Hahahaha, a weakling like you, a cowardly rat hiding its head and tail, dares to impersonate the name of my clan's ancestor?" Uchiha Touhuan laughed loudly, his Susanoo raising its hand and hurling a series of Yasaka Magatama towards the area where Uchiha Obito was located.
"Before my eyes, your attacks have no effect whatsoever," Uchiha Obito said calmly.
"Is your only reliance your cowardly eye technique? It truly suits your cowardly nature." Uchiha Touhuan said, "Even with the supreme power of my clan, you are not worthy of the name Uchiha. Let me show you what the Uchiha's fighting style should be like!"
The steam that had just risen surged into the thunderclouds above the sky, and the heavenly might contained within it became even more terrifying. The lightning that came with the Yasaka Magatama had previously attached to it laid out arcs of electricity like a net in this area.
"Sage Art! Lightning Release: Kirin!"
As Uchiha Touhuan's voice fell, a deafening roar erupted as a massive bolt of lightning struck Uchiha Obito, passing through his intangible body and blasting a crater several meters in diameter into the ground.
However, this was only the beginning. Within the thunderclouds of the sky, eerie blue lightning faintly formed a terrifying behemoth, unleashing countless bolts of lightning that enveloped Uchiha Obito.
This overwhelming force prevented Obito Uchiha from reverting to his Kamui intangibility. He knew all too well that even the slightest touch from this sky-covering lightning would reduce him to ashes.
Amidst the continuous explosions, Touhuan Uchiha's laughter, which sounded somewhat grating to Obito's ears, never ceased.
Meanwhile, Black Zetsu, hidden underground, was also secretly watching the battle. Even he had to admit that although Obito had been using Madara's name after his death, in terms of fighting style, Touhuan Uchiha was more like that battlefield rose.
Both were equally unrestrained, equally expansive, and even their maniacal laughter during battle bore a striking resemblance.
The only difference between the two was that one danced in flames, while the other sang in thunder.
"How long can your intangibility last, you rat!" Uchiha Touhuan laughed arrogantly.
"You should be more worried about how long your ninjutsu can last," Uchiha Obito gritted his teeth.
"Finally can't keep up the act anymore? If it were Lord Madara, he wouldn't avoid battle like you." Uchiha Touhuan, maintaining the Kirin, sneered. "Then let's wait and see. Let's see if my chakra runs out first, or your eye technique fails first. I bet you, you rat, dare to be one?"
"You..." Uchiha Obito gritted his teeth, about to say something, but at that moment, the White Zetsu, who was one with him, suddenly spoke in the dark: "Obito, Lord Black Zetsu has ordered us to retreat."
"Retreat?" Uchiha Obito glanced at Uchiha Touhuan, unwilling to give up.
"Obito, Lord Black Zetsu said we can discuss this further. With your eye technique, he can't stop you if you want to leave. The Eye of the Moon Plan still needs you to execute it; there's no need to fight to the death here."
"I understand." Obito gritted his teeth, giving Touhuan Uchiha a resentful look. If he escaped here, he would truly be branded a coward. But considering the Eye of the Moon Plan, for the sake of that world where Rin exists, Obito could only swallow this humiliation.
Obito's illusory body began to distort, and the surrounding space began to spin.
"Trying to run away?" Uchiha Touhuan sneered. "You coward, you're really good at hiding like a turtle, whether now or in front of Nohara Rin and Kakashi, right, Uchiha... Obito?"
Uchiha Touhuan's words made Obito abruptly stop his departure. His illusory figure reappeared, his exposed eyes staring intently at Uchiha Touhuan, filled with astonishment.
Seemingly sensing Obito's confusion, Touhuan Uchiha explained, "In Sage Mode, my sensory abilities are significantly enhanced. Just now, when you were fighting Kakashi, I sensed the Mangekyō Sharingan's power fluctuations in Kakashi's right eye. Those fluctuations were exactly the same as your Mangekyō Sharingan's power. Plus, you two have one left eye and one right eye. So, after eliminating all the impossibilities, what remains, no matter how impossible, is the truth. Obito Uchiha, you didn't die in the Third Shinobi World War."
"As for why you didn't return to the village after surviving, but instead became like this, even instigating the Nine-Tails' attack and killing your teacher and his wife, let me guess, you're not resenting the Fourth Hokage for not saving that girl on the battlefield, are you? Hahaha, you're truly laughable. The root of all this stems from your weakness, yet you don't even have the courage to admit it, only blaming others. No wonder that girl chose Kakashi. If it were me, I wouldn't choose a weakling like you either."
"Shut up!" Obito Uchiha roared, this time no longer concealing his voice.
"Looks like I was right, hahaha." Touhuan Uchiha threw his head back and laughed loudly.
"Shut up! You know nothing!" Obito, hidden behind the mask, had completely lost his mind. "After your ninjutsu ends, it will be your death!"
In his intangible state, Obito gasped for breath, his eyes fixed on his opponent. Blinded by rage, he completely ignored the constant whispers of the White Zetsu that coexisted with him. At this moment, only one thought remained in his mind: to make Uchiha Touhuan pay the price.
Uchiha Touhuan looked at the already flushed Obito and chuckled inwardly. The fish had taken the bait.
If it were just to force this guy back, Uchiha Touhuan wouldn't have needed to go to such lengths. His Eighty Hidden Sun God Eye Technique had a natural counter to Obito's Kamui in his left eye.
Kamui's intangibility is certainly useful, but it also has the weakness of needing to use his physical form to attack. Others might need to go great lengths to create an opportunity to attack and seize that fleeting moment, but Uchiha Touhuan doesn't need to. As long as Uchiha Obito has even a moment of chance to reveal his physical form, Uchiha Touhuan's chance of seizing that opportunity is 100%!
However, if Obito is determined to run away, Uchiha Touhuan really doesn't have much of a way to deal with him for the time being.
In other words, there is only one real chance.
Two minutes passed, the size of the lightning falling from the sky began to decrease, Uchiha Touhuan's chakra was about to run out, and the eyeshadow at the corner of his eye gradually faded.
Seeing this, Obito, hidden behind his mask, beamed with joy.
"Looks like I've won!" After the lightning in the sky vanished, Obito, in his intangible state, charged towards Touhuan Uchiha, grinning maliciously.
"Hmph, even without enough chakra, killing you is a piece of cake!" Touhuan Uchiha sneered, meeting his attack head-on without dodging.
In an instant, the two passed each other. At that moment, Obito revealed his true form, extending his right hand towards Touhuan Uchiha's back. His White Zetsu-formed right hand instantly transformed into a sharp wooden spike, stabbing towards Touhuan Uchiha.
[If I pierce your body, I will make you experience the most cruel way to die!] Obito thought viciously.
Just then, Uchiha Touhuan's eyeshadow reappeared as he turned around, and he lightly swung his hand like a blade towards him.
The next instant, Uchiha Obito's mask shattered, revealing his ferocious face, a wound appearing out of thin air on his left cheek.
"What?" Uchiha Obito's eyes widened. Although the wound on his face healed instantly thanks to the powerful regenerative abilities of Hashirama's cells, Uchiha Obito found himself suddenly unable to control his chakra.
At that moment, the wooden spike stopped less than a millimeter from Uchiha Touhuan's nose.
Obito was horrified to discover that a very peculiar energy had appeared within him, violently assimilating his chakra.
He roared in agony, but at that moment, snake scales began to emerge from the surface of his body, which was intertwined with that of the White Zetsu, and his feet began to petrify.
"What is this thing?" Obito Uchiha cried out in terror.
"Natural energy, isn't it amazing?" Touhuan Uchiha's eyes flashed with lightning, and the wooden spikes in front of him instantly turned to dust. After doing all this, Touhuan Uchiha looked at Obito Uchiha, who was irreversibly transforming into a snake-like fossil, and said.
Obito Uchiha gritted his teeth, using his eye power to activate the three-tomoe Sharingan currently installed in his left eye, intending to use Izanagi to save his life.
...
Having successfully activated Izanagi and reversed the unfavorable situation, Obito hurriedly activated Kamui to escape into his own Kamui dimension.
"Did I succeed?" Obito gasped for breath inside the Kamui dimension. "Uchiha Touhuan, I'll remember you!"
However, before Obito could recover, in the blink of an eye, Touhuan Uchiha reappeared in front of him. At the same time, he was horrified to find that his body, except for his head, had turned into a stone statue. Uchiha Touhuan, who was standing in front of him, simply reached out and took his Mangekyō Sharingan. Then, the stone statue that Obito had become shattered into dust.
"Why? Why didn't Izanagi work?"
This was Obito Uchiha's last question before his death. If he had met Elder Danzo in the Pure Land, perhaps he could have found the answer.
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(End of Chapter)