The moment Obito's fist came at him, Hanekawa was already moving.
Wood Style: Cutting Technique!
Twisted thorns erupted from Obito's arms, spreading outward like a nest of vipers. Hanekawa responded without hesitation, his hands already forming seals.
Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!
The dragon surged forward—and passed straight through Obito's body as if he were made of smoke.
Oh. That's the Mangekyō ability, Hanekawa thought, watching Obito solidify again just as the wooden spikes shot toward him. Space-time manipulation. Fantastic.
Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!
The earth rose in a barrier. Obito's eyes gleamed with pride as he stepped through it like it wasn't there.
"You don't understand the power of my eyes at all!" Obito's voice dripped with triumph. Finally—finally—he was winning.
Hanekawa was already gone.
From the observation point, Kurenai's eyes widened. "What jutsu was that?"
"Wood Style," Hizashi breathed, his Byakugan tracking the battle. "The second Wood Style user in the entire ninja world."
Kurenai's mind reeled. Wood Style? But he also has the Sharingan...
Rin watched with growing concern, her hands clasped tight.
---
"Coward!" Obito's roar echoed across the water. "Face me!"
Hanekawa remained submerged, watching through the murky depths. Obito was fast, powerful, and his eye technique was genuinely problematic. But he had one critical flaw: he was fighting with rage instead of strategy.
He's predictable when he's angry. Good to know.
Hanekawa surfaced briefly, then dove again as Obito's form twisted through space—Kamui pulling him into that pocket dimension. The moment Obito reappeared, Hanekawa was ready.
Water Style: Heaven's Cry!
Three needle-thin projectiles, no hand seals, no warning. They punched through Obito's chest before he could react.
The scream that followed was satisfying.
"At your feet!" Tobi's voice crackled with urgency.
Obito vanished into Kamui just as water bullets erupted where he'd been standing. When he emerged in the air, breathing hard, Hanekawa was already waiting with another barrage.
Water Style: Water Dragon Bite Explosion!
The vortex rose like a living thing, forming a dragon that twisted toward him. Obito dodged—but there was another. And another. Ninjutsu bloomed across the sky like deadly fireworks.
How is he sealing so fast?
Obito's eyes burned red with frustration. Even with the invincible Mangekyō Sharingan, he was being hunted. The old fear crept back in—that suffocating sensation of being completely outmatched.
---
On the distant ridge, Madara watched with mild interest.
"The water jutsu restrains him effectively," he observed.
"Obito's attack methods are too limited," White Zetsu added. "If it were you, Master—"
"His eye technique is powerful enough to breed arrogance," Madara interrupted calmly. "Suffering setbacks will serve him well."
---
Above the water, Obito's mind crystallized around a single solution.
Force him out. Use Kamui to pull him into the space. End this.
He formed the seals and vanished into his pocket dimension.
Hanekawa's frown deepened. He's learning.
Two shadow clones flickered into existence. One leaped skyward as Obito erupted from the spatial rift, wooden thorns erupting from his body. The clone shattered—but it was a feint.
The real Hanekawa was already moving.
Lightning crackled around him as he drew the Thunderfire Sword. The blade sang through the air, but Obito's body flickered into transparency, letting the strike pass harmlessly through.
Wood Style: Hell's Rebellion!
A towering tree erupted from the ground, vines coiling like serpents. They wrapped around Hanekawa before he could fully dodge, binding his arms.
"I won!" Obito's voice rang with triumph as he drew a kunai, aiming for the throat.
Not quite.
Chidori Flow erupted from Hanekawa's body, the electrical discharge shattering the vines. In the same instant, he completed the hand seals he'd been forming since the clone's distraction.
Molten Release: Rasengan!
The lava sphere materialized in his palm and slammed into Obito's back with devastating force. The black robe disintegrated, revealing pale white skin beneath.
White Zetsu.
The artificial being melted under the heat, its body turning black as it burned away. Obito's real flesh was exposed—charred, bleeding, nerve endings screaming.
"Ahhhhh!"
Hanekawa didn't hesitate. The Thunderfire Sword came up in a clean arc aimed at Obito's neck.
White Zetsu's reflexes saved him—barely. The blade caught his shoulder instead, nearly severing the arm entirely. Blood sprayed like a fountain.
Then two kunai came from nowhere, moving with terrifying speed.
Hanekawa retreated, his expression shifting. A figure materialized in front of Obito—white hair, ancient eyes, the unmistakable presence of—
Madara.
The world twisted red.
Hanekawa found himself suspended in an impossible space, iron nails descending from above toward his limbs. The Sharingan's genjutsu wrapped around his mind like chains.
Tsukuyomi variant. Low-tier version.
He clapped his hands once.
The illusion shattered in less than a second—the B-Rank entry "Seven Attributes Special Jonin" providing just enough resistance to break the hold.
Madara's eyebrows rose slightly. "Impressive."
Hanekawa assessed the situation in a glance. Obito was already limping toward the Kamui space, his shoulder hanging by threads of muscle and sinew. Even with White Zetsu's regeneration, he'd be out of commission for months.
"We will meet again," Madara said, his form already fading.
Just a shadow clone. No point wasting chakra on a prolonged fight.
Hanekawa watched him disappear, then exhaled slowly.
That could have gone worse.
---
In a remote grove, Madara's shadow clone dispersed. Moments later, his true form emerged from the earth as White Zetsu guided him toward a hidden cave.
The sound of crying stopped him at the entrance.
Obito sat slumped against the cave wall, tears streaming down his face. His shoulder was being carefully reattached by Tobi, but the physical wounds were clearly the least of his injuries.
Madara felt a flicker of something—not quite sympathy, but recognition. The boy had lost everything that mattered: his pride, his invincibility, and the girl he loved, all to the same person.
"Why do you weep?" Madara's voice cut through the silence like a blade. "Do you surrender?"
"No!" Obito's head snapped up, tears still wet on his cheeks. "Never!"
"Then listen." Madara stepped closer, his ancient eyes boring into the younger Uchiha's. "You lost not because Hanekawa is stronger. You lost because you are weak."
"But the Mangekyō—"
"You haven't accessed even one-tenth of its true power," Madara said coldly. "Your fighting was pathetic. A genin with better strategy would have killed you a dozen times over. Only Kamui kept you alive."
Obito's hands clenched into fists, his eyes burning with shame and rage.
"There is nothing left for you in this world," Madara continued, watching the boy's despair crystallize into something darker. "Not anymore."
"Then I'll create a new one," Obito whispered, his voice hollow. His eyes found Madara's. "A world where I never lose. Where Rin never leaves me."
Madara smiled—a thin, satisfied expression.
"Very good. Let me teach you how."
The plan was finally falling into place.