Chapter 43
Orange base, covered in black flame patterns.
There was a hole where the right eye should be, serving as the sole point of observation.
Itachi's intuition told him that this sudden appearance of a person was an ominous sign.
However, Itachi's tension failed to transmit to his two Genin companions.
His male companion, named Tranma, was excited by this sudden event. After all, performing D-rank missions every day was indeed boring, and it was impossible to encounter enemies. Now that a potential enemy had abruptly appeared, how could he not feel excited?
"Who are you?!" the Jonin Instructor sternly reprimanded.
Theoretically, with Anbu Squad Six clearing the way, no strangers should appear. But at this moment... none of Anbu Squad Six had appeared, which caused an inexplicable anxiety and worry to rise in his heart.
"Hmph~."
Obito snorted coldly.
The air began to vibrate invisibly... "!"
Itachi's eyes widened; he keenly sensed the change in the air.
"Everyone, be careful!"
It was too late by the time Itachi shouted out.
Genjutsu.
In an instant, the Jonin Instructor and his group... including the two Guardian Shinobi, as well as the four palanquin bearers and accompanying attendants... everyone became motionless.
Itachi's scalp instantly prickled.
To be able to control so many people with Genjutsu in such a brief moment... the opponent's strength...
Obito: "Oh? There are still two that slipped through?"
Whether it was an illusion or not, Itachi felt a sense of joy in the opponent's tone.
'Very good, Uchiha Itachi.'
Obito narrowed his eyes, immediately understanding Itachi's talent.
The two Guardian Shinobi with Jonin strength, and one Konoha Jonin. While all three were affected, Uchiha Itachi remained unaffected.
As for the other one who slipped through...
"Hey, hey, hey!"
Itachi's teammate, Tranma, spoke up.
"My specialty is Genjutsu; how could I fall for a technique of your level!"
After uttering the provocative words, the young boy then looked at Itachi beside him.
"Itachi... you're so scared you can't move, huh..."
Beneath the seemingly mocking words lay a characteristic unique to Konoha Ninja—warmth towards companions.
Whoosh!
Tranma drew his Kunai, his gaze redirecting to Obito: "Then..."
Wait!
Stop... don't go, Tranma!
Itachi wanted to call out to his teammate, but he couldn't make a sound.
"Hah!"
Tranma, who had charged forward, swung his Kunai, striking the opponent's body.
Itachi: "It hit?!"
However, the opponent showed no sign of pain, and not even his clothes were torn.
It was as if... he had passed through an illusion.
Tranma: "Huh?!"
Pfft!
Obito reached out his hand, directly piercing through Tranma's chest. The gloved hand, when it emerged from Tranma's back, was covered in blood.
"Brat... you really shouldn't have said my Genjutsu was only at this level..."
A cruel and cold tone emanated from Obito's mouth.
Tranma, hanging on Obito's arm, trembled a few times and spat out a large mouthful of blood.
Then he became still.
Clatter.
The Kunai slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.
Obito's gaze didn't even glance at the deceased, but instead stared at Itachi through the dark, hollow eye-holes of his mask.
"Uchiha Itachi..."
"How do you know my name?"
Itachi's teeth gnashed.
Anger, sorrow... a series of immense emotions surged from the depths of his heart.
And of course, self-hatred for his own powerlessness, for watching his companion die before his eyes.
"Of course I know your name, and everything about the Uchiha Clan... Hmph, you want to extract information..."
He didn't rush forward recklessly.
Even seeing his companion die before him, he resolutely upheld a Ninja's duty to extract as much information as possible from the enemy's mouth.
"You are good material... no need to rush to your death."
Obito shifted his gaze, looking towards the luxurious palanquin.
"My target is the Land of Fire Daimyo; you can just stand there and watch me kill him..."
However.
Itachi had no intention of heeding Obito's advice.
He leaped forward, throwing multiple Kunai and Shuriken.
His exquisite throwing technique struck Obito from multiple directions.
However... they also passed right through him.
"It seems you really want to die, huh... Hmm?"
As Obito said this, he suddenly looked towards the mountain forest to the side.
There was some movement there.
Then, the figure of a silver-haired Anbu appeared from within.
"Hatake... Kakashi..."
Obito's tone became complex.
"Uchiha Itachi, you've saved your life... Well then, next time..."
A ripple, like a watercolor painting, sucked Obitointo the mask's eye-hole.
Before Itachi, Obito silently vanished from the spot.
Tranma's body lay face down on the ground, blood slowly spreading, staining the earth red.
"Damn it..."
Itachi clenched his fists, his body trembling uncontrollably.
An overwhelming tide of emotions surged into his brain... then into his eyes... He wasn't trembling from fear.
But from anger at his own incompetence.
All Ninja die.
Tranma's death was normal.
But he was too weak... Itachi, with his eyes closed, suddenly saw a point of light before him.
And then, this point of light became a source of power.
"I feel it..." A scarlet power suddenly surged, like a meteor streaking across the night sky.
"Are you alright...?"
Kakashi landed in front of Itachi, looking at the trembling Uchiha boy.
This couldn't help but remind him of his former companion.
Obito...
"I... I'm fine..."
When Itachi opened his eyes, his body no longer trembled.
And his aura had become completely different.
Kakashi paused slightly, having a suspicion.
And soon, his companions' shouts diverted Kakashi's attention...
"How was it?"
The nearby mountain forest.
Obito's figure appeared.
Black Zetsu came closer, asking about his observations.
"Hmph... that kid [Itachi] is a good chess piece..." Obito snorted.
Uchiha Itachi is an arrogant Uchiha.
He is conceited and headstrong. He won't blame himself for his companion's death. He will only think that it's normal for a companion to die, and that his own incompetence is the key.
This places 'I' in the first position.
And not the concept of 'companion' in the first position.
From this point, he has already deviated from the true path of the will of fire.
This also means he can become a very useful chess piece.
The annihilation of the Uchiha... there's hope.
Obito, filled with immense pleasure, instantly had countless plans for the extermination of the Uchiha Clan flash through his mind...
"What about Konoha?"
Black Zetsu, having discerned Obito's thoughts, asked again.
Since the Land of Fire Daimyo wasn't eliminated in this operation, the opponent would surely arrange more skilled individuals later.
The original plan to disrupt Konoha had also fallen through.