Uchiha Obito cast a cold glance at Hatake Kakashi, his tone suddenly rising sharply:
"Why?!"
"You don't have the right to ask me why!"
"If you want to know why you don't have the right, it's because you lost that privilege the moment you killed Rin all those years ago!"
"Do you have any idea how I've lived through these years?!"
Kakashi opened his mouth, once again recalling that painful scene from the past, his voice trembling as he spoke:
"That was… that was… Rin chose to… to protect Konohagakure, she willingly…"
"Enough!"
Uchiha Obito cut Kakashi off, clearly unwilling to let him continue.
"From the way you're talking, it sounds like you really cared for this so-called Rin. But does Rin know you're now trying to kill your comrades from Konohagakure?"
Haruno Sakura watched Kakashi's pathetic demeanor and felt a surge of irritation.
Seriously, Kakashi, you didn't do anything wrong, so who are you putting on this pitiful act for?! That guy's nothing but an ungrateful wretch!
"Hmph, sharp-tongued little brat."
"Today will be your last!"
Uchiha Obito let out a cold snort, drawing a black rod and making the first move. Meanwhile, on the other side, the Raikage wasted no time charging at Jiraiya, the closest target!
"Kakashi, you go—"
"Forget it. You and Terumi Mei hold off the Eight-Tails for now."
"I'll be there soon!"
Sakura had initially thought of letting Kakashi face off against that ungrateful Uchiha wolf in some emotional showdown. But seeing his sorry state, she reconsidered—better to handle it herself. Right now, she was the one with the intel on Uchiha Obito, making her the best choice to deal with him.
And besides…
Sakura's gaze pierced through Uchiha Obito, as if seeing past him to the Raikage beyond. This war had dragged on too long. Among the enemies, the injured Raikage was the softest target—and the most critical one to take down.
"Sakura—"
"Obito… leave him to me."
Wait, what? Did you take the wrong medicine or something?
Sakura was about to turn around and snap back, but the sight of a spinning pinwheel pattern—like three scythes forming a windmill—in his Sharingan silenced her instantly.
Mangekyo Sharingan!
Kakashi's Mangekyo Sharingan had awakened long ago. Just like Uchiha Obito's, it had emerged on that blood-soaked night years ago when Nohara Rin died. Whether Obito knew about Kakashi's Mangekyo, though, was unclear—the original story never mentioned how Kakashi came to realize he had it.
Kakashi darted past Sakura, charging straight at Uchiha Obito! He needed answers. What had Obito been doing all these years? Why, despite being alive, had he never returned to Konohagakure? What had the old Uchiha Obito gone through?
"Go deal with the Eight-Tails."
Caught off guard, Kakashi didn't see Sakura grab his shoulder and hurl him back toward Terumi Mei.
"Kakashi, calm down."
"With your Sharingan, you're the best one to handle the Eight-Tails. This is a battlefield."
Sakura glanced back at Kakashi standing beside Terumi Mei before charging toward Uchiha Obito herself.
"Sakura—"
Kakashi watched her retreating figure, a dimness settling in his eyes.
Then, a slender hand clapped onto his shoulder.
"I don't know what you've been through, but it seems like that guy used to mean something to you, huh?"
"But now, he's standing against you."
"And your comrades are all fighting for victory."
"You can't let emotions cloud your judgment on the battlefield—not just for your sake, but for the comrades who trust you with their backs."
Terumi Mei's emerald eyes curved into crescent moons as she looked at the man before her.
This Kakashi… he's unexpectedly decent. Definitely my type~~~
Kakashi looked at the woman in surprise, letting out a soft sigh. His gaze shifted to Jiraiya, locked in combat with the Raikage and Orochimaru, then to Sakura rushing toward Uchiha Obito, and finally settled on Terumi Mei beside him.
"Not your comrades."
"Our comrades."
With that, he charged toward the Eight-Tails without hesitation!
Terumi Mei watched Kakashi's back, her slyly curved lips flattening out.
What a remarkable man. I almost fell for him just now…
Facing Uchiha Obito, Sakura didn't opt for the Ruyi Jingu Bang. Instead, she sent the Monkey King to assist Jiraiya. Jiraiya's Sage Mode had been active too long—he was already showing clear signs of froglike transformation. If he kept fighting, he'd turn into a giant toad for real.
Besides, the Ruyi Jingu Bang wasn't suited for Uchiha Obito. A staff favored wide, sweeping attacks, but against his intangibility, it'd be useless—and she'd risk exposing an opening.
"Little girl, choosing to face me alone was your biggest mistake."
Uchiha Obito spoke leisurely as Sakura's attack passed right through his body.
"I don't think it's a mistake."
Her fist, clad in knuckle-dusters, phased through his chest as she replied coolly.
"Actually, I'm more curious about something. Did Konohagakure ever wrong you to make you betray it?"
Sakura's onslaught was relentless—punch after punch, each blow passing through Uchiha Obito's form, keeping him pinned and unable to break free.
"Betray?"
"You think too highly of Konohagakure."
Uchiha Obito's voice was low and heavy, utterly unfazed by her ceaseless attacks.
"I simply saw through everything—saw the world for what it is, this cruel, broken world."
"I want to change it. Change everything."
"That's not something a mere mortal like you could understand."
Sakura twisted her body, delivering a spinning kick that sliced through Uchiha Obito's form. His attempt to stab her head with a black rod flickered from solid to intangible in an instant.
"And you—you're just a stumbling block on this path."
"If you'd join me, there'd be a place for you in that beautiful future world."
Sakura's expression didn't shift, her gaze piercing past Uchiha Obito to land on the Raikage.
"You're awfully full of yourself."
"What can you even offer me?"
"I'm a disciple of the Hokage. And you, a rogue ninja, dare try to turn me traitor?"
"Even if they hold an election for Hokage someday, I'd have a shot at it."
"You must've lost your mind—dumb as a pig!"
The word "Hokage" seemed to strike a nerve in Uchiha Obito.
"Hokage?!"
"What a joke!"
Sakura raised a delicate eyebrow at his outburst.
"Hmm? Smells like jealousy."
"Are you bitter?"
???
Uchiha Obito's scarred, ugly face somehow grew uglier in that moment.
Him? Bitter? What a ridiculous notion! As if he'd ever care about being Hokage!
Uchiha Obito said nothing more, charging straight at Sakura—clearly riled up now. Sakura's expression tightened, and without hesitation, she rushed toward him in return!
Unbeknownst to her, chains suddenly emerged from Uchiha Obito's wrists, linking his hands together!
As expected, Sakura passed right through him, coming face-to-face with the chains.
"Idiot."
She glanced at the chains before her, her face impassive as she spoke.
"Idiot."
Far off, Zetsu muttered the same word, equally expressionless, watching the attempt to trap Sakura with chains.
"Heh, got you, didn't I?"
Uchiha Obito was about to deliver a victory speech, planning to use the chains to bind her—just as he'd done with the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato—then suck her into his Kamui dimension with a single move. Minato had Flying Thunder God to escape, but this little girl? Besides brute strength, what did she have?
Wait… brute strength?
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