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Kakashi's gaze was heavy as he stared at the distant cluster of punk-style buildings. The rise of the barrier did not ease his tension; instead, his expression grew even more serious.
The targets this time were beings that surpassed the limits of what the current ninja world could handle.
Standing atop the pinnacle of the hidden villages, Nagato Uzumaki watched emotionlessly as Kakashi raised the barrier. He made no move to interfere, for since the moment Konoha had set foot on this land, their presence had already been captured by Nagato's Rain Tiger at Will Technique. Everything was under his control.
"Mission begins."
With a single command from Kakashi, he charged forward toward Amegakure.
In battles between top-tier ninja, armies numbering less than a hundred rarely stood a chance of intervention. Not wanting unnecessary casualties, this operation was carried out by a small elite strike force.
However, just as Kakashi advanced less than a hundred meters, deep in thought about how to deal with the upcoming enemies, his eyes suddenly narrowed. The space before him twisted abruptly, and an arm wielding a sharp black rod emerged from thin air, piercing directly toward his heart.
Success—
A calculated ambush against an unsuspecting target. Uchiha Obito's Kamui was considered the ultimate assassination dojutsu.
*Boom!*
"A Shadow Clone?! Since when?!"
Seeing his target dissipate into a puff of white smoke, Uchiha Obito was momentarily stunned. Then, a sharp pain shot through his waist.
Space-time ninjutsu held an incredibly high rank in the ninja world. Those who mastered escape or attack-type space-time techniques were practically invincible. Thus, Obito had never worried about being attacked while inside his Kamui dimension.
But now, the unexpected had occurred.
Thanks to Madara's rigorous training, Obito was no longer the weakling he once was. The instant his waist was injured, he shifted his position and quickly created distance, eyeing his attacker warily.
"Kakashi?"
Obito's mind was in chaos, unable to comprehend how Kakashi had entered his exclusive Kamui space.
Since awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, Obito had felt an overwhelming sense of invincibility. But now, Kakashi's appearance filled him with unprecedented panic.
This was the fear of having his trump card exposed, as well as the inferiority complex of a former dead-last facing a genius.
But the image of a certain figure quickly brought Obito back to his senses, restoring his cold demeanor.
"Hatake Kakashi, how did you enter my space?"
Obito, now composed, attempted to extract information through conversation. After all, Kakashi's appearance in the Kamui dimension was highly suspicious.
But Kakashi said nothing, instead gazing pensively at the blood-stained dagger in his hand.
Once upon a time, Kakashi, due to psychological trauma and his youth, had not inherited the White Fang of Konoha's swordsmanship. In one mission, the blade that had once struck fear across the ninja world snapped in two, and he abandoned the use of swords altogether.
But that was then. Kakashi had been reborn, rediscovering his true self.
Staring at Obito, fully cloaked in Akatsuki's black robe adorned with red clouds, Kakashi's eyes turned icy cold.
"So your blood is still red after all—O-bi-to!!!"
"?!"
The revelation of his identity threw Obito, who had been trying to gather intelligence, into a state of panic.
My identity has been exposed?
I shouldn't have any openings!
Does that mean everything I've done has been uncovered too?
This brief lapse in focus became the decisive factor.
With superhuman speed, Kakashi appeared behind Obito using the Body Flicker Technique.
Though divine power was a gift from the supreme god, Kakashi didn't want to abuse it. Moreover, he had his own pride. After all, he was once Konoha's foremost prodigy. Rediscovering his original purpose, Kakashi's strength had skyrocketed.
"Sealing Technique: Four-Limbs Heavy Seal!!!"
With just a touch, Obito felt an unbearable weight pressing down on his limbs. His body buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.
Sealing techniques were among the most difficult jutsu in the ninja world, yet even in his slacker days, Kakashi had studied techniques like the Evil Sealing Method, showcasing his innate talent.
But Obito's abilities were too unpredictable. To ensure absolute success, Kakashi continued his relentless assault.
After applying the Four-Limbs Heavy Seal, Kakashi placed his hand on Obito's abdomen and unleashed a series of sealing techniques.
"Sealing Technique: Four Symbols Seal, Sealing Technique: Five Elements Seal."
Obito's eyes widened in horror, unable to believe that in an instant, he had been reduced to a helpless state at someone else's mercy. However, unlike ordinary jutsu that required chakra gathered from the abdomen, the Mangekyō Sharingan drew directly from the brain's Yin Release chakra.
"Kamui—"
Intense physical pain interrupted Obito's casting. Just as he was about to activate Kamui to escape the Kamui dimension and return to the outside world, his body froze in place.
"I see. So the Mangekyō doesn't require regular chakra to activate? This is information my god lacked. Perhaps it's because you're so weak that my god didn't bother observing closely, leading to this oversight."
As Kakashi calmly analyzed the situation, he simultaneously removed Obito's mask and extracted his Mangekyō Sharingan while pulling out his dagger.
Looking at the disfigured half of Obito's face, scarred by a massive boulder, Kakashi finally confirmed that this man was indeed his former comrade.
"My god did not deceive me—you really are alive, Obito."
"AAAAHHH—!!!
Kakashi, you bastard!!!"
Even as a major villain, the excruciating pain of having his eye forcibly removed caused Obito to scream in rage.
But Kakashi, now certain of the truth, remained cold and merciless. After all, this man was responsible for killing his sensei and his sensei's wife, leaving his adoptive younger brother, Uzumaki Naruto, an orphan. Not to mention the countless casualties during the Nine-Tails' attack.
No amount of past camaraderie could excuse such actions.
But soon, Kakashi's expression shifted.
Before his eyes, Obito's form began to blur, and the Mangekyō Sharingan Kakashi had just extracted disappeared along with him.
"This is… Izanagi."
Kakashi quickly deduced the situation and moved away from his original position.
But the anticipated counterattack never came.
"Did he escape?" Kakashi muttered indifferently.
Izanagi, one of the pinnacle genjutsu techniques in the ninja world, allowed the caster to negate unfavorable circumstances, even death itself. It was akin to a bug-level escape technique.
The minimum cost of using this technique was sacrificing a three-tomoe Sharingan.
When Obito returned to the real world, he was in a sorry state. Beneath his mask, his left eye was now completely gray and lifeless, clearly blinded.
And Obito's return to the real world did not grant him safety. The elite shinobi who had followed closely behind Kakashi immediately launched a fierce attack.
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