Anya had another crucial reason for wanting to head to the battlefield—he wanted to see Uchiha Madara. If he was right, Madara was now just a dying ember, nearing the end of his life. But this decision was still risky; after all, no one knew what hidden trump cards the strongest man, who had remained concealed for so many years, still held.
Still, Anya had absolute confidence in his own strength—at the very least, he could ensure his own safety. Since the Rain Country's Rinnegan had already fled, it would be the perfect opportunity to see Madara's in person. And if possible, he might even try to take it.
The easiest way to find him is through Obito Uchiha. Right now, he could only hope the story hadn't changed too much.
After getting his mission, Anya had Terumi Mei transform to look like him. He himself used a Ninjutsu taught by Jiraiya to hide within her shadow and successfully leave the village.
Not far beyond Konoha's borders, the two who had been together for days finally reached their moment of parting.
Mei understood this well. She silently walked forward without daring to look back—afraid that once she did, she wouldn't be able to leave. The reason she walked so slowly was because a fragile hope had quietly taken root in her mind: if Oub called out to her once, she would stay.
But even after walking quite a distance, it remained eerily quiet behind her—no voice calling out in attempt to stop her. In the end, Mei couldn't help but turn around for one last glance.
A familiar voice reached her ears: "Hello there."
"It's you," Mei recognized him immediately—it was the summoned creature who had helped her during her first treatment. Unexpectedly, Oub had sent him to see her off.
The chubby body of Katsuyu drew near as he spoke, "He had to go early because he has a mission to handle. But he told me that if you turned back looking for him, I should deliver a message."
Mei's heart trembled slightly, asking expectantly, "What is it?"
"Growth always comes with various forms of parting. He firmly believes that every separation is for a better reunion. Also, the promise he made to you before still stands forever."
"Is that so?" Mei gazed movingly into the distance, her long hair fluttering in the wind. At this moment, she seemed more mature, and a warm, youthful smile lit up her face as she said, "Then do me a favor—deliver my message. I'll be waiting for him to come get me."
"Alright."
Once the conversation ended, Mei hesitated no longer. Her long, slender legs carried her forward swiftly, and with a few swift leaps, she vanished from sight.
Only after Mei's figure had completely vanished did Anya materialize from thin air. He squatted down and thanked Katsuyu sincerely.
Katsuyu replied in puzzlement, "You humans are strange—you have something to say but won't say it directly. You need me to deliver messages instead."
"That's why being human is so hard," Anya joked self-deprecatingly, summoning his Warhawk Puppet and setting off toward Iwagakure village.
"Oh no… Did I mix up the time? At this rate, will I be late? Is there still time?" A figure was quickly running through a dense forest, wearing a distinctive pair of goggles over his face, clearly in great urgency.
"Ahh... Bang…"
Obito Uchiha, who was rushing anxiously on his way, did not notice the trap under his feet at all. He tripped and fell to the ground, and his body immediately lost balance, rolling far away.
Uchiha Obito, who had fallen to the ground, grimaced in pain as he touched his right hand, and quickly raised his head to speak: "Did I make it in time?"
"No, you're late, Obito. You should know what time we were supposed to meet. Now that you've become a ninja, it's only natural that you follow the rules and keep your promises." A cold voice whispered in Obito's ear, filled with indifference.
"No, listen to me," Uchiha Obito defended himself. "On my way, I met an elderly woman who was lost. I saw that she could barely walk, so I had to help her find her way home first."
Kakashi didn't believe it at all. He scoffed coldly, saying, "These are all lies. Surely there isn't someone needing help appearing before Obito every single time. Those who disregard rules and discipline will be called useless as ninja."
"Isn't there even a hint of warmth in your heart? You're always talking about rules and discipline, it's so annoying. We're teammates, right, sensei?" Uchiha Obito looked at Minato beside him.
Minato was taken aback for a moment, then nodded slightly with a smile.
"Teacher, you're too honest," Kakashi said discontentedly.
Rin Nohara also tried to mediate, saying, "Okay, you two, stop arguing. After all, you're on the same team, so you should get along well and be affectionate towards each other."
"Rin, you're being too indulgent with him," Kakashi glanced at Rin and then whispered, "Today is a very important day for me, after all."
Rin Nohara was taken aback, then seemed to realize something, and said with a smile on her face, "Th-That's right, congratulations, Kakashi."
Uchiha Obito looked at the two in confusion and whispered, "What kind of day is this?"
Kakashi ignored Obito Uchiha's muttering and instead turned to Minato, saying, "Sensei, we should get going."
"Wait a little longer, this time we still have backup," said Minato mysteriously.
"Oh, are there other teams participating in this mission as well? Which team is it?" Yukari Hayashiba asked curiously.
"It's me." A cold voice suddenly came from not far behind the group.
Kakashi was greatly startled, not expecting that there was someone else near him, someone he hadn't noticed at all. Turning his head slightly, his eyes narrowed— the person who had arrived was a member of the ANBU, and gave him a strangely familiar feeling.
"Who is this person? I should know him," Kakashi thought to himself, mentally going through everyone he knew. When he noticed the hair color beneath the other's mask, he already understood.
"Haha," Minato chuckled, introducing the three students. "This is an ANBU captain with the codename 'Yoru.' He was specially dispatched by the Third Hokage to assist us in this mission. With him here, I believe this task will be much easier."
Obito Uchiha curiously walked over and asked, "That's strange. This is the first time a member from the ANBU has joined our squad. What kind of abilities do you have?"
"Obito, you're being too rude."
"Rin quietly pulled Obito aside and said, 'This Anbu officer didn't mean it.'
'It's fine,' Anya replied, her tone indifferent, before sending her soul projection directly into Rin's body.
'Ah, Big Brother—it really is you!' Rin exclaimed, both surprised and delighted. She never expected this mysterious Anbu member to be someone she knew so well.
'Your [Spirit Transformation Technique] seems improved,' Anya observed, 'but your chakra is still weak. Going into battle like this would be dangerous. Cut back on how much time you spend perfecting that technique and work more on boosting your own strength.'
After obediently nodding, Rin responded with a smile, 'Okay, but don't underestimate me. I'm a Medical Ninja—I know how to handle myself with poison if enemies show up.'
'A Medical Ninja, huh?' Anya smirked slightly. 'I'll still give you some poisons later—just in case.'
'Thank you, Big Brother.'
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