Chapter 420: Sakumo vs. Obito
After a brief clash, the two figures suddenly separated, each landing several meters away.
With no complex Ninja tools or assistance from Summoned Beasts, this unexpected Soul encounter forced even top-tier Ninjas like them into a relatively simple combat style, relying more on Taijutsu, basic Ninjutsu, and a direct clash of tactical intelligence.
Uchiha Obito narrowed his eyes, quickly evaluating the information gained from that brief exchange.
'Sakumo Hatake... he truly lives up to the name "White Fang of the Leaf." His swordsmanship is so pure and sharp; it's even superior to Kakashi's.'
'Furthermore, his Chakra reserves and recovery speed are quite impressive. Compared to Kakashi, who might have been limited by his physical body while alive, the current Sakumo is likely stronger in terms of sustained combat capability.'
'However,' Obito thought rapidly, 'his fighting style clearly leans more toward Taijutsu and swordsmanship. His use of Ninjutsu is relatively singular, far from Kakashi's mastery of a thousand techniques and versatile variations. This might be a Breakthrough point.'
On the other side, Sakumo Hatake stood with his blade in hand, his breathing steady.
Though the clash was short, he had already grasped the characteristics of Obito's fighting style in his Pure Land state: the Sharingan's dynamic vision was still sharp, and while his space-time abilities seemed restricted by the environment—making them less swift than when he was alive—the threat remained immense.
If only a companion of similar strength were here... no, even if the Jiraiya from before his first death were by his side, they could easily take the opponent down together.
'Experienced and possessing troublesome abilities, but not without flaws.'
Sakumo judged internally, 'As long as I fight steadily, don't let his space-time abilities lead me by the nose, and apply pressure gradually, I'll have a complete chance to suppress him.'
He glanced toward the gray, hazy horizon.
'I must resolve this trouble quickly. The changes in the Pure Land are no small matter. I need to finish up here and find the Hokage-sama to exchange information and discuss a strategy.'
A thought flashed through his mind: 'I hope Kato Dan can successfully bring the intelligence here back to the Ninja World and inform Naruto and the others...'
Both sides ended their brief reflections almost simultaneously, their combat instincts driving their bodies once more.
"Wood Release: Cutting Technique!"
Obito struck first. His left arm instantly woodified, extending sharp wooden spikes that pierced toward Sakumo several meters away with the sound of breaking air!
Sakumo's eyes narrowed, but he didn't take the hit head-on. With a shift of his feet, his figure drifted back and to the side like a ghost, precisely evading the trajectory of all the wooden spikes.
Simultaneously, Chakra erupted from beneath his feet!
"Body Flicker Technique!"
Only a faint afterimage remained in his original spot. Sakumo's true body had already appeared behind Obito's right side, an excellent position for a close-range attack.
He held his Ninja blade in a reverse grip with the tip pointing down. Like a tiger ready to pounce, he concentrated his Chakra into a single point on the blade's tip!
"Hatake Style: Heavenly Fang!"
With a low shout, the Ninja blade turned into a sharp cold light, plunging from top to bottom toward Obito's vital neck and shoulder area with thunderous momentum!
This strike condensed the essence of the White Fang's lifelong swordsmanship—fast, accurate, and ruthless—like a predator baring its fangs for a lethal blow!
However, facing this perilous strike, Obito did not panic. Instead, the corners of his mouth curled into a smirk as if his scheme had succeeded.
'Senior, you've fallen for it!'
Just as Sakumo's "Heavenly Fang" was about to connect, a violent surge of Chakra erupted from the ground beneath Obito's feet.
"Wood Release: Hell Knight!"
Rumble—!
With Obito at the center, countless thick, hideous giant wooden stakes with sharp barbs burst from the ground like out-of-control venomous dragons, rapidly growing, spiraling, and strangling in a helical pattern!
These stakes not only instantly encased Obito within a relatively safe inner core but also acted as a rapidly expanding death vortex of spikes, ruthlessly drawing in and tearing apart everything around them!
Puchi! Puchi!
Sakumo's incredibly sharp "Heavenly Fang" thrust, along with his figure, was immediately pierced by several violently growing wooden spikes of the Hell Knight.
However, the expected blood or Soul fragments did not appear. The "Sakumo" that had been skewered vanished like a bubble, disappearing in a puff of white smoke.
"A Shadow Clone?"
Obito's eyes scanned left and right through the gaps in the dense wooden stakes, not at all surprised. He hadn't expected this move to resolve Sakumo Hatake so easily.
The primary purposes of Hell Knight were, first, to force back or disrupt the opponent's offensive rhythm, and second, to create advantageous terrain and chaos.
As the momentum of the Hell Knight's expansion slowed slightly...
Swoosh!
A cold Ninja blade thrust out from the ground beneath Obito's feet like a bolt of lightning without warning.
It was a variation of the Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu, Earth Release: Earth Spike.
Sakumo had lain in wait underground beforehand to launch this fatal strike.
Obito lowered his body, nimbly slipping through the gaps of several giant wooden stakes like a fish, escaping the core area of the Wood Release and landing on the relatively safe periphery.
Through the final cracks of the Hell Knight, Obito saw Sakumo's eyes.
Unwilling and cold.
He looked again at the "Hell Knight" Wood Release area, which was still slowly writhing and closing up, and the curve of his mouth turned chilly.
"Senior, the ground has also been permeated and covered by my Wood Release roots,"
Obito said calmly, "This means you can't return the way you came, nor can you continue to hide."
Standing at a safe distance, he watched the gradually contracting yet still hideous wooden cage. There was no joy of victory in his eyes, only indifference. "In the end, I was the superior one. It seems I anticipated your tactics."
Just then, a calm voice clearly echoed from the other side of the forest of stakes formed by the "Hell Knight":
"You truly are a formidable junior, Obito."
With those words, Sakumo Hatake's figure stepped leisurely from behind the shadows of the wooden forest, his aura steady and his body unharmed.
Obito's pupils shrank slightly.
It turned out that not only was the first "Sakumo" who attacked at close range a Shadow Clone, but even the one who had hidden underground to launch the "Earth Spike" was also a Shadow Clone.
From beginning to end, Sakumo Hatake's Main Body had never actually stepped into the danger zone of the "Hell Knight," nor had he rashly dived underground where he could be controlled by Wood Release roots.
As a veteran Elite Jonin who had survived countless life-and-death situations, Sakumo Hatake's caution and combat intelligence far exceeded Obito's estimations.
He would never easily place himself in a dangerous position he could not control.
Two attacks, two Clone probes—he had further tested Obito's capabilities.
The real battle—or rather, Sakumo's serious "restraint" operation—perhaps had only just begun.
Obito's expression turned completely solemn, and the slight sense of ease from his previous "successful calculation" vanished instantly.
He knew that facing this veteran Senior with god-like swordsmanship and an extremely stable fighting style, any lapse in judgment could come at a price.
Loving Book So Far? Check Out 30+ Advanced Chapters At PA Treon
patreon.com/FictionOP