Chapter 66: Kenzo Vs Obito (Part-3)
The forest gradually became quiet once again.
Rain continued falling endlessly from above, water sliding down shattered trees and broken earth left behind from their earlier clash. The ground itself was already soaked completely while cold mist slowly rose into the air from the destroyed sections of the battlefield. Small streams of rainwater flowed quietly through cracks formed from their attacks, carrying away fragments of bark and mud deeper into the forest.
This time Obito didn't attack immediately.
Kenzo on the other hand also remained motionless, silently using every second possible to recover his stamina. Unlike Obito, Kenzo didn't possess Hashirama cells. His chakra reserves, recovery speed and physical endurance were all naturally inferior compared to that monster standing in front of him. Dragging time out for even a few more moments was beneficial for him.
Everything in the end was just calculation.
Obito's visible eye quietly stared toward Kenzo through the rain before finally speaking in a deep voice.
"You possess exceptional talent."
His voice remained calm and steady beneath the spiral mask.
"To survive this long against me with only a three tomoe Sharingan is already beyond ordinary standards. Men like you should not waste themselves on meaningless villages and petty conflicts."
Rainwater slowly dripped down the edges of his cloak.
"The shinobi world itself is rotten. Wars continue endlessly, hatred creates more hatred and people kill each other over and over again without meaning. Even the great villages themselves are nothing more than machines built upon sacrifice."
Obito slowly stepped forward.
"But I will change that."
"I will create a world without suffering. A world where people no longer need to experience pain, betrayal or loss."
"Join me, Uchiha Kenzo."
"Join my organization."
"Together we can create true peace."
Kenzo didn't respond.
Not a single word left his mouth.
His expression remained calm while silently listening to Obito's so called grand vision. However inwardly, Kenzo already understood Obito was simply buying time while simultaneously trying to manipulate him psychologically.
After all things were different now.
Before this fight Obito could maintain the image of an untouchable existence, an invincible masked man hidden behind Kamui itself. But now Kenzo had already seen his abilities, its timing, its weakness and the small gaps hidden inside that seemingly perfect defense.
And because of that, Kenzo knew one thing clearly.
Obito would absolutely try to kill him now.
A shinobi possessing information regarding Kamui itself was simply too dangerous to leave alive.
Therefore Kenzo quickly reached a conclusion.
If Obito was trying to manipulate him, then he would simply manipulate Obito back.
The rain gradually intensified further as silence stretched between them.
Then finally after several more moments passed, Kenzo slowly nodded.
"Indeed…"
"You are right."
Obito's eye narrowed faintly beneath the mask.
Kenzo slowly began walking forward through the rain, his posture appearing slightly exhausted after the prolonged battle. Step by step he approached Obito carefully while maintaining direct eye contact.
Twenty meters.
Fifteen meters.
Ten meters.
And exactly as Kenzo expected.
The instant he entered a certain range, a white figure suddenly burst upward from underground behind him at terrifying speed. Its pale body stretched unnaturally while black vines surged directly toward Kenzo's back simultaneously.
White Zetsu.
At the exact same instant Obito also moved.
Kamui twisted violently around his body while chains shot directly toward Kenzo from the front, instantly sealing off his possible escape routes from both directions.
But Kenzo had already anticipated this from the very beginning.
His Sharingan spun rapidly.
The next instant his body suddenly lowered while twisting sideways between both attacks at an absurd angle. White Zetsu's black vines and Obito's chains nearly collided against each other while Kenzo himself used the opening created from that tiny momentary confusion to burst forward once again at explosive speed.
BOOOOMMMM!!!!
The ground beneath his feet shattered instantly as his figure shot deeper toward the Land of Rain once more.
Obito's visible eye darkened slightly beneath the spiral mask.
Meanwhile Kenzo himself continued dashing through the forest at terrifying speed while rainwater exploded continuously around him.
Truthfully, he had already noticed White Zetsu's presence long ago.
White Zetsu was good at concealment, extremely good in fact. Against most shinobi its presence would remain nearly impossible to detect while hidden underground. Unfortunately for it, Kenzo already possessed prior knowledge regarding its existence from the very beginning.
Therefore throughout the battle part of his attention continuously remained focused below the ground itself. The moment the terrain around him began shifting unnaturally and subtle chakra disturbances appeared beneath the soil, Kenzo immediately understood White Zetsu had already positioned itself nearby waiting for an opportunity.
And now he had successfully used both Obito and White Zetsu against each other to create distance once again.
Kenzo's eyes narrowed slightly while calculating rapidly.
According to his estimates, they were already extremely close to the outer sensory range of Amegakure's rain barrier.
Pain's Rain Tiger at Will technique covered an enormous area around the hidden village itself. Every raindrop acted as a sensory medium directly connected to Nagato. The instant foreign chakra disturbed those raindrops, Nagato would immediately become aware of their presence.
From Kenzo's rough estimation based on terrain, travel speed and remaining distance, they should already be nearing the outer edge of that detection zone.
Approximately fifteen kilometers at most.
Possibly even less.
Which meant one thing.
As long as he could force this chase slightly deeper into Amegakure's territory, Nagato would eventually notice them no matter what.
Behind him space distorted violently once again.
Obito resumed the chase without hesitation.
Chains tore through the forest while Kamui continuously activated around him at frightening speed. Massive trees exploded apart one after another as both figures once again shot through the endless rain like monsters tearing across the battlefield itself.
The pursuit continued deeper toward Amegakure.
And the closer they got…
The heavier the rain became.