Kakashi fled at full speed with Obito on his back and Rin beside him.
Three Iwagakure jōnin led an elite squad in pursuit, following them like bloodhounds on a scent...
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the shinobi world...
Madara's face darkened. He truly didn't know what to do with that idiot Obito!
The brat was already gravely wounded, yet his heart was still overflowing with the Will of Fire. How was he supposed to experience any intense surge of negative emotion like that?
Applying Izuna's advice in reverse, an emotionally intense idiot like Obito needed to be filled with hope first, then suddenly plunged into despair...
What did getting blown up by an explosive tag amount to?
It wasn't nearly enough!
"I knew it! Awakening the Sharingan too early just makes you more useless!"
"What's the point of awakening it so early? You haven't even properly developed basic battlefield awareness, mentality, or competence, yet you think a pair of three-tomoe Sharingan makes you invincible. How are you supposed to survive in the long run?"
"And I think that little bastard Isshin needs a beating too!"
The Shura of the Shinobi World furiously denounced the Uchiha Clan's unhealthy tendencies.
Why were they always so obsessed with how early someone awakened the Sharingan?
Of course, Madara had a personal axe to grind here.
Although Madara had been an exceptional all-rounder in his youth, he had awakened his Sharingan relatively late, and his father Tajima had given him no shortage of pressure over it...
Madara had awakened his Sharingan when Tajima and Butsuma brought Izuna and Tobirama along to confront him and Hashirama over their secret meetings.
Even back then, Senju Butsuma had been surprised that Madara was only just awakening his Sharingan. Madara still remembered that remark to this day...
What damn business was it of you, you old Senju bastard, when I awakened my Sharingan?!
"Ugh, Warring States education..."
Madara muttered, feeling a headache coming on.
Obito had already screwed up before Madara even got the chance to set his scheme in motion. His carefully planned stage had collapsed before he could even finish building it...
Beside him, Hi-kun couldn't help feeling a little sorry for Obito. It actually liked the boy quite a bit.
Obito's intelligence and warmhearted nature often reminded Hi-kun, while it was monitoring Konoha, of what it itself had been like before it learned to read.
Besides, Hi-kun had once asked Obito for directions in the village, and the kid had taken it straight to the place himself...
'Fine. You showed me the way once, so I'll save your life! And once I've won over an idiot like you, you can put in a few good words for me with the Hokage later...'
A thought struck Hi-kun, and it immediately figured out the source of Madara's hesitation.
Nothing special. Just experience.
One look was enough to tell that Madara thought intervening now would upset that damn "balance" again, even though deep down he still wanted to save Obito.
"Congratulations, Madara-sama!"
Hi-kun hurriedly spoke up. "This is a heaven-sent opportunity!"
"Oh? And how do you figure that?" Madara frowned deeply and snapped, "Don't spout nonsense, Hi-kun!"
"Madara-sama, look..."
"Aren't you going to resurrect Izuna-sama in a few days?" Hi-kun smiled ingratiatingly and cautiously continued.
"I've read in the records that Izuna-sama was compassionate by nature. He could never bring himself to approve of setting up schemes to temper talented juniors..."
Madara froze.
He had actually forgotten about that.
He nodded thoughtfully. "Go on!"
"But tempering the younger generation is necessary!"
Hi-kun's expression turned solemn.
"Without enough strength, how can they protect their comrades? Obito is the perfect example. He has talent but hasn't turned it into strength. How can he contribute to peace in the shinobi world like that...?"
Madara's expression gradually relaxed as he listened, and he gave a slight nod.
"But as you yourself said, Warring States education could be rather inhumane..."
"Iwagakure is launching an all-out offensive. The main battlefront is already at a fever pitch, and there's no manpower available to look after them. Obito is definitely going to die."
"So here's what I'm thinking. We save Obito and those two Konoha shinobi now, then bring the kid back here so you can take your time straightening him out..."
Hi-kun carefully chose its words.
"That way, all three brats will owe you their lives. Whatever you decide to do afterward will be perfectly justified. Even after Izuna-sama is resurrected, I don't think he'll have anything to say about it..."
"As for getting Obito to awaken his eyes further, the battlefield changes by the moment. There'll always be another suitable opportunity. And just like you said, having ocular power alone isn't enough. This kid still has a long way to go!"
"Keep him by your side and teach him properly. According to my intelligence, aside from the Hokage, you're the person Obito admires most. Just think of it as saving a poor puppy you found by the roadside—a spare move on the board for later..."
Hi-kun had made that part up, but it actually happened to be true.
Madara's style and stories were simply far too appealing to someone as terminally chunibyo as Obito.
"If you do this, once Izuna-sama finds out, he'll definitely think you've handled everything perfectly..."
"You'll have both the strictness and high standards of the Warring States Period and the warmth of Konoha!"
Madara nodded slightly as he listened.
In truth, now that the Uchiha Clan had raised his name high once more, things were different from before.
Madara could accept adult Uchiha with three-tomoe Sharingan dying while fighting their enemies.
But what the hell were you grown Iwagakure jōnin doing bullying a little kid?
Especially after Madara heard Taiseki say, 'Lord Tsuchikage wants an Uchiha alive...'
'That brat Ōnoki clearly didn't get beaten hard enough back then. He still dares set his sights on the Uchiha Clan? The only reason I spared his life was because I didn't want to bully a kid!'
Madara pondered for a moment. "You make some sense, Hi-kun..."
"Izuna may be perfect, but he's still too softhearted. And if he finds fault with me over this, as his older brother, I can't exactly argue with him. I have to indulge him, after all."
Hi-kun nodded repeatedly. "Of course, of course!"
"Mm..." Madara glanced at Hi-kun and lightly cleared his throat.
"Those guys have been too noisy lately. Tell them to get the hell out and give me some peace and quiet..."
"Still, there's no need to go out of your way to save anyone. Life and death are normal in war. Handle it however you see fit."
Hi-kun nodded solemnly. "You truly are so impartial!"
It slowly left Madara's side, then broke into a mad dash toward several Six Paths puppets, only slowing down slightly just before entering the room.
...
The Mountains' Graveyard lay on the peninsula of the Land of Frost.
Wedged into the border region where the Lands of Fire, Earth, and Lightning met, it was very close to the Iwagakure front.
"Enough chatting. We've got work!"
"Tobirama-sama's orders! Head to the area near the Konoha-Iwagakure front and save an Uchiha brat..."
Hi-kun said with a stern expression.
"You may end up fighting Iwa shinobi along the way. Finish the fight quickly and don't expose your identities. Other White Zetsu will guide you there."
Kinkaku stared at Hi-kun and was just about to say something.
Then Hi-kun spoke in an ominous tone.
"Gentlemen, it wouldn't be right to receive a favor and never repay it. The fact that you've been able to return to the shinobi world and sit around chatting for so long is all thanks to the good fortune Tobirama-sama has bestowed upon you."
"You've enjoyed the benefits. It wouldn't make sense to start making excuses when it's time to work."
"Don't think that just because you're in Impure World puppet bodies, Tobirama-sama has no way to punish you—whether that means you personally or the things you consider important..."
"Tobirama-sama would still prefer that everything be settled through a reasonable discussion rather than creating conflict. It's only a matter of killing a few Iwa shinobi. Does anyone here have a problem with that?"
The words Kinkaku had been about to say went right back down his throat.
His current Impure World puppet body indeed couldn't feel pain, but his soul was still in there!
And as far as the Second Raikage was concerned, Kirigakure's example was right there for everyone to see. Once that lord made his move, he had reduced one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages to scorched earth...
Obeying might not necessarily help, but at least it could postpone the day when Kumogakure became his target.
Besides, for a Raikage like him, killing Iwa shinobi was practically muscle memory. He had done it plenty of times while he was alive...
"If I do this, can I meet the Hokage?" Ashina asked tentatively.
"Old Master..."
Hi-kun's attitude was much better toward Ashina, who was so fixated on meeting the Hokage.
"Don't be impatient. We'll arrange for you to meet him sooner or later. Besides, this Uchiha brat named Obito really admires the Hokage. You can talk to him first..."
"Otherwise, if you suddenly go meet the Hokage, even if you have a lifetime's worth of secret arts to pass on, he might not necessarily trust you."
A sharp gleam flashed through Ashina's eyes, and he suddenly became energized.
"I understand. Leave it to me! Give me the coordinates and their exact numbers. They're nothing but a few Iwa brats. Even if a jinchūriki shows up, dealing with them won't take much effort!"
The moment the Hokage and the inheritance of Kinjutsu came up, Ashina seemed to transform from a decrepit old man into the fearsome Uzumaki Clan Head whose name had struck terror into people during the Warring States Period.
The kind of man even Izuna had once been extremely wary of...
"Hey, I'm going too..."
The Second Raikage raised his hand. The burly, dark-skinned man looked remarkably simple and honest at that moment.
"Since my ally Tobirama asked for this, of course I have to lend a hand! Hi-kun, if it's convenient, could you put in a few good words for me with Tobirama-sama too..."
"Konoha and Kumogakure should've become one big family during the First Shinobi World War. The Third Raikage and people like Kinkaku and Ginkaku led Kumogakure astray. I'm truly sorry!"
Hi-kun blinked.
Come to think of it, there really wasn't anything wrong with that...
Senju Tobirama had indeed formed an alliance with the Second Raikage. The two of them had both been ambushed; there had been no betrayal between them.
After seeing what had happened to Kirigakure, the Second Raikage couldn't help but feel deeply uneasy.
To the point that even Kinkaku and Ginkaku had stopped arguing with him...
The First Darkness of the Shinobi was truly terrifying!
"Of course, of course..."
Hi-kun nodded. "We're all people who desire peace, after all..."
Kinkaku and Ginkaku smiled awkwardly.
"Of course we brothers are going too. We used to think we'd managed to defeat the Second Hokage through sheer luck. We really didn't know our own limits back then."
Kinkaku and Ginkaku, who had been struck from Kumogakure's records, weren't thinking about the village.
They were mainly afraid of being tortured by Tobirama...
"Everyone, get moving! Things over there are getting dangerous..."
"Tobirama-sama places great importance on this Uchiha," Hi-kun said gravely.
And so, four Kage sprang into action!
Using their telepathic connection with the White Zetsu on the front lines, they raced toward Obito's location at full speed.
As for why Tobirama would be interested in Obito, none of them thought there was any need to ask.
It wasn't as though this man's research into the Uchiha had started yesterday...
They could only feel sorry for the young man named Obito...
Hi-kun clasped its hands behind its back and watched the four Kage disappear into the distance, then sighed.
As always...
Without it holding this family together, sooner or later the whole thing would fall apart!
...
"Kakashi, put me down..."
"If you keep carrying me like this, none of us are getting away!"
Lying on Kakashi's back, Obito was sweating profusely with anxiety as he shouted over and over: "Take Rin and get out of here! Find a cave and leave me inside. I've got a way to deal with them!"
They had already used up all their explosive tags.
Obito's meaning was obvious. He wanted them to leave him in a cave, wait for the enemy to enter, then use Earth Release to trigger a large-scale cave-in.
"Oh, right! Take my Sharingan too. My clansmen can use them!"
Kakashi's heart sank, and he snarled: "Shut your mouth! If I left you here alone, even if I survived, I'd be better off dead!"
"If I ran away by myself, could I still call myself a medical-nin?"
Rin brushed back her hair, now matted with blood and sweat, and said softly, "Don't say things like that, Obito!"
"Why are you two like this?!" Obito roared. "They're after me! Me!"
"Kakashi, some genius you are! Haven't you noticed that these Iwa shinobi haven't been aiming their attacks directly at me?"
Kakashi roared back: "Shut up, dead last! Stop interfering with my judgment!"
Along the way, Kakashi and Obito had exploited the Iwa shinobi's intention to capture them alive to keep their pursuers at bay for quite some time, even killing several chūnin from the pursuing squad.
But they too were approaching the limits of their endurance.
"Earth Release: Great Earthquake Wave!"
"Earth Release: Torrential Rock Pillars!"
At that moment, the ground beneath Kakashi, Obito, and Rin began shaking violently!
A terrifying force hurled them into the air in an instant, while countless stone pillars rained down from above and slammed solidly into their bodies!
"These damn brats can really run. They're something else..."
Mahiru slowly emerged from his camouflage, grumbling irritably. "Why do we have to capture them alive? Even if they're dead, there's still intelligence in their brains. It just won't be as comprehensive..."
"We've already lost so many good men because of them!"
Taiseki emerged from the ground and shook his head helplessly.
"That's White Fang's brat. Capturing him alone would make this worthwhile. Didn't you see that white hair and that face? And we've also got an Uchiha with a three-tomoe Sharingan. This trade is worth it. Tsuchikage-sama will be very pleased..."
"It's war. There's no avoiding trades like this. If the day ever comes when we have to fight the Hokage, you and I will be cannon fodder who have to charge in too."
"Hmph. War..." Mahiru shook his head, then turned toward Obito with a vicious grin.
Rin, whose constitution was weaker, had already lost consciousness.
Kakashi, who had carried Obito throughout their escape, wasn't gravely wounded, but the tremendous drain on his stamina and the many attacks he'd taken for his companions had likewise left him unconscious. The White Fang short sword had fallen from his hand and lay on the ground.
Ironically, the gravely wounded Obito was still conscious.
But he no longer had any ability to resist.
All he could do was glare fiercely at the Iwa shinobi.
"Alive or dead, we're taking them back to Iwagakure..." Taiseki sneered coldly and started walking toward Kakashi and Rin.
"Get away from them!" Obito snarled like a wounded animal.
"Uchiha really are built differently. You've still got this much energy left. No wonder Tsuchikage-sama is so wary of your clan."
Mahiru shook his head.
With their prize finally within reach, he relaxed slightly and complained: "Sometimes it really does feel unfair. When the Sage of Six Paths created Ninshū, did he give your ancestors special treatment or something? You can even use a technique that brings you back to life..."
Obito clenched his teeth as helplessness surged through him.
But in his current state, he could barely remain conscious. He couldn't even think properly or keep his vision clear anymore...
"It really is unfair."
"A technique that brings people back to life shouldn't exist in the shinobi world. It's really not a good thing..."
A voice sounded from behind Mahiru.
Mahiru whipped around.
A burly, dark-skinned man had appeared behind him at some point...
It was the Second Raikage!
"No, wait..." Mahiru froze, his mind grinding to a halt.
Why did he have that face?!
As an elite Iwagakure jōnin, Mahiru naturally knew what the previous Kage of the other hidden villages looked like.
But the problem was that the Second Raikage had been dead for nearly thirty years!
That was universally acknowledged throughout the shinobi world!
"Yo, looks like you recognize him? What about us brothers?"
Kinkaku and Ginkaku grinned viciously, one hoisting Taiseki up while the other clamped a hand around Kakkō's throat.
They might not be able to defy Senju Tobirama...
But surely they could still bully a few Iwa jōnin!
Mahiru's eyes went as wide as they possibly could.
"Kumogakure's most brutal criminals, the Gold and Silver Brothers! Why are you with the Second Raikage?! No, wait—why are you still alive?!"
"It's a long story, but there's no need for you to hear it. Someone asked us to come here."
"Don't think it's unfair. We've had our share of unfair treatment too. That's just how the shinobi world works..." Kinkaku and Ginkaku remarked ruefully as they entered their partial Tailed Beast transformations and effortlessly finished off the resisting Mahiru and Kakkō.
Deep down, the Gold and Silver Brothers couldn't help but admire Senju Tobirama.
Although their current bodies were a combination of puppets and Impure World Reincarnation bodies, their overall capabilities were actually greater than they had been at their peak.
They could even wield a strange and terrifying ability.
The so-called Six Paths puppets—Madara's six giant action figures—each possessed one ability of the Rinnegan.
Kinkaku had the Asura Path, while Ginkaku had the Preta Path.
Hōzuki Gengetsu had the Animal Path, Mū the Naraka Path, and the Second Raikage the Human Path.
Uzumaki Ashina, meanwhile, had the Deva Path.
Mahiru now wore the exact same helpless expression Obito had earlier. He was convinced he had fallen under some terrifying genjutsu!
Yet no matter how desperately he surged his chakra, the scene before his eyes remained exactly the same, without the slightest change.
"There's even Uzumaki Ashina! Wasn't he a powerhouse from the Warring States Period?!" Mahiru muttered, his expression twisting.
He suddenly regretted joking about the Sage of Six Paths earlier...
Had the Sage of Six Paths set him up for this?
Otherwise, how could something this absurd possibly happen?!
"Why don't you try guessing who else we've got? We're a mysterious organization, you know..." Ginkaku said with a nasty grin.
"What do you mean? Don't tell me you even have one of our village's previous Kage!" Mahiru's heart trembled.
"Enough pointless chatter. Finish the job!" Kinkaku snapped at his younger brother.
Mahiru became even more terrified.
That was scarier than an admission.
"Goodbye, young Iwa shinobi."
Ashina let out a long sigh. "Your village had something to do with the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools too, didn't it? So you're not innocent..."
The sealing master extended a hand, and a tremendous attractive force dragged Iwa shinobi toward him from every direction as dark-golden chains lashed out like blades!
The Second Raikage, Kinkaku, and Ginkaku—all three former Kumo shinobi—were equally practiced at disposing of their old enemies.
With ferocious taijutsu and Lightning Release, they smashed apart every Earth Release technique and every Iwa shinobi that tried to resist them!
"Deal with the memories in the corpses. Second Raikage, you inherited that ability..."
Ashina instructed, "I'll take care of these two kids' injuries. After that, we should head back. Don't keep that man waiting too long."
With his hands clasped behind his back, the old man leisurely strolled over to Kakashi and Rin like an elderly gentleman out for a walk.
He sent a stream of chakra into their bodies and placed seals on them to keep their vital functions stable.
The Second Raikage narrowed his eyes. "Don't do anything unnecessary!"
Ashina chuckled. "Why would I?"
If they exposed "Tobirama" or their own existence, Madara's restriction would activate immediately.
The restriction judged this through their underlying intent via genjutsu.
But Ashina had merely and discreetly mixed part of his understanding of the advanced structure of the Ten Thousand Seals Body Integration Seal into the chakra and seals. There was no other information whatsoever.
This was also what made Ashina special. Compared with the other Six Paths puppets, he had spent most of his life researching the Ten Thousand Seals Body Integration Seal, giving him a relatively greater degree of freedom.
Obito stared blankly at everything unfolding before him, feeling as though he had slipped into some dying hallucination...
No, seriously...
Where the hell had all these people come from?
This was way too unreal. Way too bizarre!
Obito glanced at Kakashi and Rin. Seeing that they still seemed to be breathing, he finally relaxed and lost consciousness...
Ashina nodded thoughtfully, placed another layer of seals over Obito, then waved his hand.
"Job done!"
Now it was back to spending every day sitting around chatting and shooting the breeze...
Except from now on, they might have one more brat joining them!
Meanwhile, at the other end of the battlefront...
Fugaku, Uzumaki Shio, Tomie, Isshin, and Jiraiya...
Were leading Konoha's shinobi in a fierce clash against Iwa's jinchūriki and elite forces!
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