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Kabuto Yakushi raced through the forests of the Land of Rice.
Suddenly, ahead—a black vortex swirled. A figure in a black cloak settled into place, blocking his path.
"Yo, Kabuto. Long time."
Obito Uchiha swung the back of his black cloak as he slowly took a seat on the branch, left leg crossed over his right. His dark eyes behind the white mask gazed down imperiously at the figure below.
"Obito Uchiha."
Kabuto steadied himself, falling back on his usual polite tone. "What brings you here?"
Obito cut straight to it. "Tell me where Orochimaru is. What I want is in his possession."
Kabuto played dumb. "What do you want? Are you sure about that? I know everything about Lord Orochimaru. I'm the one to ask~."
Obito's eyes narrowed slowly. "The Nine-Tails."
"Then you should seek the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. Why look for Lord Orochimaru?"
"It seems you're not one for pleasantries." Obito's voice turned low and cold. "I never intended to ask you directly anyway. Getting you to talk… will be far too easy."
SHHHR!
With a flicker of black cloth, Obito descended forcefully before Kabuto. Wood spikes erupted from his right shoulder, piercing through Kabuto like a pincushion!
"Kihihihaha…!"
A peal of wild, mocking laughter. A white figure shot backwards. The cloak Obito pierced collapsed into itself as white snakes—hissing, tongues flickering—spilled onto the ground!
"Just as expected. But—"
Obito's chilling gaze from behind the mask locked onto Kabuto's form in the distance. His palm stretched out, aimed at the man.
"I've got you now!"
—Universal Pull!
WHOOSH!
A tremendous gravitational force yanked Kabuto forward. He stumbled. White snakes shot from his sleeves and pant legs, clinging stubbornly to the surrounding trees.
His smile didn't falter. "The power of the Rinnegan… You're wasting it."
WHOOSH!
Obito's eyes turned colder. He intensified the pull.
CRACK! CRACK!
The snakes held. The trees they clung to did not. Wood splintered under the strain.
Behind his glinting glasses, Kabuto's eyes darkened. "Your desperation to see Lord Orochimaru… I feel it. So let me give you a little surprise."
—Futodama!
WHOOSH!
A black vortex swirled from Kabuto's right eye. From thousands of miles away, a boy in white was instantly pulled to the spot.
Who else could it be but Sasuke Uchiha?
His gaze forward, he spoke calmly over his shoulder. "Go, Kabuto. I'll handle this."
"Sasuke-kun. Good luck."
The swirling vortex consumed Kabuto himself. Mission accomplished.
Even Obito, slow on the uptake as he was, understood now. "Kabuto appearing out of nowhere, letting himself be spotted by the White Zetsu… Of course it was a trap. Just like your previous operations against Akatsuki members. He was the bait again. The real goal was to bring you here to face me, wasn't it? You traitorous kin!"
WHOOSH…!!
Under the relentless pull, Sasuke's feet seemed rooted to the earth. His white robe flapped violently. He didn't budge an inch.
Obito's gaze dropped. He saw the chakra Sasuke was releasing from his soles, adhering him to the ground. He couldn't stay calm.
Just by sticking with chakra… he's resisting the Universal Pull? Compared to when we fought… he's like a different person. To grow this much in just two months… I should have killed him when I had the chance. I watched for too long…
Sasuke pushed back his right sleeve. His left hand swept over the summoning seal on his arm.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM…!
A hail of shuriken—crackling with lightning, tethered by wires—shot forth. They rode the momentum of the gravitational pull straight for Obito's position!
"!!"
Obito immediately cut the attraction. He phased through.
BOOM…!
A shockwave of air. Sasuke shot forward like an arrow from the bowstring, closing the distance instantly.
—Byakugan!
"The Byakugan…?! More of Orochimaru's tricks?!"
Seeing the veins bulge at Sasuke's temples, Obito's shock was palpable.
CLACK! He snapped back to focus. He yanked the giant fan free, its chain rattling, and swung it hard at Sasuke's approaching form!
CLANG!
Sasuke's Kusanagi blade cleared its sheath, parrying the fan. With the follow-up slash, a storm of crimson flames erupted, painting the forest in fire!
He's using wide-range Fire Release to compress my movement space. Force me to stay solid. Typical of him. But I'm not the same man anymore. Not with this power…!!
—Preta Path!
WHOOSH! The inferno raging around him was devoured by the sealing barrier that bloomed before Obito's palm. Simultaneously, the fan on its chain swung back around, aiming for Sasuke's blind spot.
Sasuke's all-seeing Byakugan missed nothing. He casually brought the Kusanagi behind his back, deflecting the fan. One hand formed a seal.
From the scorched, fire-cleared earth, the World of Trees erupted. Twisted trunks and vibrant, deadly flowers bloomed in a macabre dance. Poisonous pollen filled the air instantly.
And the massive, writhing trees—their menacing tips lunged viciously for Obito!
Obito's face tightened.
A Susanoo skeleton rose to shield him. Holding his breath, he retreated swiftly through the forest of wood and flowers. Muscles coiled over the skeletal arm. A pitch-black shuriken materialized in its grasp.
He locked onto the faint white silhouette amidst the swirling pollen and hurled it with all his might.
"Die!!"
—Kamui Shuriken!!!
Sasuke's Byakugan observed, his mind racing. Just as I thought. Even without dual Kamui, the awakened Susanoo power remains. And that troublesome Kamui Shuriken… it's still the main threat.
BOOM!!!
The vortex unleashed by the shuriken tore through the forest of flowers. The thick pollen was violently sucked into the swirling void.
A fraction of a second before he too would be caught, Sasuke vanished with a Body Flicker. His hands came together.
ROAR…!!
A Wood Dragon burst from the earth, coiling tightly around Obito's Susanoo skeleton.
"Hmph!"
Obito's gaze was icy. "Times have changed. You're not the only one who knows this trick!!"
CLAP!
Inside his Susanoo, Obito brought his hands together. At the feet of his skeletal giant, his own Wood Dragon erupted, clamping its jaws around Sasuke's.
The Susanoo's arm wrenched free from the bindings, grabbed the dragon's body, and ripped it apart!
In that moment… Sasuke, now also encased in the skeleton of a Susanoo, sent a bony fist crashing down.
Obito sneered. "That pathetic form… what use is it?!!"
His Susanoo evolved to its second stage, flesh and armor materializing over the bones, and met the blow with a punch of its own.
BOOM…!!!
The fists collided… and Obito's Susanoo shattered.
"What—?!"
Shock flooded Obito. He phased—
BOOM…!!!
Sasuke's Susanoo fist smashed into the ground. The impact… was just the beginning.
—Susanoo: Mandala Dance!
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Demonic purple bones spread across the forest floor like the blooming of a mandala flower…!!!
The ninth battle, blazing
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