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Obito stared as the two figures emerged from the shadows of the mountain rocks.
Konan's orange eyes fixed on him, brimming with undisguised killing intent.
Jiraiya's gaze was calmer, but not truly calm—more like restrained, tightly controlled.
Obito's eyes shifted to Konan, his tone mocking. "Oh? Konan. You even managed to recruit one of the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya himself, into our Akatsuki? No wonder you vanished for so long. Impressive."
"Don't joke," Konan spat, her voice cold. "The moment your deception and manipulation of Nagato were exposed, I was done with you. And Nagato died by your hand!"
"Oh? You claim to have broken with me, so why are you still wearing that Akatsuki cloak?"
"The Akatsuki was founded by Yahiko of Amegakure. It has nothing to do with you!" Konan's voice was sharp. "The red clouds on this cloak symbolize the baptism of blood and fire that Ame endured. You are nothing but a usurper, hijacking his name for your own whims!"
Obito's gaze darkened. "So, to sum it up, you sought out your old teacher, the Sannin Jiraiya, to come after me. Is that it?"
He patted the Crimson Gourd and the Amber Purifying Pot beside him.
"But you saw it just now, didn't you? I've already captured the legendary Gold and Silver Brothers of Kumo. Their Nine-Tails chakra, combined with the eight beasts within the Gedo Statue… the conditions for the Ten-Tails' revival are met. In other words… you're too late."
Jiraiya, silent until now, glanced at the 'Shikaku' standing behind Obito. The man's expression remained utterly cold. So it's true, Jiraiya thought. Shikaku is under the control of Obito's Sharingan genjutsu.
He looked back at Obito. "Obito Uchiha. A first meeting, I suppose. I've heard a little about you from Kakashi. I was quite shocked to learn you were the one pulling the Akatsuki's strings. But right now… I'm not interested in your goals for collecting the tailed beasts. What this 'Ten-Tails' of yours is, what you plan to do… I have no desire to interfere."
He scratched his head, a troubled look on his face. "I just heard that my good friend, the Hokage Tsunade, was kidnapped on her way back to the village by a mysterious man skilled in space-time ninjutsu. I had my doubts, of course. Would the esteemed leader of the Akatsuki really resort to such underhanded tactics…?"
"…" Obito's eyes narrowed.
"…But seeing Mr. Shikaku, the Hokage's attendant, standing behind you," Jiraiya continued, dropping his hand, his expression turning serious, "Well, things seem less simple than I hoped."
"I'm thinking… maybe there's been a misunderstanding? If I'm not mistaken, she's in your personal dimension right now. How about you let her out? Hand her over to me. On my honor as one of the Sannin, I promise this: give me Tsunade, and we'll pretend this meeting never happened. We won't interfere with whatever you're planning in the future."
Obito listened patiently to Jiraiya's proposal. He lowered his gaze, seeming to genuinely weigh the offer.
"On the honor of the Sannin? That… sounds like a decent deal." He looked up, his voice laced with contempt. "But under the power of these eyes… heh… what is a mere Sannin, really?"
Jiraiya's brow furrowed deeply.
"It was me who took the Hokage. Correct!" Obito's voice rose, sharpening. "I beat her half to death and tossed her into my dimension. Also correct! If you have the skill… then come and take her!!!"
His gaze turned razor-sharp. His hand shot up—Almighty Pull primed to fire!
But Jiraiya was ready. The moment Obito's hand moved, his own blurred through seals. A massive Fire Release: Flame Bullet screamed toward Obito's face!
Fast! Obito inwardly cursed. His attempt to seize the initiative with Almighty Pull had backfired—it only accelerated the fireball toward him! This level of combat instinct is no joke!
He cut the gravitational pull instantly, shifting to the Preta Path to absorb the inferno.
Whoosh!
Above, Konan's paper wings spread. A rain of sharp, spiraling paper lances descended in a deadly cascade—aimed precisely at the split-second Obito was absorbing the fireball!
"Teacher and student, working in perfect sync," Obito mused, his voice carrying through the chaos. "You've been with me long enough, Konan. You know the weakness of my phasing. Your timing is flawless. But… I am not the man I was!"
Zzt!
His right Mangekyō Sharingan blazed. Boom! A skeleton of glowing blue chakra—a half-formed Susano'o—erupted around him, intercepting the paper lances.
"That technique… Itachi's! Sasuke's!" Konan gasped, her eyes wide.
Susano'o, Jiraiya thought, his expression grim. He took his original left eye back from Kakashi. Even if that eye is blind now… once awakened, that power doesn't just vanish.
—Summoning: Toad Platform Crash!
CRASH!!!
As Jiraiya's hands slammed together, the massive toad Gamahiro materialized above, plummeting down. Simultaneously, Jiraiya dropped into a crouch, palms smacking the earth.
—Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!
The ground beneath Obito's Susano'o turned into a sucking, viscous mire. The combined assault from above and below succeeded—the skeletal giant was forced down, sinking into the bog.
But for Obito, this was nothing.
Thump!
Jiraiya's wooden sandals hit solid ground. He was a blur, darting not at Obito, but toward Shikaku! First priority—rescue Shikaku, break the genjutsu controlling him!
But Shikaku was already moving. He dropped low, hands forming a single seal.
Shlick!
Jiraiya's charge halted abruptly. A dark shadow had shot from Shikaku's feet, connecting with his own.
"Jiraiya-sama," Shikaku said, his voice eerily calm. "I can predict exactly what you intend to do. I appreciate the sentiment. But you understand, don't you? My current allegiance is to Obito-sama. I will help him achieve his goals."
Jiraiya grimaced. This just got complicated…
From the air, Konan saw Jiraiya trapped. Spinning shuriken formed from her paper, locking onto Shikaku.
"Wait, Konan! Don't harm Shikaku!" Jiraiya shouted. "He's indispensable to Konoha!"
Konan reluctantly lowered her hand.
"Holding onto such pointless principles," Obito sneered, a black vortex swirling around him, lifting him into the air. "Tch. That's why Konoha will never amount to anything."
His black sleeve whipped through the air. CRUNCH!!!
Vicious wooden spikes, sharp as spears, erupted from the ground and impaled Jiraiya's shadow-bound body!
"Gah—!!"
Jiraiya cried out—but no blood sprayed. The pierced body rapidly warped, turning into rotten wood.
Obito frowned. A Wood Clone. Not surprising. But where is the real one…?
Gloop… gloop…
From within the Wood Clone's own shadow, a figure rose—stretching from two dimensions into three. Jiraiya stood up, whole and unharmed.
A slight smile touched Konan's lips. "Sensei's Toad Flat Shadow Manipulation, combined with a Wood Clone… Even the Rinnegan can't see through that subterfuge. And…"
Zzzip!
Sage markings erupted across Jiraiya's face.
"…He used the time in hiding to enter Sage Mode."
Jiraiya and Konan locked eyes across the battlefield.
A silent signal passed between them.
"Let's begin. Operation: Kite."
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