"Don't kill the man in black!"
"Please, I beg you!"
Uchiha Itachi glanced coldly at Hoshiko but didn't respond.
The massive hand came crashing down again!
This time, there was still no mercy.
Itachi had already given up on Hoshiko's pleas three times.
The huge hand descended, and Hoshiko shut her eyes tightly in fear.
But even now, she stood protectively in front of Genya, as if determined to shield him no matter what.
Behind them, Uchiha Sasuke watched the enormous hand fall, and he too closed his eyes.
He couldn't recognize the man in black, Genya, but he knew Hoshiko. She was the Great Elder's granddaughter, and they had known each other since childhood.
And in the past, his brother had always been kind to Hoshiko. Why would he be so ruthless today?
Could it be… that his brother had truly fallen into darkness?
Sasuke was in despair. He couldn't help anyone, not Hoshiko, not anyone!
"Hoshiko, didn't I tell you? Just stay back and watch. It's dangerous here," Genya said casually. He then placed a single hand on her shoulder.
Space shifted!
In an instant, the two of them had moved forward dozens of meters, easily avoiding the descending hand.
As it turned out, this was the exact spot Genya had marked with a Flying Thunder God seal earlier, just in case of emergencies.
Just now, he had used the Flying Thunder God technique. With the enhancement of the fifth tomoe, his success rate had significantly improved!
It only took two attempts to teleport both himself and Hoshiko out of danger.
Maybe it was his confidence, or perhaps the short distance made it easier, but either way, this time, the Flying Thunder God worked flawlessly.
But he had already come up with a plan to handle the situation. If dodging was impossible, he'd take the hit head-on.
Although Uchiha Itachi's Susanoo was already at its second-stage complete form, he had the strength to fight him head-on.
Huh?
Uchiha Itachi sensed something unusual. The force of his palm strike felt different—just now, it was like he hit empty air!
How could that be?
He slowly raised his hand, and sure enough—there was no one beneath it.
Escaped?
"He's behind you!" Masked Obito called out from behind Itachi. But when his gaze shifted to Genya, his eyes grew strange.
Spatial distortion!
Just now, Obito clearly felt Genya perform what seemed like a spatial jump. In an instant, Genya appeared behind Susanoo, taking the Uchiha girl with him.
As someone with space-manipulation abilities himself, and with his Mangekyō Sharingan's power tied to spatial traversal, Obito immediately recognized the technique. There was no doubt—it was a space-time jutsu.
A name popped into his mind, but for a long time, he couldn't bring himself to say it aloud.
The Flying Thunder God Technique.
Since his teacher's death, he hadn't seen anyone use that technique. But now… what just happened?
Curiosity overcame him as he fixed his gaze on Genya's clone. "What kind of space-time ninjutsu is your real body using?"
For the first time since Rin—no, since Madara's death—Masked Obito felt such a strong desire to know something. He wanted to hear Genya say the name.
"You've already guessed, haven't you? This jutsu should be very familiar to you," Uchiha Genya's clone said, looking at Masked Obito with a faint smile. "It's your teacher's signature technique—the Flying Thunder God Technique, Obito."
"So it really is the Flying Thunder God Technique!" Masked Obito nodded, but then Genya's next words made his eyes widen in shock.
"Who exactly are you? How do you know my identity?"
The shock in Obito's eyes was impossible to hide.
He stared at Genya in disbelief, his mind already overwhelmed by waves of turmoil.
Only Madara, who had already passed away, knew Obito's true identity. To the rest of the world, he moved through the shinobi world as a substitute for Uchiha Madara.
Even within the Akatsuki, he went by the persona of "Tobi," never once revealing his real self.
But now, the person standing in front of him had somehow discovered the truth.
Killing intent flashed in Obito's lone eye. His first instinct was to eliminate this man before him.
"You'd better not try anything," Genya's clone said with a calm smile, seemingly unfazed. "Even with just your space-time jutsu and Wood Release, you're still not my match."
Genya's words were resolute. Obito, as he was now, had no chance of victory. If things turned serious, his only option would be to escape by hiding in his Kamui dimension.
Because—
From their earlier exchange, Genya's black flames clearly countered Obito's space-time technique.
If they truly fought, Genya could fill Obito's Kamui dimension with those flames, forcing him to endure their relentless devouring power at all times.
And in a head-on battle, Obito didn't stand a chance.
Behind his mask, Obito's eye flickered with hesitation. He seemed to weigh the situation, questioning whether attacking Genya now was the right move.
This assassin not only knew about his space-time jutsu and Wood Release but also clearly understood his weaknesses.
"So, he also knows my vulnerabilities..." Obito thought.
"Don't worry," Genya continued. "I'm the only one who knows your true identity. As long as you don't cause trouble, I won't reveal your secret to anyone—for now."
His tone was a mix of threat and reassurance.
At the moment, their interests didn't conflict. As long as Obito refrained from targeting the Uchiha clan again, Genya wouldn't act against him.
"Heh... Looks like I'll just have to sit back and watch this time," Obito said with a faint laugh. He seemed to have already anticipated the outcome. Deciding to back down, he chose to observe rather than intervene.
For now, he would step aside.
Watch from the sidelines.
If this black-clad assassin were killed, then Obito's secret would remain safe.
Hokage's Office...
"Space-time ninjutsu?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had been monitoring Uchiha Itachi through his crystal ball, narrowed his eyes in shock as Genya revealed his technique.
"What...?"
At first glance, it resembled the Flying Thunder God Technique.
But Hiruzen quickly dismissed that possibility.
The technique Flying Thunder God has already been recorded in the Scroll of Seals. Aside from the Second and Fourth Hokage, no one else knows how to use it!
This person's ninjutsu shouldn't be the Flying Thunder God Technique. It must be a teleportation technique similar to the Body Flicker Technique of Shisui.
Of course, the crystal ball has its limits. This old Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't see the full picture. If he were at the scene, he would have definitely noticed traces of the Flying Thunder God Technique!
Even so, Sarutobi Hiruzen's frown deepened. This time, Itachi truly encountered a troublesome opponent.
He even felt tempted himself, waiting for both sides to exhaust each other before stepping in to personally deal with the black-clad assassin.
In the clan, the stench of blood grew even heavier. After killing one of the attackers, Uchiha Shin leapt to a high vantage point, surveying the distant battlefield.
At this moment, Uchiha Itachi's Susanoo had evolved further, though it appeared he was still entangled in a fierce battle. It must be because Genya hadn't yet defeated his opponent!
"How is it?" Uchiha Furin wiped the blood off his long sword, his gaze also fixed on the direction of the Susanoo.
"It's getting closer!"
"It looks like Genya-kun is in trouble!" Uchiha Shin's expression was grim as he glanced at the remaining dozen injured Root ninjas and said, "Finish this quickly and then go support Genya-kun. He might be in danger if left alone!"
"Understood!"
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