Black Zetsu's fluid-like body morphed into an arm, striking directly at Aoba Kamikawa from behind.
At this distance, escape was absolutely impossible.
"He dodged…"
A chill ran down Black Zetsu's spine. That shouldn't be possible.
It wasn't that Black Zetsu was particularly powerful, but it had calculated Aoba's thoughts perfectly. Right now, his full attention should have been on Obito.
According to its plan, in Aoba's mind, both Obito and Black Zetsu should have still been inside the Four Red Yang Formation.
But something had clearly gone wrong. The carefully orchestrated ambush had failed.
Aoba had evaded its lethal strike as if he had been prepared all along.
Then, Black Zetsu saw Aoba's hands flicker with complex chakra waves.
"Eight Trigrams Seal."
A simple Eight Trigrams Seal wouldn't be enough to fully restrain Black Zetsu, but it was enough to hinder its movements.
Black Zetsu immediately realized the situation had turned dire.
From Aoba's actions, it was clear, he had never cared about Obito. His sole focus from the very beginning was Black Zetsu itself.
At that very moment, Kakashi and Minato appeared behind Black Zetsu.
Simultaneously, the "Kakashi" and "Minato" inside the Four Red Yang Formation exploded into puffs of smoke, just shadow clones.
Minato didn't hesitate for a second, instantly working with Aoba to reinforce the Eight Trigrams Seal, further restricting Black Zetsu.
Panic set in.
But it was too late.
Kakashi had already reached striking range.
"Kamui."
A spiraling vortex of space appeared, swallowing Black Zetsu, completely sealing it away within the Kamui Dimension.
A massive explosion erupted behind Aoba.
Turning around, he saw that Obito had successfully broken through the Four Red Yang Formation and escaped.
But Aoba didn't care. He didn't even attempt to stop him.
Because he had already secured the greater prize.
To Black Zetsu, Aoba Kamikawa was an even more important target than Obito, Madara, or even the Rinnegan itself.
But to Aoba, Black Zetsu was the real threat.
From the very moment Black Zetsu appeared, Aoba had locked onto it as his primary target. His strategy, developed alongside Kakashi and Minato, had been built around capturing Black Zetsu first and foremost.
Ideally, Aoba and Kakashi would have switched roles, Kakashi would have used Kamui the moment Black Zetsu made its move, while Aoba would have entered the Four Red Yang Formation to stop Obito.
But given how dangerous both Black Zetsu and Obito were, along with their countless contingency plans, Aoba had opted for a more conservative strategy.
By keeping all three of them together, they ensured that their primary objective was completed without fail.
As for Obito, he held little inherent value.
His only worth lay in the Rinnegan, but Aoba had already thoroughly studied its abilities. Its threat level had been significantly diminished.
Black Zetsu, on the other hand, was an ever-present danger.
Truthfully, Black Zetsu's surprise attack had caught Aoba off guard, sending a chill down his spine.
Even though he had prepared in advance, the risk had been enormous.
This was the kind of battle where one mistake meant instant death.
But in the end, his calculated gamble had paid off.
On the other side of the battlefield, Hashirama, upon seeing Obito escape, immediately stopped fighting.
His objective had always been to ensure that neither Obito nor the Rinnegan fell into Aoba's hands.
Now that Obito had fled, there was no reason for him to continue battling.
Besides, he had never wanted to fight Konoha's shinobi in the first place.
But Madara...
Madara wasn't letting him leave.
He had far too much to say to Hashirama.
No, more than talking, he had been waiting far too long for the chance to fight him again.
There was no way he would let Hashirama walk away so easily.
Seeing Hashirama hesitate, Madara immediately intensified his attacks.
Already struggling to keep up, Hashirama was quickly overwhelmed.
The difference between his current body and his original Perfect Sage Body was becoming painfully obvious.
His regeneration simply couldn't keep up with the intensity of the battle, and exhaustion was setting in fast.
Madara, on the other hand, who was supposed to be the one less suited for prolonged combat, was only getting more excited as the fight went on.
Hashirama felt helpless.
Madara's excessive enthusiasm for their fights was becoming more and more ridiculous.
And now that Obito had escaped, Konoha's shinobi were free to act.
Hashirama's situation had just become much worse.
He was not the unbeatable "God of Shinobi" he had once been.
Meanwhile, Konoha's Sealing Corps and Barrier Corps were among the best in the world.
More importantly, among the shinobi present were Aoba Kamikawa, Kakashi Hatake, Minato Namikaze, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Tobirama Senju.
If all of them attacked at once. Hashirama knew he wouldn't stand a chance.
But then, Tobirama arrived on the battlefield. For a brief moment, he glanced at Aoba.
Aoba, though blind, could still sense it. He shook his head ever so slightly.
Tobirama immediately understood.
A second later, Konoha's forces stepped back. No one moved to encircle Hashirama. They had no intention of attacking.
Check out the patreon and get 50 chapters in advance -> SaintXI
Currently on Chapter 338 - Madara and Aoba's Conversation