Just as Utakata was about to be completely devoured by the swirling vortex, Ren sprang into action.
With his claws sharpened by razor-like wind chakra, he lunged at Obito from the side. His claws stabbed into Obito's torso, and this time they made actual contact.
Ren felt his claws pierce through flesh, and his heart leaped. He had almost reached Obito's heart when suddenly Obito's body turned intangible once again, and Ren's claws passed through harmlessly.
But the good news was that Utakata was now free, the vortex pulling him into the dimension had stopped, and he quickly broke out of Obito's grasp.
'It worked!'
Ren didn't hesitate, he immediately distanced himself from Obito, knowing that even though he managed to injure him, he wouldn't survive if Obito retaliated right now.
Ren's heart pounded in his chest as he recalled the gamble he'd just taken. He had a vague memory from his previous life that Obito couldn't simultaneously become intangible and use Kamui to absorb someone. It had been a risky move, but it paid off.
'Obito can only use Kamui's ability for one purpose at a time, either becoming intangible or absorbing someone into his dimension, at least for now.'
Utakata, still a bit disoriented, quickly regained his footing and thought about what he had just felt. There was something familiar about it, like the feeling he got when his teammate used his most potent jutsu. But he couldn't dwell on it, as Obito's cold, menacing voice rang out.
"I was right. YOU... you really remind me of him, the greatest hypocrite in all of Konoha."
Obito's eyes seemed to narrow behind the mask as his voice dropped even lower.
"But what can you do? Even if you attacked me once, can you do it again? NO. You only had one chance, and that was because I was playing with you. But now. Now I will show you. I will show you what you Konoha shinobi fear the most."
With that, he vanished in a swirl, his presence disappearing completely.
Ren's entire body tensed as a chill ran down his spine.
'No. He's going after'
His instincts proved correct.
Obito reappeared directly behind the Genin, his sword raised high, ready to strike down Itachi.
His words were merciless as he swung the blade down.
"You can't do ANYTHING."
Itachi remained frozen, his mind struggling to catch up, when suddenly his teammate, the one who had nearly died earlier, pushed him aside, taking the full brunt of the sword strike.
Blood splattered across the ground as the boy's body collapsed, lifeless before he could even utter a word.
Itachi's world seemed to stop.
He stared at his fallen teammate, the one with whom he had shared seveal missions, even if the other party didn't always get along with him, they had formed a bond.
But now he was dead.
Itachi's black eyes quivered, and then they shifted.
Slowly, two comma-shaped tomoe emerged, spinning around his irises as they turned a brilliant crimson.
Itachi Uchiha had undergone the awakening of his Sharingan.
Obito paused, his own eyes narrowing as he stared at the transformation.
"Looks like you have the Uchiha blood flowing in you," he muttered, almost amused. It was as if the previous fury he had displayed was nothing more than an act.
The battlefield fell into an eerie silence as everyone processed what had just happened.
Obito turned his gaze back to Itachi and spoke with an air of self centeredness.
"I, Madara Uchiha, will be watching you, young Uchiha."
And with that, he swirled out of existence, vanishing just as abruptly as he had appeared.
The tension lingered for a moment, as if everyone was bracing for another attack. Ren remained alert, his body poised to move but after a full two minutes without any sign of Obito, he finally allowed himself to relax.
His body slumped down in exhaustion, the adrenaline finally ebbing away.
The realization of what had just happened settled over him, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of the chaos that had just unfolded.
Seeing that everything had finally settled down, Yugao and Hitoshi ran over to Ren, who was now sitting with his back against a tree, his breathing still a bit ragged from exhaustion.
Yugao, her eyes glassy with unshed tears, immediately knelt beside him, her voice trembling.
"Are you okay?" she asked, her hands gently but frantically checking Ren's body for any signs of injury.
Ren managed a tired nod, giving her a faint smile.
"Yeah... no injuries. Just tired. Very tired."
He really was exhausted. Even though he hadn't used much chakra during the fight, both his brain and body had been working at full capacity. One moment of relaxation could have meant a sword slicing through his body or Utakata's.
Yugao seemed relieved but still sat down by his side, while Hitoshi plopped down in front of him, his face still a bit pale from how close he too had been to losing his life from the masked man's first attack.
A short distance away, Utakata was talking to the Daimyo, while one of his clones was checking on the injured jonin. The tense atmosphere had softened, but the aftermath of the fight still lingered.
Yugao's gaze shifted to the body of Itachi's dead teammate, her expression growing somber.
"I was really scared," she admitted softly.
Ren gave her a sideways glance, thinking to himself.
'What? Why were you scared? I was the one fighting the man who is responsible for killing a freaking Hokage I should be scared.'
But then it hit him 'Oh right, we're teammates. She must have been scared for me.'
His train of thought was cut off when Yugao continued, her voice almost hushed.
"I kept thinking, what would I do if that sword came at me? I wouldn't be able to take even one hit."
Ren turned his head to her mechanically, processing her words.
"You... were scared that a sword would come at you, while the guy had all his anger focused on me because I reminded him of someone?"
Yugao pouted defensively, crossing her arms.
"Hey, I had to think of the worst-case scenario!" she shot back, trying to keep her tone light.
Ren just stared at her, realizing she was trying to lighten the mood with her weird way of comforting him.
'What kind of comforting technique is this? Shifting anger? Playing the victim card? I don't understand. I don't even need comfort I just need sleep.'
Realizing that Utakata was still busy with the Daimyo, Ren sighed and leaned back against the tree, "I'll just sleep for a while. Wake me up when we're ready to go."
He let his eyes close, feeling the weight of fatigue finally pulling him under.
In the comforting silence, even the tension from the battle seemed to melt away for a moment.
At the same time, Utakata was speaking with the Daimyo. He gave a light bow, his tone neutral and respectful.
"Forgive me for not greeting you earlier, Daimyo-sama, but I hope you understand that the situation was not suitable," Utakata said calmly.
The Fire Daimyo, now sitting on a chair, waved his hand dismissively.
"Don't worry about it. But why did you let that man escape? You should have finished him off when you had the chance. And... was he really Madara?" The Daimyo's voice turned fearful at the last part.
Utakata's face grew serious as he replied, "That is the problem, Daimyo-sama. I did not have the chance to finish him, and the claim of him being Madara does not make sense either. But rest assured, I will ensure that you receive a complete report once I have returned to the village."
The Fire Daimyo nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm... do as you see fit. I'll make sure you receive a reward for saving my life once we reach the capital. Escort us there."
Utakata shook his head slightly, "I apologize, but I'm afraid that won't be possible, Daimyo-sama. It has been ordered that any sighting of that man must be reported at the earliest notice. However, do not worry, the Anbu is here. They will ensure your safe passage."
As Utakata finished speaking, a man wearing a bear mask appeared by his side, and several other shinobi dressed in similar Anbu attire materialized on the surrounding trees.
"Bear here will be responsible for escorting you safely to the Fire Capital. However, it would be wise for the caravan not to make any stops along the way."
The Fire Daimyo nodded, clearly shaken but compliant, "I shall trust your judgment, then."
He was surprisingly agreeable, likely because he had previously insisted on being escorted by the Uchiha prodigy, but after nearly losing his life, he was not willing to take any more risks.
Utakata turned to the bear-masked Anbu. "Protect the Daimyo well. Leave a message if you return before us."
Bear nodded, understanding the urgency. The Fire Capital wasn't far from their current location, and for the Anbu, it would take much less time to travel there and back to the leaf village compared to a squad with injured and dead members.
With a final farewell to the Daimyo, Utakata made his way back to his team, who were sitting under the tree. Meanwhile, Utakata's clone had already healed the injured people. Fortunately, none of them were dead, and most didn't even have severe injuries, they had only been trapped under genjutsu. The jonin had sustained minor wounds, but nothing too serious.
When the jonin finally woke up, he immediately went on high alert, remembering the attack. However, his stance relaxed when he saw Utakata and the others also waking up. But he froze again upon seeing one of his students cradling another, who was clearly dead.
Utakata didn't offer any comfort, "Handle your team, Jonin," he ordered, before dispelling his clone.
The real Utakata approached his own team and saw that Ren was asleep, while Yugao and Hitoshi were sitting nearby, keeping watch. He bent down and placed his hand on Ren's forehead, emitting a soft green glow as healing chakra enveloped the boy. Ren's tense body gradually relaxed, his breathing evening out as he fell into a deeper, more restful sleep.
Utakata also checked his other two students for injuries when Yugao spoke up, her voice tinged with concern. "Sensei, are you okay? And Ren?"
Utakata gave her a reassuring nod. "I'm fine. Ren is fine too. He just overworked his brain and body far too much, so he needs to rest. Don't wake him up for now. I'll let you know when we're ready to move."
Both Yugao and Hitoshi nodded, relieved to hear that Ren was really alright. As Utakata moved a bit away, Yugao kept her eyes on Ren, her expression soft and worried.
A quiet voice broke the silence. "I shouldn't be but I'm glad we don't have to go through that," Hitoshi said, his gaze directed at Itachi's teammates. One of them was sobbing quietly, holding onto the lifeless body of their fallen friend.
Yugao followed his gaze and nodded silently, unable to bring herself to look for too long.
{Anticlimactic right?? Kekekeke, you guys thought I would just let him fight such a top-tier character so early and also make a proper fight at that. Oh you foolish mortals.
It wouldn't make any sense for this fight to end in any other way than Ren and everyone else dying if I had the intention of a proper fight but don't worry I will explain in the future why this fight had gone like this. Shortly from Ren's pov and later on from Obito's pov.}
{Tell me what rewards you think he should get, I have the highest tier Space affinity among others in mind. If you have something better comment here.}
{On behalf of my brother thanks for the birthday wishes, I hadn't expected webnovel to have people who could be happy for other people so it was a surprise.}