"Careful!"
Black Zetsu's tone was laced with panic.
Obito was the last valuable chess piece. If he were lost now, it would take countless years to groom another.
But it was already too late.
Minato's signature three-pronged kunai had already sliced across Obito's throat.
Blood sprayed into the air.
Minato frowned.
Kushina's fist followed close behind. Each punch carried a deafening sonic boom.
But the next second—her fist phased straight through Obito's head.
"Hmm?"
Black Zetsu's eyes widened.
'Such reflexes?! Has Obito really grown this much?'
But it quickly sneered to itself.
"Still unqualified. Still unstable. It's time to expedite Madara's Impure World Reincarnation!"
Whoosh—
Obito retreated several meters, his Sharingan fixed warily on Minato and Kushina.
He sneered, lifted his chin slightly, and said with mockery:
"So, you recognized me?"
"Too bad, Minato-sensei. You're too late."
"The same tricks won't work on me anymore."
Ever since Minato had taught him that painful lesson in the past, Obito had become far more cautious.
And caution had paid off.
But today, he wasn't just facing Minato Namikaze—the Yellow Flash of Konoha.
He was also facing Uzumaki Kushina, whose strength was nothing to scoff at.
This wasn't the former Red-Hot-Blooded Habanero who lacked refined techniques despite her chakra reserves.
"You monster…!"
In the next instant, Kushina's Adamantine Sealing Chains erupted from her body and lunged at Obito.
Obito's eye flickered as he quickly phased, dodging both the chains and the whizzing kunai.
Clang—
The chains on his cuffs clattered to the ground.
Whoosh—
Obito lunged toward the unknown kunoichi—perhaps a clone or illusion—but a three-pronged kunai embedded itself in her skull.
"Pointless."
Obito scoffed, reaching out to grab Minato by the neck.
Whoosh—
Minato suddenly reappeared behind Obito's head.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
In a blur of motion, Minato seized a nearby kunai with his left hand while forming a Rasengan in his right.
Flying Thunder God: Level Two!
Buzz—
But this time, Obito had anticipated the move.
"Tch!"
Snap!
A chain latched onto Minato mid-air, binding his movement.
But the enemy underestimated the bond between husband and wife, forged through years of battle and love.
"You bastard!"
Kushina's fist didn't strike Obito—it struck his arm, the one holding the chain.
Crack!
Her speed was too great. Before Obito could activate his intangibility, his wrist snapped under the force.
Don't forget—after entering Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, Kushina could tap into Kurama's power for blinding speed.
And she wasn't just a jinchūriki—she was the true vessel of the Nine-Tails.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Her sealing chains erupted once again, all lashing toward Obito like a net of retribution.
Obito winced in pain and crouched low to avoid the assault. While evading, his hands blurred through seals:
"Wood Style: Cutting Sprigs Technique!"
Puff—
Dozens of wooden thorns burst from his body at point-blank range.
The distance was too short. In an instant, the spikes shot toward Minato and Kushina.
But Minato was already a step ahead.
As soon as Kushina's chains missed, he seized her wrist.
Flying Thunder God!
Whoosh—
They vanished in a flash.
Hidden in the shadows, Black Zetsu silently slithered away.
Its gaze shifted toward Nagato, hesitating.
"He can't be killed… not yet. Need to find a chance to control him and trigger the Rinne Rebirth…"
Back on the battlefield, Minato and Kushina reappeared behind Obito in perfect sync.
"Damn you!"
Kushina raised her finger.
"Wind Style: Wind Blade!"
She flicked it forward, launching a slicing arc of chakra.
Minato followed up, preparing to throw another kunai—timed perfectly to initiate Flying Thunder God Level Two again.
But he paused.
The setup was too obvious. Obito would dodge it easily.
Then a smile crept across Minato's lips.
"There are plenty of kunai already scattered…"
Right beneath Obito's feet—was one of his marked kunai.
On the other side, Obito formed more hand seals with both hands—
Earth Style: Hiding Like a Mole Technique!
Obito's body quickly dived into the ground, his hands forming seals at high speed.
Whoosh—!
Kushina's Wind Blade sliced through the air, missing its mark as Obito erupted from beneath the earth.
Fire Style: Storm Dance!
As he broke through the surface, Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan flared to life.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh—!
But the instant he surfaced, he froze. The sound of a Rasengan hummed ominously behind him.
This wasn't the Flying Thunder God attack from earlier—it came from a different angle. Too close. Too fast.
On reflex, Obito phased his body backward using Kamui, but it was already too late.
He glanced down—one of Minato's three-pronged kunai had been tossed under his feet without him noticing.
And the moment he heard the Rasengan, it was already crashing into his side—right into his kidney.
Flying Thunder God: Second Step.
Obito was blasted away, his body spinning violently through the air. He flew right into his own Fire Style: Storm Dance technique, still burning from before.
Kushina's fist followed right after.
It shattered his mask in a single blow—and then, with another strike, destroyed his Mangekyō Sharingan.
"You bastard! You killed your sensei—and your own mother figure!"
She didn't stop. Her Adamantine Sealing Chains shot out like lightning, wrapping Obito tightly.
Another punch.
Obito's chest caved in. His heart was pierced clean through.
"Cough… cough…" Obito gasped, blood flecking his lips.
"Obito!" Black Zetsu's voice rang out, though its shadowy form was already retreating from the battlefield.
Minato appeared beside Kushina, his eyes filled with confusion.
"Why?"
"Aheh… what do you mean, why?" Obito managed a twisted smile. "Minato-sensei… Kushina-sensei… look—I don't even have a heart anymore."
Snap!
Kushina wasn't interested in listening.
She rushed forward and socked him across the face.
"Don't you still have the nerve to talk?" she snapped.
"I thought you didn't have a heart, but turns out you're just thick-skinned!"
"You wear a mask all day long—what, afraid people will see how shameless you are?"
"No wonder Rin never liked you. You deserved to be alone."
Critical hit.
Obito's mouth opened, but no words came out.
His left Sharingan spun wildly with suppressed fury.
"You won't fall for the same move twice, right?" Kushina taunted. "Trying to run again? You think we'll let you?"
She lunged again, her fist aimed at his face.
But—swish!—her punch struck nothing.
"What?!" she gasped. "Didn't I already destroy his Mangekyō Sharingan?!"
Minato's expression turned grim. He narrowed his eyes and whipped his head around.
"Behind you, Kushina!"
She turned instantly.
Obito stood a few meters away beside Black Zetsu, completely unharmed.
He looked just as he did when they first met.
Swirling orange mask. Black cloak adorned with red clouds. Not a scratch on him.
And his Mangekyō Sharingan—still intact—was staring straight at them.
Under the mask, the eye slowly began to close.
"…Izanagi?!"
Minato's voice dropped in realization.
Obito said nothing. His eyes closed completely, as if he didn't care to explain.
Fire Style: Storm Dance!
Whoosh!
A new wave of fire erupted across the battlefield as Obito, carrying Black Zetsu, launched another offensive.
"Move!"
Earth Style: Hiding Like a Mole Technique!
Boom—boom—!
In the blink of an eye, Obito grabbed Black Zetsu and dove underground.
By the time Minato tried to activate the Flying Thunder God Technique, Obito had already abandoned the marked part of his body.
Not that it mattered—his body was made of White Zetsu cells. He could easily regenerate after returning to the base.
"Damn it! He got away!"
Kushina stomped the ground in frustration, leaving a deep crack in the earth.
As she turned around, she suddenly noticed a new arrival—Naruto had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Naruto, how's Nagato doing?"
Naruto smiled casually.
"The Rinnegan wasn't originally his. I can make him a new one. But it'll take about two more days for him to fully adjust."
"Thanks," Kushina replied, her anger slightly subdued.
Nagato exhaled deeply, his expression calm. His mission had been fulfilled.
"No worries. Thank you. Two days is plenty of time for your legs to recover."
"Yahiko's body is still in good condition," he added, nodding slightly.
Naruto turned to Kushina again and said gently, "Don't stay so worked up. Once you and Dad calm down, I'll take you to meet someone. You won't be angry after that. And trust me—it won't be long before Obito comes straight to you."
Just as Naruto finished speaking—
In another space entirely, Obito used Kamui to return to the underground base with Black Zetsu.
As Black Zetsu began preparing a new White Zetsu body for him, Obito suddenly halted.
Without a word, he phased back into Kamui Space.
There, only silence greeted him.
He stared at the fragments of shattered ice still littering the ground—the remnants of a lost moment.
For a long while, he didn't move.
Then, slowly, he lifted his head. His Sharingan spun on instinct, evolving into the Mangekyō.
"…Rin…"
His voice was barely a whisper.
But then it rose.
"KAKASHI!!!"