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"Sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about."
"My fox is actually really cute. I have precious family and friends. Everything I've seen so far has been moving in a positive direction..."
Naruto folded his arms and sneered at Obito.
"That is until you idiots showed up and started causing trouble."
"If you like dreaming so much, why not just put yourself under a genjutsu and crawl into some random hole instead? Why the hell do you have to drag us into this, you fucker?"
Naruto couldn't see Obito's expression under the mask.
But if he were in Obito's shoes, he knew he'd be dying of embarrassment right now.
Imagine ranting for half an hour, thinking you'd figured someone out only to be completely wrong.
And if Obito had any shame at all, he'd be furious about it.
"Then There's Nothing More to Say"
Whether Obito was truly unfazed or simply swallowing his anger, no one could tell.
After a brief silence, he spoke:
"Then I have nothing more to say to you."
His Rinnegan glowed faintly as he raised a hand.
"Come witness my creations. The New Six Paths of Pain!"
The first to move was Rōshi, the Four-Tails' Jinchūriki.
"Lava Release: Scorching River Rock Jutsu!"
He inhaled deeply and then fired five massive spheres of molten lava, each the size of a basketball.
It was almost as if he wanted to join the Fireball Jutsu Cult.
"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted.
Sasuke instantly understood.
His Sharingan spun as he placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, channelling Lightning Chakra into his jutsu.
"Water Release: Thunder Water Dragon Bullet!"
A colossal water dragon, crackling with blue lightning, roared forward its jaws snapping shut around the molten lava balls.
The intense heat sizzled and steamed, but the electric currents accelerated the cooling, causing the lava to harden and crumble.
The dragon continued charging straight at the enemy.
Before the attack could land, a giant pair of hands made of sand erupted from the ground.
"What—!?" Naruto's eyes widened.
The enormous sand hands clashed against the electric water dragon, absorbing the force before collapsing into wet piles of mud.
Standing behind them was Fū, the Seven-Tails' Jinchūriki.
Hands clasped in a prayer position, her calm expression never wavered.
Sasuke removed his hand from Naruto's shoulder and shook his wrist.
"Tch. That took too much chakra. Was that really necessary?"
Naruto waved him off.
"Oh, come on, that was just a little chakra. Don't worry about it."
Sasuke veins bulged.
"I'M NOT A CHAKRA MONSTER LIKE YOU, YOU IDIOT!"
"Oh, right." Naruto nodded.
"You're weaker than me."
"WHO THE HELL IS WEAKER THAN YOU!?"
Obito watched the bickering idiots in silence.
Something about their dynamic stirred an old memory.
He and Kakashi.
They had been just like this.
Back in their mission days, they had argued constantly but even in the middle of battle, they trusted each other.
They could read each other's moves just from a single shout.
And after every fight, they'd continue their bickering just like Naruto and Sasuke.
And back then...
Rin would have been smiling beside them.
Obito snapped himself out of it.
No. That world is gone.
Only the new world matters.
All of my wishes, Rin peace. Everything will be real again once I take the Nine-Tails.
Itachi had been watching closely.
"That sand manipulation... it resembles Gaara's ability."
Shisui nodded.
"To be precise, that's the One-Tail's power."
He glanced at their enemies and narrowed his eyes.
"Judging by the way they move… these bodies aren't just Edo Tensei summons."
"Their bodies have been implanted with Tailed Beast chakra. They may even be capable of full transformation."
Minato frowned.
"So we have no choice but to take them down and seal them."
He flipped a special kunai into his grip.
"Shisui, Itachi—try using genjutsu."
Both Uchiha activated their Mangekyō Sharingan and tested their illusions.
After a few moments, they shook their heads.
"No effect."
"It's the Rinnegan's control," Itachi deduced. "They're immune to visual genjutsu."
Suddenly—
The enemy launched a counterattack.
Two-Tails' former Jinchūriki, Yugito Nii, stepped forward.
"Fire Release: Fire Rat Bullets!"
Dozens of blue fireballs, shaped like tiny rats, shot forward in all directions.
And then—
They turned around.
"They're homing!?" Naruto yelped.
"Enough of this!"
KRUSH!
Golden-red chakra erupted.
Kushina's body was wrapped in black-and-gold markings, forming a flaming chakra cloak.
Nine-Tails Chakra Mode: Female Edition.
Her fiery hair whipped in the wind as she shook her cloak, blasting away the fire bullets.
Then—
She shot forward like a cannonball.
"Don't you DARE defile Mito-sama's remains!"
Five-Tails' Jinchūriki, Han, moved to intercept.
"Vapor Style: Monster Strength Strike!"
His elbow vents released a massive burst of steam, boosting his punch forward like a rocket.
Kushina swung her fist at the same time.
BOOM!
The air exploded from the force of the clash.
For a brief moment, their punches locked
Then—
Han went flying.
Crashing through several trees, his Edo Tensei body slowly regenerated.
But Kushina didn't even look back.
"Forget him."
"Obito's the one I'm after!"
Obito smirked under his mask.
"Perfect."
Exactly as planned.
Just as Kushina closed the gap, golden chains shot forward.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!?"
Kushina's instincts screamed.
She knew this technique better than anyone.
But in that split second of hesitation—
KCHNG! KCHNG!
Her arms were caught.
Not by Obito.
By Mito Uzumaki.
Golden chains whipped from the First Hokage's wife, locking onto Kushina with crushing force.
Kushina's eyes widened.
"Crap—!"
SHIIIING!
A second set of chains erupted.
This time—
From Naruto.
Golden chains clashed and intertwined, battling in midair.
Water Gate and Naruto stood protectively in front of Kushina.
They turned their heads—
And smiled at the same time.
"Are you alright?"
Kushina stared at them.
Despite the battlefield chaos, she felt completely safe.
And somehow—
Seeing their matching smiles...
She just knew everything would be okay.
She nodded.
"Yeah."
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