Rin and Kakashi were in danger—he had to go to them!
Uchiha Madara lightly tapped the wooden chair.
Zetsu, catching the signal, leaped in front of Obito.
"That body of yours still can't break through stone."
"I have to go… to save Rin and Kakashi!"
Obito's eyes burned with unyielding resolve.
If he didn't act and something happened to Rin or Kakashi, he'd regret it for the rest of his life.
Hiss…
A faint scraping sound.
Zetsu's oval head slowly bloomed like a flower.
His white body unfurled along spiral patterns, revealing hollow innards.
"Then wear my body."
Zetsu coiled around Obito's form.
"Aren't you Madara's subordinates… Is this really okay?"
Obito's heart wavered with doubt.
Uchiha Madara seemed to have ulterior motives for him—could his subordinates be trusted?
"He's a… good kid."
"Don't you want to save Rin and Kakashi?"
"…"
White Zetsu's and Black Zetsu's voices reached Obito's ears.
Obito fell silent.
Now wasn't the time to dwell on this. First, he'd save Rin and Kakashi.
"Thank you!"
Obito clenched his broken right hand. With Zetsu's body wrapped around him, there was no lag—it felt like he was controlling his own body.
Power surged through him, his chakra swelling rapidly.
The tube at the back of his head seemed to be feeding him something, making him stronger by the second.
Boom!!
Obito smashed his fist into the wall. The steel-like barrier crumbled to the ground with a clang.
"I'm pretty amazing, right?" Zetsu boasted, the headpiece splitting open like a skeletal flower, framing Obito's shoulders.
"Are you going…?" Uchiha Madara's aged voice echoed.
Obito yanked the tube from the back of his head, his expression resolute.
"Thank you for helping me, but I have to go now. I must go!"
"You're too impulsive. It might be too early to offer thanks. Perhaps you should learn from your comrade—the one with the three-tomoe Sharingan. Uchiha Shimizu, was it?"
"…"
Obito wasn't shocked that Madara knew about Shimizu.
If his subordinates knew about Rin and Kakashi, it was no surprise the boss knew about Shimizu.
"I probably won't come back here, but for now, thank you. I'm leaving."
Madara's mention of Shimizu left a sour taste in Obito's mouth.
That dream still lingered in his mind.
Rin must have been harassed by that Shimizu guy during this time.
"You will return. And when you do, that's when you'll truly repay me," Madara said, his words heavy with implication.
Obito ignored him, turning to White Zetsu. "White guy, where are Rin and Kakashi? Tell me now!"
"The clone wrapped around you—we can communicate like a radio within that range. Our clones are spread underground across various locations, gathering intel…"
White Zetsu explained how he'd guide Obito to their location.
Obito glanced at the wall of equipment, hesitated, then grabbed a black cloak and dashed out.
Uchiha Madara watched Obito leave, a faint smile curling his lips.
"The stage is set. Now, let the play I've written begin."
Boom!
A deafening roar shook the earth.
Tracking Rin's whereabouts was straightforward for Shimizu and Kakashi.
Transferring a Tailed Beast into Nohara Rin's body would inevitably require releasing the Three-Tails.
Kirigakure lacked genjutsu like the Sharingan or the Uzumaki Clan's powerful sealing techniques, so the process wouldn't be quiet.
"What's… that noise?" Kakashi stared in shock at the towering waves ahead.
"A Tailed Beast. Probably the Three-Tails. It's the only one with water-based chakra," Shimizu replied.
Shimizu and Kakashi darted through the forest, racing toward the source of the commotion.
"Shimizu, why are we going this way?" Kakashi asked, hesitating.
To save Rin, they should head toward quieter areas.
How could Rin be involved in such a massive disturbance?
"Kakashi, I have a theory. The Three-Tails hasn't appeared in the war until now. Its sudden emergence likely means their Jinchuriki can't suppress it anymore. They need a new one."
Shimizu shared his thoughts with Kakashi.
Aside from Konoha's Nine-Tails, every major village's Tailed Beasts had appeared to some extent.
Only the Three-Tails' Jinchuriki remained a mystery—no one even knew who it was.
But the Three-Tails wasn't particularly strong, yet it was kept hidden, suggesting they couldn't control it.
Not everyone was suited to be a Jinchuriki; it required innate talent.
Nohara Rin likely had that talent, at least enough to temporarily keep the Tailed Beast from rampaging.
Becoming a Jinchuriki typically led to three outcomes:
The Jinchuriki dies on the spot.
They can briefly suppress the Tailed Beast.
They can suppress it for a long time.
"What? You mean Rin?" Kakashi's eyes widened.
He couldn't fathom how Kirigakure determined Rin was qualified to host the Three-Tails.
"It's just a hypothesis. Going there now is better than running around aimlessly," Shimizu said calmly.
In truth, he didn't know how Madara was so confident Rin could become the Three-Tails' Jinchuriki.
Madara likely tampered with something to temporarily suppress the Three-Tails, allowing Rin to host it without immediate harm.
In Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, Rin's Tailed Beast transformation was called a rampage, not a perfect Jinchuriki state.
It was clear Madara never intended for Rin to survive long-term—she was a disposable pawn.
"Alright," Kakashi agreed after a moment's hesitation, and the two sped toward the disturbance.
"How are Rin and Kakashi doing?" Obito asked.
"From what our comrades have gathered, Kakashi is with Shimizu. Rin's situation seems dire. They say she's an experimental subject for Kirigakure… but I don't fully understand it," White Zetsu replied.
"In short, Rin's surrounded by dozens of elite Jonin and Anbu… Kakashi and Shimizu are moving too slowly."
Obito leaped down from the massive skeletal structure, following Zetsu's directions toward Rin.
"What's Minato-sensei doing?"
"Who?"
"I'm asking about Rin and Kakashi's team leader, the Yellow Flash!"
"Hmm… seems like he's on another mission."
Zetsu's words sparked fury in Obito.
"At a time like this?!"
Even during the Kannabi Bridge mission, Namikaze Minato had left them to handle a demolition task with weaker ninja like Shimizu and Yehara, prioritizing his own objectives.
Did he even care about his subordinates, that bastard?!
Obito pushed his body's potential to the limit, his speed accelerating.
"Kakashi, you promised me… no matter what, you'd protect Rin!"
When Shimizu and Kakashi arrived, they saw the massive form of the Three-Tails and Rin, surrounded by Kirigakure's Anbu performing a ritual.
Chains sprouted from Rin's back, binding the crocodile-turtle-like Three-Tails.
Sealing formulas were faintly visible on her back.
Unlike Konoha's seals, which were drawn on the abdomen, Kirigakure's were etched on the back.
"Rin!" Kakashi couldn't help but shout.
This drew the attention of the Kirigakure ninja.
"Konoha's here already?" Kurotsume Raiga's thick brows furrowed, his dark green hair drenched by the waves stirred by the Three-Tails.
"Who knows?" Hozuki Juzo shrugged, hefting his Decapitating Carving Knife, eyeing Shimizu and Kakashi.
This location had been carefully chosen. It should've taken at least half a day for anyone to arrive from Konoha's nearest outpost.
These two Konoha ninja must have stumbled upon the commotion by chance—two lone ninja.
"Rin's really here," Shimizu said, his gaze fixed on Rin, who seemed unconscious.
She lay on a damp stone platform, silver chains extending from her body, restraining the Three-Tails.
Nearby, a ninja lay lifeless, seemingly dead.
"Well, well, aren't you the Yellow Flash's subordinates?" Hozuki Juzo recognized them.
They'd crossed paths in the Land of Demons.
After barely surviving a battle with Might Dai, Juzo harbored a deep grudge against Konoha.
He'd nearly died there.
The legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—four of them had been killed by Might Dai alone!
"Uchiha… Shimizu." Among the Kirigakure ninja, a captivating figure stepped forward—Terumi Mei.
Shimizu's forceful kiss from their last encounter had left a deep impression on her.
Whatever slight goodwill she'd felt due to his appearance in the Land of Demons had been obliterated.
Now, she only wanted to kill Uchiha Shimizu.
He'd sullied her honor.
"What did you do to Rin?" Kakashi lifted his forehead protector, revealing the crimson Sharingan.
Two tomoe spun slowly, reflecting the silhouettes of the Kirigakure ninja.
A chilling aura radiated from him.
Since joining the Anbu, Kakashi had killed plenty. Anyone on his mission list was a target.
"A gift for Konoha. We're giving you the Three-Tails to show our friendship," Kurotsume Raiga said, his thick lips curling into a grin.
"Is that so? We'll take it. Now give Rin back," Shimizu replied with a smile devoid of warmth.
Kirigakure's plan was to implant the Three-Tails in Nohara Rin, send her back to Konoha, and let the Tailed Beast rampage within the village.
Uchiha Madara's influence was likely behind this scheme.
Some of these masked Kirigakure Anbu might even be White Zetsu in disguise.
"Fine, take her back," Raiga said, gripping two oddly shaped long blades and slamming them into the ground.
Thunder Funeral: Feast of Lightning!
A tree-like bolt of blue lightning surged toward Shimizu and Kakashi.
"Chidori!" Kakashi's hand crackled with arcs of electricity, the piercing screech causing nearby leaves to tremble.
Lightning clashed in that moment, a blinding white flash illuminating the area.
In that instant, Hozuki Juzo moved.
He charged with the Decapitating Carving Knife.
Shimizu moved too, his figure vanishing before the Kirigakure ninja.
The scorching scent of flames filled everyone's nostrils.
Fire Release: Flame Palm.
Shimizu's hand, wrapped in Fire Release chakra, glowed red-hot, ablaze with searing flames.
He struck at Juzo's back.
Juzo's instincts screamed danger. He swung the Decapitating Carving Knife, using its broad blade to block the Flame Palm.
Sizzle!
The blade smoked, glowing red-hot.
Juzo was sent flying, tumbling through the air before landing on a branch.
He hurriedly cast a Water Release jutsu on the hilt to cool the conducted heat.
"Damn it, this Uchiha kid's jutsu counters metal perfectly," Juzo cursed.
It was the first time he'd seen someone use heat conduction against him.
"Don't get distracted in a fight," Shimizu warned.
Juzo's pupils shrank. He instinctively dodged right.
A swift blaze grazed his arm. Too fast to fully evade, it vaporized a rubber-ball-sized chunk of flesh.
Juzo grunted, retreating to Raiga's side.
The vaporized wound revealed blackened bone—no blood flowed, as the flesh had been cooked through.
"Lost your edge after fighting Might Dai, Juzo?" Raiga mocked without hesitation.
Though they were both of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, they weren't a united front.
Each had their own faction, their own ninja clan.
They were the first generation of the Seven, bound only by wielding these near-mythical weapons.
If Kumogakure brought out the five treasures passed down from the Sage of the Six Paths, they could form a "Treasure Five" or something similar.
"Let's take him together. This kid's strength is no joke," Juzo said, slicing away the cooked flesh near his wound and bandaging it.
Seeing Juzo's serious expression, Raiga dropped his casual demeanor.
The Kirigakure ninja behind them looked shocked.
These were the legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist!
To be chosen was the highest honor in Kirigakure.
Yet, after one exchange, "Instant" Shimizu of Konoha had injured one.
Shimizu himself didn't have a single drop of blood on him.
Terumi Mei pursed her lips, clenching her fists.
Uchiha Shimizu had grown even stronger.
How was he improving so fast?
Could she ever catch up and take her revenge?
Mei sank into thought.
Hmm?
At that moment, the massive, dozens-of-meters-long Three-Tails, Isozaki, began to shrink, drawn into Nohara Rin's body by the silver chains.
Rin's eyelids trembled, and she opened her eyes.
"Kakashi, Shimizu!" Rin gasped in shock.
Waking from her coma, she was met with this scene.
She tried to move but found herself bound by sealing formulas, unable to budge.
Boom!
A head exploded.
Eight flaming tomoe then obliterated the remaining body, blood spraying everywhere.
Rin glanced back—a ninja holding a sealing tag had been about to do something to her.
All eyes turned to Uchiha Shimizu.
He slowly lowered his right hand, a faint flicker of flames lingering.
If Rin had been tagged with that seal, undoing it would've been troublesome.
Madara's ultimate plan was to plunge Obito into darkness, awakening his Mangekyo Sharingan.
As long as Shimizu ensured that outcome didn't deviate, Madara wouldn't replace Obito in the Moon's Eye Plan.
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