"You've worked hard these past few days, Minato-kun."
Inside the tent, Kitsuchi poured tea for Minato, while Rōshi, unusually, wore a broad and sincere smile.
Over these past few days of battle, the three of them working together had indeed "steadily" managed to hold Nagato at bay.
"It's all thanks to everyone's efforts."
"I can't take credit for this."
Minato waved his hand modestly, smiling in a very infectious way.
"No need to be humble. You're stronger than us."
Rōshi was a straightforward man who spoke bluntly.
"Not really. It's mostly thanks to my special techniques."
Minato remained humble, and the atmosphere inside the tent remained pleasant and warm.
"There's also good news from Father's side—Nawaki-kun from Konoha has completely suppressed the Cloud Ninja AB combo."
"He said the balance of victory for the next war is already tilting in our favor."
"This is the best news I've heard in quite some time."
Kitsuchi's joy shone through in his broad, sincere smile.
Luckily Ōnoki didn't mention how he'd been blackmailed by Nawaki; otherwise, Kitsuchi probably wouldn't have been laughing.
"He definitely deserves the praise."
When it came to talking about Nawaki, Minato immediately praised him.
That sense of pride and admiration in his tone practically screamed, "No need to tell me—he's amazing, I already know!"
"Konoha truly brims with talent. We Iwagakure ninjas still have much to learn."
If anything, it was natural for Kitsuchi to feel envious.
He knew Minato and Nawaki were only among Konoha's young generation's leaders. There were still next-gen powerhouses like Kawaki Hatake who hadn't even entered the fray yet.
Without exaggeration, right now there wasn't a single ninja village left in the entire ninja world that could rival Konoha.
"Let's keep supporting each other."
Minato didn't quite know how else to respond, so he settled on a polite reply.
You Rock ninjas actually think you can improve?
Keep dreaming!!!
"The recent lightning-fast raids have gone fairly well."
"But now the Akatsuki have grown much more cautious. Let's rest here for a few days first."
"What do you think?"
Ultimately, their meeting focused on combat missions, and Kitsuchi voiced his opinion first.
"I have no objections."
Minato naturally had no issues—it was all the same to him as long as he kept playing his role convincingly.
Whether they fought once a day or once every three days meant nothing.
"That works."
Rōshi nodded in agreement as well.
"Then let's get some good rest for a few days. Once Father recovers, the pressure on our side won't be so intense anymore."
In Kitsuchi's mind, everything was turning for the better.
He believed before long, the Land of Earth's war would finally end.
"Afterward, we must make sure those Akatsuki pay dearly for invading."
Minato spoke convincingly, not even frowning slightly.
"Haha~ Absolutely."
It was clear Kitsuchi was in an excellent mood, and the three talked until well past midnight before going their separate ways.
They spent several peaceful days at the camp before battle erupted again.
From any perspective, passive defense had never been Nagato's style.
This time, the Akatsuki had finally tracked down the hiding place of the Iwagakure ninja.
At first light, Minato and the others were awakened by their subordinates.
The Akatsuki were already on the move, having taken out multiple sentries.
Upon hearing this news, Kitsuchi and Minato immediately rallied their forces in preparation for battle.
"You use your secret technique first. We'll hold Nagato off."
Rōshi urged Minato to enter Sage Mode. They had grown dependent on it.
"Alright."
Minato didn't hesitate. He immediately started forming the seals.
As soon as Minato activated Sage Mode, Nagato's figure appeared in the distance.
The ninja before him stood no chance.
"Go!"
Minato hurled a Special Kunai forward and vanished from his spot in the next instant.
Rōshi and Kitsuchi moved right after him. The three once again joined forces to battle Nagato fiercely.
"Be careful."
Before charging into battle, Obito still received a reminder from Rin, who, as a medical ninja, did not participate directly in frontline combat.
"Got it."
Obito grinned beneath his mask, his eyes nearly disappearing into slits, responding with a nod before turning to rush toward the Akatsuki ninja alongside his companion.
"You've been getting pretty close with Rin lately, huh!"
Asuma voiced his envy, then glanced at Kurenai's back beside Kakashi, suddenly feeling a wave of frustration.
He must have already lost his chance.
"Hehe… Not bad, I guess."
Obito shyly scratched his head. His friends had been teasing him about Rin lately, and he was slowly getting used to it.
"Hey, I'm rooting for you two."
Asuma adjusted his mood and winked playfully at Obito.
"Thanks."
This time, Obito seemed unusually open-minded, thinking maybe he should find an opportunity soon to confess his feelings to Rin.
After all, certain things shouldn't always be left for the girl to initiate.
After that brief exchange, the main forces of both sides engaged in fierce combat.
Ever since learning that Nonou was Nagato's fiancée, Kakashi had practically latched onto her.
Fighting regular Akatsuki members held no interest for him. Battling Nonou, however, brought at least some challenge.
"Hello, sis-in-law."
Kakashi's lip movement showed respect, but his blade held no mercy.
His direct stab was merciless—the lightning surging along the blade nearly blinding Nonou.
"How playful."
Nonou always maintained a gentle smile, effortlessly deflecting Kakashi's strike by striking against the side of his sword with a chakra scalpel.
"Here goes!"
Kurenai attacked from the side with a powerful, ferocious-looking kick.
"Nice move, but lacking strength."
Nonou simply lifted her knee to block, giving a relatively low evaluation.
Kurenai's taijutsu might impress ordinary ninja—but only to an extent.
This chapter isn't over yet—more excitement lies ahead!
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In the end, Kurenai simply wasn't built for close-range combat.
"Who do you think you're looking down on?"
Kurenai felt slightly annoyed; after all, her taijutsu teacher was Might Guy.
Still, she avoided further embarrassment and shifted to supporting Kakashi from the sidelines, scouting for chances to cast genjutsu.
The trio fought skillfully, trading moves brilliantly, while other companions also worked hard to stand out on the battlefield.
Indeed, Obito took Rin's advice to heart, fighting more cautiously to prioritize safety above everything else.
Just after defeating a few Akatsuki, another trio closed in around him.
At first, Obito didn't take them seriously, but as they traded blows, he sensed something was off.
Although these three Akatsuki ninjas moved with a somewhat stiff gait, their attacks were ruthless and deadly.
It was clear they truly wanted to kill him.
"What are you doing?"
Obito hissed in a low voice, barely dodging a fatal blow. He had already been wounded across the chest, blood quickly seeping through his clothes.
"Naive."
From an inconspicuous corner, Zetsu wore a mocking smile.
Under such control, there was no way these three Akatsuki ninjas would respond. Seeing Obito injured, their assault only intensified.
At this point, Obito couldn't afford to hold back any longer.
With the help of his Sharingan, he could still endure.
But good fortune didn't last long. These three Akatsuki ninjas clearly didn't care about life or death.
Their reckless tactic of trading blows for injuries made Obito suffer greatly.
After eliminating two of the Akatsuki ninjas, Obito could barely remain standing.
He dropped halfway to one knee, his Sharingan no longer able to activate.
Struggling to rise, his legs simply refused to obey.
Watching the advancing Akatsuki ninja close in, Obito felt as though his life might be coming to an end.
"Rin, I never got the chance to tell you..."
"I like you."
Mumbling softly, a sudden surge of pain coursed through him. His body weakened and collapsed.
"Job's done."
Seeing the Akatsuki ninja deliver the final blow to Obito, Zetsu disappeared underground.
Amid the chaos of battle, no one noticed Obito's body silently sinking into the earth until it disappeared entirely.
And the last Akatsuki ninja inexplicably fell dead soon after.
"Most of it is done. Prepare to withdraw."
Minato pinched the timing. His Sage Mode wouldn't last much longer beyond ten minutes.
After a direct clash with Nagato, Minato retreated to join Kitsuchi and Rōshi.
"Fine."
Without hesitation, Kitsuchi and Rōshi agreed. They both understood that once Minato exited Sage Mode, the battlefield situation would immediately shift against them.
"Withdraw."
At the loud command, the Iwa allied forces began their practiced retreat—organized and orderly while continuing to fight.
To make the retreat believable, Nagato continued his relentless pursuit but couldn't break through Minato's defensive line formed by the three men.
"See you next time."
As the large troop withdrew safely, Minato placed his hands on Kitsuchi and Rōshi's shoulders and vanished from Nagato's sight.
"Did anyone see Obito?"
Rin saw many familiar faces but couldn't find even a trace of Obito.
Every time a battle ended previously, Obito would always appear before her first.
What happened today?
"You know, I really haven't paid attention. Let me help look for him."
Kakashi pulled Kurenai away; they'd been too deeply engaged in fighting Nonou.
"He might have gotten injured again and just feels too embarrassed to come see you."
"Let me ask around."
Asuma said and quickly walked off.
"I'll help you search together."
Seeing all his companions depart one by one, Might Guy chose to stay by Rin's side.
"Thank you."
Rin's thoughts had already drifted far away, making even that simple expression of gratitude seem feeble.
They searched through Konoha's ranks, yet found no trace of Obito anywhere.
When everyone reunited again, gloomy expressions filled the air.
A sense of dread spread among them.
"Obito... Obito..."
Rin hadn't even finished speaking when tears clouded her eyes.
"No way. No way."
"I'll go get help from Senior Minato."
Kakashi suspected that Obito might have been captured by an Akatsuki ninja — if anyone could find him, it was Minato.
"I'm coming with you."
Rin followed close behind Kakashi as the others dispersed once more to continue their search.
As long as they hadn't found Obito's body, there was still hope.
"Senior Minato, I need to talk to you about something."
Kakashi rushed to the front of the troop where Minato was still with Kitsuchi.
"What is it?"
Minato slowed his pace and openly asked, while Kitsuchi and Rōshi tactfully moved ahead.
It wasn't right for outsiders like them to hang around when this was a matter between senior and junior brothers.
Plus, with Minato's recent behavior, they didn't believe he had any issues.
"Obito has gone missing."
"I suspect…"
Minato still chose his words cautiously.
Rin wiped away tears from time to time, silently staring at Minato.
"I understand. I'll make some inquiries later."
"There shouldn't be any issue under normal circumstances."
Minato still thought Kakashi and the others were just being overly concerned. What trouble could possibly happen during a battle with Akatsuki ninja?
"Okay, please let me know if you hear anything."
Kakashi also knew Minato couldn't contact Nagato right now.
"Yeah, go ahead."
After saying that, Minato quickened his pace and moved forward.
"Don't worry, Senior Minato will surely bring good news."
"When we return to Konoha, we'll give Obito a real scolding."
"You told him not to get hurt, yet he goes and gets captured."
Ohh!!
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Kakashi comforted the girl beside him, feeling less anxious seeing Minato's reaction.
"I'll bite him to death."
Influenced by Kakashi's optimism, Rin managed a weak smile.
"You said it! Don't back out when the moment comes."
Kakashi pointed at Rin with a quirky laugh, effectively lifting the gloom left by Obito's absence.
"Disgusting."
Rin pushed Kakashi aside and walked off shyly.
As dusk fell, the Iwa shinobi alliance finally found a hidden spot suitable for camping.
Once camp was set up, Minato discreetly summoned Katsuyu to send a message to Nagato.
What followed was endless waiting.
Nagato combed through the Akatsuki camp but found no trace of Obito.
Something was clearly wrong.
After receiving Nagato's message, Minato could no longer remain calm.
How could someone just vanish like that?
Without informing Kakashi immediately, Minato quickly returned to the battlefield from earlier in the day.
But all he found were bloodstains and shattered ninja tools scattered across the ground.
The Akatsuki had meticulously cleared the battlefield — there was no way they'd left Obito behind by accident.
Just as Minato was desperately brainstorming, he suddenly sensed someone approaching.
"Who's there!"
Minato assumed a defensive stance, his gaze wary as he scanned the distance.
"Not bad. Still alert as ever."
A familiar voice reached his ears as a figure suddenly appeared beside him.
"Sensei?"
Minato was greatly surprised. Wasn't the teacher supposed to stay in Konoha?
"What? You look shocked."
Kawaki wore a faintly teasing smile, his tone light and playful.
"No, it's right for the teacher to worry about us."
Minato bowed his head in embarrassment, assuming Kawaki was worried that he and Nawaki had failed to properly look after the kids.
And indeed, Obito had vanished from his squad.
"You're reading too much into it."
"If any of you neglected your duties, just wait until we return—I'll handle it then."
"But this matter involving Obito has nothing to do with you; our enemy is hiding too deeply."
Of course, Kawaki wouldn't waste time babysitting them, even if his own son was on the battlefield.
"How is Obito doing?"
"Who did this?"
"You already know, Teacher?"
Minato lifted his head, eyes shining with curiosity.
"Don't worry, that kid Obito will be fine."
"You go back and calm down those little ones."
"Not everything needs to be shared with you. Today, this ends."
"Now go back."
With that, Kawaki dissolved into smoke—revealing himself as nothing more than a shadow clone.
"Did the teacher expect me to come here?"
Staring at the scene before him, Minato felt stunned. He really was an open book to his teacher.
"At least I can finally report back now."
Shaking his head, Minato didn't dwell further—his trust in Kawaki was absolute.
When he returned to camp, Minato told Kakashi and the others that Obito was safe and they needn't worry.
Thus, the storm caused by Obito's disappearance finally calmed.
Except Rin still took out her frustration on Obito while sleeping, releasing her pent-up anger.
Eventually, Obito, with a swollen face like a pig's head, confessed his love to her, while her muffled giggles echoed repeatedly inside the room.
"Darn, thinking romantic thoughts late at night."
Kurenai rolled her eyes helplessly and pulled the covers over herself.
Unaware that she herself had once been teased by her parents on more than one occasion. Compared to Rin, she could barely do better than a fifty-pace mockery.
Now, she might have even pulled a hundred paces ahead.
Night grew deeper; the moon hung high in the sky, casting soft silver light over the land like a pure white cloak.
Zetsu scrambled desperately, dragging an unconscious and barely breathing Obito.
He definitely didn't want to present a corpse before Madara.
Thinking of this, Zetsu quickened his underground travel speed again.
The seconds passed, and Zetsu edged closer to his destination.
"Stopped here? Is this the place?"
Kawaki landed upon a large tree, carefully sensing the Flying Thunder God mark upon Obito's body.
This trip sending out a bunch of Boy Scouts wasn't just training for them—Kawaki had a deeper motive.
He wanted to use this opportunity to lure Madara Uchiha into action.
So long as Madara and Zetsu remained alive, a thorn would forever remain lodged in his heart.
He had already mapped out the future of the entire Ninja World; every variable had to fall into place.
Let alone such massive variables as Madara and Zetsu.
Fortunately, the bait had finally taken the bite.
Rushing in now wouldn't save Obito.
Besides, gaining Hashirama's cells was actually a stroke of fortune for Obito—Kawaki decided it was best not to interfere.
Kawaki smirked faintly as he waited in silence.
"Lord Madara, the target has been brought back."
Obito was gently laid on the ground inside the cave by Zetsu, who then sank back underground, leaving only his head visible.
That bad?
Without even turning around, Madara sensed Obito's flickering vitality, which seemed ready to disappear at any moment.
"This kid has potential. I went a bit too far."
Zetsu offered no further explanation. Alive is all that matters.
"Bring over one of the fusion bodies."
Madara slowly rose, leaning on his massive scythe as he walked toward Obito.
Zetsu submerged into the earth and soon tossed out a White Zetsu corpse before Madara.
"Good thing you returned in time."
Madara carefully examined Obito's injuries—severe blood loss, with both internal and external wounds quite serious.
That he had survived this long was largely due to Zetsu channeling chakra into him.
"How could I dare delay your plans, Lord Madara?"
Zetsu maintained a subordinate posture, concealing his hidden intentions well.
Oh...!
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"You weren't spotted along the way, right?"
Madara manipulated the White Zetsu to split apart. A small white flesh mass crawled through one of Obito's wounds.
"Not at all. I was very cautious."
Zetsu indeed had the confidence for that.
Without Kawaki's Flying Thunder God mark on Obito, he wouldn't have dared to claim he could locate him.
"Good. The next phase will be arranged once this brat wakes up."
"What was that girl's name again?"
Perhaps because bringing back Obito had improved Madara's mood, he was unusually talkative today.
"Rin Nohara. A very cute teenage girl."
"Good enough for him."
Since Madara was in the mood to chat, Zetsu naturally didn't want to spoil it.
"What use is there wasting energy on women?"
"I'll fix his twisted mindset."
Madara was fiercely independent. Once he made up his mind, no one could change him—only he changed others.
As the fleshy white mass merged into Obito, his breathing began stabilizing, and external wounds began to heal gradually.
It was now obvious that the Hashirama cells within the White Zetsu corpse had been neutralized to a more tolerable level.
At least the Uchiha bloodline showed minimal rejection.
However, there weren't many White Zetsu infused with Hashirama's cells left.
Though aged and frail, Madara couldn't yet go as far as the Obito in the original story who mass-produced hundreds of thousands of White Zetsu.
"Incredible."
Although Zetsu expected Obito to recover, the results were truly astounding.
It's practically resurrection.
"Perfectly normal. This is Hashirama's greatest gift."
When Madara spoke of his old rival and childhood friend, a hint of pride lingered in his tone—one he probably didn't even notice himself.
"A truly awe-inspiring power."
Zetsu saw no need to ruin Madara's mood and threw in a compliment casually, despite thinking otherwise in his heart. To him, only the power of his Mother was divine and supreme.
"All right, move this brat over there."
Madara ordered Zetsu while walking toward the stone bench himself.
"Yes."
Zetsu played the part of a lowly grunt, and he relished it.
One step closer to saving his mother.
"The life signal has stabilized—it seems the Hashirama cells have successfully fused."
Kawaki rubbed his chin. He had been sleeping outdoors for days, and his beard stubble had grown coarse enough to notice.
"Let's wait a few more days until Obito wakes up. If anything goes wrong, I can't handle it on my own."
Thinking this, Kawaki became less rushed. A weakened Madara Uchiha wasn't worth wasting much effort on anyway.
Leaning entirely on the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to survive, he's probably just an empty shell now.
Although his chakra reserves remained impressive, they no longer impressed Kawaki.
It was Zetsu that concerned Kawaki more. He really couldn't guarantee capturing him while fighting against Madara Uchiha.
Not because Zetsu was so strong, but because he was just too sly.
Across the entire Ninja World, if Zetsu said he was second best at hiding, no one dared call themselves first.
"Whatever, we'll take it as it comes."
Kawaki scratched his head in frustration and turned away.
Finding a fairly comfortable tree, Kawaki lay down to rest.
Three straight days passed before Obito finally woke up.
"Ah~"
"So you're finally up?"
As soon as he opened his eyes, Obito felt uneasy all over. The strange surroundings unsettled him.
"You're awake then?"
Madara made an obvious statement. He turned his head to look at Obito.
A Sharingan with three tomoe appeared clearly in Obito's vision.
"Who are you?"
Obito couldn't recall any old man in the Uchiha clan ever having a Sharingan like that.
"You might've heard of me. My name is Madara Uchiha."
Madara stood up and slowly walked toward Obito.
"No way! He's already dead."
Obito scooted backward anxiously. Was this old man a ghost?
"Haha~"
"The Madara who once ruled over the ninja world indeed died. Now I'm just someone near death."
Madara laughed as though mocking himself and stopped walking closer.
"Was it you who saved me or the one who kidnapped me?"
Obito wasn't naive. An Akatsuki member wouldn't attack him without reason. This old man claiming to be Madara Uchiha seemed highly suspicious—extremely suspicious.
"Did I need a reason to save a dying junior?"
"Do you really think you have something I'd want?"
Madara smirked without giving a direct answer.
Sometimes letting them piece things together on their own was smarter than flat-out lying.
"Thank you."
Obito pondered briefly and moved his arms and legs around—he truly had recovered.
"You're not going to keep questioning who I am?"
Madara continued approaching as he spoke, then sat cross-legged beside Obito.
"When I was young, my clan elders told me that Madara Uchiha betrayed Konoha and was slain by the First Hokage."
Obito stared into Madara's eyes, hoping to find some useful information.
"That's true."
"But I staged my death and escaped. Hashirama Senju is long gone, yet here I still live."
Madara's eyes revealed nothing, and his voice stayed calm, as if recounting another person's life story.
"How could that be possible?"
Obito muttered to himself, still unable to believe this was actually Madara Uchiha.
That was a top-tier powerhouse whose strength rivaled that of the First Hokage — a figure who once subdued the entire Ninja World.
"The fact that you're alive is the best proof."
"There's something about you — cells I once took from Hashirama in my time."
Madara had finally played his ace in the hole — facts speak louder than words.
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