Chapter 322: Obito's Miscalculation, Danzo's Retreat
A spiraling vortex of space distorted the air above the cliff, and two masked figures—Obito and Dark Owl—slowly materialized.
"Kyosuke's prediction was spot on. He really is here," Hyuga Saori thought, recalling Kyosuke's instructions before he left. She sighed inwardly at his foresight.
Ignoring Obito's dark, brooding gaze, Saori locked eyes with the silent Dark Owl standing beside him. Sparks seemed to fly as their stares collided in mid-air.
Through this single exchange, Saori realized that Kyosuke's hope of persuading Dark Owl to change sides was likely a lost cause. But truthfully, this was exactly what she wanted.
In Saori's view, Kyosuke would sooner or later ascend to the seat of Hokage, wage war against the four other nations, and ultimately unify the shinobi world.
In that scenario, there could be no stains on his record. And the person before her was, without a doubt, a stumbling block on Kyosuke's path forward. Saori would not allow her to continue existing.
She nodded to Fugaku, Ukyo, and Genbo, who had stepped forward, then flared her chakra and charged straight at Dark Owl.
"Seeking your own death," Dark Owl hissed. She stopped Obito from intervening and even ripped Tobi off her body. She then engaged Saori directly, clearly intending to defeat the Hyuga clan leader with her own true strength.
Tobi, knowing Dark Owl's true identity and willful nature, wasn't surprised. He understood her reasons.
Silently, Tobi moved to attach himself to Obito. "Things are getting tricky today," he sighed.
Obito remained silent, acknowledging the difficulty.
He knew exactly what Tobi meant. From the moment he appeared, the way Yahiko and the others looked at him had changed. Seeing him fight against their "saviors" (Kyosuke's group), their gazes now held a hint of hatred.
Clearly, Yahiko and the others now considered Obito an enemy. Regardless of the outcome of today's battle, they would never trust him again.
Realizing this, Obito spoke coldly. "Change of plans. Priority is retrieving the Rinnegan."
Issuing this order meant Obito had decided to completely give up on manipulating Nagato.
The spatial vortex swirled again. Taking advantage of the cooldown on Nagato's Almighty Push, Obito appeared instantly beside him, intending to suck him into the Kamui dimension.
However, a mechanical arm suddenly sprouted from Nagato's shoulder. A circular cannon in the palm charged up, and a laser beam fired instantly.
"Asura Path: Laser Cannon!"
Although the laser didn't harm the intangible Obito, it forced him to interrupt the Kamui absorption.
Nagato glared at Obito coldly. The mechanical arm shifted again, launching several high-power missiles that tracked Obito as he retreated.
"Asura Path: Flaming Arrow Missiles!"
Seeing Nagato focus his fire on Obito, Uchiha Ukyo, who had been maintaining a defensive stance, suddenly shouted, "Those attacks won't work! To hit him, you have to strike while he's absorbing something, or maintain a continuous assault for five minutes!"
Hearing Ukyo's warning, everyone—except those who already knew the intel—looked enlightened. Even Dark Owl, locked in combat, glanced at Obito.
"Damn you, Uchiha Kyosuke," Obito cursed internally. He abandoned his attack on Nagato and turned his sights on Yahiko.
Compared to Nagato, who was prepared and possessed tricky abilities, the "ordinary" Yahiko was a much easier target. If he could capture Yahiko, Nagato would have no choice but to submit.
Unfortunately, a short sword flying through the air ruined Obito's plan once again. It was Shisui Uchiha.
Obito phased through Yahiko's body and slowly turned around. He stared coldly at the focused Shisui, his gaze lingering on the boy's Mangekyo Sharingan for a moment. Then, he spoke aloud.
"Is Konoha insisting on wading into these muddy waters? And what are your thoughts on this... Elder Danzo?"
Hearing Obito's words, Danzo, who had been lurking nearby waiting for an opportunity, could no longer stay hidden.
Leading a group of Anbu disguised as Rain ninja, Danzo emerged. He scanned the crowd, silent for a moment, before suddenly barking an order to Uchiha Fugaku. "I am taking command of this operation. I order you to prioritize retrieving the red-haired boy's eyes for me!"
Hearing Danzo's murderous command, Nagato frowned and looked warily at Fugaku and his men. But he quickly relaxed; Fugaku and the others kept their eyes locked on Obito, completely ignoring Danzo's order.
Seeing this, a surge of rage flooded Danzo's heart. He glared at the unmoved Fugaku. "You dare defy my orders? Is the Uchiha clan planning a revolt?!"
Fugaku finally spoke, his voice calm but firm. "I was unaware that you, Elder Danzo, had the authority to represent the Will of Fire or the Hokage in the field. Furthermore, I do not believe the Uchiha clan has any obligation to follow your commands."
"Hahaha! Well said, Clan Leader!" Uchiha Ukyo laughed loudly beside him, then mocked Danzo without restraint. "If you want to order the Uchiha around, wait until you become Hokage, 'Elder' Danzo... Oh, wait. You probably won't live to see that day! Hahahaha!"
Crack.
Furious, Danzo gripped his cane so hard it began to splinter. He deeply regretted not bringing more Root operatives. If he had, he would have purged these insolent enemies right here and now.
Because of Obito's words, the atmosphere on the battlefield became strange. Aside from Saori and Dark Owl fighting in the distance, almost everyone looked at the silent Danzo. His decision would likely determine the flow of the battle.
If Danzo chose to attack the Uchiha, the situation would descend into total chaos, allowing Obito to maximize the use of his abilities.
But if Danzo backed down, Obito's chances of victory would plummet. The cunning Hanzo wouldn't fight Nagato with full strength, and Obito alone couldn't snatch the Rinnegan from amidst so many powerful foes.
Worried about the shifting tide, Obito spoke again. "Why don't we form an alliance, Elder Danzo? I will hold off the Uchiha clan for you, and you can focus on obtaining what you desire."
However, his words had the opposite effect, solidifying Danzo's decision to retreat.
Danzo wasn't a fool. He understood Obito's plan perfectly. The masked man wanted to use him to distract the enemies. Once the Uchiha were dealt with, Obito would immediately turn on him. Danzo knew this for a fact.
If Danzo himself weren't present, he might have ordered his subordinates to take the risk even knowing the betrayal was coming.
But since he was personally deep in enemy territory, the self-preservation instinct of the "Shinobi of Darkness" kicked in. For the sake of Konoha, and the future of the ninja world (and mostly his own life), Danzo decided to withdraw.
He would leave the Uchiha and Obito to tear each other apart like dogs.
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