Chapter 118: A World of Lies
Crack!
On the chaotic battlefield, the sound was impossibly clear, cutting through the din of jutsu and shouting. It pierced straight into Naruto's ears, making his heart jolt.
He instinctively looked toward the source. The distant, masked enemy... his mask was cracking.
And then, in an instant, it shattered.
What had happened? The question flashed through Naruto's mind as he remembered Kakashi-sensei's solemn expression just moments before. He had said he was preparing something.
Naruto and Might Guy's job was to hold the masked man down, to create an opportunity.
Just as they clashed, Kakashi-sensei had quietly activated his ocular jutsu. Before Naruto could even react, Kakashi had suddenly appeared in front of the masked man.
Accompanied by a dazzling flash of lightning, the Chidori in Kakashi's hand struck the mask with thunderous force, turning it into countless fragments.
Naruto's eyes widened, staring at the face hidden beneath. It was completely unfamiliar to him.
But when he turned to look at Kakashi and Might Guy, he found their expressions frozen in solemn horror.
Kakashi stared, shocked. Even after nearly twenty years, even though he had suspected it, seeing that face plunged him into a cold abyss.
It really was Obito.
"You are..." Kakashi's voice was a rasp, as if sharp knives were stuck in his throat. "Obito!"
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000,000!]
[Chakra (328,700,000 / 400,000,000)]
The name was a trigger. The Malice Value surged.
"Is it really Obito?" Might Guy stared in disbelief. "But he's dead!"
"There's no mistake," Kakashi said, his voice hollow. "He is Uchiha Obito. I won't mistake him."
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +2,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +2,000,000!]
[Chakra (329,000,000 / 400,000,000)]
Obito gripped his war fan tightly. "You can call me by that name if you wish. It means nothing to me."
His face was a mask of indifference, but the Cursed Energy pouring off him exposed the lie.
Kakashi simply couldn't believe it. The man who had manipulated everything... was the same boy who used to clamor about becoming Hokage.
"So you... you're still alive," Kakashi said.
"Who is he?" Naruto asked impatiently.
"A ninja from our generation," Guy explained. "We thought he died in the last war..."
"Since you're not dead, why...?" Kakashi had too many questions. Why didn't you show up? Why are you doing this?
"Whether I'm alive or not is irrelevant," Obito said, seeming to appreciate the raw pain on Kakashi's face. "Of course... if there must be a reason, perhaps it's because you stood by and did nothing while Rin died."
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,500,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,500,000!]
[Chakra (330,500,000 / 400,000,000)]
"Aren't you going to curse me?" Kakashi asked, his voice breaking. He would rather be scolded than face this cold indifference.
"What's the use of cursing such a boring reality?" Obito stretched his arms boredly. "I'm not interested in this world that is about to disappear."
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted, snapping him back. "Now is not the time to be dejected! The top priority is to stop his actions!"
"Fire Release: Blast Wave Wild Dance!"
A powerful, swirling vortex of flame spewed from Obito's mouth.
But Naruto's figure streaked forward, standing firmly in front of his sensei. The Nine-Tailed Chakra surged, and nine golden tails swept out, extinguishing the flames with a powerful gust of wind.
Suddenly, a whistling sound came from above. A dark figure descended, landing with a deafening "bang."
As the smoke cleared, Uchiha Madara glanced at the unproductive Obito. "You seem to be having a lot of fun, Obito."
Space twisted again, and three new figures appeared beside Madara: Hasumi Maki, flanked by Tsunade and Gaara.
"Long time no see, Uzumaki Naruto," Hasumi Maki said, a brilliant smile on his face.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000,000!]
[Chakra (331,500,000 / 400,000,000)]
"Granny Tsunade! Gaara!" Naruto stared, a deep unease spreading through him. "What happened to you?"
Gaara's answer was simple. He shot forward. "Sand Binding Coffin!" he growled, his gaze cold.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000,000!]
[Chakra (332,500,000 / 400,000,000)]
"What did you do to him?!" Naruto roared, dodging the attack. As he did, a powerful gust of wind came from behind. He spun to see Tsunade attacking him.
Naruto activated his Tailed Beast Chakra, a massive golden tail sweeping out and forcing her to retreat.
"What about the Mizukage, Raikage, and Tsuchikage?" Naruto demanded, a terrible premonition rising in his heart.
Hasumi Maki crossed his arms and shrugged. "Who knows? Perhaps... they've already died."
"What did you say?!" Naruto's eyes turned red.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +10,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +10,000,000!]
[Chakra (342,500,000 / 400,000,000)]
"So emotional," Hasumi Maki laughed. "You're really full of emotions!"
In his rage, Naruto unleashed his full Tailed Beast power, sending the Gaara and Tsunade clones flying. They returned to Hasumi Maki's side, hesitant. They hadn't received instructions from the main body and didn't know if they should reveal their full abilities.
Madara's gaze fell on the Gedo Mazo, displeased. "Obito, you rashly started the plan without the full Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails? What happened to Nagato?"
"As for Nagato," Hasumi Maki spoke up, "I killed him. He wanted to use the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu to save Konoha's ninja. He was... persuaded by Uzumaki Naruto's naive words."
Madara stared at Naruto. "It doesn't matter. I'll capture them anyway."
"A dead man shouldn't cause trouble!" Naruto appeared above Madara, a miniature Tailed Beast Ball in his hand.
Madara simply raised his Gunbai fan. "Uchiha Reflection."
The Tailed Beast Ball didn't explode. It was absorbed and then blasted back. The next second, Naruto was engulfed in the full force of his own attack, sending him flying backward.
Madara leaped high. "I'll go deal with the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails. You two handle things here."
"No problem!" Hasumi Maki said.
'This is a weird situation,' Hasumi Maki thought. Kakashi was a clone. Might Guy was a clone. Tsunade and Gaara were clones. It seemed Obito was completely surrounded by clones.
"Obito, how did you become like this?" the Kakashi clone asked, truly immersing himself in the drama.
Hasumi Maki rolled his eyes and taunted, "What's wrong, Obito? Missing your beautiful past?"
The Tsunade clone burst out laughing. "He must be thinking of his girlfriend who died early, right? Hahahaha!"
The Gaara clone shrugged. "Girlfriend? That Rin Nohara... she always liked Kakashi, didn't she?"
"Hahahahaha!" the two clones howled with laughter.
'Are they venting?' Hasumi Maki wondered.
Obito said nothing. He simply grabbed the Kakashi clone and pulled him into the Kamui dimension.
Now it was just the Guy clone, Hasumi Maki, and the two other clones.
"Let's burn our youth!" the Guy clone shouted, charging them.
'Why are these clones so energetic?' Hasumi Maki sighed, and joined the fray.
Meanwhile, the real Renji stood among the Allied Forces, watching as the Malice Value steadily increased. The Kakashi clone was doing a good job.
Still, Renji was confused. Why did Madara, who said he was going to capture the Tailed Beasts, suddenly stop and come to fight the fodder? And why did Obito, who claimed reality was meaningless, hesitate to harm Kakashi?
"Smash it to dust before it revives!" Killer Bee's voice roared.
He and Naruto launched two enormous Tailed Beast Balls, which shot directly at the Gedo Mazo. They struck, and a deafening explosion shook the world.
The Mazo's chakra vanished.
Then, a new, even more powerful and sinister aura emerged.
The Ten-Tails had awakened.
Its enormous body was displayed before them, a single, huge crimson Sharingan gazing down with cold indifference. Ten thick tails whipped wildly. It was more than twice the combined size of the Eight and Nine-Tails.
Madara and Obito landed on its head. Hasumi Maki appeared beside them.
"Is this the Ten-Tails?" Hasumi Maki mused, stepping on its head.
"I want to begin the Infinite Tsukuyomi ritual immediately," Obito said to Madara.
"That ritual requires time," Madara said, his gaze falling on the Eight-Tails, Nine-Tails, Kakashi, and Guy. "These people will be in the way. It's more appropriate to deal with them first, don't you think?"
Nagato's betrayal had sounded an alarm. If Nagato could be turned, what about Obito?
The Nine-Tails and Eight-Tails charged the Ten-Tails, but were swatted away before they even got close. They were like small toys in front of it. Even their Tailed Beast Balls were batted away by the Ten-Tails' fingertips like ping-pong balls.
"You rabble, disappear with this world!" Obito shouted.
The Ten-Tails' mouth accumulated chakra and fired a powerful laser beam. The distant mountain ranges turned to dust.
But Naruto and the others were unharmed.
Naruto's gaze instinctively turned to a nearby rock, where Renji stood, his hand outstretched. He had transferred the attack.
"First Division arriving!"
"Second Division arriving!"
"Third Division arriving!"
"Fifth Division arriving!"
"Sensor Division arriving!"
"Medical Ninja Division arriving!"
The full might of the Allied Shinobi Forces, led by all the divisions, finally converged on the battlefield. Sakura, in the Medical Division, met Renji's gaze from across the field, and a smile appeared on her face.
Uchiha Madara, standing on the Ten-Tails' head, saw this. "What is he doing?" he demanded of Hasumi Maki. "Saving the Ninja Allied Forces?"
Hasumi Maki shrugged. "He prefers practice. It's a little hobby. Haven't you noticed how much they trust him?"
Madara had. If Renji kept acting, how could he be considered one of them?
"Just let him play for a while longer," Hasumi Maki reassured him. "Anyway, he can kill the Ninja Allied Forces in an instant."
Madara raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"His Bloodline Limit allows him to touch souls and erase physical bodies," Hasumi Maki explained. "And he has already carved a mark into the souls of all the Ninja Allied Forces. In other words, he can take all their lives in an instant."
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