The two of them stood on either side of their teacher, Baki.
Chiyo turned to glance at the group, her face bearing a stern expression.
"Move out!"
SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!
Chiyo was the first to sprint forward, and the rest of the group followed suit, vanishing in streaks of afterimages.
With measures already set in place beforehand, Ebizō was not worried about Chiyo and the others losing their targets.
Moreover, their side had deliberately held back, allowing the two defectors to reunite with Uchiha Obito and his group so they could catch them all at once.
If they followed too closely, it would actually be counterproductive. After all, the Land of Wind was vast, and if the enemy truly wished to disappear, that would be troublesome.
Ebizō watched the distant figures grow blurry, a trace of inexplicable concern flickering in his gaze.
"Let us hope everything goes smoothly."
Ebizō leaned on his cane, murmuring softly to himself.
Meanwhile.
As Chiyo and the others departed, the defectors Yura and Ōtsuka Kazuki had already arrived at the prearranged location with Gaara in tow.
The two of them carefully surveyed their surroundings. Towering rocks stood everywhere in sight.
They advanced cautiously, each step measured and deliberate.
"This place is exceptionally well-suited for hiding and setting traps."
Yura swept his gaze across the terrain, thinking to himself.
He had known about this place outside Sunagakure, but there was neither water nor food here — nothing but sand and rock.
Because of that, almost no one ever came to this desolate wasteland.
As they drew closer, Yura and Ōtsuka Kazuki spotted three figures standing silently in the distance, waiting for them.
Seeing this, the two of them hurried their pace, feeling an inexplicable sense of relief well up inside.
Uchiha Obito watched the two approaching figures, and upon seeing the unconscious Gaara on Ōtsuka Kazuki's back, a smile of satisfaction crossed his face.
"I didn't expect you two to be faster than I anticipated."
Uchiha Obito hopped down from a nearby boulder, speaking with a light chuckle.
"Since we've already made our decision, the sooner the better."
Yura's expression was flat, though his tone carried a hint of deference.
The masked figure before them — regardless of his actual strength — possessed a bizarre space-time ninjutsu that alone commanded awe.
With that said, Yura shot a glance at the two figures standing behind Uchiha Obito, quickly sizing up Kakuzu and Uchiha Sasuke.
His gaze lingered on both of them.
Kakuzu in particular — during the battle earlier that day, this man had single-handedly held off an entire combat squad.
His strength was terrifying, worthy of being called a monster.
"Might I ask how Lord Sasori is faring these days?"
Yura gave a light cough, his voice carrying an inquiring tone.
Hearing Yura's words, Uchiha Obito immediately understood the hidden meaning behind them.
First, Yura was invoking Sasori's name to ensure they would not renege on the deal, since the two of them were technically Sasori's subordinates.
Second, he was using this as a way to ask about the reward that had been promised to them.
"Lord Sasori is doing quite well, actually."
"And he welcomes your joining. I'm sure Lord Uchiha Madara would be most pleased to meet you both."
Uchiha Obito spread his hands, then smiled at the two of them.
At this point, Yura's face also broke into a smile. He looked up at Ōtsuka Kazuki standing behind him, and the two exchanged a glance.
Ōtsuka Kazuki understood instantly. He stepped forward and handed over the unconscious Gaara.
A One-Tail Jinchūriki!
A strange gleam flashed through the single visible eye of Uchiha Obito. With a faint smile, he accepted the unconscious Gaara.
"Thank you both for your help. In that case, let us split into two groups."
Uchiha Obito tilted his head slightly, his voice still carrying that amused tone as he addressed Yura and Ōtsuka Kazuki.
The moment those words left his mouth!
Yura and Ōtsuka Kazuki's expressions shifted simultaneously, as if they had realized something.
"My, my — it seems you two are overthinking things. When I said we'd split up, I didn't mean it the way you're imagining."
Uchiha Obito scratched his head, his voice carrying a trace of helplessness as he explained softly.
"What exactly do you mean?"
Yura frowned, his voice tinged with gravity.
Ōtsuka Kazuki also shifted slightly closer to Yura, preparing to back each other up if things went south.
Seeing how tense the two of them were, Uchiha Obito shrugged, putting on an innocently harmless expression.
"Rest assured. You two won't be going alone."
"The four of you will travel together. I'll use my space-time ninjutsu to take Gaara and leave separately. That way, both groups will be safer, don't you think?"
Uchiha Obito continued with a light laugh.
At this point, Kakuzu and Sasuke had already appeared at Yura and Ōtsuka Kazuki's sides.
"Stop wasting time. Let's go."
Kakuzu's expression was cold. He shot a dismissive glance at Yura and Ōtsuka Kazuki, and without another word, turned and headed in a different direction.
Beside him, Sasuke followed with an equally expressionless face.
Yura and Ōtsuka Kazuki exchanged a look, breathing a quiet sigh of relief.
Truthfully, they had both feared they were about to be discarded as pawns.
But it seemed they had been wrong to think that.
"In that case, we'll head out first."
Yura offered an awkward smile. Without further words, he led Ōtsuka Kazuki and followed Kakuzu and Sasuke as they departed in the other direction.
Uchiha Obito watched silently as Yura and the others faded from view, waiting until all four had disappeared beyond the horizon.
Beneath his mask, a sinister smile crept across his face.
At that moment, two sets of footsteps sounded from behind Uchiha Obito.
Kakuzu, wearing a cold expression, and Sasuke, bearing a conflicted one, emerged slowly from the shadows.
It was obvious!
The Kakuzu and Sasuke who had just left with Yura and Ōtsuka Kazuki were fakes — White Zetsu clones created by absorbing their chakra!
"You planned to discard them from the very start, didn't you?"
Sasuke turned to Uchiha Obito standing beside him, his expression complicated.
Although he had spent time with Uchiha Obito, Kakuzu, and the others — and had grown colder as a result — there was still a part of Sasuke deep inside that struggled to accept such heartless abandonment.
"Their mission is already complete, isn't it?"
Uchiha Obito spread his hands, his voice carrying an unmistakable coldness.
[
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