Unlike the intensity at another battlefield, over twenty Kirigakure shinobi facing eight Konoha shinobi fell into a strange stalemate.
The Kirigakure forces did not act because their commander had not issued orders.
Ao activated the Byakugan beneath his eyepatch, observing the situation, not only what lay before him but also in the distance.
On Konoha's side, the defensive formation comprising two squads remained equally alert. Their numbers proved disadvantageous, requiring them to maintain formation integrity. They dared not rashly initiate attacks.
However, hearing the tremendous commotion from the direction where Shuji had lured away the powerful enemy, beneath Shisui's calm exterior, his heart gradually grew anxious.
Shuji was not merely the village's important jōnin but also one of the key figures maintaining the fragile trust between the Uchiha and village leadership, while simultaneously being the captain Itachi trusted.
He absolutely could not have an accident here!
The ocular power that had temporarily subsided due to Shuji's timely interception boiled again in Shisui's eyes.
The Mangekyō Sharingan activated. With just one glance, several Kirigakure shinobi's spirits immediately grew dazed. Clutching their heads, they released agonized screams, bodies falling uncontrollably from branches where they hid.
Nearby companions immediately scrambled to provide support.
"Those eyes..." Through the Byakugan's insight, Ao clearly saw the current Uchiha Shisui. The power contained in his eyes exceeded before.
Just as Ao felt alarmed by Shisui's suddenly erupting ocular power, his Byakugan captured another abnormality.
Someone else hid nearby, observing everything here.
That outline... only one eye? Wait, the chakra contained in that single eye... this feeling... was it Sharingan?
Was this Konoha's subsequent reinforcements? Or... something else?
The current situation grew increasingly complex. If they continued the stalemate or even erupted into full conflict, consequences proved unpredictable.
Ao made his decision. "All personnel, retreat!"
As for that person who came under Fourth Mizukage's orders? What relation did he have to them, Kirigakure shinobi? Merely a rogue ninja who accepted a mission.
Another familiar retreat order. Kirigakure shinobi seemed to have grown somewhat accustomed to these anticlimactic operations, almost forming muscle memory.
Several smoke bombs were swiftly thrown. Dense white smoke rapidly spread, obscuring vision.
All Kirigakure shinobi unhesitatingly turned, borrowing smoke's cover and rapidly withdrawing into forest depths like tide water, vanishing from sight.
Seeing this, Shisui retracted his Mangekyō Sharingan, recovering to three-tomoe state.
He relaxed slightly, but worry between his brows did not decrease.
After confirming Kirigakure shinobi had truly distanced themselves, he immediately turned toward companions behind. "Crisis temporarily resolved. Now, immediately follow me to support Shuji."
Uchiha Obito expressionlessly watched that group of Kirigakure shinobi who, merely because several people fell to genjutsu and slight chaos appeared, decisively chose abandoning attacks and completely retreating.
He now somewhat understood why this front had struggled so long yet never achieved any decent progress.
What exactly happened to these Kirigakure people? Had that once terrifying Bloody Mist now lost even the most basic combat spirit?
Attack orders were personally issued by the Fourth Mizukage he controlled. This was how these people executed them?
Other shinobi villages did not seem like this. When he was still a Konoha shinobi, it was not like this either.
"Actually degraded to this extent, Kirigakure."
Obito's gaze looked toward the direction where Uchiha Shisui led people away.
If they went to provide support, Kakuzu's situation would prove somewhat dangerous.
Zetsu's half-black, half-white body, like plant growth, slowly emerged from the tree trunk beside Obito.
"Obito," White Zetsu's portion said in that characteristic light tone, "Kakuzu's side, the situation seems rather bad~"
"One Konoha shinobi, and he cannot handle it?" Kirigakure shinobi's half-hearted behavior already left Obito quite dissatisfied.
Shisui had not even arrived yet. Was Kakuzu also going to lose?
Regardless of any emotions, reality was that Uchiha Shisui had already led people to provide support. If he did not move now, Akatsuki's treasurer would be gone.
Kakuzu was, after all, no chess piece that could be casually wasted, at least not now.
Obito hesitated no longer. Space around his body began twisting.
The next moment, at the edge of that battlefield ravaged by wildly growing bizarre trees and various violent techniques into complete chaos, Uchiha Obito's figure quietly materialized. His single eye instantly captured the scene's devastation.
This is... Wood Release? And Wood Release at this level?
That person currently suppressing Kakuzu...
Obito held some memory.
"Uchiha Itachi's teammate. No, his captain."
"So it was him."
Obito's gaze rapidly swept the battlefield.
Kakuzu's condition obviously proved quite bad. He had already lost three masks. His movements proved exceptionally miserable. Yet that Konoha jōnin seemed uninjured.
Uchiha Shisui would soon arrive. This captain of Uchiha Itachi, capable of forcing Kakuzu to this extent, was no simple role relying solely on Wood Release.
Obito did not intend making too many moves here, exposing his abilities. The Nine-Tails Night, Namikaze Minato's Rasengan left a deep impression.
Before everything was prepared, patience remained necessary.
Just in the brief instant when Obito appeared, observed, and made decisions.
Shuji likewise noticed the battlefield's new arrival. This time he personally witnessed that man wearing a tiger-striped mask with long hair.
His fingers flicked lightly, dropping a wood chip.
Since Uchiha Obito appeared, preparations for countering Kamui were necessary.
Shuji's attention inevitably scattered somewhat due to Obito's sudden appearance.
Kakuzu, struggling desperately, gained breathing room. Intelligence deficiency caused him to fall into Shuji's attack rhythm at the very first moment of true combat.
The opponent also seemed quite familiar with his abilities, such that he momentarily found no escape method.
Continuing like this, he could only await those Kirigakure shinobi and Konoha people deciding victory before welcoming a turning point.
Just as Kakuzu's mind rapidly pondered countermeasures, the mysterious person wearing a spiral mask appeared beside him without warning.
For this unidentified figure suddenly entering his lethal range, he almost thought nothing before his remaining Earth Grudge black threads stabbed forth.
Black threads capable of piercing rock missed completely, passing through Obito's body without obstruction.
"Waaah! So dangerous! So dangerous!" Obito acted startled, flailing both hands while calling out in exaggerated, flustered tone. "Kakuzu-senpai, we're allies! Allies! I'm the organization's reserve member Tobi!"
"Those Kirigakure guys proved too unreliable. They already abandoned us and retreated themselves!"
"Zetsu-senpai told me to hurry over and take you away. The situation is very bad!"
"What?!" The Kirigakure people actually fled first?! Hearing this, in shocked fury, Obito's hand swiftly landed on his shoulder.
Shuji watched where the two vanished. Surrounding wildly dancing trees and vines slowly ceased growing before rapidly withering and dissipating like losing power support, transforming into ordinary decayed wood fragments.
He silently completely ended the Wood Release technique.
In the current shinobi world, regarding leaving at will with composure and difficulty being stopped, Uchiha Obito possessing Kamui probably ranked first.
Chapters in advance there: patreon.com/Thaniel_a_goodchild