"How is that possible?!"
The sudden turn of events rattled Uchiha Obito. He roared inwardly, but his body reacted before his mind could.
There was no time to activate Kamui.
Instinctively, he brought up the handle of his war fan to block.
Clang!
The legendary weapon of the Uchiha lived up to its reputation.
Once wielded by Madara himself, the fan withstood the strike. Even the Kusanagi Sword which was empowered with the fused force of wind and fire chakra failed to cleave through it.
Uchiha Gen released Obito's wrist immediately, avoiding the risk of being dragged into Kamui's vortex. If that happened, his only escape would be to expose the Flying Thunder God Technique, something he refused to reveal.
Instead, Gen shifted tactics. He drove his knee upward, aiming for the most vulnerable spot of a man.
If the blow landed, Obito would be crippled if not killed outright.
But the Mangekyō Sharingan's perception was extraordinary.
Obito caught the motion at the last instant. He couldn't fully dodge, but managed to twist just enough.
Bang!
Gen's knee smashed into the junction of his thigh and abdomen, blasting Obito backward.
At the same moment, the Kusanagi which was wreathed in golden-white flames spun out of Gen's hand like a living predator.
Obito reacted with Kamui, letting the flaming blade pass harmlessly through him.
He lashed out instead, whipping the chain attached to his fan around a tree trunk. Using the leverage, he swung himself up, flipping gracefully onto a branch.
"Hmm?"
From the corner of his eye, he caught a streak of golden-white light arcing back toward him. His chest tightened; another sword strike.
He dodged sharply.
But the streak wasn't aimed at him.
Mid-flight, it curved and bit into the thick branch holding his fan.
Snap!
The branch split, the cut glowing with golden flames. The fan, stripped of its support, plummeted toward the inferno raging below.
Obito's heart lurched, but Gen was faster. He blurred forward, plucked the falling fan from the air, and landed lightly atop a tree.
The Kusanagi wheeled back and hovered at his side, obedient once more.
Gen exhaled. Killing Obito outright was near impossible. From the very first failed assassination attempt, he'd known that.
But a trophy? A prize to justify tonight's effort?
The Uchiha fan was perfect.
And the White Zetsu impersonating ANBU? That was a bonus. The 'Conscience Envoys' labor squad would be welcoming a new recruit soon.
Obito's face darkened behind the mask. Losing the fan stung, but it wasn't truly his as it belonged to Madara. Compared to that, what unsettled him was something else entirely.
Why had his genjutsu failed? And what exactly was that strange Kusanagi Sword?
Still, he masked his irritation with calm arrogance. "Junior. Why are you immune to my genjutsu?"
Gen didn't answer right away. Instead, he leapt onto a jutting rock and looked down at Obito.
"Sorry. I don't like looking up when I talk."
Obito's eye twitched. Damn brat.
"Junior," he said, voice heavy with false gravitas, "you're very much like me at your age. Brilliant. Talented. Proud. Confident."
Gen's lips twitched. Opposite, actually. I'm a genius. You were a dead last. And don't play the 'old man' card... you're barely older than me.
Aloud, he said evenly, "The reason I'm immune to your genjutsu is simple."
"Oh?"
"Besides Shuryu, I also have another companion." He flicked his wrist. "Shizukamaru...show him."
"Yes, Master."
The flaming blade shot forward, phasing cleanly through Obito's body, then circled him in a weaving orbit.
Obito froze. What… in the world?
Zetsu was bizarre enough. Madara even stranger. But now a sword that spoke?
"Junior…" Obito's voice tightened. "Reveal your Mangekyō Sharingan."
Gen's chest tightened. Tch. Too sharp. He had brought out Shizukamaru specifically to deflect suspicion from his eye.
If Obito connected the dots...
But no. He probably couldn't comprehend what Shizukamaru was. Easier to assume it was a bizarre Mangekyō ability.
Gen let out a calm breath. "Not the Sharingan. Call it a secret art. A bloodline limit, if you like. My talent, shaped by my own effort, and refined with Orochimaru-sensei's help."
"Shizukamaru. Return."
"Yes, Master."
The blade glided back to his side.
Better not to show too much. Shizukamaru's flight time couldn't outlast Kamui's phasing duration; no reason to reveal that weakness. Shuryu, at least, could keep pressure longer.
Obito tilted his head. "A fascinating ability. You've piqued my interest."
Gen blinked. Why does that sound so familiar…?
"Work with me," Obito said, voice deepening. "I am building something greater."
Gen kept his face unreadable. "How great?"
Obito's tone carried conviction. "To bring permanent peace to the shinobi world. How great do you think that is?"
Gen blinked, then his face darkened.
"Peace? You attacked Konoha with the Nine-Tails. You slaughtered innocents. Destroyed homes. And you call that peace?" His voice rose with anger. "I may be young, but I'm not a fool!"
Obito's voice dropped, almost grave. "You are too young to understand. Sacrifices are necessary. They're not truly gone...they'll live again, in the world of peace I'll create."
Gen spat the word at him. "Madman."
Obito chuckled low. "Perhaps."
He himself wasn't sure the Infinite Tsukuyomi would work. But it was all he had.
If the shinobi world stayed this cruel, even Rin—should she be revived—would only suffer again. Better to create a dream world where she lived happily, forever.
"Junior," he said, "it's too soon for you to understand. It's not realistic to ask you to join me now. But one day…"
His eye glinted. "The fan, consider it entrusted to you. My sincerity."
A vortex spiraled open, distorting his form.
"Shameless!" Gen shouted after him. "This fan is my trophy! And hear me, unless I'm cast out of Konoha, I'll never join you!"
He gripped the fan tightly, scowling.
He had tried to stay low. To reveal as little as possible. But still, he had drawn Obito's attention.
Gold can't hide its shine. And mine is a light too difficult to conceal.
Fine then. If Obito's gaze couldn't be avoided, it could at least be redirected. Better to scatter his manipulations than let one person bear the brunt.
Madara had ensnared Obito with bonds. Obito had done the same to Nagato. The cycle had to be broken.
From here on, any 'love' Obito tried to exploit would be evenly spread, no favorites.
Otherwise, someone would be marked for tragedy.
With Obito gone, the mountain fell silent again, save for the crackle of flames devouring the forest below.