Chapter 558: This Place... Is Hell
"Obito, I'm the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki now. If I leave with you to rescue Kakashi and end up getting captured myself, what then?"
"My life no longer belongs to me."
"I'm the village's strategic weapon."
"I can't endanger the village for the sake of personal feelings."
"If I'm captured, the front line of the war could collapse. Konoha could very well lose the war. When that happens, hundreds or even thousands of Kakashis will die."
Faced with Kakashi's questioning, Rin still shook her head and refused.
It was obvious that the Nohara Rin of the Engraved Tsukuyomi world was also a saintly person with great compassion.
Moreover, she wasn't an irrational saint—she clearly understood her own role.
If Naruto had been in her place, forget Sasuke—even if Akamaru had been kidnapped, he would've rushed in to save him without a second thought.
Of course, as the reincarnation of Asura and the protagonist, he'd most likely succeed...
Unless the one who kidnapped Akamaru happened to be Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, who suddenly decided he wanted to eat dog meat.
It wasn't that Rin didn't want to save him.
Choosing not to go was just as painful for her.
But only someone who shared her way of thinking could understand that pain.
As Kakashi, currently living under Obito's identity in this world, he was basically a Naruto-type person.
Naturally, he couldn't understand.
Although Rin's reasoning was perfectly rational, to him it only seemed heartless.
Kakashi took a step back as though he no longer recognized her.
"Rin... what's happened to you? Kakashi is our comrade!"
"You can go ask Captain Shisui. Maybe he'll help you."
Rin didn't explain any further.
She had already made herself perfectly clear.
If she went, even more people would die.
If she were the type of hot-blooded fool who acted before thinking, then she could've rescued him first and worried about the consequences later. Even if others died because of it, as long as she wasn't smart enough to connect the dots, she could pretend it had nothing to do with her.
But she wasn't that kind of person.
She couldn't do it.
The solution Rin offered was also perfectly reasonable.
Go find Uchiha Shisui.
As the squad captain, and someone who genuinely cared about both the village and his comrades, if he learned of the situation, there was a good chance he'd dispatch a rescue team.
But Kakashi wasn't listening anymore.
"Rin... you've changed. You've become someone I don't even recognize anymore!"
"I was wrong all along!"
"I should never have fallen in love with you!"
"The village was created to protect comrades!"
"If we abandon our comrades for the sake of the village, then we've completely lost sight of what's important!"
With tears streaming down his face, Kakashi turned and left the tent.
The moment he stepped outside...
His Sharingan evolved into a two-tomoe Sharingan.
He didn't go looking for Shisui.
In his mind, Shisui would never agree to the rescue either.
So he set out alone.
After awakening the two-tomoe Sharingan, his confidence only grew stronger.
Just like that, Kakashi headed toward the target location.
The journey was eerily quiet.
Even as he neared the destination, he still hadn't encountered a single Kirigakure shinobi.
That only made him increasingly uneasy.
But he didn't stop.
Finally, as he drew closer...
A series of strange rhythmic sounds drifted into his ears.
Kakashi's expression changed drastically.
He immediately accelerated.
Those were the sounds of his best friend…
No, his beloved…being tortured!
"Have they been torturing Kakashi for information? Damn those Kirigakure bastards!"
Kakashi sprinted forward at full speed.
At last, he burst through a curtain of mist.
And there, within the fog...
He saw Obito and Ao, both drenched in blood, fiercely engaged in battle.
Kakashi froze.
At that moment, it was just like the real-world Obito racing all the way there...
Only to witness Kakashi driving Chidori straight through Rin.
No...
This scene was even crueler than that.
It was comparable to the real-world Obito desperately rushing over...
Only to discover an orderly line of Kirigakure shinobi, with the captain at the front calmly saying things like, "Don't waste food."
Even worse...
There were two lines.
"This place... is hell."
Kakashi muttered to himself.
He had only just realized his true feelings.
He didn't love Rin.
The one he truly loved...
Was Kakashi.
And yet, immediately after realizing that...
He was dealt such a devastating blow.
Overwhelmed by unbearable pain and despair...
Kakashi awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan.
This time, it didn't simply evolve from two tomoe into the Mangekyō in one eye.
Both eyes awakened simultaneously.
In other words...
He now possessed the conditions necessary to use Susanoo.
As Obito endured the assault, he saw this scene.
Besides his shock...
He couldn't help but feel jealous.
As for what he himself was currently experiencing...
Obito constantly hypnotized himself.
'This is all just genjutsu.'
'It's fake.'
'Besides, nobody's watching.'
'So even if I cooperate... so what?'
"Kamui Shuriken!"
Furious, Kakashi hurled a strange black shuriken toward Ao.
Using the Uchiha Clan's shuriken throwing technique, it traced a perfect arc through the air...
And struck the joystick Ao had only recently acquired.
A miserable scream rang out.
The network connection had been severed.
"What the hell is a Kamui Shuriken?!"
Obito was completely dumbfounded.
'Hold on!'
'I'm the real owner of the Kamui Sharingan!'
'Even I've never used that technique!'
'How can he?!'
'What a thief!'
'...Wait.'
'There actually is a thief here.'
'Could it be that after witnessing that scene of being cuckolded, Kakashi somehow stole even my Sharingan techniques?'
"Damn you! Who are you?!"
Ao glared at Kakashi with both pain and fury.
He had been too absorbed in what he was doing.
He'd completely forgotten to use his Byakugan to monitor the surroundings.
As a result, he'd been ambushed.
The ninja tool he had finally obtained...
Was gone again.
He had no idea whether Uchiha Madara still had a spare.
Even if he did...
What price would he have to pay to get a second one?
And would there still be a half-price promotion for the second purchase?
This Uchiha was absolutely unforgivable!
Ao ignored his injuries.
The lower half of his body was made from White Zetsu and Hashirama Cells anyway.
Even if Kamui had twisted it apart, it wouldn't bleed.
Picking up Nuibari from where it had been stuck in the ground, Ao activated his Byakugan once more and charged straight at Kakashi.
"Your entire body is full of openings!"
"Die!"
Under the Byakugan's vision, Kakashi was covered in openings.
Consumed by rage, Ao became a blur.
In a single second, he struck four openings in succession.
Then, striking a stylish finishing pose with his back turned toward Kakashi, he thrust Nuibari backward in a reverse stab straight into Kakashi's heart.
The move looked incredibly cool.
The finishing pose was excellent as well.
The problem was...
The current Kakashi...
Didn't have collision.
With Kamui's intangibility activated...
Ao stabbed nothing but air.
One had to wonder whether his anger had clouded his judgment.
Didn't he realize there wasn't even any resistance on the blade?
Thud.
Kakashi slammed an elbow into Ao's head, knocking him unconscious in a single blow.
He didn't choose to kill Ao.
Death would've been far too merciful.
But now wasn't the time to punish him.
Kakashi hurried over to Obito, pulled him into his arms, and said, "I'm sorry... I came too late."
(End of this chapter)