After the masked man had fled, the bloodthirsty three-tomoe Sharingan in the eyes of the Uchiha Root Members faded, turning back into a pitch-black calm.
The three of them glanced at Yahiko and Rin, then began to discuss their respective missions in low voices.
Rin's expression was somewhat grave, no longer as relaxed as when she faced Hiromi.
Because she now realized that Hiromi might be an enemy.
But then again, maybe not.
Seeing that the Uchiha Root Members weren't restricting her, she tried to greet Yahiko beside her. "Hello?"
Yahiko nodded. "Hello."
Rin asked curiously, "Why did that masked man want to kill you?"
Yahiko shook his head.
"Oh..." Rin responded.
A somewhat awkward silence fell between the two.
After about a minute, the three Uchiha Root Members returned.
"Watch out!"
The three Uchiha Root Members drew their short swords, confronting the masked man. All three kept their heads down, avoiding eye contact.
But even though the Chunin-level Yahiko and Genin-level Rin were careful, their peripheral vision still caught his gaze, and they were caught in a Genjutsu in an instant.
The three Uchiha Root Members surrounded the masked man, and Shuriken once again scattered through the air. But this time, the masked man didn't run. Holding a Kunai, he slashed ruthlessly at the neck of one Uchiha Root Member.
"Fighting with your life on the line?" The Uchiha Root Member sneered.
Not just him, but the other two Uchiha Root Members were also prepared to kill him the moment he became tangible.
But the Kunai flashed by, drawing blood, while the rest of the masked man's body still seemed non-existent, completely untouchable.
The expressions of the two Uchiha Root Members changed drastically as they immediately made a judgment.
"He can partially phase!"
"There must be a time limit!"
They immediately retreated, their hands forming seals rapidly.
Snake-Ram-Monkey-Boar-Horse-Tiger
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
Two fireballs, each four meters in size, appeared together, engulfing the masked man.
The flames covered everything in front of them, but no screams were heard, which made the two Uchiha Root Members feel uneasy.
In the next moment, a figure rushed out from the fireballs. The pupils of the two Uchiha Root Members shrank.
As the Kunai slashed across their necks, they had only one thought.
'We should have used Ninjutsu for full-range coverage from the start!'
They fell unwillingly, leaving Yahiko and Rin, who were still controlled by Genjutsu.
"Rin..."
Obito's body trembled slightly but the hand holding the Kunai was steady.
Slash—
Blood splattered as Yahiko fell limply beside him. Obito didn't even look, his eyes were only on Rin.
In the next second, he sensed a different ocular power emerging from Rin, and he suddenly became uneasy.
Sizzle... Sizzle...
The sound of burning Explosive Tags echoed densely from Rin's body.
Obito lunged forward desperately, wanting to strip all the burning tags from her.
But in the next moment, Rin, holding a Kunai, lunged for his heart.
The moment Obito became tangible, he would be stabbed by Rin and then blown to pieces by the Explosive Tags. Whether he saved her or not, Rin was doomed.
"Rin!!!" Obito's eyes nearly burst from their sockets.
Boom!
A deafening explosion rang out, everything shattering and flying apart.
Obito stood in the charred crater, surrounded by the bloody remains of Rin.
"Rin... Rin... Rin..." His voice was barely audible.
His eyes had lost focus, filled with a blank stare, sinking into an abyss of despair.
At that moment, Zetsu emerged from the ground nearby.
White Zetsu's voice was steady, yet carried a tone of observational amusement. "Hiromi is truly ruthless."
"Uchiha... Hiromi?"
Obito turned his head stiffly toward Zetsu.
White Zetsu: "Yikes, what a terrifying look!"
Black Zetsu said calmly and gloomily, "He is the one who possesses the Rinnegan, the Eyes of the Sage of Six Paths."
Obito turned his head back. "Right... right..."
"The Rinnegan, he has the Rinnegan..."
"He resurrected Rin, then killed her again. But why did he do this?"
Black Zetsu said calmly, "To enrage you, of course."
"To... enrage me? Yes... that's it! He wouldn't just resurrect Rin for no reason, he must have guessed my identity, and that's why he resurrected her!" Obito's words came faster and faster. "He's doing this just to provoke me!"
His pupils were filled with frenzied bloodshot veins. "Hiromi Hiromi Hiromi Hiromi Hiromi Hiromi Hiromi Hiromi..."
Several minutes of frantic whispering followed.
Obito raised his head, his face ashen, and let out a long howl toward the sky.
"HIROMI!!!"
A wave of immense hatred echoed through the forest, refusing to subside for a long time.
—
Uchiha Clan Compound.
Hiromi's house, basement.
Yahiko looked at the young boy before him in confusion. "I..."
He seemed to remember something, his expression darkening. "I died again."
Then, he saw the three Uchiha Root Members beside him, as well as Rin. Their sclerae were pitch black and their faces were cracked, giving them a ghastly appearance.
Like him, they were all people who had just been resurrected via Edo Tensei.
However, the others were all controlled by genjutsu, only he and the silent Rin were not.
Then, Hiromi's hands formed the "Snake" seal.
Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique!
A green glow appeared, surrounding the five people present. The vibrant green light washed away their feelings of aversion toward the world.
Rin's expression remained the same, and she didn't say a word.
Seeing Hiromi resurrect him once again, Yahiko understood his intentions and bowed deeply to him.
This scene made Rin frown.
"Isn't this Uchiha boy an enemy?" She was somewhat confused.
At that moment, Hiromi walked up to Yahiko, his eyes revealing the mottled depth of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
Transcription Seal: Genjutsu!
The jutsu was completed in silence.
"When you are controlled, you will commit suicide." Hiromi explained.
Yahiko nodded vigorously without the slightest hesitation. "Alright, thank you."
Yahiko's attitude toward Hiromi made Rin feel increasingly strange.
Then, Hiromi walked toward her.
"What are you doing?" Rin was like a wary kitten, looking as if she might bite Hiromi at any moment.
Hiromi said nothing, simply meeting her eyes calmly and placing her under control.
Transcription Seal: Genjutsu!
After finishing this, Hiromi released her from his control.
"Don't mention the resurrection to them, or they will kill you immediately."
As Hiromi spoke, he headed toward the stairs, the three Uchiha Root Members following behind him like puppets.
"Wait!" Yahiko called out urgently.
"What? Don't want to go anymore?" Hiromi narrowed his eyes.
"No... that's not it. I want to ask why she has to come with me?" Yahiko looked at Rin with a pained expression.
He knew what he was doing and how dangerous it was. Therefore, he couldn't bring himself to involve a girl he didn't even know.
"She is a necessity for you to enter the Land of Rain." Hiromi said calmly, his figure gradually departing.
"Even so, you can't let her be killed along with me!" Yahiko shouted anxiously, attempting to change Hiromi's mind.
"She died by suicide." Hiromi's figure was no longer visible, only a faint, calm voice drifted back.
"Suicide?" Rin said in disbelief.
She was going to die by suicide again?
Yahiko looked at Rin in disbelief.
Rin asked, "What's wrong?"
Compared to Hiromi, Rin had a better impression of Yahiko.
Yahiko asked, "Do you know that masked man?"
Rin shook her head in confusion. "No, I don't."
Yahiko fell silent.
In the basement, alone together, the atmosphere was awkward.
After a dozen seconds, he spoke, "I'm sorry, I will try to persuade Hiromi to give up on this."
"His name is Hiromi... do you know him well?"
"...I suppose so."
Yahiko told Rin everything he knew, including how he died in the Third Great Ninja War and his goal of going to the Land of Rain to find the Akatsuki.
"You seem to trust me a lot?" Rin didn't quite understand.
"Since Hiromi resurrected you and isn't controlling you, it means you can be trusted." Yahiko said.
"Is that so..."
Rin hesitated for a moment before also telling Yahiko about her death during the Third Great Ninja War.
Yahiko wasn't surprised. Seeing the masked man's stunned reaction, it was easy to guess that Rin had died once before.
***
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