Grit and sand rustled as they fell from the tree roots. Because of Obito's words, the battlefield, surrounded by figures, fell into true silence.
'...Hattori is dead?'
The thought flashed through Kakashi's mind but was immediately dismissed. He stared at the masked face, lips pressed tightly together.
Logan's strength was undeniable, and just recently, he had seen him alive and well in the Land of Wind.
"Don't believe his words!"
Kakashi shouted, his expression wary. His mind raced as he observed the masked man standing leisurely before him, 'Was this guy trying to disrupt their morale?'
Kakashi took a step sideways, completely blocking the line of sight between the masked man and Mai. He glanced back and said, "Mai, are you okay?"
There was no response. Kakashi instinctively looked over and saw Mai kneeling on the ground in a daze, as if all her spirit had been drained.
His heart clenched. Kakashi knew how deep Mai's feelings for Logan ran, like an unbreakable bond that had encouraged her to strive for a better life.
'If that were suddenly severed, the blow would be devastating.'
'It could even crush her will to fight in an instant...' Kakashi tightened his grip, glaring at the masked man, 'Damn it, this bastard must have used his Sharingan to read Mai's thoughts during their earlier eye contact?'
"Mai, listen to me, this is just his one-sided statement." Kakashi said, adjusting his tone to sound as calm as possible, "Don't let him manipulate you."
After a brief silence, Kakashi's eyes reflected the image of someone carefree and untroubled. "Besides, don't forget… Hattori is strong. He wouldn't die so easily."
Mai remained slumped, her mind echoing the news she never wanted to hear a second time, 'Hattori-nii is dead. Dead. Dead...'
The gray words expanded endlessly, crashing against her chest like a tidal wave, as if her heart had been shattered.
I-Is that so...?" Mai faintly heard Kakashi's words of comfort. Slowly, as if lifting a thousand-pound weight, she raised her head, a glimmer of light returning to her eyes.
Nearby, Team 8, Hinata, Shino, and the others, had been stunned by the news at first. Even Naruto and Sakura, who is originally from Team 7, quickly dismissed the masked man's baseless claim and refocused.
Only Mai seemed especially vulnerable in that moment.
Kakashi nodded, about to continue reinforcing the girl's resolve.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
A burst of arrogant laughter rang out, reaching everyone's ears, "How laughable. I merely stated a fact, and whether you believe it or not is up to you."
Nine people stood in a semi-circle, confronting Obito, yet he showed no fear. Standing atop a high tree root, he looked down with amusement at the girl who had been so resolute just moments ago, his tone eerily calm:
"I'm Akatsuki, you know. When a fellow member says something like this, don't you think it's true? Or should I describe Raiden Hattori's final moments in detail for you? Ah, well, never mind. If you want to pretend I'm lying, that's fine too."
"Shut up!" Sakura roared. Seeing her junior, whom she had trained with daily, so utterly broken, filled her with pain and fury. She clenched her fist and swung with monstrous strength, enough to shatter boulders and crack the earth, but her attack passed harmlessly through the enemy.
Obito leaped high into the air, landing on an even taller tree root. He scanned the battlefield, a cold smirk forming. This was the kind of development he enjoyed.
Over the years, he had traveled the continent with deep, calculated ambitions. His strength had grown, his knowledge expanded, and he had become a true architect of his grand plan.
But sometimes, irritation crept in… just like today. Watching the girl named Mai and the Ninja named Naruto below, he couldn't help but recall scenes from a past he had long abandoned.
Because they reminded him of his younger self.
A young Obito, wearing goggles, naive in face and heart, full of ideals and justice, dreaming of becoming Hokage. Obito didn't want to see their kindness and perseverance, as he had given up on those things long.
Given the chance, Obito would gladly crush them, proving to himself that the path he had chosen was the right one.
This complex drove him, much like how, in the original work, he had nearly broken Naruto.
Rumble…
A faint, distant roll of thunder echoed across the battlefield.
It seemed to travel from somewhere far away, the sudden anomaly making everyone pause. Even Obito noticed, but his senses detected nothing.
"Must be my imagination."
Obito glanced around dismissively, looking up at the sky before brushing it off. He turned back to the group below.
"Getting violent out of anger isn't very becoming. Since you've got time to spare... maybe I should tell you exactly how Raiden Hattori died..."
As he spoke, he watched Mayui's expression. She refused to meet his gaze, shoulders trembling slightly, her head bowed as if she wanted to disappear. He grinned.
"Let me think... It happened around..."
His confident tone made even Kakashi and the others waver.
Rumble…
Suddenly, the same deep, thunderous sound rolled through again, as if following the previous one.
'This was no illusion.' Obito's earlier suspicion surged back. Activating his Sharingan, he peered in the direction of the noise.
Yamato and Kakashi exchanged glances, "What's going on?"
The Konoha's Ninja grew restless. Though the sky was overcast, it was nowhere near storm conditions, and judging by the Akatsuki's member's reaction, this didn't seem like his doing either...
"Byakugan!" Hinata's veins bulged around her eyes.
"Wha…" The next second, her mouth fell open as if she had seen something unbelievable.
"What do you see?"
"It's... It's a..."
Hinata didn't even get to finish the word 'person' before a single point of light split the world open.
No further explanation was needed.
Beyond the twisted roots, deep in the silent forest, a tiny speck of radiant blue, edged with crimson, streaked forward!
Whoosh-
Almost no one could track what happened. That minuscule point of light arrived in an instant, expanding into overwhelming brilliance. Sight, color, wind, and heat all arrived in its wake… the once-somber battlefield now boiling with energy.
Rumble!
The sound tore through eardrums… air itself unable to withstand the speed. The light flashed past the group in the blink of an eye, lightning crackling, flames trailing. Most barely registered it as a human figure.
"Who is that?!"
In the face of this sudden development, credit had to be given to Obito's professionalism. He realized the light was a person… and in the split second it took to breach his position, heading straight for the rear, he acted on instinct.
Obito's Sharingan widened, trying to track the movement...
Bang!!!
Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough. The thought of phasing barely formed before impact.
A devastating force exploded against his abdomen. Obito's face twisted as he vomited blood, sending him flying like a ragdoll!
The Konoha's Ninja watched, stunned, as the previously smug Akatsuki's member, who had relied on his cheat ability to act invincible, was smashed through two trees with a series of sickening cracks before tumbling into a cloud of dust, motionless.
"…"
Creak, creak, the broken trees toppled, leaves scattering like rain.
Silence reclaimed the world.