Obito quickly got up as if the kick that sent him flying off his feet, didn't even faze him. He walked towards Shisui and Itachi.
"Ah, well, well. If it isn't the two geniuses of the Uchiha Clan." Obito said in an amused voice as if taunting them.
FOOSH
THE Gunbai appeared in Obito's hand out of thin air as he pointed it towards the two once in a lifetime Uchiha geniuses.
Obito, his spiraling mask on, loomed over them like a ghost. His lone Sharingan burned ominously in its eye socket, its red glow a warning of malevolence. To the Uchiha duo, this was Madara Uchiha—a legendary demon from their clan's history, now standing in their path.
"Your resolve is admirable," Obito grated, his voice a low, taunting snarl. "But futile. Step aside, and I might let you live."
Shisui's eyes narrowed. "You underestimate us, 'Madara.' We won't let you harm our clan."
Everything Itachi knew about this 'Madara' was told to Shisui.
'Madara. Grandpa said he's supposed to be dead, and yet. No, this isn't the time I should be thinking about that. Madara or not, he's a threat to Konoha. I won't let him do whatever he wants.' Shisui thought to himself.
Obito's eye spun, the Sharingan churning. "Then die with your pride."
Shisui's eyes narrowed as he activated his three tomoe Sharingan.
The air exploded into action in a split second. Shisui was gone in a burst of speed, reappearing behind Obito as his short sword came down in a slashing arc. The masked man barely turned out of the way in time, but Itachi was already there, kunai ready, aiming for a thrust. Obito intangibly moved through Itachi's attack, letting the kunai pass safely through his body.
"Solid teamwork," Obito scorned. "But predictable."
He had no time to retaliate before Shisui unleashed a spinning kick, his leg aiming for Obito's head. The masked individual fully appeared this time, blocking the kick with his Gunbai. The impact of the hit resounded, shockwaves rippling from the forest floor.
Itachi and Shisui fell into a synchronized rhythm, their taijutsu playing out like a choreographed dance. Itachi launched a series of rapid punches and kicks, each strike smoothly followed by Shisui's counters and counterattacks. Their twin assault sent Obito on the defensive, his gunbai a blur as he deflected and parried. His serene composure, however, never wavered.
"Taijutsu alone won't bring him down," Shisui said, weaving backward.
"Got it," Itachi replied. "We'll alternate."
Itachi formed a series of hand seals. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flame Jutsu!"
Small fireballs exploded from his mouth, each writhing and searching for Obito. Shisui was next, weaving his own jutsu in between. "Fire Style: Fireball Technique!"
A giant fireball twirled into a bellowing coil heading towards Obito. The fireballs merged into a vortex, a mass of churning intense heat and flames. Obito's Sharingan spun, mapping the trajectory, and he leaped high to avoid the attack.
Shisui anticipated the movement. Still holding himself aloft, he drew his sword and tossed it precisely, the metal glinting in the moon. Obito whirled, phasing through the sword—but it was a feint. The sword struck a nearby tree and rebounded, Obito forced to materialize on the ground.
Itachi was prepared. He plummeted, his kunai slashing towards the mask's eyehole. Obito barely deflected, the weapons shrieking metallically as they clashed. The ground beneath them cracked under the force.
"You fight well," Obito admitted, his voice almost respectful. "But not well enough."
As they battled, Itachi's mind raced. This 'Madara' was toying with them, testing their boundaries. Why? What was he trying to accomplish?
"Why destroy the Uchiha?" Itachi pushed between strikes. "What do you gain?"
Obito's Sharingan glowed. "Power. Freedom from the cycle of hatred."
"Is this freedom you call it?" Shisui snapped back, firing a barrage of attacks. "You're generating more hatred."
Obito's eye glowed. "Feeble words by children."
Despite the duo's relentless attacks, Obito's phasing jutsu made him nearly invulnerable. Itachi discreetly signaled to Shisui. They needed to adjust their strategy.
"Create an opening," Shisui whispered.
Itachi nodded. He charged in, his movements a deliberate overextension. Obito saw through it at once, his Sharingan anticipating the pretended opening. But as he phased through Itachi, Shisui struck from behind, sword slicing through the air.
Obito phased at the last second, but Shisui had anticipated it. The sword halted mid-swing and, with a flick of his wrist, he changed direction, catching Obito just as he materialized.
A fine line of blood showed on the mask.
Obito moved back, reaching up to the scratch on his mask. His Sharingan flared brighter.
"Impressive," he conceded.
Shisui and Itachi shared a look. They had managed to hit him, but winning was anything but assured. The fact that Obito was so calm indicated he was restraining himself—and that scared them to death.
"We defend the clan and the village." Shisui whispered, determination strengthening.
"Together," Itachi agreed.
The battle was far from over. The forest held its breath in anticipation of the next clash.
The thin line of blood on Obito's mask glistened, a stark reminder that even he could bleed. Moonlight seeped through the forest, bathing the battlefield in an otherworldly light where three combatants stood—bound in a deadly dance of fate and rage.
Shisui wiped the sweat from his brow, his gaze fixed on their incorporeal enemy. His breathing was even, but beneath the calm exterior, his mind raced in a tumult. 'We've managed to scratch him, but that's hardly enough.'
Itachi, his face calm but eyes burning with focus, tightened his grip on the kunai in his hand. "He's phasing strategically. We need to determine how to catch him off guard."
Shisui nodded, his hand on the hilt of his short sword. "We have to wait for him to re-materialize. Timing is everything."
Obito's single Sharingan swirled ominously. "I admire your resolve, but you are wasting your time. I am beyond your grasp."
Then, in an instant and without warning, Obito lunged forward, his movements a blur. Shisui and Itachi had little time to react as he appeared between them, Gunbai cutting in a wide arc. The force of the swing generated a shockwave that broke branches and scattered leaves.
Shisui ducked low, leg sweeping in a swift counter. Obito phased through it, but Itachi was ready, striking with a kunai timed for when he solidified again. Metal clashed against wood as Obito blocked with his gunbai, the noise echoing through the trees.
"Predictable," Obito sneered.
Itachi smirked, however. "Was it?"
From above, Shisui dived like a hawk, sword glinting in the moonlight. Obito phased again, but this time Shisui was prepared. He rotated in the air, his sword reversing direction, slashing the moment Obito appeared.
***