Chapter 166: Final Rupture
Hearing Uchiha Obito once again mention Uchiha Dali, Minato Namikaze realized that Obito must be deeply wary of Dali's strength, which stirred something in his heart.
"Actually, your ideal goal aligns with that of the Fourth Hokage."
"We too hope to create a truly peaceful world."
"A world without war, where everyone can live happy lives."
Minato still hoped to bring his former student back to the right path.
Though Kushina's death had left him deeply pained inside.
But Obito remained unmoved by Minato's words, coldly replying, "That so-called peace of yours won't last."
"As long as people harbor selfishness, greed, and arrogant pride, true peace will never come."
"Only my plan can bring real peace to this world."
Kakashi's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately asked, "Then what exactly is your plan?"
Minato also showed an expression of interest.
The two of them shared the same thought—if they could understand the Akatsuki and Obito's true ambitions and goals, perhaps they could find a way to dismantle their plans strategically.
That might be the only way to bring Obito back and make him see reason.
After all, in Minato's eyes, Obito and Kakashi were still just teenagers.
At that age, they were inexperienced and most vulnerable to misunderstanding and manipulation.
That was why Minato displayed such extraordinary patience and tolerance.
If it had been an adult who'd done these things, he would've taken action immediately.
"Are you two deliberately trying to stall for time?" Obito countered instead of answering.
His question caught both Kakashi and Minato off guard.
They hadn't considered that at all.
But Obito didn't wait for an explanation and continued, "Now isn't the right time."
"When the time comes, I'll tell you. All you'll need to do is make a choice."
"Can't we talk this through, Obito?" Minato's expression turned to one of disappointment.
Obito's response seemed to close the door to any further discussion.
There was nothing left to say between them.
"Minato-sensei, it seems you do recognize the merits of my plan after all."
"If the plan succeeds, you and Kushina-sensei could reunite with Naruto again one day. That is his name, isn't it?"
Obito's tone grew cold as he glanced at little Naruto, who was entangled in thorny vines in his arms.
At those words, both Minato and Kakashi realized things were taking a dangerous turn.
"Don't force my hand, Obito."
Faced with the threat to his son's life, Minato's face and eyes finally changed completely.
He had still hoped to reason with Obito.
But now, with Obito clearly intent on killing Naruto, Minato could no longer hold onto that hope.
A Flying Thunder God kunai silently appeared in his hand.
From his angle, Obito couldn't see what Minato was doing with his right hand.
And from the start, Minato had been deliberately provoking Obito with words to divert his attention.
He was confident that, if he acted, he could snatch Naruto back from Obito's grasp in an instant.
But the moment Minato issued a warning, Obito's eyes turned icy.
"As I thought, I expected too much from you. That's why I feel this sting of disappointment now."
"Kakashi, I entrusted Rin to you, told you to protect her. You failed me—you betrayed my trust first."
"And you, Minato-sensei. You were our squad's jonin leader, yet you were always off running around the battlefield. If you'd stayed with us, Rin wouldn't have died."
"Obito…"
Minato had always blamed himself for what happened.
Now, hearing Obito say it outright, he was filled with emotion and deep shame, left speechless.
"But it doesn't matter. Whether you're here or not makes no difference."
"I never could count on you before, and I don't need your help now. The plan will proceed as intended."
With that, Obito decisively activated his chakra, preparing to use the Thorn Kill Technique to kill young Naruto.
Minato was no ordinary shinobi.
He needed to shake Minato to his very core—only then could this nearly perfect man show a crack in his heart.
And that crack would give Obito the chance to land a fatal blow.
Once Minato was dealt with, only Kakashi would remain. With his Mangekyō Sharingan and Wood Style, Obito was confident he wouldn't escape.
He might not even need to strike directly—he could just trap Kakashi here and starve him to death.
Obito activated the Thorn Kill Technique to finish Naruto.
But in that critical moment, Minato—who had long anticipated such a dangerous turn—moved without hesitation.
The kunai hidden in his right hand was hurled straight at Obito's face—lightning-fast.
At the same time, Kakashi was fully prepared to back him up.
The battle had officially begun.
…
Meanwhile, Uchiha Dali activated an advanced Flying Thunder God technique and jumped directly from the Hidden Leaf to the Rain Village in the Land of Rain.
He hadn't told anyone where he was going, for one simple reason.
On the surface, no one knew that he had long been aware of the Akatsuki's headquarters.
Reaching the outskirts of the Rain Village, Dali unleashed his Observation Haki to scan the entire area.
In an instant, he perceived everything within the village.
But what surprised him was how weak the chakra signatures were here.
Of course, that was only in comparison to monsters like him.
Aside from a few low-level ninja, there wasn't a single noteworthy presence.
"So, they're not here."
After a quick sweep with his Observation Haki, he had already grasped the full situation.
Members of the Akatsuki might not all be above Kage level, but many of them were truly monstrous.
If any of them were here, he would have sensed their chakra immediately.
Since they weren't in the village or anywhere within his sensing range, that meant they had already left on a mission.
"Could it be… there?"
A possibility flickered through Uchiha Dali's mind.
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