"Fu, are you alright?" Natsuki shielded Fu behind him.
"I'm fine! But be careful—this masked man's ability is strange!" Fu hurriedly warned.
Natsuki nodded, his gaze locking on the figure. The man wore the Akatsuki uniform and the swirling mask that revealed only a single eye—one bearing the Sharingan.
Uchiha Obito… just wait, I'll find a chance to expose you!
"You're the so-called Demon Blade of Konoha, Natsuki?" Obito scrutinized him.
Obito had long heard of Natsuki's reputation. Ever since he defeated Orochimaru and Shukaku, his fame had spread rapidly. Later, he even repelled the Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame duo—twice. Eventually, he and Konoha shinobi managed to kill both Kakuzu and Hidan.
Within Akatsuki, Natsuki's name carried weight.
Even Pain—who prided himself as a god—did not underestimate him. After all, Akatsuki's ranks were filled with powerful missing-nin, and yet Natsuki had already defeated or even killed several. He was not to be taken lightly.
Even Obito himself had to be cautious.
Natsuki sneered at him: "Yes, I'm Natsuki. But what exactly are you supposed to be?"
Obito bristled with anger. "Such insolence from a brat!"
"Hah! Why bother with courtesy toward someone hiding behind a mask? I'll tell you this—you've met me today, and your luck's run out!"
"Oh? Let's see just how much weight you carry—"
"Speed is power. Ever been kicked by light?"
Natsuki's words cut him off. By the time the last syllable fell, he was already at Obito's side, launching a blazing laser kick toward his waist.
But Obito reacted swiftly, immediately shifting into intangibility.
The beam pierced through his body and blasted into the distant mountains, detonating them in a thunderous explosion.
Obito broke out in a cold sweat. The boy's speed—faster than Lightning Body Flicker, nearly instantaneous—had brought him within a hair's breadth of death. Only his quick reaction had saved him from being skewered alive.
When did this brat grow so terrifying? I never heard of this!
"Storm Release, is it? Seems I underestimated you," Obito forced his voice to stay calm.
"Heh, stop pretending. Your voice is trembling."
Natsuki ruthlessly exposed him, conjuring a blade of light in his hand. He pressed the glowing edge against Obito's intangible form. Even though Obito was in his ghostly state, his scalp prickled with dread.
"I don't know how long your intangibility lasts, but I bet there's a limit. Otherwise, you'd be invincible—and the world doesn't allow such absurdity. So I'll just keep this blade right here. The moment your time runs out… you're done. What do you think?"
Obito's thoughts immediately soured. He tried to retreat, but the light sword shifted with Natsuki's control—stretching, curving, tracking him no matter where he went, always pinned to his abdomen.
There was no escape.
"Tch! I can't believe I'm being pinned down by such a cheap trick!"
Frustrated, Obito finally activated his eye technique and slipped into Kamui's space.
Natsuki simply waited, expecting him to reappear. But the man never returned. Perhaps he had fled? Or perhaps he lacked the guts to face him again?
In truth, Obito's mindset had crumbled.
Even with Kamui, he hadn't expected to be toyed with like this. It shook him. His intangibility lasted only five minutes, but Natsuki's blade remained fixed against him. The moment Kamui ended, he'd be skewered instantly—no time to react.
Pulling Natsuki into Kamui? Impossible. Natsuki could teleport with Flying Thunder God—Kamui couldn't hold him.
That left two options:
Hide indefinitely inside Kamui.
Cancel Kamui, take the hit, and use Izanagi to survive.
But Izanagi would consume a Sharingan—not worth it. For now, hiding in Kamui seemed safer.
"Damn it! Where did this brat come from, so absurdly strong I can't deal with him? Past records already showed White Fang's kenjutsu, the Eight Gates, Flying Thunder God, and his own inventions. Now he's mastered Storm Release on top of it all—and fights cunningly too! How am I supposed to capture a Jinchuriki like this?!"
Obito fumed inside Kamui, helpless.
Outside, Natsuki chuckled after waiting long enough. "A turtle hiding in its shell! I haven't even gone all out and you've already run? And you dare strut around outside looking for trouble?"
Fu's eyes sparkled with admiration. "Natsuki, you're amazing!"
"Haha, of course!" Natsuki grinned. "Alright, I'll take you back to Takigakure. But you probably can't stay there anymore. Talk to your leader seriously. I can't guarantee I'll always arrive in time—and if those guys get angry, they might massacre the whole village next time."
Fu nodded solemnly. "I understand. I'll talk with Shibuki."
She wasn't naïve; she knew how cruel the shinobi world was. This time, the masked man had spared the village. But what about next time? She couldn't gamble, and neither could Shibuki. She would have to leave.
Meanwhile, in Konoha—two squads, nine shinobi total—were gathered at the village gates, ready with their equipment.
"Let's hurry, Kakashi-sensei! If we're late, it could be too late!" Naruto urged impatiently.
"Now, now," Kakashi calmed him, raising a hand. "In times like these, we need cool heads. To travel fast, we'll need Tenten's help."
He gestured toward her.
Tenten immediately formed hand seals, summoning two colossal mountain eagles—Batora and his mate.
With two eagles, nine people could ride without issue.
Naruto's face lit up. "Oh, right! I forgot Tenten had those giant eagles! With them, we'll reach Sunagakure in no time!"
Tenten called out, "Everyone get on—and hold tight! The flight will be fast!"
They leapt onto the eagles' backs. With a sharp cry, the giant birds spread their wings, shooting into the sky. Wind howled past, blowing everyone's hair into disarray, but none complained. Time was precious.
Less than a day later, the giant eagles descended at Sunagakure's gates. The sand shinobi stationed there were overjoyed—Konoha reinforcements had arrived, and so quickly! They hurried to welcome them in.
Temari, upon hearing the news, rushed to the entrance. Relief washed over her as she saw Konoha's supporting forces.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +20 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 500 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]