Kakuzu's dying outburst had inflicted heavy losses on the allied ninja forces that had surrounded him.
Gazing at Hoshigaki Kisame, the remaining shinobi in the new encirclement moved with extreme caution. Several Kirigakure ninja collaboratively formed hand seals. A dense fog, saturated with chakra, materialized on the battlefield.
"The Silent Killing technique?" Hoshigaki Kisame grinned. "It seems you've forgotten my origins."
As a former member of Kirigakure's ANBU, he was more than familiar with this jutsu. He manipulated his chakra, concealing himself within the dense fog, moving with its flow.
"Are you looking for me?" He appeared behind a Kiri nin, his greatsword Samehada viciously slashing down. Before death, the Kiri ninja's face was filled with terror and disbelief.
"I know better than you how to kill using the Hidden Mist Jutsu," Kisame sneered at the corpse beneath him. "Your movements, your concealment—back in my day, you wouldn't have even graduated from the Ninja Academy."
His figure once again melded into the dense fog.
"Argh! Argh!" Every few breaths, a bloodcurdling scream echoed from within the mist.
"Quick, dispel the Hidden Mist Jutsu!" Chojuro's expression darkened. He hadn't expected their own jutsu to create an advantageous condition for the enemy.
"It's already dispelled!" The few ninja responsible for maintaining the jutsu quickly complied upon hearing the order.
"Then why is the fog still here?" a Konoha ninja asked, his face grim. He now had every reason to suspect that Kirigakure was trying to use Kisame to inflict greater losses on the other villages.
Just then, the area enveloped by the dense fog suddenly expanded.
"Because I am the one controlling the Hidden Mist Jutsu now!" Kisame's voice rang out. Immediately after, a massive sword slashed out from the fog.
Pfft!
A Konoha ninja was instantly mangled into a bloody mess.
"Damn it! Is this the strength of Akatsuki?!" a Kiri nin roared in fury. "The Hidden Mist Jutsu cast by a single person has a greater range than one cast by five of us combined!"
"I made it very clear earlier. Hoshigaki Kisame is known as the 'Tailless Tailed Beast'," Chojuro said, glancing at him. "Everyone, cover me!" He gripped the two handles of Hiramekarei tightly. "Hiramekarei: Release!"
From the two circular holes on the flat, massive blade, a large amount of chakra surged forth. With a light step on the lake's surface, his figure left a long, narrow trail of light where he passed.
"It seems the Five Great Villages are determined to completely eradicate Akatsuki. Hidan was dismembered, Kakuzu is dead, Hiruko is missing..." Naruto (the original, observing through Sekiro) turned his head to look at the two colossal figures battling in the distance. "Konan hasn't appeared yet. Hoshigaki Kisame and Sasori, if things go as expected, will also die in this siege..."
"Nagato Uzumaki, Obito Uchiha, Konan, Zetsu..."
"Akatsuki is down to just these four."
Naruto had considered this. He needed to control Akatsuki's strength within a reasonable range. Previously, it was because Akatsuki had not yet captured the Tailed Beasts; he had to ensure their strength was sufficient to seize the Tailed Beasts from the Five Great Villages. Now, Akatsuki already possessed eight Tailed Beasts. Hoshigaki Kisame and the others clearly could no longer be allowed to exist.
"Oh right, this guy also has no reason to exist anymore."
Naruto, far away in the Land of Dragon, suddenly stood up and vanished from his spot.
In a dim alternate dimension filled with giant, square stone blocks.
The masked man gazed at the colossal Gedo Mazo before him. His exposed eye held both longing and anxiety.
"Rin, we'll be reunited soon.""Now, only the Nine-Tails remains for the Infinite Tsukuyomi...""I'll soon be able to create a beautiful world with only you and me, without Kakashi."
Sssshhhrrrrip!
Nearby space suddenly tore open, forming a rift. From the pitch-black passage that seemed to swallow all light, a figure slowly emerged.
"How did you find this place?" Recognizing the newcomer's face, the masked man's pupil contracted.
"What should I call you? Masked Man? Mysterious Person? Or... Uchiha Obito?" Naruto said, surveying the surrounding dimension.
"..." The masked man, or rather, Uchiha Obito, remained silent for a moment. "How do you know that name?"
"Someone told me." Naruto slowly walked up to him. "I'm more curious, what was your reason for killing your master?"
"Based on what I currently know, whether in daily missions or during wartime, Namikaze Minato seemed to treat you quite well. Even if he didn't treasure you like a gem, he should have fulfilled his duties as a master."
"...What do you know?!" Uchiha Obito roared. "If it weren't for him, how could Rin have died?! He always shows up at the least critical moments! It was like that during the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, and it was like that when Rin was persecuted by Kirigakure!"
After his outburst, he seemed to calm down somewhat. "Killing the Fourth Hokage, your father Namikaze Minato... if I had to give a reason... for peace, I suppose."
"Don't you find it pathetic?"
"Explain," Naruto said, looking at him with keen interest.
"As my teacher, during the Nine-Tails' attack, he failed to recognize me. Hailed as the fastest in the shinobi world, he also failed to protect Konoha and your mother."
"So, you believe Rin's death, and even your own transformation into what you are now, are all because of him?" After hearing his explanation, Naruto only felt a sense of weariness. He had no interest in arguing with someone with such twisted values.
"Isn't that the case?!" Uchiha Obito glared at him and retorted angrily.
Naruto suddenly appeared beside him. His right hand, formed into a claw, grabbed Obito's head and slammed it forcefully into the ground.
BOOM!
"Placing your hopes on others... should I say you're too trusting, or just brain-dead?"
BOOM! BOOM!
With that, he smashed Obito's head against the ground twice more.
"Rely on mountains, and they will collapse; rely on people, and they will flee! Such a simple truth, you've lived for so many years, don't you understand it?!"
"If you understand, then make a sound!"
"..."
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Another three impacts.
By now, the mask Uchiha Obito wore had long since shattered, his face covered in impact marks and blood.
"Do you understand now or not?"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Four more impacts.
"I... I understand..." Uchiha Obito's teeth were half broken, his speech slurred and indistinct.
"See? Such a simple truth, and you couldn't understand it for so many years." Naruto nodded with a hint of satisfaction.
Why? Why can't my body phase into reality? Feeling the warmth of the hand gripping the back of his head, Uchiha Obito's heart was filled with terror and disbelief.
"Are you wondering why your dojutsu isn't working?" Naruto seemed to read his thoughts. "It's simple. I just had to sever your connection with this alternate dimension."
"If a person's strength is sufficient, then they can protect their own family, friends, and everything they wish to protect."
"Come on, answer me!" Naruto's voice was cold. "Why did your beloved Rin die?"
"Bastard!" Uchiha Obito roared.
CRACK!
Naruto bent Obito's fingers backward a full two hundred and seventy degrees.
"AAAAARRRGH!!!" A piercing scream echoed through the alternate dimension.