Kakashi gasped violently for breath.
The severe pain in his left shoulder and the serious overdraft of Chakra made his vision somewhat blurry.
He was reaching his limit!
Just as Pakkun said, with his ability, facing one or two Chunin or Tokubetsu Jonin, he could still fight desperately, but if it were two Jonin, there was basically no chance of winning.
But even so...
Rin... was right over there; he had to go!
Kakashi bit his lip hard, using pain to stimulate himself to stay awake, his two-tomoe Sharingan staring dead at Karatachi Makoto.
"It seems you don't intend to cooperate."
Karatachi Makoto sighed, took another bite of the grilled fish, and threw it beside Mangetsu: "Then there's no other way. This Captain will have to personally..."
He hadn't finished his sentence.
"ROAR!!!"
An indescribable, extremely violent, angry roar filled with the aura of destruction exploded from inside the warehouse like a thunderclap on flat ground.
Immediately following were several cries of alarm and screams from the Kirigakure Anbu ninjas, as well as the ear-piercing sound of the barrier shattering!
"Not good, the Three-Tails Chakra is out of control!"
"Sealing backlash, retreat quickly!"
"Ah!"
A turbulent flow of dark red Tailed Beast Chakra surged up. Karatachi Makoto's face changed drastically. That lazy appearance disappeared instantly as he grabbed the limp Hōzuki Mangetsu from the ground with one hand and vanished from the spot.
The violent Chakra plowed through like a storm, its might vast and mighty.
"Rin!!"
Kakashi's eyes nearly split open. Disregarding the heavy injury on his left shoulder and his nearly exhausted Chakra, he was about to rush towards the center of that Chakra storm.
And just at this moment, a slender figure miraculously squeezed out from that chaotic Chakra flow, staggering.
It was none other than Rin Nohara!
Her face was as pale as paper, blood overflowing from the corner of her mouth, yet her eyes held a kind of resolute clarity.
"Kakashi?!"
Looking at the surroundings devastated by the Chakra storm, Rin Nohara also noticed Kakashi immediately. She hurriedly shouted with all her strength, while simultaneously desperately suppressing the rampaging Tailed Beast Chakra within her body.
Seeing that Rin was still alive, Kakashi's spirit was suddenly invigorated. Not knowing where the strength came from, he rushed forward and grabbed Rin's hand.
"Go!"
Supporting each other, the two took advantage of the huge chaos and smoke caused by the Three-Tails Chakra rampage and fled towards the dense forest at the edge of the island without looking back.
Although they didn't know exactly what happened, they had to escape now!
The Tailed Beasts were indeed natural disaster weapons that awed the Ninja World. Even a sporadic Chakra rampage caused a huge commotion comparable to a Forbidden Jutsu.
The energy aftershocks slowly dissipated, and a burst of violent coughing came from the dust.
The center of the previous sealing ritual was now in a mess. The complex sealing formulas were completely destroyed, and scorched traces and scattered fragments of sealing tools remained on the ground.
Several Kirigakure Anbu ninjas responsible for the sealing lay scattered on the ground, their life or death unknown. The only two remaining were also scarred and barely supporting themselves.
The leading Anbu Captain had the heaviest injuries.
Half of his body was scorched black, and his mask was mostly shattered, revealing a bloody cheek with burn marks underneath, blood constantly overflowing from the corner of his mouth.
The sealing couldn't be said to have failed, because they had indeed sealed the Tailed Beast into that guy's body. The problem lay with that control talisman!
When they attempted to implant that control talisman into Rin Nohara's heart, the Three-Tails Chakra suddenly went berserk, directly inflicting heavy injuries on them. It also allowed that girl to seize the opportunity to break free and escape with the Konoha ninja who suddenly intruded!
"Damn it, cough cough."
The Anbu Captain coughed up another mouthful of blood: "Karatachi Makoto... Karatachi Makoto!"
"Subordinate is here."
Karatachi Makoto appeared at the appropriate time.
"Captain, are you alright? That was too dangerous just now. Tailed Beasts are indeed..."
"Cut the crap!"
The Anbu Captain interrupted him sternly.
"That vessel... she absolutely cannot be allowed to escape. Immediately, take people to chase her immediately."
"The control curse seal in her body hasn't been completely implanted yet. She must be captured and resealed, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable!"
"This..."
Karatachi Makoto hesitated slightly.
"Captain, if that guy can still unleash that level of Chakra outburst just now, I'm definitely not an opponent."
"Shut up!"
He stared dead at Karatachi Makoto, blood in his mouth, but his tone allowed no doubt.
"She is an important strategic weapon and must be captured. This is a supreme order issued personally by the Third Mizukage."
"If you fail... you know the consequences!"
"...Yes."
...
"Rin... Rin..."
Meanwhile, inside an extremely dark underground cave.
A boy with half his body appearing strangely white muttered twice, then suddenly opened his eyes.
Looking at the dim world before him, Uchiha Obito only felt somewhat unreal.
He had been here for quite some time, but every time he woke up, he suspected he was dreaming.
Indeed, having half his body crushed by a giant rock, not only did he not die, but he was saved by an Uchiha grandpa, and there were several guys who didn't look human chattering and accompanying him all day.
Such things, even in the strangest storybooks, had never happened.
"...Obito, you're awake."
An old and hoarse voice sounded. Uchiha Obito turned his head to look at the source of the voice.
It was an old man sitting under the huge Gedo Statue, with a hunched figure and a withered face.
Clearly looking like he was on the verge of death, yet according to this old guy's claim, he possessed a name that made the entire Ninja World tremble in fear.
Uchiha Madara!
Of course, Obito didn't believe it.
"Are you going to start a long speech about those things again? It's very boring, Grandpa."
Obito glanced at Madara, too lazy to say much.
These days, Madara would occasionally tell him some concepts about the world, war, and reality.
At first, Obito felt shocked or curious, but after hearing too much, especially facing this dark and dead underground every time he woke up, he only felt annoyed.
He cared more about the outside world, how Kakashi and Rin were doing, and whether the war was over.
"Reality is just this boring."
Madara spoke slowly, his withered face appearing unusually profound under the dim, flickering candlelight: "Reality is cruel and desperate, so much so that most people choose to close their eyes and indulge in false warmth. Just like you, still missing those bonds with companions that will eventually be lost..."
"Enough!"
Obito interrupted him impatiently. "I've said it many times. When my injuries heal, I will leave here, return to Konoha, and return to Kakashi and Rin. Although I'm very grateful that you saved me, Grandpa, I can't really stay here to care for you in your old age."
"And I'm really not interested in your stuff at all!"
Madara looked at him silently, his eyes calm as an ancient well, as if looking at a child throwing a tantrum.
Obito turned his body away, not looking at this stubborn, weird old grandpa.
But just at this moment, above the cave, a white figure resembling a pitcher plant grew out of the rock wall and shouted somewhat excitedly.
"I just went outside for a trip. The situation with that Rin and idiot Kakashi you mentioned is very bad!"
"Wh-What?!"