Yumen Plays with Fire

"Tazuna? You actually know how to show up?"

Naruto curled his lip.

Seeing the other man holding two bottles of wine, he could not help feeling annoyed.

You have money to drink, but not to hire us?

Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the man before them was the one who had issued the mission.

All they needed to do now was lead them a little farther away and gather more information along the way. Then everything would be foolproof!

While Kakashi racked his brains trying to get them to leave, Kakashi on the other side had already tracked them all the way to the bookstore.

"Oh? Customer, you're back."

The bookstore owner greeted him warmly.

He glanced at the Bully Dog on the ground and grinned as he made a couple of coaxing noises.

But when he saw that the other man looked at him coldly without responding, he gave an awkward laugh.

"Damn, even a dog is putting on airs now..."

Kakashi's brows were tightly furrowed, and his heart tightened.

"You came back?"

"How many people were with me just now? Where did they go?"

The bookstore owner was somewhat puzzled, but he still answered patiently.

"You came to the bookstore with someone just now and bought a few of Lord Jiraiya's books. Then three little brats and an old man came to the entrance. After you discussed something, you all headed that way."

Upon hearing this, Kakashi was instantly filled with exasperation.

"Did they even buy Make-Out Paradise just to impersonate me?"

"Naruto, Sasuke, did you never suspect that they might be using the Transformation Technique?"

"Damn it, I thought too highly of you! You've clearly had training related to this!"

Kakashi prayed inwardly that the three of them would be safe, then looked toward Pakkun.

"Pakkun! Track them!"

Pakkun looked every bit like a human wearing a dog's body, and like Kakashi, he had a half-dead expression. He nodded, then sped off in Naruto's direction.

A short while later, Kakashi, who had been racing along, saw the group of six ahead.

"Naruto! Sasuke! Get out of the way!"

Before he arrived, his voice had already reached them.

"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"

Kakashi formed hand seals, and a mud dragon emerged from the earthen ground. The next moment, it spat clumps of rapidly flying mud at Obito and Kakashi.

This was meant to cover Sasuke and Naruto's retreat.

After hearing what Kakashi said, the two on the other side immediately understood what was happening and began widening the distance between themselves and Kakashi.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, took out a kunai, and warily watched the two men.

No wonder! No wonder some inexplicable stranger suddenly showed up and immediately cursed my entire family!

So this man is an impostor pretending to be Teacher Kakashi!

But what kind of Transformation Technique are these two using? Why can't even my Sharingan see through it?

When Kakashi turned around with the two men, he was completely stunned.

They look so alike! Too alike!

There was no trace of the Transformation Technique on either of them. Or... could I simply be unable to see through it?!

The man opposite him looked almost exactly like him, right down to that melancholy air and those half-dead eyes!

No! He has both eyes!

Kakashi was shocked inwardly.

And the man beside him!

He looks so alike! Too alike!

A figure from his memories surfaced—the comrade who had shaken his belief in absolute obedience to the mission.

Obito, who gave me his eye at Kannabi Bridge!

If Obito were still alive, wouldn't he look exactly like this?

That man is Obito grown up!

Not only their appearances—even their Chakra was remarkably similar...

"It seems the ninja of this Shinobi World are far more cautious than we imagined... They've already caught up!"

"Kakashi! Let me meet the you from this world!"

"Uchiha Reflection!"

Obito took out a Gunbai he had obtained not long ago. Wrapping Chakra around it, he smashed the Earth Dragon Bullets apart with nothing but taijutsu, batting them away like shuttlecocks.

"Haha! Keep them coming!"

Obito waved at Kakashi excitedly.

Kakashi stared heavily at the two men. The man before him had blocked so many of his Earth Dragon Bullets with nothing but taijutsu. He was probably a formidable opponent.

But at that moment, his thoughts were entirely focused on the other man's face and his familiar Chakra.

"Who are you? Are you ninja hired by Gato?"

Kakashi shook his head.

Obito dejectedly put away the Gunbai.

"What's your relationship with Obito?"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes and stared at Obito.

"Obito? I'm Obito. What's wrong?"

Obito looked puzzled. Does this guy know the me from this world?

"You're Obito?"

Kakashi said nothing more. Obito was already dead. He had lost his composure just now.

"If you're not people brought here by Gato, I want to take my three students with me."

The brief clash just now had still made Kakashi wary of the two.

For one thing, there was their inscrutable Substitution Technique and their formidable taijutsu. His current mission was to take good care of Team 7 and protect Naruto, so it would be unwise to clash with them now.

The two men were close to Naruto and the others. If they resorted to any means necessary and took Naruto and the others hostage, Kakashi would be in trouble!

"Take them away? Heh, then we'll settle it with our hands!"

Obito naturally had no intention of giving up the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki he had only just obtained. Of course, he would not let Sasuke go either—the only possible member of his clan left in this world after the Uchiha massacre, and someone he wanted to understand this world through.

One was an important mission target required by the Emperor's orders, while the other was the key to understanding the Uchiha of this world.

After all, he still had no Eternal Mangekyo!

According to what the Emperor had said, exchanging eyes with himself from the Parallel World might result in an even more powerful Eternal Mangekyo!

"Kakashi, let me see how strong you are in this world!"

After spending so many years at Imperial University, Obito was no match for Kakashi without using Kamui. He wanted to see whether the Kakashi of this world was just as powerful.

"Suit yourself."

Kakashi sighed helplessly and took a step back.

"You're not planning to intervene?"

Kakashi watched this scene and analyzed every detail.

"Do you think one person is enough to deal with me? Or are you standing by to back him up, waiting to see whether I'll reveal an opening?"

A countless number of possibilities flashed through Kakashi's mind, and his wariness rose to its highest level.

"Since you're also Obito, let me see how your Fire Release is!"

Kakashi focused his gaze and rapidly formed hand seals. The Chakra inside his body began to surge.

His breathing grew steady and powerful, as though he had merged with the surrounding environment.

"Snake—Ram—Monkey—Boar—Horse—Tiger!"

After forming the six seals, Kakashi's right hand circled. Chakra condensed through the hand seals, and he suddenly spat out a huge mass of flames. A great wave of fire carrying scorching heat swept toward Obito.

The flames were extremely hot. Everywhere they passed, the air twisted and warped.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Kakashi shouted in a low voice.

The flames burned fiercely, emitting dazzling light, while the man opposite him who claimed to be Obito still had not reacted.

Kakashi quietly watched the Fire Release Technique he had unleashed, a trace of satisfaction appearing on his face.

He had mastered hundreds of ninja techniques with great proficiency, so this C-rank Great Fireball Technique came naturally to him.

What he never expected was that the other man still had not reacted at all.

Was I being overly cautious?

No! He moved!

Just as Kakashi thought the other man would dodge, he actually began forming hand seals!

"Hmph, that's all you've got? If you had dodged, you might still have had a chance to live. But now... it's already too late!"