D-Damn it...
T-This Taki Chiba...
Blood spilled out in streams, scattering away with the scenery rushing past his eyes. Amid the cracking sounds and splashing blood, Uchiha Nobuhiko's eyes widened. Within the vision of his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, the still reflection of that emerald-green youth remained—crouched low in profile, one palm thrust forward.
At this moment, although his body was flying backward, everything in his eyes seemed frozen.
Especially the emerald-green figure before him.
Distracted? Hesitant?
Stunned?
No. None of that existed. There was only calmness and coldness in Taki Chiba's eyes. Not the slightest hesitation, not the slightest daze.
Without the slightest hesitation, at the very moment inspiration had struck him, at the moment he had been stunned, at the moment he had been surprised by the Nine-Tails' release, Taki Chiba had already launched a Rasengan fused with four Nature Transformations right at his side.
That flash of inspiration just now, those smug so-called surprise attacks—they had been half a beat too slow. No, a full beat too slow.
Taki Chiba had never hesitated, had never been stunned, had never...
Given him an opportunity! At this moment, everything from Taki Chiba's revival until now flashed through Uchiha Nobuhiko's mind. He suddenly realized that Taki Chiba, who could move freely within his controlled space-time, who possessed a speed that even the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan could fail to catch if it blinked, how could he have allowed Uchiha Obito to seize Kushina Uzumaki? How could he have allowed Uchiha Obito to capture the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and activate his Space-Time Ability?
Even if Uchiha Obito had used the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki as a hostage, with Taki Chiba's current speed, he could absolutely have snatched the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki away before Uchiha Obito slit her throat.
Why hadn't he saved the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki then?
Uchiha