The Battle Between Two Uchiha

Near the Land of Fire's border with the Land of Rain, squads of ninjas from the Anbu and Root dispersed to search and investigate.

They were investigation teams dispatched by the Third Hokage and Shimura Danzō, currently looking into the destruction of Root's elite ninja squad.

If this continues, the Akatsuki Organization's base may be exposed ahead of time!

Accompanied by a swirl, a man wearing a Spiral Mask abruptly appeared. It was Uchiha Obito, posing as Uchiha Madara.

He looked toward a Konoha investigation squad in the distance and could not help but frown slightly.

In his view, Nagato's earlier actions had been far too impulsive. However, what was done was done; saying anything now would be useless.

What he needed to do now was draw Konoha's attention away and prevent the Akatsuki Organization's base from being exposed.

With that thought, he turned his gaze toward the investigation squad, killing intent flashing in his eyes.

Whoosh!

In an instant, he appeared beside one of the investigation squad's ninjas.

Before the ninja could react, Obito used a sharp branch in his hand to pierce through his body.

"Wood Style: Cutting Sprig."

The branch embedded in the ninja's body grew countless offshoots under Obito's control, bursting out from all parts of the ninja's body.

Before he could even scream, the ninja was already dead.

"Who's there?"

The commotion alerted the other three members of the squad. They cried out in alarm and looked toward the source of the noise.

They saw their companion's body pierced through by countless branches before he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"Zongjiu!!!"

Seeing their companion, whom they had spent every day with, die so horribly, the three men's eyes turned red with rage.

Two of them hurled a large handful of shuriken at Uchiha Obito and fired a distress signal, while the other seized the chance to rapidly form hand seals and unleash a ninjutsu.

Squelch, squelch—

Easily dodging the shuriken thrown by the two men, Uchiha Obito closed in and effortlessly killed them with sharp branches.

The two had not been weak. To qualify for a search squad, they possessed strength comparable to Special Jonin.

But before Uchiha Obito, whose strength surpassed that of an ordinary Kage-level ninja, such power was naturally insignificant. They were killed with ease.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves."

Seeing his other two companions die miserably, the last man's face twisted with fury.

As he completed his hand seals, dozens of blade-shaped spinning wind blades shot toward Uchiha Obito.

"Die!"

He glared at Uchiha Obito with hatred, hoping the spinning wind blades would slice this enemy into minced flesh.

But the next moment, his expression turned to horror.

Every spinning wind blade passed straight through the enemy's body. The enemy was completely unharmed, and even his movements were not hindered.

It was as though he were merely an insubstantial phantom.

Squelch—

Amid his horror, the enemy approached and pierced his body with a sharp branch.

Several bloody holes appeared across his body, and he fell with unwillingness in his eyes.

He could not understand why his ninjutsu could not touch the enemy.

Whoosh!

A figure rushed toward them at incredible speed, leaving a string of afterimages along the way.

It was a masked youth with a tachi strapped to his back—the Uchiha Shisui known as Body Flicker Shisui.

Upon seeing the distress signal, he had temporarily split from his squad and raced here at full speed.

When he arrived, he saw Uchiha Obito piercing and killing the last man with a branch.

"The First Hokage's Wood Release Kekkei Genkai!"

He stared in shock at Uchiha Obito, who held the branch in his hand.

He could not possibly be mistaken. The ninjutsu this man had used was Wood Release.

The ability to use Wood Release meant this man possessed the same Wood Release Kekkei Genkai as the First Hokage.

"Who are you? Why do you have the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai? Why did you kill them?"

His gaze swept over the four slain Konoha ninjas as killing intent radiated from him.

This person, who possessed the same Wood Release Kekkei Genkai as the First Hokage, was clearly an enemy, not an ally.

So fast!

Uchiha Obito looked at the newcomer with some surprise.

To draw away Konoha's investigation squads, he had deliberately not stopped the ninja from releasing the distress signal. Yet he had not expected reinforcements to arrive so quickly.

A cold smile appeared on his face beneath the Spiral Mask.

"What use is knowing? You're about to die anyway!"

"Then I'll have no choice but to capture you!"

Drawing his tachi, Uchiha Shisui activated the Body Flicker Technique.

Whoosh!

His body instantly closed in on Uchiha Obito, and the tachi in his hand slashed toward Obito's abdomen.

"What...?"

The next moment, Uchiha Shisui was stunned.

The tachi passed through as though cutting air, failing to harm the other man in the slightest. His opponent's body was like a phantom, completely without substance.

"Wood Style: Cutting Sprig!"

A branch extended from Uchiha Obito's hand and stabbed toward the stunned Uchiha Shisui's heart.

Just as the branch was about to pierce his heart, Uchiha Shisui pushed his Body Flicker Technique to its limit and twisted his body to the side as far as he could.

The speed he displayed in that instant was undoubtedly among the very best even among Kage-level ninjas.

Rip!

The branch grazed Uchiha Shisui's body, leaving a wound at his waist.

The two passed each other.

Uchiha Shisui turned around, glanced at the wound on his waist, and stared solemnly at Uchiha Obito.

"Who exactly are you? What was that ninjutsu just now?"

"Judging by Body Flicker Technique alone, perhaps only the Fourth Raikage in the entire ninja world can surpass you. I never expected Konoha to have someone like you."

Uchiha Obito turned around as well, looking at Uchiha Shisui with considerable surprise.

The Body Flicker Technique Uchiha Shisui had displayed just now made him realize that this person was far from ordinary.

"It would be best to eliminate someone like you early."

Intense killing intent radiated from him.

"That's exactly what I was going to say."

Uchiha Shisui likewise exuded intense killing intent.

"Kotoamatsukami!"

Four blade-like patterns appeared in his eyes as he activated the Dojutsu, Kotoamatsukami.

"Mangekyō Sharingan?"

Uchiha Obito's face beneath the mask was filled with shock.

This man was actually from the Uchiha Clan, and like him, he had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.

He immediately averted his gaze to avoid making eye contact.

But he discovered that it was useless. An eerie power was invading his mind.

A chilling sensation rose in his heart.

He hurriedly used Kamui's Phasing, shifting his body into another dimension.

"It failed!"

Uchiha Shisui frowned.

At first, Kotoamatsukami had indeed affected the other man, but it quickly lost its effect.

The other man must have used that ability from earlier to nullify Kotoamatsukami.

He could not understand what kind of ability the enemy possessed that could render Kotoamatsukami ineffective.

"Young Uchiha Clan member, I'll remember you!"

Casting a wary glance at Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Obito disappeared into a swirl.

Though he did not believe he would lose to the other man, he did not wish to fight him now.

Every Mangekyō Sharingan possessed strange abilities. If he first figured out the Dojutsu contained within the other man's Mangekyō Sharingan, his chances of victory in a battle would undoubtedly be greater.

Moreover, he began to consider whether he could recruit the other man into the Akatsuki Organization.

After all, if someone with the Mangekyō Sharingan joined the Akatsuki Organization, it would surely greatly strengthen its fighting power.