The icy Kunai tore through the air, screeching deadly as it came from an unexpected angle!
"Enemy attack!"
Kakashi's warning and the ear-piercing sound of metal clashing exploded almost simultaneously.
His reaction was astonishingly fast; he instantly drew the short knife from his back and parried the blow aimed at Lin's back, sparks flying everywhere.
Obito reacted a beat too slow, hastily throwing a shuriken in an attempt to intercept another enemy emerging from underground, but the enemy easily dodged it.
Another enemy's fist slammed heavily into his ribs. Obito groaned as a sharp pain shot through him, and his body flew backward uncontrollably, crashing into a thick tree trunk.
" Obito!"
Lin exclaimed in surprise and immediately Hand Seals.
" Medical Ninjutsu: Mystical Palm Technique!"
A soft green light shone on her hand, but she was entangled with two enemies and couldn't get close at all.
There were five attackers, all covered in tight black clothing and wearing strange masks that obscured their faces.
Their movements were swift and silent, their coordination terrifyingly perfect, as if they shared a single brain.
What's even more unsettling is that their chakra feels strangely bizarre, with an inhuman coldness and stickiness.
Kakashi was under immense pressure, facing an attack from three enemies all by himself.
His eyes darted around, capturing every subtle movement of his opponent.
These enemies possess extremely bizarre Taijutsu; their bodies can often contort in ways that defy common sense, their joints seem to be able to reverse at will, and their attack angles are tricky and vicious.
" Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
Kakashi seized an opening, quickly Hand Seals, and spat out a powerful stream of water, temporarily forcing back the enemy in front of him.
But an enemy slid along the side as if he had no bones, his Kunai aimed straight for his ankle.
" Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
At the critical moment, Obito endured the excruciating pain in his ribs and completed the Hand Seals.
A massive fireball roared out. Although it wasn't in its most perfect form, it successfully repelled the enemy who had ambushed Kakashi. The scorching flames forced the enemy to retreat repeatedly, and some of their clothes were even charred.
"Well done, Obito!"
Kakashi shouted, his eyes sharp.
"Their movements are so strange!"
Lin said anxiously as she struggled to block with her Kunai.
Her Medical Ninjutsu offers limited direct assistance in combat.
"Not an ordinary ninja!"
Kakashi gritted his teeth and spotted an enemy's arm that had been Obito's fireball. The wound wasn't bleeding; instead, a little bit of white, mud-like substance was seeping out and was healing rapidly!
"Careful!!"
The battle reached a stalemate.
Kakashi and his two companions eventually reunited, back to back, and fought back with all their might.
Although Obito was injured, the dynamic vision granted by his Sharingan allowed him to keep up with the pace, and he occasionally unleashed Great Fireball to disrupt the enemy's encirclement.
Lin was responsible for filling in any gaps, using precise shuriken and simple Genjutsu to create opportunities for the two of them.
These White Enemy don't seem to be much stronger individually, but their cockroach-like resilience and bizarre Taijutsu are extremely troublesome.
Several deadly attacks landed on them, but only caused brief hindrance, and the wounds healed quickly.
"This can't go on!"
Kakashi growled, his chakra being greatly depleted.
" Obito, the one to the left front, unleash your maximum power Fire Style! Rin, disrupt the right flank!"
"Clear!"
"Yes!"
" Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Obito unleashed his full power, and the fireball he spewed was even larger and hotter than before.
Almost simultaneously, Lin fired several shurikens with Explosive Tags attached at the enemy on her right.
Explosions and flames temporarily separated the battlefield.
A cold glint flashed in Kakashi's eyes as he seized this fleeting opportunity!
" Lightning Cutter!"
A piercing bird cry tore through the night sky, and dazzling lightning gathered in Kakashi's right hand!
His figure transformed into a streak of blue lightning, instantly piercing through the enemy to his left front who was scorched by flames and whose movements were slightly sluggish!
"Pfft!"
This time, it was no longer a simple superficial injury.
The violent tearing force of the Lightning Cutter completely destroyed the enemy's body structure.
The enemy's body suddenly stiffened, then deflated and disintegrated rapidly like a punctured balloon, eventually turning into a puddle of white, reed-like substance.
It scattered on the ground in a light drizzle, then evaporated and disappeared like melting snow, leaving no trace of blood or corpse!
"What?!"
Kakashi landed on the ground, panting heavily, staring in shock at the bizarre scene before him.
The remaining four White Enemy froze in unison, seemingly astonished by the manner of their comrade's "death."
"It... works!"
Obito was both surprised and delighted.
"Attack their vital points! Or destroy them completely with powerful enough ninjutsu!"
Kakashi immediately understood the key point.
Hope has been rekindled.
The three were greatly encouraged. Although Obito's injuries were serious, finding a solution made things much easier.
The fighting style changed immediately.
Kakashi no longer sought to inflict damage, but instead looked for an opportunity to use the Lightning Cutter for a fatal blow.
Obito, on the other hand, continuously used Fire Style to create chaos and inflict damage.
Rin also abandoned Medical Ninjutsu and focused on using traps to restrict the enemy's movements.
Another White Enemy was hit head-on by the Great Fireball with the help of Kakashi and Obito, and was then completely finished off by Kakashi's finishing blow, also turning white and disappearing.
The remaining three enemies exchanged glances, then suddenly went berserk, lunging at Obito without regard for their own safety.
It was obvious that they realized he was the most seriously injured and that he was the breakthrough point.
"Protect the Obito!"
Kakashi shouted sharply, standing in front of Obito, his short sword flashing in a dense, impenetrable barrage.
Lin also desperately threw hidden weapons.
"Puff!"
A dull thud as a sharp blade pierced flesh.
A White Enemy's arm suddenly stretched out like rubber, bypassing Kakashi's defense, and a bone spike sprang from its fingertips, piercing Obito's right shoulder!
"Ah!"
Obito screamed in agony as blood instantly stained his clothes. The intense pain and the disruption of his chakra nearly made him faint.
" Obito!"
Kakashi's eyes widened in fury, and he unleashed his Lightning Cutter once more, instantly vaporizing the enemy who had ambushed him!
Seeing this, the last two enemies ceased fighting and sank into the ground, attempting to escape Earth Release.
"Don't even think about running!"
Kakashi suppressed the emptiness of almost depleted chakra, concentrated his last bit of chakra, and predicted the trajectory of one of them Earth Release.
" Earth Release: Tracking Fang Technique!"
A muffled thud came from beneath the ground, and an enemy was forced halfway out of the ground.
Lin immediately threw all the remaining Explosive Tags over.
Boom!
After the explosion, the enemy was completely eliminated.
The last enemy successfully infiltrated underground and disappeared without a trace.
The battle is over.
The scene was a mess, yet eerily clean. Only scattered Kunai, shuriken, and burning trees testified to the intensity of the battle that had just taken place, along with the blood continuously gushing from Obito's shoulder.
" Obito!"
Rin rushed to Obito's side immediately, her hands glowing with the green light of Mystical Palm Technique once again, and pressed them against his wounds, her face pale.
"Hold on!"
Kakashi, leaning on his sword, was breathing heavily, a strong sense of dizziness washing over him.
He stared at the few patches of white residue on the ground that were rapidly disappearing, his brow furrowed deeply.
"What... what are these things?"
His voice was hoarse, filled with confusion and lingering fear.
This kind of enemy is unheard of.
"I... I don't know..."
Obito shook his head weakly, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
"But... but they're definitely after us... that mission..."
Kakashi and Rin's hearts sank at the same time.
Yes, that emergency mission was a trap! A trap to lure them out of the village using Lin!
"We must return to the village immediately to report!"
Kakashi forced himself to stand up.
"Rin, how's Obito?"
"The bleeding has stopped temporarily, but the wound is deep and may have damaged the bone and meridians!"
Lin's voice was trembling with sobs and anxiety.
Kakashi glanced at Obito, whose face was pale and who was extremely weak.
He then looked at the deep forest and the distant glow of the Konoha's Barrier.
He gritted his teeth and squatted down.
"I'll carry him! Lin, you keep watch! Let's go!"
Just then...
Lin paused, her eyes slightly reddening.
Bang! Bang!
Two muffled sounds rang out.
Before Kakashi Obito could react, they had already collapsed limply at Rin's feet.
The next morning, in the Hokage's Office.
Chiyo had just finished reviewing a budget report on the research and development of new ninja tools, and picked up the hot tea that Mikoto had brewed for him, but hadn't yet brought it to his lips.
There was a rapid knocking on the office door, and before he could even respond, it was pushed open from the outside.
Minato Namikaze strode in with a grave expression. His usually gentle and sunny eyes were now filled with anxiety and disbelief.
" Lord Hokage! Something's happened!"
Chiyo put down her teacup and looked at him calmly.
"Explain."
" Kakashi, Obito, and Rin, those three didn't come home all night!"
Minato speaks extremely fast.
"I went to their usual Training Ground and homes this morning, but no one was there."
I questioned the Barrier Team and the guarding ninjas, and confirmed that they did indeed leave the village last night, citing... an emergency mission I had assigned them.
Minato's face was filled with confusion and self-blame.
"But I was assisting Lord Sakumo with security checks in the Anbu all night, and I didn't give them any tasks, let alone any emergency tasks!"
Chiyo's brows furrowed slightly.
He took the copy of the registration record for the Barrier's entrance from Minato; it did indeed bear Rin's signature and a faint mark of the Hokage's Office seal.
"And."
The sound of the Minato grew even heavier.
"This morning, a patrol team discovered signs of a fierce battle in the forest outside the northeastern border of the village. There were remnants of Fire Style, Lightning Release, and Explosive Tags at the scene, as well as... a small amount of blood. Samples have been taken and sent for testing."
But strangely, we didn't hear any unusual noises yesterday, nor did we find any corpses, or even any bloodstains other than those of our Konoha Ninja.
Chiyo's fingers tapped lightly on the desk, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
Missing... Fake mission... Vanished traces...
All the clues were rapidly combined and connected in his mind.
Minato Namikaze was still anxiously analyzing the situation.
"Could it be retaliation from other villages? Taking advantage of the Five Kage Summit just ending, they're launching a sneak attack? But why target a few Genin...?"
"It wasn't them."
Chiyo interrupted him calmly, her tone certain.
Minato was taken aback.
"No?"
Chiyo stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the newly awakened Konoha.
His gaze seemed to pierce through space, revealing the shadows hidden deep within the Shinobi World.
"This style... faking missions, exploiting trust, setting precise ambushes, the enemy is elusive and can disappear without a trace..."
Chiyo's voice was icy.
"It was Madara Uchiha's doing."
" Madara Uchiha?!"
Minato gasped in shock, his face filled with astonishment.
"Didn't he already..."
"Dead?"
A cold smile curled at the corner of Chiyo's lips.
"The concept of life and death may be different for that kind of being."
He always lurked in the shadows, spying on the world like a rat in a sewer.
He turned around and stared intently at Minato.
"His target is likely Obito. Those eyes, and that... heart prone to extremes."
"He wanted to make Obito despair of the world, to stimulate him to open his eyes, and to make him his spokesperson outside, to carry out his ridiculous ' Moon's Eye ' plan."
Chiyo's tone was filled with undisguised contempt and a hint of murderous intent.
"Manipulating people's hearts and creating tragedies—that's his usual trick."
Minato was deeply shocked. Although he didn't fully understand what the " Moon's Eye " plan was, the information revealed in Chiyo's words was already terrifying enough.
The legendary Madara Uchiha is still alive and plotting in secret, even targeting his own students!
"Give the order immediately."
Chiyo's voice was unquestionable, instantly restoring the decisiveness of Hokage.
"With the highest priority, dispatch all available reconnaissance teams and Anbu to conduct a radiating search outwards from the location where signs of battle were found, with a focus on the Northeast. Activate all tracking techniques and Summoning Beast."
"Issue an emergency mission: Jonin to expand the search area."
"In addition, closely monitor all entrances and exits of the village, especially the weak points of the Barrier, and increase the number of sensory ninjas."
To prevent the enemy from luring us away or infiltrating again.
"Notify the Medical Team and emergency medical services to be on standby at any time."
The instructions were clear and precise, and were quickly relayed through the Minato and the Anbu that rushed to the scene.
Minato accepted the order and immediately turned to go out and make arrangements.
Only Chiyo remained in the office.
He looked out the window again, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
Madara Uchiha...
You finally couldn't resist and made your move.
Moreover, they targeted Obito from the very first move.
A chilling glint flashed in Chiyo's eyes.
He originally planned to deal with these cowardly individuals slowly after the internal reorganization was completed.
But now that Madara has reached out his hand, he won't hesitate to sever that hand, along with its owner, completely!
Finding a disciple is important, but even more important is stopping Madara's plan from succeeding.
Obito's pure heart could easily turn to darkness under extreme pain and deception.
"Despair?"
Chiyo muttered to himself, his voice as cold as a knife.
"Ban, you want to use despair to create your puppet."
Then I'll show you what it truly means for hope to crush despair.
He pressed a communication button on the table.
"Summon Shikaku Nara Hatake Sakumo to see me immediately."
Also, inform Fugaku Uchiha to select a squad of the most elite Uchiha ninja to be on standby."
The situation instantly became complex and urgent.
Beneath the branches and leaves of the Konoha, the ancient shadows began to stir once more.
This time, the Fourth Hokage Chiyo Uchiha, will not stand idly by.
The search command spread rapidly throughout Konoha like invisible ripples.
Countless ninja squads shot off like arrows from a bow, heading towards the vast world outside the village.
Meanwhile, deep within a dark, damp underground cave far from Konoha.
A meticulously planned "drama" has only just begun.