Damn Kirigakure, Using Obito's Appearance to Trick Me

"Rin!"

A familiar voice suddenly reached Nohara Rin's ears.

This voice...

Nohara Rin's heart skipped a beat.

"Obito?!"

She turned toward the source of the voice and saw a person wrapped from head to toe in strange white material. The white spiral mask on that person's face split open, revealing a face half-rotted away.

Though half his face had decayed, Nohara Rin recognized him at once.

It was Obito's face!

"Rin, it's dangerous here. Come with me, quickly!"

Uchiha Obito wore an anxious expression as he rushed toward Nohara Rin, trying to grab her hand and take her away.

"Don't come any closer!"

Nohara Rin immediately became wary.

One hand still held Mei Terumi, who was tied up tightly, while the other gripped a kunai aimed at Uchiha Obito in the distance.

"Rin, what are you doing? It's me, Obito!"

Uchiha Obito grew frantic.

"..."

Nohara Rin's face turned cold, her expression hostile.

Obito was already dead. She had accompanied Kakashi and Minato-sensei in bringing Obito's body back from the Land of Grass to Konoha, and later, she had watched with her own eyes as Obito's body was buried.

In other words, this Obito before her had to be an illusion technique!

Damn Kirigakure ninja, using Obito's appearance to deceive her!

"Release!"

She temporarily threw Mei Terumi aside, formed hand seals with both hands, and tried to break free of the illusion technique.

With a splash, Mei Terumi sank into the water. Before long, a stream of bubbles rose to the surface.

But Nohara Rin had no mind to worry about that now. After trying to dispel the illusion technique, she focused her gaze and found that the person across from her still wore Obito's face.

"Rin, it really is me! Why won't you believe me?!"

Obito became increasingly agitated, then rushed over without another thought.

"Damn Kirigakure!"

Gritting her teeth, Nohara Rin opened by throwing three Explosive Tags.

After a burst of fiery explosions, Uchiha Obito was forced back.

"Rin, what are you doing?!"

Uchiha Obito looked as though he were about to cry.

"Stop pretending!"

Nohara Rin shouted, then threw out a small ball. The smoke bomb exploded, and green smoke engulfed Uchiha Obito.

Immediately afterward, she threw several shuriken with sharp swishes.

That still was not enough. Nohara Rin wrapped several Explosive Tags around the handle of a kunai at once and stared fixedly at the smoke ahead. The moment she saw a figure charge out of it, she hurled the kunai fiercely!

Not far away.

Qingye and Hozuki Akizuki both noticed the disturbance, and their expressions changed.

"Who is that?"

Hozuki Akizuki was utterly bewildered.

Was that someone he had brought?

Probably not an illusion technique. He knew the abilities of the people he had brought; none of them could possibly use an illusion technique capable of fooling even him.

Then was it a Transformation Technique?

What the hell!

What was going on here?

After thinking rapidly without finding an answer, Hozuki Akizuki grew anxious. His main body hid beneath the water as he created four more Water Clones.

The four Water Clones completely surrounded Qingye in the center and raised their arms at the same time.

Water Style: Water Bullet Technique!

A barrage of liquid bullets came howling in!

On Qingye's side, the moment he saw that "Obito," he had already confirmed who was behind this whole mess. Seeing that Nohara Rin was not in any immediate danger, he set the matter aside for the moment.

He quickly sheathed the Tachi in his hand, formed hand seals, and gathered Lightning Style Chakra into his left palm!

With the chorus of Chidori ringing out, Aoya's speed surged to its limit. His figure vanished in an instant, dodging every liquid bullet before shooting forward like an arrow released from a bow, piercing through all four Water Clones in the blink of an eye!

"Lightning Style: Earth Run!"

Blue arcs of lightning scattered across the water's surface!

Hozuki Akizuki's true body, which had been hiding underwater, was forced to reveal itself. Seeing Aoya charging at him, he hurriedly fired a barrage of liquid bullets!

"Mangetsu, go!"

With a loud shout, he had no intention of continuing the fight. He activated the Water Body Flicker Technique and immediately fled into the distance.

"Trying to run?"

Kakashi Hatake, standing ahead, snorted coldly. Lightning also enveloped the White Fang tanto in his hand as he slashed at the charging Hozuki Akizuki.

Splash!

Water sprayed everywhere.

That Hozuki Akizuki was still a Water Clone.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Hozuki Mangetsu did not hesitate either. He immediately retreated, following his father into the distance.

The two pushed their speed to the limit and soon plunged headfirst into the sea, fleeing beneath the waves.

"Father, what about Mei Terumi?" Hozuki Mangetsu asked.

Hozuki Akizuki's expression was grim. "We can't worry about that now!"

This mission had completely exceeded his expectations.

According to the original plan, Mangetsu, Mei Terumi, and the others were supposed to launch a feint while he waited for an opportunity to ambush them. Yet it had failed, and after this, taking down Uchiha Aoya would be extremely difficult!

One careless move, and he might die here as well!

More importantly, he no longer understood what this mission was really about.

The Third Mizukage had sent him, the head of the Hozuki Clan, to ambush Uchiha Aoya. He had thought it was the usual attempt to suppress the Hozuki Clan.

But what was all this?

Who had suddenly set their sights on that little girl?

She clearly was not the core target of this mission!

And how had that person disguised himself? Even he could not see through the Transformation Technique!

On the shore.

Kakashi quickly killed the last few slower Kirigakure ninjas, then watched the two fleeing toward the sea before turning back to Aoya.

"Not chasing them?"

"...No." Aoya watched seventy million ryo and Hozuki Mangetsu plunge into the sea, narrowing his eyes slightly. "No need to chase them."

Kakashi frowned in confusion.

Based on what he knew of Aoya's speed, shouldn't he have been able to stop those two from escaping?

Seeing that Aoya had no intention of explaining further, Kakashi wisely did not press the matter.

The two turned around. Over on Nohara Rin's side, she had already successfully blown up "Uchiha Obito."

"Aoya, Kakashi, are you two all right?"

Nohara Rin looked them over from head to toe. Seeing that neither was injured, she sighed in relief.

Thankfully, she had not held her companions back this time.

Explosive Tags really were useful!

She needed to prepare more of them in the future.

With the battle over, the water gathered by the Raging Waves Technique gradually receded.

"Let's rest and regroup for a while before heading out to sea."

Aoya arranged, "Rin, fire a signal flare and have the nearby Konoha Ninja come take over this outpost. Kakashi, clean up the battlefield and make sure all the Kirigakure ninjas here are dead."

Just as he finished speaking, the water beneath his feet, which had yet to fully disperse, rippled.

Gurgle, gurgle—bubbles rose to the surface!

Seeing a figure struggling and flailing beneath the water, Aoya suddenly remembered. He reached down and fished Mei Terumi out.

"Ah, I almost forgot!"

Nohara Rin stuck out her tongue awkwardly. She had had no choice but to temporarily leave this captive behind just now... thankfully, she had not drowned.

"Cough, cough..."

Held in Aoya's hand, Mei Terumi violently coughed up several mouthfuls of water. She was drenched from head to toe, her already faintly developed lovely figure clearly outlined. Her chest rose and fell as she gasped for air.

She barely opened her aching eyes, only to see a handsome face wearing a sunny smile.

"You're awake?"

Aoya smiled broadly. "Congratulations. You're the only one who survived. All right, now let's discuss the terms."