Don't Heroes Always Appear at the End? (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

"Rin, be careful."

Within the thick fog, Hatake Kakashi whispered to Rin at his side.

Although the Water Dragon Bullet had separated them just moments ago, he had not drifted too far from her.

However, their current situation was dire; they were being relentlessly besieged by four or five Kirigakure Ninja Anbu.

Furthermore, the Hidden Mist Technique caused massive interference with their vision, especially for Rin.

"I know, Kakashi."

Rin nodded from the side. Although she was a medical ninja, she still possessed a certain level of combat capability.

Otherwise, she would never have been allowed to participate in such a dangerous mission, but the current situation was indeed becoming complicated.

"Watch out, they're coming again!"

Hatake Kakashi was fully focused when he suddenly shouted, and at the same time, the short blade in his hand swung out fiercely.

Having received guidance from Haori, he had already undergone sufficient change.

Naturally, he would not become a substitute for Obito like in the original story, living entirely for him.

He was still himself, the Konoha genius, Hatake Kakashi!

Clang, clang, clang—

In the fog, Hatake Kakashi's ninja blade moved as fast as lightning, the sound of metal clashing echoing continuously through the forest.

At this moment, he had only one conviction in his heart: to protect Rin and to support Haori as quickly as possible!

The short blade bloomed with the light of chakra, and electric arcs shimmered along its edge; even with the fog obscuring his view, he continued to deal with these enemies.

But while he could handle these people, Rin's situation was not good, which forced him to divide his attention to look after her.

"This can't go on."

Rin was also constantly parrying the Kirigakure offensive, but she felt too much reluctance in her heart.

She knew she was dragging Hatake Kakashi down, and perhaps even Haori, which made her feel exceptionally guilty.

All she could do now was fight as hard as she could and try not to be a burden.

Boom—

However, at that very moment, a violent roar erupted without warning, followed by an irresistible shockwave that instantly sent them flying!

Caught off guard, Hatake Kakashi, Rin, and the Kirigakure Ninja were all blown away by the blast.

Hatake Kakashi struggled to climb to his feet, and then his peripheral vision caught a scene that made his eyes split with rage.

"Look out, Rin!"

Rin had just landed in a disheveled heap when a Kirigakure Ninja suddenly appeared behind her.

She heard Hatake Kakashi's warning, but the next moment, she felt a sharp pain in her neck.

Immediately after, her consciousness began to blur.

She only saw Hatake Kakashi anxiously trying to rush over, only to be blocked by several Kirigakure Ninja, while her vision grew increasingly hazy.

"I'm sorry, Haori. I'm sorry, Hatake Kakashi."

"Has it been done?"

Inside the underground base in the Land of Grass, Madara watched everything quietly through the eyes of White Zetsu.

The remaining steps would naturally become simple—use White Zetsu to leave behind genjutsu suggestions so that they would be unable to recognize Obito.

Yet, even Madara felt a headache, as he discovered that the development of the situation seemed to have exceeded his expectations.

Although his focus had been on Hatake Kakashi and Rin, he had still taken note of that violent explosion.

If it were just an ordinary explosion, no matter how powerful, he would not have taken it to heart.

Because his plan was set, and everything was proceeding according to his vision.

But the problem now was that the actors were fine, but the girl he hadn't paid much attention to before had become a problem!

That explosion had featured black flames, and those were black flames that Madara could never mistake.

"Amaterasu."

He murmured, his brow furrowing even deeper, for the appearance of such flames implied two possibilities.

"Either this person possesses a Mangekyo Sharingan, or she has been stored with the power of Amaterasu via a Transcription Seal to protect that Haori."

If it were the latter, then everything was still fine.

But if it were the former, given how this girl had been following Haori, then once they encountered Obito, Obito's situation would become dire.

In truth, Madara would not care too much about a pair of Mangekyo Sharingan.

But encountering these eyes at this particular juncture really disrupted his plans.

"It seems this matter has become even more interesting."

But Madara was still Madara; despite encountering some unexpected variables, he did not panic in the slightest.

He closed his eyes to think quickly, and a smile soon curled at the corners of his mouth.

"It's actually perfect. I was worried that Obito might get carried away in the future, but having someone like this around will serve as a constant reminder to him.

However, it would be better to confirm things first. Come out, White Zetsu."

"Lord Madara." No sooner had Madara finished speaking than White Zetsu emerged from the wall.

"Go and lure the Iwagakure forces over, and make sure the people from Konoha come as well."

Madara spoke directly, his aged face radiating confidence.

"Let's make this operation a little more lively."

Having Iwagakure arrive would not only divert the threat away from Obito but also allow him to test the true caliber of that girl.

If she possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan and displayed its power, the higher-ups in Konoha would certainly become vigilant.

This would prevent her from keeping her eyes on Obito at all times, ensuring that while Obito could act, he would always remember that those eyes were watching him.

Of course, if she didn't have it, then the arrival of the Konoha forces would serve as a rescue mission.

He still needed people to stay alive, to spend their lives warning Obito of just how cruel this world truly was.

As for Obito acting recklessly, he could simply claim that the Uchiha possessed a way to seal away the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan, which would also keep Obito on his toes.

Either way, he couldn't lose; it was truly killing many birds with one stone!

"I understand, Lord Madara." White Zetsu nodded. "Should I go and notify Obito now?"

"You may notify him, and tell that Spiral Face as well."

Madara thought for a moment before speaking in a low, lingering tone.

"Tell him to protect Obito well, and make sure he doesn't give the game away.

Go, I need to prepare myself as well to ensure the genjutsu succeeds on the first try."

"Yes." White Zetsu nodded. "Lord Madara."

--

"Is it finally my turn?"

On the other side of the basement, Obito couldn't help but feel exceptionally excited upon hearing Spiral Face's words.

Finally, he had finally waited for this day!

During these past few months in this godforsaken place, there wasn't a single moment where he didn't think about reuniting with Kakashi and Rin.

Although this operation carried the nature of a gamble with that annoying old man, his heart remained filled with confidence.

It was just a matter of putting on some disguises; that was no big deal!

"Mm, just prepare a little, and we can set out."

Spiral Face nodded, then began to repeat the instructions according to Madara's words.

"But before that, you need to disguise yourself and wait for everyone to arrive before we can officially begin."

"What do you mean?" The smile on Obito's face came to an abrupt halt, and he asked urgently.

"It's simple. I'll be acting with you this time, since the situation is a little dangerous."

Spiral Face shrugged, recalling the instructions before continuing.

"The Iwagakure forces are coming, and Kakashi and the others are still fighting against the Kirigakure ninja."

"What?"

Obito's expression changed, and he immediately shouted.

"Then aren't they in danger? No, I have to go out right now!"

"Don't be so anxious, everything is proceeding according to plan."

Spiral Face shook his head, then said helplessly.

"You need Lord Madara to open the gate for you to leave, and you also need to adapt to my power.

Only then will you have the ability to fight, and besides..."

"Besides what?"

"Besides, I've heard that heroes always make their entrance at the very end, don't they?"