Impossible to fathom

Obito swung his Black Receivers and thrust it toward Jiraiya's chest with incredible speed.

Jiraiya stared at the black afterimage, the outline of the Rasengan slowly forming in his palm, preparing to unleash this final blow the instant Jiraiya's Hollowfication dissipated, to perish together with it!

However, the expected pain did not come the moment the Black Receivers touched his skin.

Jiraiya stared intently, his pupils suddenly contracting.

Obito's body had already been pierced through from behind by an orange-red beam of light.

"This is... the Totsuka Blade?"

Obito looked down at the beam of light piercing his chest and instantly understood what was happening.

He reluctantly turned his head to look behind him.

The orange-red Susanoo Crow Tengu stood there, holding Yata Mirror in one hand and a Totsuka Blade in the other.

The beam of light that pierced through Obito's body extended from the blade of the Totsuka Blade.

Itachi, inside Susanoo, gazed at Totsuka Blade Obito.

The Mangekyo in his left eye had lost its luster, leaving only a cloudy white.

"I see, so it was Izanagi?"

Obito Itachi's blind eyes, Obito's words held little anger at being outmaneuvered, but rather a playful air of having met his match:

"I suppose I completed the hand seals for this technique the instant my attention was drawn to the sudden appearance of the Nine-Tails and the others."

He paused, shifting his gaze from Itachi's eyes, a subtle meaning creeping into his tone:

"Kou actually entrusted this divine weapon to you temporarily, huh? It seems he trusts you quite a bit."

"No, is it because you have to trust me so much that you're trying to get rid of me?"

Itachi simply stared coldly at Obito, offering no response.

Obito didn't care about this, but shifted his gaze from Itachi's face to Sage Fukasaku's small figure lying on the ground, and coldly mocked:

"However, using your comrade's life as bait... that's certainly in line with your style."

"I just wonder what Kou will think after he learns of what you did?"

"... If this is your last wish, then I will convey it to Kou."

Itachi's right eye reflected Obito's pale face, and he said in a firm, deep voice:

"It's over, Uchiha Obito."

You have already lost!

"Defeat? Ha, perhaps."

Obito chuckled, a chilling composure settling over his words.

"I have to admit, I did lose this battle."

"But I won't hand over the final victory so easily..."

Itachi frowned as he looked at Obito's composed demeanor.

His gaze swept quickly across Obito's face, observing the other's pupils, aura, and posture.

The sealing power of the Totsuka Blade had clearly pierced through Obito's body, imprisoning him in place.

Anyone sealed by the Totsuka Blade can never escape.

But his current reaction... is very strange.

Why is he still so calm? This is completely illogical!

"Could it be that he... has some other trick up his sleeve?"

Itachi thought to himself with apprehension as he calmly observed Obito.

His gaze slowly moved across Obito's face, sweeping over his stiff body. Then it landed on Obito's eyes, and his pupils suddenly contracted!

Obito looked at him with a Mangekyō Sharingan -smile, his left eye slowly closing, reflecting Itachi's shocked expression.

Obito looked at Itachi's face, which had finally changed color, and chuckled softly:

"Hehe, no need to be so surprised."

After all, my opponent is you, so how could I not be prepared?

He paused, a self-deprecating smile creeping into his tone:

"I just never expected that I would have the same idea as you."

That's really... quite ironic.

Obito spoke, as if sensing something, he subconsciously looked towards the battlefield where Madara and Hashirama were.

The crimson column of air was even more intense than before, turning the entire sky an ominous crimson.

A smile crept onto his lips.

That smile was one of relief, like someone who had traveled a long way and finally saw the end of the road.

"It seems everything is almost over."

Obito glanced at Jiraiya behind him, then at Itachi in front of him, and said calmly:

Farewell, everyone.

"This should be the last time we see each other."

Having said that, his body began to become transparent, and through the Totsuka Blade piercing his body, he sank towards the ground beneath his feet...

In the battlefield, only Itachi, Jiraiya, Sage Shima who was perched on Jiraiya's shoulder), and Sage Fukasaku's corpse lying on the ground remained.

The wind blew from afar, making a soft, rustling sound.

The orange-red Crow Tengu turned into countless specks of light, leaving only Itachi standing on the ground.

He recalled Obito's earlier words, his brow furrowed, seemingly lost in thought.

Jiraiya seeing Obito disappear, Jiraiya, before he could even catch his breath, rushed towards Sage Fukasaku.

"Brother Fukasaku!"

With Obito's disappearance, Sage Shima's eyes regained their clarity.

She suddenly broke free from the Genjutsu that had bound her, and saw Sage Fukasaku lying in Jiraiya's palm, covered in blood. She rushed over like a madwoman.

"Old Man, what's wrong? Old Man!!"

Wake up! What happened? How did you suddenly become like this?!

Jiraiya lowered his head in shame Jiraiya watched Shima weeping over Fukasaku's body.

His lips moved, as if he were about to say something apologetic, but then, as if realizing something, he suddenly raised his head, grabbed Sage Shima's shoulders with both hands, and shook him violently.

"Boss, boss, wait a minute!"

Sage Shima was shaken until he felt dizzy, and while protecting Fukasaku in his arms, he angrily said:

"Little Jiraiya, what are you doing--"

"It seems that Brother Fukasaku is... still alive!!"

Sage Shima was taken aback at first, then lowered his head to look at the small body in his arms.

Sage Fukasaku, nestled in her arms, slowly and laboriously opened his tightly closed eyes:

"Stop shaking me, old woman... If you keep shaking me, I'm really going to die."

"Wow! You scared me to death, Old Man!!"

Sage Fukasaku that his eyes rolled back, and his two little paws weakly pushed against Shima's arm.

"It's too tight, old woman... I'm going to die, I'm really going to die!!"

Jiraiya that Sage Fukasaku was unharmed, Jiraiya subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, then began to examine Sage Fukasaku's injuries, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

The Black Receivers did indeed pierce through Fukasaku's body, but it seemed to have avoided vital organs during the penetration.

For the resilient and Sage Fukasaku, the injury, though severe, was not fatal.

"Was this... a deliberate avoidance of the vital points?"

Jiraiya raised his head, looked at the ground where Obito had disappeared, and murmured blankly:

"What... what exactly is going on?"

At the same time, Itachi walked up to Jiraiya.

He also looked at Fukasaku's wounds, frowned, and then looked in the direction of the battlefield where Madara and Hashirama were, which Obito had been looking at earlier.

"Uchiha Obito, what... exactly do you want to do?"

On the distant battlefield, the roar of the Tailed Beast Bomb continued, and the fighting on all sides was still ongoing.

But in this small corner, everything fell silent.

In the distance, towards the direction of that crimson pillar of energy, the battle Hashirama had reached its final stage...

I forgot I had class this afternoon. (I'll send it later.)

I'm a bit too tired to stay up today, sorry everyone. I'll start updating three times a day from tomorrow...