Pale-purple chakra seeped into Gaara like flowing water. His chest gradually rose and fell more steadily, and a hint of color returned to his formerly pale cheeks.
Su Ye had just withdrawn the hand pressed against Gaara's forehead when his Rinne Sharingan suddenly throbbed with sharp pain. In his vision, the sky to the northwest tore open, revealing a twisted spatial rift. Ink-black chakra surged out like a tide, instantly shrouding half the desert.
"What is that..." Kakashi's pupils shrank. Chidori involuntarily gathered in his palm. "Space-Time Ninjutsu. It feels a lot like Kamui, but it's more violent."
Elder Chiyo's hand trembled slightly on her cane, and her aged eyes filled with wariness. "This chakra... It's even more terrifying than a Tailed Beast. Is it someone from the Akatsuki?"
Before she could finish, a low laugh came from the spatial rift. A figure wearing an orange mask slowly stepped out, his black cloak flapping in the wind and sand. The exposed right eye turned, fixing precisely on Su Ye. "The Rinne Sharingan. I didn't expect you to stop the Tailed Beast extraction, Su Ye. You've certainly surprised me."
"Obito." Su Ye tightened his grip on the black sword in his hand as the Rinne Sharingan blazed. "You finally decided to show yourself."
He could clearly sense that Obito's body contained not only traces of Madara Uchiha's chakra, but also a strange energy with the same origin as the Tailed Beasts. Clearly, his plans went far beyond capturing them.
Obito didn't deny it. A cold smile curved beneath his mask. "I was going to let Sasori and Deidara play around a little longer, but you ruined things for me. No matter. Shukaku won't get away, and I'm very interested in the Rinne Sharingan you possess, too."
He formed Hand Seals, and the ground suddenly split open with countless cracks. Swarms of White Zetsu crawled out from beneath the earth and closed in on Su Ye and the others.
"Kakashi, protect Gaara and Elder Chiyo!" Su Ye shouted. He used Heavenly Hand Power to teleport in front of Obito and thrust his black sword straight at the man's throat.
But Obito's figure swayed and turned into an afterimage—he had phased through the attack with Kamui! The sword pierced the illusion and struck nothing.
"Useless. With my space-time abilities, your attacks can't touch me." Obito's voice came from behind him. Su Ye hurriedly turned, only to see a black Truth-Seeking Orb form in Obito's hand and come crashing toward him.
He quickly activated Limbo. Three black shadows struck at once, raising a chakra barrier to block the Truth-Seeking Orb. But the tremendous impact still forced him back several steps, leaving his chest aching.
On the other side, Kakashi was under attack from the White Zetsu. Chidori continued to cut them down, but the monsters seemed endless: as soon as one fell, another crawled out of the ground.
Elder Chiyo controlled her puppets to shield Gaara, but her advanced age and the heavy chakra drain were taking their toll. The puppets' movements grew sluggish, and White Zetsu claws gouged deep cracks into their arms.
"Su Ye, you won't last much longer!" Obito taunted. He raised a hand and controlled the spatial rift. Countless Clay Bombs flew out—leftover ninja tools from Deidara. "These bombs are enough to level the entire desert. Are you going to protect Gaara, or save your own life?"
Su Ye looked at the Clay Bombs about to explode, then at Kakashi and Elder Chiyo, who were on the verge of being overwhelmed. A resolute look flashed in his eyes.
He suddenly poured all the chakra from his Rinne Sharingan into his sword. Pale-purple light shimmered along the blade as he swung it down hard at the ground. "Rinne Rebirth: Chibaku Tensei!"
The ground shook violently, and countless rocks and grains of sand gathered into a massive sphere, enveloping all the Clay Bombs and White Zetsu. A moment later, powerful explosions erupted inside the sphere, but Chibaku Tensei's gravity held them fast, leaving everyone nearby unharmed.
The technique had taken an enormous toll. Su Ye's face turned deathly pale, and his breathing grew ragged.
Obito looked surprised, then sneered. "I didn't expect you to know this technique. But do you really think that's enough to beat me?"
He grabbed Su Ye by the shoulder and activated Kamui. Their bodies began to turn transparent. "Come with me to the Kamui Dimension. I'll take my time studying your Rinne Sharingan there."
Su Ye struggled, but Obito's chakra held him fast.
Just as he was about to be pulled into the Kamui Dimension, the Rinne Sharingan suddenly flashed red. An unfamiliar memory flooded his mind: a scene of Madara Uchiha speaking with the Sage of Six Paths after awakening the Rinnegan. The memory even contained a way to counter Kamui.
Now! Su Ye thought, elated. He gathered the little chakra he had left and formed a pale-purple chakra blade in his palm, slashing hard at Obito's right arm.
Caught off guard, Obito took a deep wound that exposed the bone. Kamui's power immediately destabilized, and both men returned to their normal forms as they fell toward the ground.
Su Ye landed and immediately retreated several steps to put some distance between himself and Obito.
Clutching his bleeding right arm, Obito stared at him in shock beneath his mask. "How could you possibly counter Kamui?"
"Because the Rinnegan stands above the Sharingan." Su Ye panted as his Rinne Sharingan activated again. "Obito, your plans end here."
Just then, Naruto's voice suddenly rang out in the distance. "Su Ye! Kakashi-sensei! Are you all right?" Naruto, Sakura, and Jiraiya came running toward the battlefield, followed by a large group of Konoha Ninja.
Seeing them, Obito knew he had lost his chance. He gave Su Ye a cold look. "You got lucky this time. When we meet again, I'll take your Rinne Sharingan—and all the Tailed Beasts."
With that, he activated Kamui, and his body gradually vanished into the spatial rift. The remaining White Zetsu crumbled into ash along with him.
Naruto rushed to Kakashi's side. He took in the devastation around them, then glanced at the unconscious Gaara and hurriedly asked, "Kakashi-sensei, what happened? Is Gaara...?"
"He's all right. Most of his Tailed Beast was extracted, so he needs plenty of rest." Su Ye walked over and patted Naruto on the head. "Thanks for coming all this way. But the Akatsuki threat hasn't been eliminated. Obito has set his sights on the other Tailed Beasts, so we need to prepare as quickly as we can."
Jiraiya studied the Rinne Sharingan in Su Ye's eyes, looking thoughtful. "You've got plenty of secrets, Su Ye. But now's not the time to discuss them. Let's get Gaara back to Sunagakure for treatment first. We can talk everything else over once we're back."
Everyone nodded. Kakashi picked up Gaara, and Elder Chiyo followed close behind. Naruto bounced along beside Su Ye, constantly asking him about the battle.
As Su Ye answered, he looked toward the place where Obito had vanished, silently on guard. He knew this was only the beginning. A war that would decide the fate of the entire Shinobi World was about to unfold.
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