Fierce Battle and Protecting the Weak Kushina with One's Life

"Pfft!"

The blade sliced through skin and muscle, wedging precisely into the gap of the right shoulder blade. Baishi's eyes were fierce as he poured the last of his Lightning Release chakra into the blade.

BOOM!

Violent lightning erupted from the joint. Baishi had used Lightning Release to blow off his own right arm!

Blood sprayed out like a high-pressure hose, the warm liquid splashing across Obito's face.

The weight in Obito's hand suddenly vanished; the crushing force of Kamui had only shredded a severed limb. The real Baishi had already used the recoil of the explosion to slam back toward the edge of the delivery bed.

"Madman." A flicker of shock crossed the single eye beneath Obito's mask.

To avoid being sucked into the other dimension, he had severed his own arm without a moment's hesitation?

Baishi knelt on one knee, his left hand pressing firmly against his spurting right shoulder. His face was pale as paper, and cold sweat soaked the lining inside his mask.

Pain. A pain that tore at his very soul.

But Baishi's heart was cold as frost. This was a simulation; as long as he could intercept Minato's destiny and max out his bond with Kushina, what was one simulated body?

He slowly stood up, holding his remaining left arm across his chest like a blood-drenched Asura, standing firmly in front of the delivery bed.

Behind him, Kushina's pupils contracted violently as she looked at that empty right sleeve.

The thick scent of blood rushed into her nose—blood shed to protect her.

"Run..." Kushina's lips trembled, her voice choked with sobs. "You can't beat him... leave me be..."

"Shut up." Baishi's voice was devoid of inflection, carrying an unquestionable coldness. "My mission is to hold this position. As long as I have a breath left, he isn't getting past me."

The subtext was clear: I am not doing this for the mission; I am doing this for you.

Obito shook the mangled flesh from his hand, his patience completely exhausted.

"Touching last words. Since you want to die, I will grant your wish."

Obito formed hand seals, his wrists twisting as two pitch-black Yin-Yang Release Black Rods slid from his palms.

Swish!

A ripple in space flashed. Abandoning the long-range suction of Kamui, Obito used his intangibility in tandem with the Body Flicker Technique to close the distance and strike directly at Baishi.

The black rod whistled through the air, aiming straight for Baishi's throat.

Baishi formed a seal with his single arm, pushed off the ground with all his might, and slid half a step to the left at an impossible angle.

The black rod grazed his mask, missing its mark and throwing off a trail of sparks.

But Obito's taijutsu was equally lethal; his right leg swept toward Baishi's waist like a battle-axe.

Baishi gripped his short blade with his left hand, using the back of the blade to brace against his side and absorb the blow.

Bang!

The massive impact made Baishi's throat taste sweet, and he spat a mouthful of blood inside his mask. His body slid backward uncontrollably, his military boots carving two deep furrows into the stone floor.

One more step back, and he would hit Kushina's delivery bed.

Obito's second black rod struck out like a viper, aimed directly at Baishi's heart!

He couldn't dodge.

In his current heavily wounded state, Baishi could not avoid this fatal blow.

If he dodged to either side, the black rod would pierce Kushina behind him without obstruction.

A flash of resolve crossed Baishi's eyes.

Instead of retreating, he stepped forward, thrusting his chest out to meet the pitch-black rod!

"Pfft!"

The dull sound of a sharp weapon piercing flesh echoed through the cave.

The black rod missed his heart, piercing through from below his left collarbone and pinning him in place!

The cold iron rod wedged into his bone, sending waves of agonizing pain through him.

Obito sneered, preparing to pull the rod out.

Just then, a blood-stained left hand clamped tightly onto the wrist Obito was using to hold the rod!

"Got you."

The eyes beneath Baishi's mask burned with a beast-like ferocity.

He had taken that hit not to defend, but to lock Obito's physical form in place!

Kamui's intangibility required the user to materialize during an attack. Now that the black rod was embedded in Baishi's body and his wrist was firmly gripped, Obito could not turn intangible!

"Lightning Release: Chidori Current!"

Baishi squeezed out the final drop of chakra in his body. Violent blue arcs of electricity surged from his left hand, pouring madly into Obito's body.

The high-voltage current instantly paralyzed Obito's right arm, his leather glove burning to a crisp and emitting the pungent smell of charred meat.

"Get off!" Obito roared, slamming his left foot into Baishi's abdomen.

A massive force kicked Baishi, along with the rod, sending him flying until he slammed heavily into the rock wall beside the birthing bed.

Baishi slid to the floor, vomiting large mouthfuls of blood. The blood dripped down his chin, landing right on Kushina's pale cheek.

Scalding hot.

Kushina stared blankly at the mask stained crimson with blood.

That figure was clearly broken beyond repair, yet he stood like an insurmountable mountain, blocking the abyss with his life.

"Why..." Kushina's voice completely broke, tears gushing out like a breached dam. "Who are you... why would you go this far for me..."

Baishi leaned against the rock wall, struggling to lift his head.

He did not answer; he only used his remaining left hand to grip the black rod impaled in his chest, attempting to pull it out.

But he truly had no strength left.

Obito shook his right hand, which had been charred black by electricity, his scarlet Sharingan radiating extreme killing intent.

"Tenacious as a bug. But, the game is over."

Obito ignored the dying Baishi in the corner. Minato could return at any moment; he could not waste another second.

He strode to the birthing bed and pressed his left hand directly onto Kushina's lower abdomen.

His Sharingan spun wildly, his ocular power piercing into the core of the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style like a sharp blade.

"Release!"

BOOM—!

A violent hurricane erupted inside the cave.

Extremely evil red chakra, reeking of destruction, surged into the sky from within Kushina like a volcanic eruption!

The berserk chakra rapidly coalesced in mid-air, forming the massive head of a demon fox with nine tails.

The Nine-Tails had been forcibly extracted!

Terrifying pressure instantly engulfed the entire cave. The stone walls began to crack, and debris rained down.

Kushina let out a shrill, agonizing scream as her vitality drained away rapidly, like a spring running dry.

Obito tilted his head back, watching the Nine-Tails roar in mid-air, a fanatical sneer emanating from beneath his mask.

"The Nine-Tails is mine."

In the corner, Baishi stared fixedly at the massive demon fox head, blood still gushing from his chest.

His chakra was completely exhausted.

His body had reached its absolute limit.

The Nine-Tails was about to break free entirely.

Facing this world-destroying power of a Tailed Beast, what could a piece of ANBU cannon fodder who couldn't even stand up possibly do to stop it?