Heart-Stopping!

"Kill him...!"

Kabuto's words fell.

A thousand miles away, Nagato and Orochimaru both let out a sigh of relief!

Kabuto had not truly fallen under Obito's genjutsu. It seemed the safeguard they had prepared for him beforehand had worked!

Very quickly, however, their hearts rose to their throats again.

Because that did not mean... they had succeeded!

"Just as I thought." Obito steadied himself and asked again, "Orochimaru, why did he send you to collect this blood?"

Yakushi Kabuto said, "Uchiha... Obito's corpse... was never found by Konoha. Orochimaru... suspects... that he is still... alive in this world. He wants... to use the blood to search for him and attempt... the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu."

In an instant... cold sweat trickled down Obito's face beneath the white vines.

He knew very well... that if this blood was truly taken back and used by Orochimaru for Impure World Reincarnation—

The result... would inevitably be a failed Impure World Reincarnation!

And then, the fact that he, Uchiha Obito, was still alive would be exposed to the entire ninja world!

Killing intent brewed in his trembling eye.

But Obito still had doubts, and his voice was low as he questioned him.

"Uchiha Obito was merely an obscure Chunin during the ninja war. Why would Orochimaru focus on him?"

Yakushi Kabuto said, "Eyes. Uchiha... ocular power is what Orochimaru seeks. But... at present... his reach cannot extend to... Konoha's Uchiha Clan, so he settled for..."

Obito interrupted coldly, "So he settled for second best and set his sights on... the ghost of a dead Uchiha?"

"Yes."

"Crack!!!!" The instant Kabuto uttered that word, the Wooden Impalement erupting from Obito's right arm violently pierced through his body!!

Blood... instantly dyed the ground red!!!

Obito tossed aside Kabuto's corpse. The flames burning in his hand reduced the Blood-Sealing Scroll to ashes!

"The Land of Rice... cannot be delayed any longer. Orochimaru must be eliminated immediately!"

Two White Zetsu emerged from the ground. One of them said, "Are we going? You left behind a Space-Time Marker in the Land of Rice, but it seems to be some distance from Orochimaru's base."

Obito said coldly, "It doesn't matter. Even if it's one second sooner, I can no longer wait to make Orochimaru vanish from this world!"

That White Zetsu glanced at the corpse on the ground. "Can I enjoy this guy's body?"

"Do as you please."

"Whoosh!" As his words fell, Obito vanished into Kamui's vortex...

Staring at Yakushi Kabuto's corpse, that White Zetsu drooled shamelessly from the corner of his mouth.

Just as it bent down, ready to enjoy its meal...

It discovered... that Kabuto's corpse had become a blurry shadow and disappeared!

"What!?"

"Slash!" The next second, a palm covered in blue light mercilessly punched through its chest!

"Huh?" Before it died, White Zetsu's eyes darted behind it... Kabuto was standing there, alive and well.

"Th-this really is... like seeing a ghost."

Even until its death, this White Zetsu could not understand how this had happened... but it had already relayed the information to its kind!!

"You bastard!"

"You really think we're pushovers, huh?!"

"Die!!"

A huge mass of White Zetsu surged out of the ground!!

Kabuto decisively seized the other White Zetsu beside him and fled toward the forest!

The sealing tag hidden beneath his right armpit, concealing his presence, burned to ash. The Sharingan hidden there closed.

He glanced at his left hand on the ground.

"The injury from before I formed the hand seals... couldn't be restored?"

That was right... Izanagi was the safeguard Nagato had suggested Orochimaru place on Kabuto.

Time returned to seven days earlier.

"Izanagi is an Uchiha forbidden technique. From the moment it is activated until its duration ends, negative factors such as injury and death can be erased."

"Oh? I never expected Nagato-kun to know of that Uchiha forbidden technique as well."

"Orochimaru, you have Sharingan on hand, don't you?"

"Yes. In my early years, I joined Root and dealt with Danzo out of mutual interest."

"Before the battle at Bellflower Mountain had even ended, Danzo secretly recovered the bodies of fallen Uchiha clan members and took their Sharingan. Then he asked me to transplant those eyes, as well as Hashirama's cells, into him, so he could attain Izanagi's forbidden technique!" (Image later)

"When Danzo recruited Kabuto during the orphanage days, his right eye and arm were already wrapped in bandages. At that time, Orochimaru was still serving Root and had not defected from Konoha, which shows that Danzo had gotten involved with Izanagi long ago. And Izanagi is a consumable; Danzo used up quite a few over the years, which does not conflict with him later taking the eyes from the massacred Uchiha clan."

"I agreed to Danzo's request, because I was also curious about the truth behind that forbidden technique. I intended to use Danzo as a test subject to obtain experimental data on the technique. Naturally, it came at a price. I took half the Sharingan in Danzo's possession as payment for assisting him."

After saying that, Orochimaru's expression darkened slightly. "But Kabuto is not an Uchiha. To activate Izanagi, he must possess the power of both the Senju Clan and the Uchiha."

"In other words, Hashirama Cells must be transplanted into him. Even though the Hashirama Cells I currently possess are not highly pure, the burden is still not something he can bear easily..."

Nagato said decisively, "Trust Kabuto. He can do it."

"Huh?" At the time, Kabuto looked at Nagato in surprise. Nagato had almost no reason to believe in him.

Back to the present.

Orochimaru smiled sincerely. "Nagato-kun, just as you expected, he did it. You understand this child's potential better than I do..."

Nagato neither confirmed nor denied it.

As he ran.

Kabuto said to the White Zetsu he had seized, "You're Number 0 or Number 1, aren't you?"

That White Zetsu said, "Yes, I'm Number 1."

Kabuto pondered, "Why are you here? Didn't you have another mission?"

Number 1 said, "We already obtained the Hashirama Artificial Body Cells, but I also became an object of Obito's suspicion. Luckily, one of my kind discovered you in time and diverted Obito's attention. Otherwise, I'd definitely have been finished..."

"Where are the Hashirama Artificial Body Cells?"

"Here."

Number 1 placed the chunk of flesh clenched in his hand into Kabuto's pocket.

"The scroll containing Obito's blood... it wasn't really destroyed, was it?"

Kabuto said, "Of course not. I already switched it. What Obito got was a fake."

Number 1 said, "I'm convinced. Your act was really convincing. You actually gave away Orochimaru's current location!"

Kabuto was somewhat helpless. "If I hadn't said that at the time, there was no way I could have fooled him. Adapting on the spot is an essential quality for a spy."

Number 1 said, "Amazing. You got everything already, so why not have Lord Nagato summon you away directly?"

Yakushi Kabuto glanced from the corner of his eye at the White Zetsu relentlessly pursuing him from behind. "No. If Obito is also familiar with the Rinnegan's abilities, then if I am summoned back directly, he may connect Lord Nagato to this afterward. Therefore... the instant of summoning must avoid every White Zetsu's watchful eyes!"

"Is that so..." Number 1 lowered his gaze. "Kabuto, the forest at six o'clock is currently a blind spot for our kind."

"Ah... six o'clock? Understood. I'll put you down now and rush there at full speed!"

Number 1 said in a low voice, "No... you can't just put me down like this."

Kabuto was startled. "Why?"

"Suspicious behavior will only invite more of Obito's suspicion. Killing me now is the wise choice..."

"But..."

"I've already become a suspect. Once Obito comes to his senses, he will definitely deal with me. Dying here is my best destination. Do it. Make it quick..."

"Oh, right. After you return, there is something... tell Lord Nagato for me." Number 1 revealed a smile of farewell.

"Thank him. I can feel that although he has used us, deep down, he does not completely see us White Zetsu as mere chess pieces. We only spent a brief time together, but I was truly happy... I hope he will also treat my fellow White Zetsu well after I'm gone."

"Ah... I will!!"

Kabuto gritted his teeth. The instant he released Number 1, the Chakra Scalpel swept across his throat...!

Number 1's corpse drifted backward and fell before his fellow White Zetsu...!!!

"Bastard!!!"

While their footsteps slowed, Kabuto charged at full speed toward the forest at six o'clock and vanished from the White Zetsu clones' sight...!!!

"Now, Nagato-kun...!!"

"Ah, I understand!!!"

—Summoning Technique!

Meanwhile, deep within the Land of Rice, Uchiha Obito was racing at top speed toward Orochimaru's base!!!