Heart-Pounding!

"Kill him...!"

As 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, their hearts tightened again.

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

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

Yakushi Kabuto said, "Uchiha... Obito's body... was not found by Konoha. Orochimaru... suspects... he is still... alive in this world. He wanted... to use... his blood to attempt... the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu."

In an instant... cold sweat ran down Obito's face beneath the white vines concealing it.

He knew very well... if this blood were truly taken back and used by Orochimaru for the Impure World Reincarnation,

Then the result... would inevitably be the failure of the Impure World Reincarnation!

That would expose the fact that he, Uchiha Obito, was still alive to the entire Shinobi World!

Killing intent brewed in his trembling eyes.

But Obito still had doubts, and he asked in a low voice.

"Uchiha Obito was merely an obscure Chunin during the Shinobi World War. Why would Orochimaru focus on him?"

Yakushi Kabuto said, "Eyes. Uchiha... ocular power is what Orochimaru pursues. But... for now... his reach cannot extend into... Konoha or the Uchiha Clan, so he settled for..."

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

"Yes."

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

Blood... instantly stained the ground!!!

Obito tossed aside Kabuto's corpse, and the flames igniting in his hand burned the Blood-Sealing Scroll to ashes!

"Land of Rice... I can't delay any longer. I must eliminate Orochimaru immediately!"

Two White Zetsu emerged from the ground. One of them said, "Are you 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 disappear from this world!"

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

"Do as you like."

"Whoosh!" As soon as he finished speaking, Obito vanished into Kamui's vortex...

Looking at Yakushi Kabuto's corpse, that White Zetsu drooled uncontrollably from the corner of its mouth.

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

It discovered... that Kabuto's corpse had actually turned into a blurry shadow and vanished!

"What!?"

"Slash!" The next moment, a blue-covered palm mercilessly pierced through its chest!

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

"This, this really is... like seeing a ghost."

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

"Damn it!"

"You really think we're pushovers, don't you!!"

"Die!!"

A large number of White Zetsu burst from the ground!!

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

At the armpit of his right arm, the sealing talisman concealing his presence burned to ash, and the Sharingan hidden there closed.

He glanced at the left hand on the ground.

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

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

Time returned to seven days earlier.

"Izanagi, the Uchiha Clan's forbidden jutsu. 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 that Uchiha forbidden technique as well."

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

"Yes. In my early years, I joined Root and dealt with Danzo with the intention of making use of one another."

"Before the battle at Kikyo Mountain had even ended, Danzo secretly recovered the corpses of fallen Uchiha Clan members and took their Sharingan. Then he asked me to transplant those eyes, as well as Hashirama-sama's cells, into him so that he could achieve Izanagi's forbidden technique!" (There will be an image later.)

"When Danzo recruited Kabuto during his 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 very early on. And Izanagi consumes its users, so Danzo gradually used up quite a few over the years. That does not conflict with him later taking the eyes from the Uchiha Clan massacre."

"I agreed to Danzo's request, because I was also curious about the truth behind that forbidden technique. I intended to use Danzo as an experimental subject to obtain some data regarding the technique. Of course, it came at a price. I took half the Sharingan Danzo possessed as payment for assisting him."

After saying that, Orochimaru's expression darkened slightly. "But Kabuto is not a member of the Uchiha Clan. 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 very pure, the burden is still not something he can easily endure..."

Nagato said decisively, "Believe in Kabuto. He can do it."

"Huh?" At the time, Kabuto stared 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 thought, he did it. You understand this child's potential better than I do..."

Nagato neither confirmed nor denied it.

While running,

Kabuto said to the White Zetsu he had taken hostage, "You're Number Zero or Number One, right?"

That White Zetsu said, "That's right. I'm Number One."

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

Number One said, "We already got the Hashirama Artificial Body Cells, but I also became an object of Obito's suspicion. Luckily, your timely discovery by my kind diverted Obito's attention. Otherwise, I would definitely have been finished..."

"Where are the Hashirama Artificial Body Cells?"

"Here."

Number One put the chunk of flesh clenched in its 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 One said, "I'm convinced. Your act was truly convincing. You actually gave away Orochimaru's current location!"

Kabuto sounded somewhat helpless. "If I hadn't said that, I never could have fooled him. Adapting on the spot is an essential quality for a spy."

Number One said, "Impressive. Now that you have everything, why not have Nagato-sama summon you away directly?"

Yakushi Kabuto glanced at the White Zetsu relentlessly pursuing them behind him. "No. If Obito is also familiar with the Rinnegan's abilities, then if I am summoned back directly, he may later connect this matter to Nagato-sama's involvement. Therefore... when I am summoned, we must avoid the eyes of every White Zetsu!"

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

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

Number One said in a low voice, "No... you cannot just put me down like this."

Kabuto froze. "Why?"

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

"But..."

"I have already been suspected. Once Obito comes to his senses, he will definitely deal with me. Dying here is the best ending for me. Do it. Make it quick..."

"Oh, right. After you return, there's something... tell Nagato-sama for me." Number One revealed a parting smile.

"Thank him. I can feel that although he has used us, deep down, he has not completely regarded us White Zetsu as mere pieces on a board. We were together only briefly, but I was truly happy... I hope he will also treat my kin well after I am gone."

"Ah... I will!!"

Kabuto clenched his teeth. The instant he released Number One, the Chakra Scalpel swept across its throat...!

Number One's corpse drifted backward, landing before its kin...!!!

"Bastard!!!"

As their steps slowed for a moment, Kabuto rushed 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!

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