The masked man emerged from an unknown vortex before the Kumogakure ninja.
Mabui said, "That just now was..."
Darui said, "Space-Time Ninjutsu. Does the Akatsuki have someone like that, too?"
"A mysterious night~, a pitch-black swirl~ out of the darkness comes a masked man~, cold eyes beneath his mask~ giving off a mystery vibe~ a gale sweeps through the trees, Eight-Tails Killer B~, ready for a super challenge~ Showtime~~..." Killer B danced around, utterly oblivious to the danger.
Darui thought carefully. The boss had barely left before the Akatsuki showed up. Could their attack on the village have just been a diversion to lure him away? That would be terrifying...
He made a snap decision. "Protect B!"
"Yes!" The accompanying Kumogakure Anbu immediately formed a defensive formation around Killer B.
The Sharingan beneath Obito's mask turned. "Darui, an elite Kumogakure jōnin, the current Raikage's right-hand man, and the strongest candidate to become the next Raikage..."
Darui remained fully alert. "You flatter me. I'm just a little ahead of others my age. I heard the Akatsuki operate in pairs. Are you sure this is all right? Our boss has already returned to the village. Your partner stirring up trouble in Kumogakure probably won't make it out alive..."
"?" Beneath his mask, Obito looked somewhat puzzled.
"Stop wasting words on him! He's Akatsuki scum! Just kill him!!!"
As those words fell, a blond young man with the character for "heat" tattooed on his shoulder grabbed the ninja blade from his back and charged ahead!
Darui shouted, "Atsui!! Don't be reckless!! We don't know what he can do yet!!!"
But with his blood boiling, how could Atsui care?
Whoosh! Flames ignited along his ninja blade as he charged...
Obito stood motionless, making no attempt to defend himself!
"Heh, too scared to move? The Akatsuki aren't so tough after all!"
Seeing this, Atsui sneered and swung his ninja blade with all his strength!
Cloud Style: Heat Flame Slash!
Swish! As his slash passed through, Atsui's lips curled upward. "Got him..."
But... the satisfying sensation of cutting through flesh and bone never came!
It felt as though... he had sliced through thin air!
Whoosh!
Following his blade, Atsui's momentum carried his entire body straight through Obito...
"What!?" He was utterly stunned!
"Reckless or cautious, the outcome won't change. You've merely moved your death a little earlier..."
A cold voice sounded beneath the mask. Obito turned and reached for Atsui's shoulder!
Whoosh!
A powerful vortex erupted from his right eye, instantly engulfing Atsui!
Snap!
The vortex contracted, and Obito twisted his neck along its black trail...
In a single exchange, Atsui, who had inherited the "heat" tattoo, vanished alive before their eyes!
The sight left the Kumogakure ninja speechless!
Darui shouted, "Where did he go!?"
Obito turned back indifferently. "Another dimension. Don't worry. You'll be reunited soon..."
Darui was filled with regret. How am I going to face Samui?
Atsui was Samui's younger brother.
"Now, it's my turn..."
Obito charged!
Storm Release: Laser Circus!
Darui formed hand seals, sending lasers created by combining Water Release and Lightning Release into a web of firepower!
But every last one missed!
Whoosh!
Obito passed straight through Darui!
Darui said, "Just as I thought! Things can pass through his body!!!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Ignoring the defensive formation of the Kumogakure Anbu before him, Obito passed through them one after another, closing in on Killer B and reaching toward him!
Not everyone was Minato. Once that hand caught him, it would all be over...!
Lightning Release: Black Panther!
A black lightning panther suddenly descended!
"Hm?" Obito's gaze flickered, and his outstretched hand passed through Killer B's face...
Boom!
The lightning panther struck Killer B, exploding and scattering around him to create a field of lightning that no one could approach!
At the center of the lightning field, Killer B twitched all over. "A lightning baptism~, friendly protection~, legs out of commission~ early retirement~ Eight-Tails Killer B's embarrassing low~, got that constipated feel~, you fool~ you idiot~~!"
Outside the lightning field, Obito glanced at Darui from beneath his mask. "The Third Raikage's specialized black Lightning Release has stronger paralyzing properties than ordinary Lightning Release. You inherited Kumogakure's 'lightning' tattoo, and you're the only one alive who can use it."
Darui said, "Even if things can pass through your body, you have to become solid the instant you choose to attack. As long as we catch that moment, we can stop you. We won't let you get near B so easily!"
Obito said, "Oh? You figured that out so quickly. You're no ordinary ninja..."
Darui's gaze darkened. But that also means we can't do anything to him as long as he doesn't attack. Catching the moment he strikes is easier said than done. We can't succeed every time. One mistake, and it's all over...
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ninja blades, kunai, shuriken, explosive tags, and a dizzying array of ninjutsu!
The Kumogakure Anbu launched a coordinated assault!
With Kamui allowing everything to pass through him, none of their attacks had any effect!
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Obito let a Kumogakure Anbu's sword pass through him, then made to grab him...
"He'll become solid the instant he attacks! Now!!" Another Anbu seized the opening and thrust his blade, but the sharp steel passed through Obito again and pierced his comrade's chest!
Horrified at having killed his comrade, the Anbu cried, "What!? He pretended to attack and used his own technique's weakness against me, baiting me into striking!!!!"
"Aah...!!!!"
Crack! As grief and shock overwhelmed him, Obito had already locked his neck from behind and snapped it, killing him!
The longer Darui watched, the more alarmed he became. Just as I thought, the safest option is to send B away. As long as he and the Eight-Tails don't fall into the Akatsuki's hands, it won't matter even if every one of us dies here!
After weighing their options, he made his decision. "Mabui! Use the Heavenly Transfer Technique to send B away!"
Mabui said, "But!"
Darui said, "I know. But as long as B enters 'Version Two,' that high-density tailed beast cloak will protect his body from being torn apart and killed by the light-speed transfer. Of course... serious injuries will be unavoidable!"
Mabui said, "Is that necessary? His ability may be troublesome, but if we fight him together with B...!"
"It's not that simple! Look how calm he is. He clearly hasn't gotten serious yet!!"
"The Akatsuki have already failed twice against B! This third time, they even went to the trouble of attacking the village beforehand just to lure the boss away! They must be determined to succeed this time!"
Seeing Mabui still hesitate, Darui shouted, "Hurry! Black Panther's lightning field is about to disappear!"
"I... understand...!"
Mabui stopped hesitating and began setting up the Heavenly Transfer Technique's formula!
"Don't even think about it..."
Obito cast a cold sidelong glance at her.
Swish!
A sharpened wooden branch shot from his sleeve straight into Mabui's chest...
Once it pierced her, he mercilessly formed hand seals.
Shhk! Shhk! Shhk!
Vicious wooden spikes instantly burst from Mabui's chest and back...
Thud!
Mabui fell to the ground, dying horribly in a pool of blood...!
Darui's pupils contracted sharply, and his voice trembled. "That was... Wood Release!?"
"Correct. But your only prize is 'death'!"
Whoosh! A Kamui vortex suddenly appeared in midair. Obito flung both sleeves outward as he hung above them, raining down a barrage of wooden branches!
Wood Release: Cutting Sprigs!
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah...!!!"
Desperate, agonized screams echoed above the forest...
In a pool of blood, Darui screamed, "B, run!!!"
"You fool, you idiot! The great Eight-Tails Killer B is turning into a killer bee!!!!!!!"
Beneath his sunglasses, Killer B's eyes blazed with fury, and boundless rage filled his singsong voice!!
Boom, boom!
His body and chakra swelled together. With an ox's head and an octopus's body, the Eight-Tails revealed his true form!
Tailed Beast Transformation!
Obito's gaze remained inscrutable. "Oh? Here it comes..."
Whoosh!
Terrifying pitch-black chakra compressed inside the Eight-Tails' mouth, then blasted out all at once!!
Tailed Beast Bomb!!!!
Rumble!!!
"Whether it's a Tailed Beast Bomb or anything else, none of it means anything before my ocular power..."
Whoosh! Obito's body passed through the front of the Tailed Beast Bomb...
Rumble...!
The mountain behind him vanished in a curtain of light!
"A cornered beast still fights. Even the Eight-Tails, whose power is second only to the Nine-Tails, is no exception..."
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Five flames ignited at Obito's fingertips. He bent down and pressed his palm to the ground...
Uchiha Flame Formation!