"You won't talk, huh? I have ways to make you!"
Obito's gaze turned cold and indifferent. Gripping his Nunchaku, he charged straight at the three of them.
The two sides clashed again.
The Nunchaku collided with the Ninja Tachi, ringing out sharply.
The three fought in perfect coordination, their swordsmanship exceptionally refined. Time and again, they found openings to launch lethal strikes at Obito.
Yet when their Ninja Tachi slashed into Obito, the result was the same as before.
The blades passed straight through him without any resistance, inflicting no actual damage.
Instead, Obito seized the openings while they stood stunned and repeatedly lashed them with his Nunchaku.
The three cried out in pain over and over.
"Damn it! This brat is too strange! Don't fight him up close!"
Having suffered badly in close combat, the leader of the three hurriedly gave the order.
All three leaped backward, once again confronting Obito from the front, left, and right.
This time, however, all three began forming hand seals, intending to strike Obito with ninjutsu.
"Shadow Style: Half-Moon Slash!"
The black-clad man in front sprang up, his body suspended in midair.
He swept his Ninja Tachi through a semicircle in front of him.
White light swirled around the blade, forming the shape of a moon in the air.
Then he swung his sword forward.
A crescent blade of light a full two meters wide flew straight toward Obito.
"Konoha Style: Thunder Shadow Dance Slash!"
Another black-clad man also leaped into the air.
He formed hand seals with only one hand, however.
Three clouds of white smoke burst in front of him with a series of pops.
Three identical black figures appeared.
Each gripped a Ninja Tachi in both hands and slashed down at Obito below.
Dazzling lightning flashed between their blades, carrying the force to cleave through anything.
"Secret Technique: Insect Sphere!"
The black-clad man's attack from the right was much simpler.
He waved both arms again, and an even greater number of black insects appeared, swarming in front of him.
The swarm beat its wings, producing a buzzing sound.
The densely packed tide of insects surged toward Obito.
Obito swept his gaze over the three, disdain flashing in his eyes. "I've had enough fun. It's time for you to die!"
Murderous intent radiated from all three, and every attack they made was meant to kill Obito.
Naturally, Obito wasn't merciful enough to spare their lives and settle for merely beating them up.
The tomoe in his eyes rotated slightly.
Obito's body sank straight into the ground and vanished.
Rumble!
The three combined attacks exploded against the ground.
A violent explosion rang out, blasting a huge crater into the ground. Dirt flew everywhere, and dust filled the air.
"Everyone, be careful! He wasn't hit! He must still be hiding nearby!"
The ninja who had unleashed the insect swarm was the first to warn the others.
Although the light was dim and dust still obscured the crater,
he had already sensed through his insects that Obito's corpse was nowhere inside it.
"Your warning came too late!"
Almost at the same instant the insect ninja finished speaking,
Obito emerged from the ground beneath another black-clad ninja's feet.
With incredible speed, he punched the ninja in the abdomen. Then, as his eyes rotated, he activated Sharingan Genjutsu.
"Aah!"
The black-clad man screamed, doubling over.
The next instant, his eyes met Obito's, and he felt his thoughts grind to a halt before losing all awareness.
"Kamui!"
Obito activated his ocular technique again, and the space in front of him twisted into a spiraling vortex.
The black-clad man, already caught in genjutsu, was sucked into the void and vanished.
"Damn it! What the hell is going on? How can he swallow someone up in an instant?"
The other two ninja felt their scalps prickle.
The techniques the three of them had just used were already their strongest attacks.
Logically, even the Third Hokage might not have been able to withstand an attack like that with ease.
Yet this little boy, only nine years old, was as slippery as an eel.
He could ignore any attack and let it pass straight through his body. Just what kind of freak was he?
"You leave first! Find a way to get the information back! I'll try to hold him off!"
The two black-clad ninja exchanged a glance, already considering retreat.
The ninja controlling the insect swarm shouted to the other.
As soon as he finished speaking, he once again sent the insects swirling around him flying toward Obito.
He knew he had no advantage in speed. If he fled, he would only be caught.
So he abandoned any hope of surviving and chose to cover his teammate's retreat.
"All right!"
Without another word, the other black-clad man agreed and turned to leave.
"You want to leave? You've already come all this way! Do you think I'll let you go?"
Obito sneered. As he unleashed more ocular power, blue-green light shone around his body.
Then a massive Skeletal Arm suddenly shot out and tightly seized the black-clad man who had just leaped onto a tree.
"Aaah!"
The skeletal hand tightened its grip.
Pain contorted the black-clad man's face. He screamed as his bones cracked.
"I'll give you one more chance! Talk! Who sent you?"
Obito demanded in a low voice, paying no attention to the insect swarm flying toward him from behind.
When the insects came within half a meter of his back,
a section of skeletal framework enclosed Obito's body, protecting him.
The insects rushed forward to bite, only to crash suicidally against the skeletal framework before falling to the ground.
"We won't talk. If we reveal the secret, we'll only die an even worse death..."
Blood spilled from the mouth of the black-clad man trapped in the skeletal hand as he forced the words through clenched teeth.
Although he desperately wanted to live and surrender immediately,
the thought of the organization's terrifying punishments made a quick death seem preferable.
"Fine, then! I'll grant your wish!"
Obito gave a soft snort. His eyes narrowed slightly, and the skeletal hand abruptly clenched tighter.
The ninja's body was crushed flat on the spot, his entire form twisted and distorted to a horrifying degree.
Blood poured from all seven openings of his head.
Then the Skeletal Arm vanished, and the mangled black-clad ninja fell to the ground with a thud.
"Now it's your turn!"
Obito abruptly turned and glared at the remaining black-clad ninja.
"Damn it... damn it!"
Seeing his companion die so horribly, the insect-controlling ninja was terrified to the verge of frenzy and lost all reason.
He tore off his black clothing, exposing his muscular upper body.
Then, after he brought his hands together to form hand seals, holes the size of fingers appeared across his exposed skin.
Black insects crawled out of the holes one after another, then beat their wings and flew toward Obito.
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