Trying to escape?

"Lightning Release: Lightning Binding!!"

Lightning spread outward and coiled around Yoko Hyuga.

"Aah!!!"

Yoko Hyuga's entire body instantly went numb. Unable to move, she crashed heavily to the ground.

"Do it!! Kill all three of them!!"

The three muscular men closed in.

Gripping their Ninja Tachi with both hands, they each picked a target and slashed viciously down at Yoko Hyuga and her two teammates.

"Shadow Clone Technique!!"

Suddenly, a figure wearing goggles leaped down from high in a tree.

He formed hand seals in midair.

Two clouds of white smoke burst with a pair of pops.

Two identical shadow clones appeared.

Three Obito Uchihas landed in front of Yoko Hyuga and her teammates.

A sharp clang rang out!

Each Obito held a kunai before him, blocking the Ninja Tachi swinging down from above.

Surprise flashed in the three muscular men's eyes. They pressed down with all their strength, but still couldn't break through Obito's defense.

"Sharingan!!"

The real Obito's eyes turned from black to red, three tomoe taking shape and spinning rapidly in each eye.

At the same time, Obito met the eyes of the muscular man facing him and immediately cast a Sharingan genjutsu.

The man's eyes instantly lost focus, and he lost control of his body.

The Ninja Tachi slipped from his hands, and his body went limp and collapsed to the ground.

"Damn it!! It's the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan!!"

Only then did the other two muscular men realize something was wrong. They were about to rush over to help their companion, but it was already too late.

The real Obito had already crouched down and driven his kunai downward.

The kunai pierced the heart of the ninja caught in the genjutsu, killing him on the spot.

The remaining two men, one bald and the other bearded, immediately leaped back.

They put a considerable distance between themselves and Obito, holding their Ninja Tachi across their bodies as they watched him warily.

"Obito! What are you doing here..."

Tears glistened in Yoko Hyuga's eyes. She was still lying on the ground, only just recovering from the lightning's paralysis.

As she looked at Obito's back, her eyes filled with gratitude and surprise.

This boy she had rarely interacted with suddenly looked so handsome.

Obito glanced back at his three classmates, a smile curving his lips. "Yoko, Aoba, are you three all right?"

Yoko nodded vigorously, clasping her hands before her chest, her eyes full of hearts. "Yes, Obito. Thank goodness you came to save us."

"Obito, thank you." Aoba Yamashiro took off his sunglasses and looked at Obito with gratitude and complicated emotions in his eyes.

Namiashi Raidō shouted, "Obito! Don't let those two get away! They must be spies another village planted in Konoha. They were trying to steal Yoko's Byakugan!"

As relieved as the three were to have been saved, they couldn't find the words to express their gratitude to Obito.

After all, they had come within a hair's breadth of dying at those three ninjas' hands.

They had practically stepped through death's door, only for Obito to drag them back out.

"Don't worry. These two won't cause much trouble."

Obito nodded and turned toward the two burly ninjas standing dumbstruck nearby, looking them carefully up and down.

All three men wore Konoha forehead protectors.

Their skin tones weren't much different from those of Konoha's people, either.

But Namiashi Raidō was right. Since they were trying to steal the Hyuga's Byakugan, they had to be spies planted in Konoha by another village.

Obito simply couldn't determine which village the three spies came from yet.

"Talk! Where did you three come from?"

Kunai in hand, Obito slowly advanced toward the two men.

The muscular men exchanged a glance but didn't answer him.

They kept their wary eyes fixed on Obito, retreating step by step.

The bearded man asked, "It's the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan! What do we do?"

The bald man said, "Retreat first. Let's figure out how to get out of here. This kid's no pushover!"

Obito Uchiha wasn't particularly well known in Konoha yet, and these three ninjas didn't recognize him.

But the fact that he had taken out one of their companions in a single strike made it clear that this Uchiha Clan boy was far stronger than they were.

The moment the bald man finished speaking, they moved.

Both pulled out a black iron ball and slammed it hard against the ground.

Two bangs rang out!

The iron balls burst the instant they struck the ground.

But neither flames nor hidden weapons emerged.

Only thick purple smoke rapidly spread through the area.

The smoke carried a pungent smell.

The two muscular men turned and leaped back into the woods behind them, running for their lives.

[Ding! Host has triggered a temporary mission: detain the two remaining spies and deliver them to the Central Tower in the Forest of Death for the Konoha Ninja to handle.]

[Complete the mission to receive the following rewards. Reward 1: 2 copying opportunities. Reward 2: a random item reward.]

"Obito! Stop those two! Don't let them escape! They're spies!"

Seeing the two men flee, Namiashi Raidō shouted urgently at Obito.

Obito glanced back at him. This guy really had been thoroughly brainwashed by the will of fire, putting the village before his own safety.

I might not have such noble convictions.

But hasn't the system issued a mission?

I've still got a mission to complete and rewards to collect.

Obito quickly looked over the three of them and found that only Yoko Hyuga was uninjured.

Obito instructed her, "Yoko! Give those two some basic treatment first. I'll come right back for you once I've caught those guys."

Yoko Hyuga was still gazing at Obito with hearts in her eyes and a lovestruck expression on her face.

She nodded vigorously, her voice even softer and sweeter than usual. "Yes! Obito, don't worry. Leave it to me."

Without further hesitation, Obito turned and leaped off in pursuit of the two fleeing ninjas.

Obito had heard before that Yoko Hyuga was a little boy-crazy, but it had only been hearsay.

Now he had experienced it firsthand. This little girl really was hopelessly boy-crazy.

It's all because I'm just too charming, making countless girls in the bloom of youth fall for me...

Ahem...

For over a year, Obito had focused mainly on training his taijutsu.

As a result, he could travel extremely fast.

Although he had set off a little later than the two burly ninjas, it didn't take him long to catch up.

He was already less than ten meters behind them.