After leaving the vicinity of Orochimaru's base, Aoki Tsuki kept his head down and hurried on his way.
His black robe with red clouds concealed his presence well in the woods, and his powerful sense of nature protected him.
In this situation, no one can launch a sneak attack on him.
Since his departure, the other party has not directly sent anyone to assassinate him, remaining silent and refraining from making any move.
This caused him to be constantly on edge, having to be on guard at all times, which was mentally exhausting.
Just then, ripples appeared in the space above the tree branches, and a figure wearing a tiger-striped mask came into view.
Its single eye emitted an eerie red light.
'Why is this guy stopping me? Could it be White Zetsu...?'
Aoki Tsuki immediately made a judgment and asked, "Who are you?"
Who I am is not important. You took what you shouldn't have taken. If you give it back now, I might promise to spare your life.
Last time, I wanted to use Danzo to get rid of Aoki Tsuki, but Danzo turned out to be a cunning old fox and subcontracted the work to the Kumogakure construction team.
In fact, as long as the final result meets expectations, it doesn't matter who executes it.
The problem is, they messed it up!
'This is a perfect opportunity to get rid of you. Even if Pain finds out, he won't have anything to say.'
Obito silently thought that Aoki Tsuki, as a core member of Akatsuki and from Amegakure, needed a reasonable excuse to openly attack him.
Especially now, at this crucial moment when both sides are vying for control of the narrative.
"What are you talking about? I don't know you at all... Look again, maybe you're mistaken."
He absolutely could not admit to this; he had never seen the other party, much less White Zetsu, otherwise he would be in serious trouble.
"You're being stubborn, but that's alright, you'll confess soon enough."
Obito wouldn't believe anyone's words; in his view, both Orochimaru and Aoki Tsuki were highly suspicious.
Aoki Tsuki would be of little use with the White Zetsu Clone; it would most likely be given to Pain.
This was an outcome he did not want to see.
Splash...
A chain appeared in Obito's hand, and he put the two ends on his wrists.
To deal with such an incredibly fast enemy, ordinary methods are ineffective; assistance is needed. This was further demonstrated during the fight against Minato Namikaze.
Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique
Thick white mist billowed from Aoki Tsuki's mouth; this was no ordinary white mist, but rather a white mist mixed with Senjutsu Chakra.
In this environment, he can perform super-fast Water Body Flicker, and his swordsmanship can also unleash its maximum power.
Black and White Zetsu emerged from a large tree.
"I can't see clearly anymore... what should I do..." White Zetsu said in distress.
Obito instructed them to record the battle so they could review it later.
"There's nothing we can do about it. Let's wait for the results," Black Zetsu replied.
" The Hidden Mist Technique?"
Obito wasn't surprised at all. He had been causing trouble in Kirigakure for the past few years and was very familiar with this technique. For someone with the Sharingan, it was unstoppable.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
A string of high-density water droplets suddenly appeared from the white mist. Obito remained motionless, and the Sharingan.
The water droplets passed through his body.
"A mere trick... Hmph!"
Obito finally let out a disdainful sneer, but immediately his Sharingan detected a powerful aura.
"This is... Ibuse! He actually got it, damn it... Follow my move!"
puff...
The purple toxic fumes mixed with the white fog and spread rapidly.
Undoubtedly, as Amegakure, Aoki Tsuki would have a gas mask, but he couldn't fight for long in such an environment.
"Then let's see who's better."
Obito's body slowly disappeared from the spot, and when he reappeared, he was behind Aoki Tsuki.
Splash...
With a twist of the iron chain, Kamui was immediately activated for absorption.
"Success!... Hmm? No... it's the Water Clone Technique."
Obito clearly saw an orange light emanating from the other person's arms; it was Explosive Tag.
boom...
A pool of water was engulfed by the Kakkō, leaving nothing behind.
Outside the area shrouded in purple poisonous mist, Obito appeared, unharmed except for some torn clothes.
After realizing something was wrong, he immediately stopped absorbing the nutrients and escaped at the crucial moment.
"This guy's a bit tricky..."
After only a brief exchange, Obito realized that his opponent was far more cunning than he had anticipated.
This environment, a mixture of white mist Ibuse venom, allows the opponent to easily detect his location and also enables him to use Body Flicker Technique.
He couldn't fight inside for long, and his Sharingan was also obscured by the poisonous smoke, which is why he couldn't see through the clone immediately.
Not far away, Black and White Zetsu saw Obito's appearance and felt a bit gloating.
" Obito seems to have gotten the short end of the stick," White Zetsu whispered.
Black Zetsu chimed in, "Hehe... seems so."
That guy deserves it. When he and White Zetsu went to report, he actually said they were too useless. Now he'll get a taste of his own medicine.
Neither Aoki Tsuki nor Orochimaru are easy to deal with.
A powerful ninja is not scary; what is scary is someone who is both strong and cunning, such as the Second Hokage and Danzo, who inherited the Second's spirit.
Faced with this prickly hedgehog, Obito narrowed his eyes, and his figure disappeared again.
At this moment, Aoki Tsuki was standing on a branch of a large tree, his blue pupils had turned into a spiral shape, and he had entered Sage Mode.
He activated the perception technique ' Heavenly Eye ' and the Barrier Ninjutsu ' Boundless Mind Domain '.
He Obito Obito's movements like the back of his hand; for example, after Obito came in for the second time, it took him a minute to pinpoint his location.
Instead of rashly approaching and absorbing him, she quietly came to the top of his head.
" Wood Release: Cutting Sprigs "
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
Hundreds and thousands of wooden spikes rained down at great speed, aiming to catch the enemy off guard.
Aoki Tsuki was prepared, using the " Body Flicker Technique ".
Snap...
A puddle of water was pierced by a splinter.
"They got away? They were really fast!" Obito muttered to himself.
The intelligence report mentioned that the opponent was highly skilled in the Body Flicker Technique, and was able to escape from the Fourth Raikage, so their speed couldn't be slow.
Immediately afterward, Obito quickly gave chase, already having a tactical plan in mind.
He held the initiative, while Aoki Tsuki could only defend passively. Psychologically, he had the advantage; as long as he could manipulate the opponent's mindset, he could break through their psychological defenses.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
Whenever Aoki Tsuki uses Body Flicker Technique to dodge, Obito can always quickly find him and release Wood Release, like a thorn in his side.
This time, Aoki Tsuki jumped to the ground. There was only one tree nearby, Obito naturally attached himself to the tree trunk, continuing to use the Cutting Sprigs.
But then Aoki Tsuki changed his style of running away, and the moment he landed, he slapped the ground with one hand.
Fire Release: Explosive Flame Formation
"Hmm? This technique is..."
Obito's Sharingan trembled violently. This was the technique Hanzō used to deal with Nagato. How could he not know it? He subconsciously looked down.
Countless Explosive Tag suddenly appeared on the tree trunk beneath his feet, and several had already climbed and adhered to his legs.
The orange-red light was so dazzling in the darkness.
"Oops...!!"
Boom boom boom...
The continuous explosions lasted for a long time, and the tree, several meters in diameter, collapsed with a deafening roar.
Beyond the thick fog, Obito reappeared, even more wretched than before. His trousers were completely ripped apart, and his robe was torn, making him look like a beggar.
"Huff... Huff..."
Obito was panting heavily, his heart filled with both shock and fear.
"Damn it! I almost..."
He had initially intended to psychologically pressure the other party, treating them like prey, but the other party turned the tables on him and outmaneuvered him.
"Was that a trap set just now?"
He was certain that the first time he emerged from the poisonous fog to get some fresh air was at that moment.
On the other side, Black and White Zetsu stared in astonishment, his mouth agape.
"Oh dear, it seems to be 2-0 now. Is Obito any good?" Zetsu exclaimed.
Black Zetsu couldn't continue gloating. "Shut up, something's not right, this shouldn't be happening..."
"What's the meaning?"
"While Aoki Tsuki's strength is considerable, it's impossible to defeat Obito twice in a row, unless..."
Zetsu immediately realized what was going on and said, "You mean he knows information about Obito? Could it be Nagato?"
"That can only be the reason. This is extremely bad."
Looking back now, it's clear that Aoki Tsuki adopted a defensive strategy from the very beginning of the fight, which is completely unlike his usual fighting style.
Without any probing, it was as if they knew those Ninjutsu were useless.
If this speculation is true, then it will be troublesome. Even if Zetsu's surveillance can be broken, Obito's abilities will be useless against him.
What's the point of playing then?!
"That can't be right, even Nagato couldn't possibly know everything about Obito's abilities..."
"Hmph, don't underestimate the Rinnegan."
"What should we do then?"
"It depends on Obito."
They are non-combatants; if they dare to go in, they'll be dead in one round.
"Huh? The fog seems to have dissipated..." White Zetsu exclaimed in surprise.
Black Zetsu urged, "This is bad, let's go!"
He wasn't naive enough to think the fog had reached its limit; most likely, the other party felt it was no longer necessary to maintain it and proactively withdrew the Ninjutsu.
If we don't run now, we might get caught.
White Zetsu nodded. This place was not safe to stay in for long. While Obito time, they should leave first.
Swish...
Aoki Tsuki arrived in front of him, looked up at Obito in the tree, and said with a forced smile, "You survived my Fire Release unscathed, you're something else!"
"Hmph, you've used up most of your trump cards, haven't you? What other tricks do you have up your sleeve? Bring them on, I'm going to get serious now."
Obito's momentum remained strong; his opponent had merely exploited his intelligence.
Now that he knows his opponent has mastered Hanzō's skills, he will never underestimate him again.