"Lord Kurosuki!"
The remaining Mist shinobi cried out in shock, but Kiyohara did not give them even a moment to react.
He turned around, his pitch-black eyes sweeping across the battlefield.
Six Mist shinobi, every one of their positions, movements, and even the hand seals they were forming were perfectly reflected within his pupils.
Even without activating the Sharingan, the increase in his spiritual energy had greatly enhanced his perception and insight.
Then—he moved.
Kiyohara's speed was so fast that he almost left behind afterimages.
The nearest Mist shinobi either had their throats pierced through by iron sand or had their necks sliced open by Kiyohara's blade in a single stroke.
Five seconds.
Six Mist shinobi—all fell to the ground.
Kiyohara flicked the blood from his blade and turned his gaze toward the breach in the mountainside.
Rubble exploded outward as Raiga stepped out from within.
A wound so deep it exposed bone ran across his left cheek, blood dripping steadily down his chin.
Yet in his eyes burned a frenzied, almost manic fighting spirit.
His other arm had already been fused shut by the extreme heat generated when the electromagnetic projectile tore through it. There was no need for bandaging or even hemostasis—the flesh had been scorched and sealed together.
Moreover, his chakra reserves were still relatively abundant.
"Good… very good!"
He laughed wildly, raising the Lightning Blade high.
"This is more like it! Come, let's have a fight worthy of my time!"
Dark clouds gathered overhead once more, and this time the scale of the lightning far surpassed what had come before.
The entire valley was bathed in blinding flashes of thunder, as bright as broad daylight.
'Raiga… he's probably the weakest of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen,' Kiyohara thought as he looked at the man with wildly dancing green hair.
In the original storyline, Raiga had taken in Ranmaru, who possessed the Ketsuryūgan bloodline limit.
In the end, he had been defeated by the combined efforts of young Naruto, Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee.
Of course, part of that outcome was due to Raiga abandoning much of his resistance.
But during those battles, even without using Lightning Blade or lightning-release ninjutsu, his taijutsu alone had allowed him to trade blows evenly with Rock Lee.
"Oh? Come on then, brat…!" Raiga sneered as he eyed Kiyohara, who was dressed in standard jōnin attire.
In his mind, he reasoned that no matter what, this kid couldn't possibly be as outrageous as that Konoha genin.
Could there really be another Might Duy?
With a wave of his hand, electric arcs flowed along the strange Lightning Blade.
The electricity took on a pale white hue, like liquid lightning coursing over the weapon.
"I've been hiding my hand for long enough. It's time to show my true strength," Kiyohara said calmly, tightening his grip on the hilt of his blade, the cold sensation seeping into his palm.
In the past, most of his fights had been one-sided beatdowns, which did little to truly improve his strength. The only time he had faced genuine danger was when he fought Ao.
If one played the pig to eat the tiger too often, wouldn't one eventually become a pig for real?
Hide when it's necessary but when the situation is under control, strike decisively.
Kiyohara glanced briefly at Kakashi.
Madara certainly wouldn't mind if he died here as well, so long as it allowed Obito to awaken his Sharingan.
Which meant that now, this was the moment when he absolutely had to act.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Strike!"
Raiga's Lightning Blade crackled violently as it released a white arc of electricity.
The crackling lightning surged straight toward Kiyohara.
"Leaf… Body Flicker Technique!"
Kiyohara vanished from where he stood.
In the next instant, he appeared directly in front of Raiga.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Kiyohara expelled a violent torrent of wind from his mouth.
The raging airflow dispersed much of the lightning clinging to Raiga's body, and Kiyohara followed up with a swift slash of his blade, forcing Raiga to raise his left hand and block with the Lightning Blade.
Bang!
Upon closer inspection, Raiga realized that Kiyohara had actually wrapped his shinobi blade in a layer of compressed wind.
From a distance, it looked as though Kiyohara were wielding a long blade forged entirely of rushing air.
The two figures clashed back and forth, flickering continuously through the forest.
Against a lightning-release specialist like Raiga, most of Kiyohara's techniques were wind release.
Wind naturally countered lightning.
As recorded in the Secret Book, when two techniques of the same nature collide, the outcome depends on the amount of chakra used.
If the chakra output is equal, the techniques cancel each other out.
If one side uses more chakra, that technique overwhelms the other.
And when chakra output is the same, the technique with the superior elemental relationship always wins.
"This brat…"
After only a brief exchange, Raiga began to feel tremendous pressure.
Occasionally, when he managed to land a strike on Kiyohara, what he felt wasn't the sensation of slicing through flesh—but rather of striking solid steel.
The recoil alone was enough to tear open the skin of his palm.
Yet Raiga did not stop.
Neither did Kiyohara.
The two maintained high-speed combat throughout the forest, gouging trenches into the earth and toppling trees with their clashes.
'Damn it… I just need to hold on a little longer…' Raiga thought as he waited for reinforcements to arrive.
This time, it wouldn't be just one member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
As long as enough time passed, even if this brat were a dragon, he'd be forced to coil—and if he were a tiger, he'd have to lie down!
Watching the fierce battle between Kiyohara and Raiga, Kakashi and Rin quickly retreated to the side.
Strangely, at this moment, the Mist shinobi and ANBU didn't rush to finish off Kakashi and Rin.
Kakashi felt puzzled, he couldn't understand why they weren't pressing their advantage but he focused on restoring his chakra as quickly as possible.
"Kiyohara…"
When Kakashi turned his head, he saw Rin's face.
Her profile, adorned with purple markings and delicate features, was fixed intently on Kiyohara, filled with unmistakable worry.
'Rin and Kiyohara really are close,' Kakashi thought silently.
He knew that Rin had once harbored some feelings for him, but he also knew they weren't suited for each other.
And Obito's promise like a curse, still weighed heavily on him.
He had sworn to protect Rin no matter what.
As for who could truly bring her happiness, Kakashi's gaze fell upon Kiyohara, who was still fighting Raiga on equal footing amid rapid flashes of movement.
Only someone who cared so deeply about his comrades, someone like Kiyohara, could give Rin that happiness.
Kakashi still remembered that when Rin had been in danger at the ruins of Uzushiogakure, Kiyohara had revealed his Magnet Release at a critical moment.
That was love. That was… a bond.
"Kakashi?"
Rin turned her head inadvertently and noticed the strange expression on Kakashi's face.
"It's nothing," Kakashi shook his head.
"Who do you think is stronger, Kiyohara or Raiga?" he asked.
The reputation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen was widespread, and Kakashi knew some information about Raiga.
Rin fell silent for a moment. She also knew of Raiga's reputation.
"Probably… Kiyohara," she answered after a brief hesitation, her tone firm.
"Oh?"
Kakashi was surprised.
Did Rin really trust Kiyohara that much?
"Every time I've been in danger, it was Kiyohara who saved me," Rin said softly, unconsciously touching the bracelet Kiyohara had given her.
Judging by its design, it had clearly been braided by Kiyohara himself, which was why Rin cherished it so dearly.
Because Kiyohara had been the first and the only person to remember her birthday that day.
"I see," Kakashi replied quietly, saying nothing more.
The two remained alert to their surroundings while continuing to watch Kiyohara's battle.
Their stamina slowly began to recover.
Rin, however, suddenly frowned. She felt a dull pain in her abdomen.
A violent, turbulent chakra stirred within her, even beginning to affect her consciousness.
She hurriedly shook her head, trying to clear it.
"Lightning Blade Art: Falling Thunder!"
Crack!
With a swing of Raiga's blade, an arc-shaped bolt of lightning spread across the ground, racing straight toward Kiyohara.
Its speed was astonishing—within the blink of an eye, it formed a circular cage of electricity, like a dome closing in.
"Run, brat! Keep running!" Raiga sneered.
He had noticed how fast Kiyohara was.
So he decided to seal off all escape routes at once and see how Kiyohara would keep using the Body Flicker Technique then.
Hearing Raiga's words, Kiyohara couldn't help but curl his lips into a faint smile.
Run?
Who?
"Why?" Kiyohara asked aloud.
At present, Raiga was missing an arm, and Kiba Blade was meant to be wielded as a pair—under these conditions, his strength was effectively cut in half.
Kiyohara's earlier combat had merely been a cautious probe, testing whether Raiga had any hidden tricks left, such as explosive tags.
Now it seemed—there were none.
But that had given Raiga a false impression: that Kiyohara was a fragile shinobi who relied solely on speed and original techniques.
In reality, Kiyohara also possessed Steel Release and Earth Release: Earth Spear—his defensive power far surpassed that of ordinary shinobi.
In the next instant—
The ground beneath Kiyohara's feet exploded outward.
That was repulsive force.
Using the explosive momentum from it, combined with the burst of speed granted by the Leaf Body Flicker Technique, Kiyohara appeared directly in front of Raiga.
He slashed downward.
With Earth Release: Earth Spear and the immense force generated by his magnetic field, that single strike even produced a pressure wave akin to sword qi slicing through the air.
Raiga had no choice but to hurriedly raise his blade to block.
Bang!
Raiga spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
At the very instant he attempted to parry, his Kiba could no longer hold. It was forced back by Kiyohara's overwhelming strength, sliding straight toward his own chest.
The blunt spine of the blade slammed heavily into his torso, sending him flying.
His entire body tumbled across the ground, blood spraying from his mouth.
Before he could even catch his breath, Kiyohara's shadow once again loomed over him.
The icy blade sliced through the air, attacking once more.
The sparks erupting from the clash illuminated the dim mountain forest.
With every block, Raiga felt as though he wasn't fending off a human at all, but a raging chakra beast charging straight at him!
His condition worsened by the second, and it was obvious to the naked eye that he was being completely suppressed.
If things continued like this, defeat was inevitable!
...
Meanwhile, six miles away in the forest.
Obito leapt rapidly from treetop to treetop.
His Sharingan had long since been activated, the two tomoe spinning wildly within his pupils as everything in his field of vision slowed down.
"How are Kakashi and Rin doing right now?"
"Based on the intelligence coming in from elsewhere… it looks really bad. They're surrounded by highly skilled shinobi, including Mist jōnin and ANBU."
Upon hearing this, Obito immediately asked,
"Where is Minato-sensei?"
"Who?"
White Zetsu Uzumaki asked in confusion.
"I'm asking you where the 'Yellow Flash' is!"
"Uh… it seems he's carrying out a mission somewhere else."
"Damn it!"
Obito clenched his teeth hard.
Fastest shinobi in the shinobi world, my ass, he never arrives when it actually matters.
Last time was bad enough, and now it's happening again!
"Kakashi, you promised me—no matter what, you'd protect Rin!"
Obito increased his speed, following the guidance of the White Zetsu, rushing nonstop toward the location of Rin, Kakashi, and Kiyohara.
He prayed.
He prayed with every ounce of sincerity he had in his life.
Prayed that Rin would be safe.
Prayed that Kakashi could protect her.
Prayed that he himself… would make it in time.
And at the edge of his vision, in the distant mountain forest, lightning was already surging skyward.
It was close—so close that Obito could clearly hear the thunderous roar of Lightning Release ninjutsu!
Driven by his desperate longing for power, the warm, dense White Zetsu flesh wrapped around him even tighter. The face that had spread apart rewrapped itself around Obito's own face.
It made him feel completely enveloped, completely accepted.
Power surged forth once more.
He stepped down hard onto the grass, causing the undergrowth to sway violently.
The dewdrops on the green leaves reflected a figure clad in a black cloak, with a deathly pale spiral face.
Only at the right eye was there an opening, from which a crimson glow shone forth.
Rin, I'm coming!
Obito roared in his heart.
...
At the same time, Raiga was almost unrecognizable, nearly reduced to a walking mass of blood.
Yet he did not dare relax in the slightest.
The moment he let his guard down, the shinobi blade in Kiyohara's hands would mercilessly take his life.
"Damn it… why is he this strong?"
Raiga simply could not understand how, after only a few months apart, Kiyohara seemed like an entirely different person.
Watching Kiyohara genuinely suppress Raiga so completely, Rin's eyes flickered with a strange light.
With Kiyohara here, maybe these enemies really could be dealt with.
And with Kiyohara's speed, he could quickly take her back and let the sealing team investigate what was really going on.
"How utterly miserable."
Uchiha Kiyohara's spiritual form floated behind him, gazing at Raiga, who had collapsed to the ground and could barely prop himself up with his blade to stand.
Kiyohara looked down at him with cold indifference.
If he weren't wary of a suicidal counterattack, taking down Raiga in his current state wouldn't even take two moves.
The reason for probing earlier was because Raiga possessed "Lightning Burial: Banquet of Lightning," one of the rare techniques in the shinobi world that could drag an enemy down in a mutual self-destruction. Like Deidara's "C0" self-destruction jutsu, it was a one-time release of all chakra in exchange for sheer destructive power.
Kiyohara flicked his shinobi blade, preparing to end his life.
Kiba Blade was indeed a fine weapon.
However, every valuable shinobi blade bore a summoning formula. All seven swords could be summoned back.
Unless they were immediately restrained and sealed.
Otherwise, like Kiyohara's own collection, only fragments could be kept, ensuring they could not be summoned away.
"You think you've won, brat?"
A trace of mockery curled at the corner of Raiga's mouth.
"Do you really think I have no companions, that they're just standing around watching?"
As the words fell, Kiyohara scanned his surroundings.
If Mist shinobi or ANBU were coming to reinforce him, Kiyohara would have sensed it immediately.
But there was no movement at all.
So who exactly were the companions Raiga was referring to?
Kiyohara frowned slightly.
In the next instant, a sound suddenly came from beneath his feet.
Chi!
A semi-transparent wire pierced through the soil, shooting straight toward Kiyohara.
Repulsive force erupted beneath his feet, forcibly pressing the wire back down, and with that same force, Kiyohara leapt into the air.
"So you dodged it."
Not far away, a white-haired man stared at Kiyohara.
His shoulder-length white hair covered his ears, sharp teeth protruded from his mouth, and thick, fluffy bandages were wrapped around his neck.
He slowly reeled in the steel wire that Kiyohara had just suppressed.
Kiyohara also stared at him.
That androgynous appearance and those sharp teeth instantly brought an identity to mind.
A shinobi of the Hōzuki Clan…
At that moment, Kiyohara turned his head again and discovered other Mist shinobi attempting to make a move on Rin.
Those who had been watching the fight like spectators were finally taking action!
Kakashi drew his kunai, blocking an enemy's strike.
Kiyohara's figure flickered as he appeared behind Rin.
"Be careful, Rin."
In a princess carry, Kiyohara scooped her up and leapt aside.
"Kiyohara…"
Seeing Kiyohara rescue Rin, Kakashi finally let out a breath of relief.
After swiftly dealing with a Mist ANBU in front of him, he turned and scanned the surrounding enemies with heightened vigilance.
Kiyohara then set Rin down and frowned slightly at the gathering crowd.
"Water Release: Water Flow Bullet!"
Bullets wrapped in rushing water shot toward Kiyohara and the others.
The chaotic melee erupted once more!
While Kiyohara and Kakashi fought, Rin also did whatever she could within her abilities.
She felt the chakra in her abdomen growing increasingly violent, flooding her own chakra pathways.
To her surprise, Rin realized she could actually mobilize a portion of that unfamiliar chakra.
And so, she began using the Water Release techniques she knew.
With Water, Fire, and Yang chakra natures, it was only natural that she could perform Water Release.
"Why is my Water Release stronger than before?"
Rin discovered that when she used that violent chakra to fuel her techniques, their power far surpassed what she could achieve in the past.
She didn't understand the principle behind it.
Gazing at Kiyohara's back in front of her, she gently bit her lip.
For Kiyohara… for everyone… she couldn't give up!
"Water Release: Water Bullet!"
Rin used a C-rank Water Release technique.
Empowered by the violent chakra within her body, the water bullet instantly disrupted a Mist shinobi's movements.
In the next moment, Rin followed up with another Water Release technique.
A blade-like stream of water flew out.
Pshhk!
The Mist shinobi felt his neck sliced open by the water stream, blood spilling out.
A medical shinobi… using such powerful Water Release?
Or was it… the chakra of a tailed beast?
He could no longer think through the answer. Blood loss overwhelmed him, and he collapsed unconscious.
"Nice job, Rin," Kakashi said.
"Yes. I won't become Kiyohara or your burden," Rin replied, nodding firmly.
As the trio continued fighting, a figure in a black cloak silently arrived at the battlefield.
"Oh… it's begun."
Madara observed everything through White Zetsu's perspective.
He had planned for so long, all for this very scene.
Don't disappoint me, Obito.
Madara thought to himself.
…
Obito stepped into the battlefield, his crimson Sharingan capturing everything before him.
Passing through the last patch of trees, the sight before him made his breathing hitch.
Under the dim moonlight, Rin, Kakashi, and Kiyohara were being besieged by several Mist shinobi.
Kiyohara was confronting a white-haired, sharp-toothed Mist shinobi, blades and wires intertwining in midair, producing piercing shrieks.
Everyone was still alive!
That realization made Obito's heart pound wildly, a surge of heat rushing to his head.
He instinctively wanted to shout their names, to rush forward and fight alongside them.
Months of suffering, training, and the new power surging within this body—wasn't it all for this very moment?
'Damn it… how dare these Kirigakure bastards lay a hand on adorable Rin!'
Rage boiled over in Obito's heart.
Protecting the woman you love that's every man's duty!
However, when he opened his mouth, what came out was a deep, hoarse, duck-like voice so unfamiliar that even he was stunned.
"E-everyone… I'm back!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Obito froze.
Over these months, nourished by Hashirama cells, his body had undergone drastic changes—not only had he grown taller, but even his vocal cords had completely left behind the clarity of adolescence.
He was… in the middle of voice change due to physical development.
A step every boy takes on the path to maturity.
Usually between ages eleven and fourteen, though some experience it earlier or later.
Obito quickly realized this was a normal physiological phenomenon.
Just then, a Mist shinobi launched a flank attack!
"Watch out!"
Obito had no time to think. His body reacted on instinct, charging forward.
His speed was terrifying. The explosive force granted by the White Zetsu body left a deep crater in the mud, his form nearly turning into a blurred white shadow.
Yet in Rin's eyes, what she saw was a tall, pale-skinned monster with no facial features only spiral grooves lunging out of the darkness at Kiyohara's back at astonishing speed!
"Don't even think about it!"
Rin shouted sharply. Without hesitation, she twisted her body and delivered a side kick. Her long leg, wrapped in red thigh-high stockings, traced an arc through the air as it slammed into the white figure's waist.
Obito's attention had been completely fixed on Rin. He vaguely caught a familiar scent—light, medicinal, unmistakably hers.
He saw Rin rushing over and thought she was helping him clear threats from the side.
He was about to say something more, until that kick landed solidly against his side, choking his words in his throat.
"Ugh!"
The tremendous force sent him flying sideways. He smashed into a small tree and tumbled into the bushes.
Obito lay amid shattered leaves and mud, the eyes beneath White Zetsu's flesh bulging wide. The two tomoe in his Sharingan trembled slightly from shock.
Under the moonlight, he saw Rin retract her leg, kunai in hand, taking a guarded stance, her beautiful face filled with vigilance.
Kakashi had already turned around, his single eye coldly locking onto where Obito had fallen, kunai gleaming with killing intent.
There was no joy of reunion.
No relief at surviving disaster.
Only the icy gaze reserved for a stranger—an enemy.
"Don't you dare hurt Kiyohara!"
Rin's voice was crisp and cold as she stared at the pale figure in the bushes.
"Who are you? A monster bred by Kirigakure?"
Kakashi said nothing, but as he fended off other Mist shinobi, the chakra he was gathering made it clear he was ready to strike at any moment.
Only Kiyohara, after forcing back the Hōzuki clan shinobi's wire attack, tilted his head and glanced toward where Obito had fallen.
There was a hint of surprise in his eyes.
So much change in just a few months?
Did he eat steroids or something?
Seeing that no one recognized him—this was nothing like what Obito had imagined!
No!
Why?!
Obito screamed silently in his heart.
It's me!
It's Obito!
He looked at Rin's tightly pressed lips, at Kakashi's indifferent single eye. The sharp pain from where he'd been kicked spread through his body, but what hurt more was the sudden shattering of something deep in his chest.
After months apart, his voice had changed, his body had changed, even the way he "existed" had changed.
But he never imagined that one day, he'd have to prove himself to Rin and Kakashi.
He is Obito!
(End of Chapter)