Despite their physical bodies being superior to humans, the White Zetsu had never mastered the intricacies of these ninjutsu.
"I see him! Over there!"
White Zetsu searched for a moment before finally spotting Kiyoshi's silhouette.
Kiyoshi had crossed hundreds of meters in an instant, directly disengaging from the struggle with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Teleporting via his electrical arcs to Rin Nohara's side, he drove his lightning-fire blade through the chest of the Mist Anbu standing in his way.
*Splurt.*
The sound of flesh being skewered echoed through the clearing.
"Kiyoshi...!"
Rin Nohara's eyes were closed, her eyelashes trembling. She had already braced herself for the sight of being cut open and having a curse seal implanted. To her surprise, when she opened her eyes, the Mist Anbu was slowly slumping over, revealing Kiyoshi's handsome face behind him.
The air around her was a chaotic swirl of noise—cries of slaughter, gasps of alarm, the whistling of jutsu... even the constant roar of thunder. Yet, standing next to Kiyoshi, she felt an immovable sense of tranquility, as if the very atmosphere became submissive in his presence.
The brilliant lightning surrounding him was encased in a thin membrane; when it brushed against her, there was no burning pain. She glanced at Kakashi, who was still busy dodging water dragons, and realized it was Kiyoshi who had come to her rescue.
"I'm here. It's over now."
Kiyoshi flicked the blood-scented steam from his hand and kicked away the Mist Anbu who had intended to place the seal on Rin. The Anbu hit the ground, his mask shattering to reveal an expression of pure disbelief.
'When... when was a hole punched through me?' The smell of roasted meat wafted from the cavernous wound in his chest.
"Kiyoshi... Uchiha."
Mei Terumi stared at the suddenly teleported Kiyoshi, struggling to maintain her composure. She pulled a kunai from her pouch, looking as though she were facing her greatest foe.
In her heart, she was already prepared to die here. The Three-Tails Jinchuriki had gone to deal with the blue-glowing taijutsu user; at this distance, with Kiyoshi's speed, she couldn't escape.
Thinking of her inability to change the dark policies of the Blood Mist or avenge her fallen comrades, a deep sorrow welled up within her.
"You can kill me, but you will never defeat me!" Mei shouted, drawing courage from the faces of her friends.
To her surprise, Kiyoshi didn't even look at her.
"I'm taking you away," Kiyoshi said softly to Rin. In the next heartbeat, he scooped her up and vanished into thin air.
"..."
Mei stood frozen in place, staring at the empty space before her. He just... left? Then what was that display of resolve she just put on? Was she a clown? She squeezed the kunai in her palm, her face flushing with a mix of frustration and embarrassment.
"!!!"
"!!!"
The Three-Tails Jinchuriki turned around and was instantly stunned. He had just fired off a jutsu to delay the enemy, and in the blink of an eye, the vessel—Rin Nohara—was gone?
Kakashi, Guy, and Duy stared with wide eyes. Genma and Ebisu, who had nearly been taken out by a Mist Anbu, followed their gaze only to find that both Rin and Kiyoshi had disappeared.
***
Meanwhile, dozens of miles away at the Mountains' Graveyard.
"Madara, the plan seems to have gone terribly wrong," White Zetsu reported.
Madara Uchiha remained silent, his scarlet Sharingan fixed on the distant horizon where the Jinchuriki was stationed.
"I left a [Transcription Seal] on them. If they deviate from the plan, it will be corrected."
Madara's aged voice rasped. The [Transcription Seal] was a secret Uchiha technique he excelled at. By making eye contact, a user could seal a "jutsu" into a target that would trigger automatically when certain conditions were met. Years ago, he had used this to seal [Izanagi] in his right eye, allowing him to fake his death and fool both Hashirama and his clever brother, Tobirama.
"Where is Obito?" Madara asked.
"Still rushing toward the Three-Tails."
"Tell Obito Kiyoshi Uchiha's latest location," Madara commanded.
His original plan was for Obito's best friend to kill his most beloved person, pushing him into extreme agony to awaken the [Mangekyo Sharingan]. The plan had hit a snag, but it was still within the realm of correction. As long as Rin Nohara died, the result would be the same.
Madara formed a hand seal, activating the "jutsu" he had left inside the Mist Anbu and the Jinchuriki. A [Tailed Beast Bomb] could level mountains; he just needed Obito to witness the aftermath.
"That boy almost ruined my plan." After setting everything in motion, a smile tugged at the corner of Madara's mouth. He showed no panic at the deviation, maintaining the poise of a true powerhouse.
In his eyes, everyone in the shinobi world—save for Hashirama—was a "rabble." Now, it seemed Kiyoshi Uchiha wasn't bad either.
"Go. Notify me immediately if there is new intelligence."
If the blackening of Obito failed, he could always have a White Zetsu use [Substitute Jutsu] to take Rin's form and die, then send assassins later. The Substitute technique was nearly impossible to see through, as it perfectly replicated the target's chakra.
***
In another part of the forest.
"Obito, they've moved," Tobi said, receiving the telepathic update.
"Moved?" Obito paused his sprint. "What do you mean?"
"Kiyoshi Uchiha took Rin away, and everyone else is in pursuit." Tobi paused. "There will likely be a fierce battle soon. It might be better if I take control of your body for the fight."
"Why?"
"Your combat ability is lower than mine, and your rehabilitation isn't finished. You're only moving normally because you're wearing me."
"No need," Obito rejected the offer. "Madara said to unleash the true power of the Sharingan, you need both eyes. Kakashi has my other one; we'll work best together." He pushed forward, determined to protect Rin alongside Kakashi.
***
"The Three-Tails is losing control!"
Seconds after Kiyoshi left, a red glow flickered in the eyes of the Mist Anbu. Massive amounts of Tailed Beast chakra erupted from the Jinchuriki, forming a [Tailed Beast Shroud].
"Something is wrong with them," Kakashi noted, his Sharingan tracking the chaotic flow of chakra. It didn't look like a standard Mist secret technique.
*ROAR!*
The Jinchuriki's scream shook the earth. Moving like a wild animal, he charged in the direction Kiyoshi had taken. The remaining Anbu and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—minus those Kiyoshi had disarmed—followed suit.
"That kid stole our blades!" Fuguki Suikozan was livid. Could they even be called the "Seven Ninja Swordsmen" without their swords?
Juzo Biwa gritted his teeth in hatred, picking up his severed arm in hopes of having it reattached later.
"What about the other ninjas?" Kushimaru asked, pointing at Kakashi's team.
"Forget them. The mission is priority," Juzo snapped.
Ameyuri Ringo smiled. She knew Kiyoshi's experiments well. In her mind, he wasn't the type to go this far for a "comrade." Intrigued, she followed the group into the dense forest.
***
"Kiyoshi."
Rin was held in Kiyoshi's arms, but she was still unable to move.
"I'll release the seal for you," Kiyoshi said, touching her arm and injecting chakra. The black ink of the sealing formulas dissolved instantly.
"What about Kakashi and the others?" Rin asked, looking around. The air was becoming humid; they were approaching an inland lake.
"Their goal is you. They will only follow us," Kiyoshi replied calmly. Becoming a Jinchuriki required a specific aptitude, which was why Hidden Leaf had brought Kushina from so far away.
"So we wait for them here?" Rin asked.
"No," Kiyoshi said, looking down at her with a strangely sinister smile.
"We have more important things to do."