Seeing Isobu pause, Obito poured more of his ocular power into the beast, reasserting his control.
"Hah..."
Kawasaki shook his head with a sigh of resignation, reflecting on the situation. He couldn't keep this up, or the secret of his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan would be exposed. It was time to feign an injury.
He casually wiped a hand across his eye, and a trace of blood appeared at the corner.
"Your eyes... they must be in agony, aren't they? I wonder how much ocular power you have left." Obito's voice was cold and filled with confidence as he watched Kawasaki try to conceal the streak of red. He stood with his arms crossed, as if everything was already under his command.
So what if he could turn intangible?
An idea sparked in Kawasaki's mind. He feigned chakra exhaustion, panting heavily as he clutched his eyes. The Susanoo devolved from its armored state into one of raw chakra and flesh, the weapon in its hand slowly dissipating.
Obito sneered inwardly. Just as he expected.
"Haaah!"
Kawasaki roared, his entire body trembling. "This is my final strike!"
The Susanoo materialized once more, donning its armor as its weapon solidified. Obito watched Kawasaki's desperate display with a mocking smile playing on his lips.
A low hum filled the air as the Three-Tails, Isobu, began to form a violet-black Tailed Beast Bomb in front of its mouth.
Seeing Obito standing there fearlessly, Kawasaki's resolve hardened.
Heavenly Gathering Cloud!
The name of Kawasaki's unique ocular jutsu.
In an instant, a torrent of Kawasaki's ocular power surged into the Susanoo's weapon. The blade seemed to become coated in a layer of brilliant light, and the very air around it vibrated. Kawasaki brought the sword down in a powerful slash, aimed directly at Obito!
A contemptuous smile curled Obito's lips. I have the Kamui dimension. Do you really think you can touch me?
But as the blade descended, a frantic warning screamed through Obito's mind. A primal fear flooded him, like that of a small animal facing a natural disaster. He had only ever felt such terror and despair once before—the moment he awakened his Mangekyo.
How is this possible?!
Trusting his instincts, Obito instantly relinquished his control over the Mizukage and activated Izanagi!
*Crack...*
The sound was like a mirror shattering.
There was no grand explosion, no cloud of dust. A fifty-meter-deep chasm had silently opened in the ground, an abyss with edges as smooth as polished glass, as if a part of the world had simply been erased.
The man impersonating Madara Uchiha had vanished completely.
Everyone present was frozen, their faces masks of indescribable horror. The legs of some gave out, and they collapsed to the ground.
The moment Obito released Izanagi, Yagura Karatachi regained control of his body and canceled the Tailed Beast Bomb's formation. Had it detonated in the village, the Hidden Mist would have suffered a catastrophic blow.
The tailed-beast form receded, and Yagura quickly returned to his normal appearance. Staring at the chasm Kawasaki had carved into the earth, he was utterly speechless.
Finally, I got to deal with you myself, you damned pest!
Kawasaki dismissed his Susanoo, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over him. In the dream space, his ocular power had been at its peak when he used Heavenly Gathering Cloud. But after leaving, he had given a portion of it to Fugaku and had not used the technique at full strength since. He hadn't realized how difficult it would be to form it with his power diminished.
Still, the satisfaction of killing Obito, even just once, was exhilarating.
An eerie silence hung in the air. Kawasaki looked up and saw that the people around him were standing as still as statues. He frowned. According to the script, shouldn't Mei Terumi be speaking up by now? Why was everyone just staring?
"Ahem!" Kawasaki cleared his throat.
Mei Terumi snapped back to reality. She stepped forward, casting a frightened glance at the chasm before addressing Yagura. "Lord Mizukage! You were under the control of a genjutsu, which has caused the village to suffer immense losses. That is why I took it upon myself to travel to Konoha and request the assistance of the Uchiha clan's Vice-Chief, Lord Kawasaki Uchiha, to help us break the illusion!"
Yagura had been conscious while under Obito's control. He was aware of everything he had done, and he had been filled with rage and despair. As the leader of a village and a perfect jinchuriki, to be manipulated by genjutsu and turned into someone's tool was a disgrace that would follow him for the rest of his life.
But right now, his expression was blank as he stared at the aftermath of Kawasaki's attack. What if that strike had been aimed at him?
A shiver ran down Yagura's spine, as if he had just woken from a nightmare. After a long moment, he sighed and gave Kawasaki a deep, meaningful look.
"All high-ranking members of the Mist, we're holding a meeting."
With that, Yagura turned and walked toward the village council room, ignoring the stares of the onlookers and the complex gazes of the Mist villagers. He had already made his decision.
The Mist shinobi began to disperse, each one stealing a glance at Kawasaki as they left, their eyes filled with a mixture of reverence and fear.
Leaving the stage to them, Kawasaki began to silently search for Kisame Hoshigaki.
He found Kisame lying on the ground, his greatsword, Samehada, discarded beside him. The massive chasm nearby was nothing compared to the emptiness in his heart.
Fake.
It was all fake.
Even Madara Uchiha was an impostor.
What in the world was the truth of this world?
Just then, the face of Kawasaki Uchiha entered his field of vision.
"Hey, want to join my team? Come work with me," Kawasaki offered with a grin. "Good food, no more killing your comrades, and you'll never have to worry about betrayal."
Kisame's shark-like eyes slowly swiveled. He sat up. He looked from the smiling Kawasaki to the abyssal trench beside them, finding it impossible to connect the two.
"What are you planning to do?" Kisame's voice was hoarse.
"Me? When I'm powerless, I just rest. When I have power, I naturally do the things I want to do," Kawasaki said with a laugh.
Kisame opened his mouth to speak, but the image of a certain girl flashed through his mind.
"You've had a hard life, haven't you?"
Kisame lay back down. "Too hard. Forget it."
Kawasaki just smiled without saying a word.
"Brother Kisame."
A gentle voice reached his ears. Was it a hallucination? Kisame was hesitant to believe it, but he turned his head toward the sound anyway.
Kyoko Kurita was tilting her head, looking down at him. "You promised we would go eat together."
...
Land of Water.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for significantly changing Kisame Hoshigaki's life trajectory.]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave x1]
[Ding! Successfully recruited Kisame Hoshigaki.]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Water Affinity.]
Kisame and Kyoko had dinner together. Whatever she said to him, it was enough to convince him to follow Kawasaki.
With his new Water Affinity, learning Water Release jutsu became remarkably easy for Kawasaki, and finding sources of water was now second nature. The jutsu itself was a minor bonus; he could have learned it on his own eventually, but this saved him time. Kyoko Kurita, however, received no reward, perhaps because she was a nameless character in the original story.
Kawasaki had been worried that Mei and Yagura would be unwilling to hand over Samehada. To his surprise, they were exceptionally cooperative, respectfully presenting him with the intelligence he requested and returning the greatsword to Kisame. Mei even declared that the Hidden Mist wished to form a permanent alliance with the Uchiha clan, adopting a very humble posture.
Their actions were born of necessity. The Mist Village was severely lacking in high-level combat power. Furthermore, Yagura had been controlled by a Sharingan user. As the victor, Kawasaki clearly possessed even stronger ocular prowess. Even without using his Sharingan to control him, Yagura was no match for Kawasaki. In its current, dilapidated state, the Hidden Mist could not afford to make another enemy.
...
In the aftermath of the scandal involving the Mizukage's manipulation, Yagura Karatachi settled all his affairs before passing the title of Fifth Mizukage to Mei Terumi. He himself was imprisoned in the Mist's most secure prison. Though his crimes were worthy of death, he was still a jinchuriki—a vital strategic asset to the village. Until a suitable successor could be found, he could not be allowed to die.
The appointment of a new Mizukage did little to immediately improve the situation in the Hidden Mist. The long reign of the "Bloody Mist" and the purges of clans with Kekkei Genkai had left the entire village in a state of chaos.
The Land of Water was an isolated island nation, and the Hidden Mist Village was nestled deep within its mountains. Shrouded in a perpetual dense fog, it was a closed-off society, which in turn fostered a closer relationship with its daimyo. The turmoil in the Mist led not only to the decline of a ninja village but also had massive ripple effects, causing the national power of the Land of Water to wane significantly. If not for its remote location, it was hard to say whether other major nations might have been tempted to interfere.
After obtaining the information he needed, Kawasaki left the Hidden Mist Village and set out on his quest to find certain individuals.
The Land of Water was a vast archipelago with mountainous terrain and diverse customs among its islands. Many of its inhabitants lived according to age-old traditions, and the climate varied as if cycling through all four seasons. Its distance from the mainland and the surrounding ocean were the main reasons the Land of Water had rarely participated in past Great Ninja Wars.
But in just a few short years, Obito had plunged the entire country into chaos. Along their journey, Kawasaki saw emaciated commoners and wandering ninja of dubious origins everywhere. It wasn't long before some of them started seeing Kawasaki and his group as easy prey. He had already dealt with several batches of would-be attackers, but more kept coming. If he weren't searching for someone, he would have avoided these remote villages altogether. Eventually, he simply had Kisame wear his Mist forehead protector, which significantly reduced the harassment.
...
The weather grew colder, and snowflakes began to fall.
Haku curled up beside a pile of refuse, his hollow eyes watching a hand he had extended. He caught a single snowflake, which melted instantly in his palm.
Just then, a nearby cart tipped over, dumping a fresh load of garbage. Haku immediately scrambled up and began rummaging through the pile for anything edible.
"Grrr! Woof woof!"
A dog barked ferociously at him.
With a look of indifference, Haku kicked it aside. The dog whimpered and fell to the ground. From a corner, two small puppies scurried out to the larger dog's side and began snarling at Haku.
Haku lowered his gaze, an unreadable emotion in his eyes. He didn't bother them further, nor did he continue searching the trash. He simply turned and walked away.
Even a dog is needed by someone... What about me?
"I finally found you."
A voice spoke beside him, and a wide cloak was draped over his shoulders. A wave of warmth spread through him, and Haku turned around, trembling slightly.
Two men and a woman stood behind him. The man in front was smiling at him. The man behind him had an unpleasant, blue-skinned face and a fierce expression, and he carried a massive weapon on his back.
"Who are you? You must have the wrong person."
At ten years old, Haku was small and frail, his delicate face smudged with dirt. He had a head of black hair, and his eyes were somewhat vacant. Around his neck was a chain, like a leash.
*Click!*
With a sharp sound, Kawasaki sheathed his sword. The chain around Haku's neck fell away, broken.
"I'm looking for you. I need a partner like you. Will you help me?"
Haku stared blankly as the dog collar that someone had forced upon him clattered to the ground.
"You... need me?" A flicker of emotion crossed Haku's eyes.
Kawasaki gently patted Haku's head. "Yes, I need you."
Haku felt as if a ray of light had just pierced through the darkness of his world. A gentle smile blossomed on his face. "My name is Haku."
Kawasaki pulled a steamed bun from his pouch. "Eat this for now to tide you over. I'll take you to get cleaned up. My name is Kawasaki Uchiha."
Haku obediently took the warm bun and took a small bite. He chewed it carefully before swallowing, and a gentle warmth spread from his stomach.
Kyoko Kurita knelt and offered him a water flask. "Eat slowly, don't choke." Having seen many wandering children like Haku, she had grown somewhat numb to it. She couldn't understand, however, why Kawasaki showed such special interest in this boy.
The intelligence Kawasaki had obtained merely mentioned an incident where Ice Release had gone out of control in a nearby village, but the exact location was unknown. Coupled with Haku's constant wandering, Kawasaki had to search several villages and markets before finally finding him.
Washing the bun down with water, Haku finished it in a few quick bites.
Kawasaki sighed and helped tie the cloak more securely around him. "Are you still cold?"
Haku shook his head again. "I don't get cold."
Kawasaki took a cloth from Kyoko and gently wiped Haku's face. The boy shied away at first but eventually allowed Kawasaki to clean the grime away. Beneath the messy hair, a beautiful, delicate face was revealed.
Kawasaki let out a genuine sound of admiration. He looked at Haku, then at Kyoko, thinking to himself that both of them were quite good-looking. But...
"Haku, are you a boy or a girl?"
Having grown up in a state of prolonged starvation, Haku, though eleven or twelve, looked no older than seven or eight. It was impossible to tell his gender from his appearance alone.
Haku smiled gently. "I'm a boy."
Kawasaki had already suspected as much, but Kyoko was stunned. She had been sure Haku was a girl.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for drastically changing Haku's life trajectory.]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals x1]
[Ding! Successfully recruited Haku.]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Nature Affinity.]
What's this?
Kawasaki was a little confused. Shouldn't recruiting Haku have granted him a Water or Ice Release ability? Nature Affinity... Given Haku's personality, he was indeed suited for learning sage techniques.
Kisame stood nearby like a bodyguard, his eyes darting around for a moment before returning to their vacant state.
....
Inside the Kamui dimension, a space of intersecting reality and illusion, Obito materialized on the ground. His right eye was wide with utter terror.
How is this possible... It even cut through space itself.
Kamui failed! How could it have failed?!
After a long pause, Obito removed his mask and set it aside. He turned, only to find a deep chasm had been carved through his dimension. Countless stone platforms had been completely consumed, the cuts as smooth as a mirror.
It wasn't that Kamui had failed. The Kamui dimension itself had been devoured!
Kawasaki Uchiha, how can your ocular jutsu be so powerful!
Obito was still reeling. If he hadn't used Izanagi at the last second, he would be dead.
Rin, were you watching over me?
There might be a million ways to die, but vanishing under Kawasaki's blade would have been a painless end. In that single moment, everything had turned to nothingness. Only after being reborn could Obito truly recall the terror of that instant. If not for the fact that his left Sharingan was now a sightless, gray eye, Obito would have refused to believe it.
The nearly invincible power of Kamui had actually been defeated.
It took Obito a long time to calm down and carefully review the fight. Kawasaki's Susanoo was abnormally strong, and his ocular power was both potent and long-lasting. One of his ocular jutsu likely reduced the Susanoo's consumption, while the other enhanced its weapon. Madara had taken many scrolls from the Uchiha clan, and Obito had read them all over the years. But after searching his memory, he could find no information on such a technique.
It doesn't matter. As long as I don't give him a chance to empower his weapon, my Kamui is still invincible!
Kawasaki's Sharingan is too great a threat. He must be eliminated!
....
The situation in the Hidden Mist grew more complex by the day, with factional struggles intensifying. Although Mei Terumi had become the Fifth Mizukage, many refused to accept her authority. Because of the Yagura incident, many had lost faith in the position of Mizukage itself. There were loud calls for Yagura's execution. Zabuza took advantage of Yagura's imprisonment to attempt an assassination but failed. If Yagura hadn't been content to remain in his cell, Zabuza likely wouldn't have escaped with his life.
Having found Haku, Kawasaki's group made a direct course for the Kaguya clan's territory.
Kisame was already a jonin-level shinobi, and Kyoko Kurita was a member of the Mist's Cypher Corps. Both could easily keep up. Only Haku, with his poor constitution and lack of training, was slow. Worried that Kimimaro might be moved, Kawasaki had no choice but to carry Haku as they traveled. Though Haku was no longer a small child, he was so frail that Kawasaki felt like he was holding a porcelain doll. Haku would blush every time, but to avoid slowing them down, he allowed Kawasaki to carry him.
Fortunately, with Kisame and Kyoko being locals, they had no trouble navigating. Otherwise, Kawasaki would have never found the Kaguya clan's lands.
When the group finally arrived, it was late at night, and they were greeted by the sight of the entire compound engulfed in flames.
"Are we too late?" Kawasaki frowned.