Kawasaki raised an eyebrow.
This turn of events was far too bizarre. He wasn't in a hurry anyway, so he decided to let it be.
Every shinobi had only a handful of signature jutsu, mainly because mastering them was no easy feat.
Beyond hand seals, the flow of chakra had its own strict requirements.
In the ninja world, having a single chakra nature was perfectly fine. As long as one trained it well, they could still become a master.
But having multiple affinities without the talent to match meant that one would only be a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. The jutsu they cast would lack killing power.
Each chakra nature transformation required sufficient effort, talent, and a vast library of jutsu to learn from.
Beyond the Academy, an ordinary person would need to spend a great deal of money and merit to exchange for the jutsu they desired.
So far, the only master of multiple nature transformations Kawasaki had ever seen was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Kawasaki had never used Lightning Style because it was his secondary affinity, inferior to his primary Fire Style.
He had worried about biting off more than he could chew and had thus focused solely on Fire Style.
Learning the Chidori was less effective for him than simply stabbing someone with his blade, especially given his combat intuition and decent taijutsu skills.
Now, with his newfound affinity for water, Kawasaki discovered that he could learn Water Style jutsu at an incredible speed, far surpassing his progress with Lightning Style.
He decided to start with Water Style.
With a single slash, Kawasaki finished off Haku and exited the dreamscape.
He was currently sitting cross-legged on the ship's deck.
Now that his team was assembled, Kawasaki had no intention of lingering in the Land of Water.
He wasn't welcome here, and he had no interest in how Mei Terumi would stabilize the Hidden Mist and secure her position as the Fifth Mizukage.
Based on the fact that he hadn't received a reward, he surmised that Mei would still securely claim the title, and the Fourth Mizukage would die by his own hand, just as he had in the previous timeline.
He just wanted to get Kimimaro to Orochimaru as soon as possible.
He knew that the earlier Kimimaro's disease was treated, the higher the chance of a cure.
Once Kimimaro hit puberty, his condition would become incredibly difficult to manage.
After taking Kimimaro in, Kawasaki had strictly forbidden him from using his Shikotsumyaku, not even to pull out a bone as a weapon.
Kawasaki had explained that the Shikotsumyaku kekkei genkai had a defect and that overuse would lead to illness.
Kimimaro didn't fully understand, but aside from himself and Haku, everyone else on the team was exceptionally skilled, and Kawasaki was a Mangekyo Sharingan user.
There was no need for Kimimaro to fight, so he obediently followed the order.
Getting here had been convenient; Kawasaki had used Sasuke's spatial teleportation and arrived in a flash.
The return trip, however, was proving difficult. Because of Obito's disruptions, large merchant ships were no longer sailing near the Land of Water.
Kawasaki had planned to take a ship directly to the Land of Hot Water and then on to the Sound Village, but there were no long-distance vessels available, only boats heading to the Land of Whirlpools.
Today, the Land of Whirlpools was a name on a map; the nation itself had long been destroyed.
A piece of its former territory, adjacent to the Land of Water, now served as the largest port between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water.
While in the Land of Water, Kawasaki had remained vigilant for a potential ambush from Obito, whose pettiness knew no bounds.
Kawasaki had preemptively ruined Obito's plans, and he knew Obito would bear a grudge.
Whether it was because Obito had been scared off last time or simply couldn't find him, he hadn't made a move in the Land of Water.
Now that Kawasaki and his team were on a ship, the most opportune place for Obito to strike was undoubtedly at sea.
To be safe, Kawasaki had flexed his financial muscle when choosing a vessel.
With a wave of his hand, he chartered the entire ship. The deck was cleared, and the crew was mostly below.
The deck was empty, save for the massive sail flapping in the wind.
He knew with certainty that a vindictive man like Obito would surely come to settle the score.
Thus, Kawasaki had been waiting on deck, lying in wait for his prey.
Kawasaki's guess was correct. Obito had indeed come, but his reconnaissance team hadn't been searching the Land of Water.
Kawasaki's movements were erratic and unpredictable, and for a time, Obito had completely lost his trail.
Left with no choice, Obito had waited near the port, planning to eliminate Kawasaki once and for all.
In Obito's eyes, Kawasaki's very existence was an impediment to his plans.
As long as Kawasaki was still breathing, the Uchiha clan had a chance to rise again.
Furthermore, Kawasaki was the only person who had ever directly countered his Kamui. Such a potential threat had to be eliminated.
Of course, if he could take Kawasaki's Mangekyo Sharingan in the process, that would be the icing on the cake.
Space distorted, and a figure seemed to materialize out of thin air.
"You seem to know I'm not dead," Obito said, landing steadily on the deck with his arms crossed.
"Hmph. A pest like you would naturally be resilient," Kawasaki replied with a yawn. "After ruining your grand plan, I knew you'd come looking for me."
"What took you so long? I've been waiting."
Seeing Kawasaki's nonchalant attitude, Obito felt a surge of anger, but he swallowed his words.
"What? Not pretending to be Madara Uchiha today?" Kawasaki's lips curled into a mocking sneer.
Obito's exposed eye narrowed. "It seems you knew I wasn't Madara for some time."
Kawasaki waved his hand dismissively. "You can only fool people who aren't Uchiha."
"Our clan's ancient records state that Madara Uchiha's Sharingan ability was not a space-time ninjutsu."
"That's it?" Obito was surprised.
"Isn't that enough?" Kawasaki found it amusing. Such a massive flaw.
"A Sharingan's abilities can't just be swapped out. Anyone who can use space-time ninjutsu is definitely not Madara Uchiha."
"That's why your act is full of holes. You can only scare outsiders."
Obito fell silent. Within the Akatsuki, he had always used Madara's identity to deal with Nagato and the others.
Nagato and Konan were both awed and wary of him due to his space-time ninjutsu and powerful dōjutsu, leaving them half-convinced of his identity.
He never expected Kawasaki to see right through him.
The clan still had records of Madara's Mangekyo? Did Madara not take them? Or had something been overlooked?
Obito spread his arms. "I know you dislike Konoha and advocate for the Uchiha to leave the village. Why not consider joining me?"
"I just sabotaged your plan in the Land of Water, and you still want to cooperate?" Kawasaki responded coolly.
"The plan in the Land of Water was nearing its end anyway," Obito said dismissively. "I've already obtained most of what I wanted. A little early or late makes no difference."
"You, the mastermind behind the Nine-Tails Attack, have the audacity to ask me to cooperate?" Kawasaki wanted to see how Obito would try to justify himself.
"I just wanted to teach Konoha a lesson. I bear no ill will toward the Uchiha. After all, I am one of them," Obito said, strolling casually on the deck, not even bothering to face Kawasaki.
*Hah, what a joke,* Kawasaki thought, his face impassive. He'd have to be a fool to believe that.
*If I hadn't taken Shisui and Itachi away first, you probably would have had the entire clan massacred.*
"That business with Zhonghua Foods... that was your doing, wasn't it?" Obito asked.
"What if it was? What if it wasn't?" Kawasaki remained noncommittal.
"I have a proposition. You might want to hear it," Obito said, unconcerned by Kawasaki's coldness.
He moved about the deck casually, walking toward Kawasaki as if completely unguarded.
But Kawasaki keenly observed that Obito was not making direct eye contact.
*He's being this cautious this time? Wary of my Susanoo and my genjutsu?*
Once activated, Obito's Kamui would automatically trigger upon being attacked, making a surprise attack meaningless.
However, it was well known that overuse of the Sharingan could cause it to revert to its three-tomoe state, or even close completely.
Obito had Hashirama's cells, which reduced the cost and sped up his recovery.
Nevertheless, a powerful genjutsu could instantly deplete Obito's mental energy, causing his Mangekyo to deactivate and rendering Kamui useless.
Obito was a genius, having jumped directly from a two-tomoe Sharingan to the Mangekyo.
Ordinary genjutsu wouldn't work on him; only high-level techniques were effective, with Mangekyo genjutsu being the best.
Obito's constant avoidance of his gaze was likely due to a fear of Kawasaki's prowess in genjutsu.
In truth, Obito was overthinking it. Genjutsu was Kawasaki's weakest area, even with practice in the dreamscape.
It was a matter of talent; if you didn't have it, you didn't have it.
There was no way he could drain Obito's mental energy in an instant like Itachi could.
Without using Ame-no-Murakumo, he couldn't truly threaten Obito.
Thus, all of Obito's meticulous caution was completely unnecessary.
"Your relatives all died in the war, didn't they?"
"I have a jutsu. As long as the conditions are met, you can bring your loved ones back to life. If you are willing to hand over..."
*What is this nonsense? Is he trying to sell me on the Reanimation Jutsu?*
Obito had quietly closed the distance.
Suddenly, he lunged, his hand reaching for Kawasaki.
*So he's trying to capture me and pull me into the Kamui dimension?*
Kawasaki leaped aside, simultaneously throwing several kunai.
Obito charged forward, and the kunai passed harmlessly through his body as expected.
Kawasaki watched him with a cold expression.
Obito was agile, his toes tapping lightly on the deck.
His fingers were about to touch Kawasaki's body.
In that instant, a spatial vortex appeared, and a wave of paralysis washed over Kawasaki.
Kawasaki instantly activated his Susanoo. The moment it formed, it blasted Obito away.
Obito somersaulted gracefully through the air and landed with ease.
"I'm very curious," Obito said, as if victory was already in his grasp. "How much of your eyesight do you have left?"
Kawasaki seemed not to have heard him.
But Obito could clearly sense a ripple in Kawasaki's composure.
He had already tested him twice with incidental eye contact.
Kawasaki had not used genjutsu on him, which indicated he wasn't skilled in it.
Someone proficient in genjutsu would seize every opportunity to cast it.
Moreover, he knew the drawbacks of the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Fully manifesting the Susanoo consumed a massive amount of dōjutsu power and chakra.
Kawasaki couldn't possibly maintain the Susanoo indefinitely.
*Know yourself, know your enemy.* Kawasaki already possessed the Eternal Mangekyo and had gained the Uzumaki clan's vast chakra reserves from Naruto.
Right now, he had only manifested the skeletal form of the Susanoo, which he could maintain for a long time.
Unfortunately, he had no way to attack continuously for five minutes, nor could he gain an advantage through genjutsu.
As long as Obito remained intangible, he was essentially invincible.
If he tried to form Ame-no-Murakumo, it would give Obito more than enough time to escape.
*Yes, that's what Obito must be thinking.*
From Obito's expression, Kawasaki could tell he intended to keep holding back. He wouldn't be seeing any Wood Style today.
He was quite curious about the so-called Deep Forest Emergence and whether it could pierce the Susanoo's defenses.
After all, that technique had killed Neji in an instant, before he even had time to use Rotation.
Kawasaki frowned, let out a cry of pain, and clutched his eyes. The Susanoo vanished instantly.
Obito sneered inwardly. *That last attack really did drain a lot of his dōjutsu power.*
He charged forward, reaching for Kawasaki.
He was completely confident. Even if Kawasaki was faking it, the interval before he could reactivate the Susanoo would be more than enough time for him to escape.
Obito's fingers brushed against the fabric of Kawasaki's collar.
Suddenly, a spatial vortex formed, but Kawasaki didn't move an inch.
A numbing sensation shot through Kawasaki like electricity, but he was prepared.
Though his body was immobilized, his eyes were still free.
Kawasaki's eyelids drooped slightly, then snapped open. "Amaterasu!"
An ominous torrent of black flame erupted on Obito's body.
"Argh... Ahhh!"
Obito let out a horrified, pain-filled roar.
Why? Why! How is this possible!
Wasn't his other dōjutsu supposed to reduce the cost of the Susanoo?
Engulfed in the roaring blaze, Obito endured the excruciating pain and escaped into the Kamui dimension.
But to his shock, even inside the Kamui dimension, the black flames did not extinguish. They continued to burn his body.
Obito thrashed desperately, but the flames of Amaterasu were relentless.
Gritting his teeth against the all-consuming agony, the Sharingan in Obito's left eye flickered.
"Ahhh!... Ahhh!"
His bloodcurdling screams echoed within the Kamui dimension.
Screaming amidst the black flames, Obito was ultimately reduced to ash.
Obito reappeared inside the Kamui dimension, caught in the space between reality and illusion, drenched in a cold sweat.
*It hurts! It really hurts!*
The feeling of being burned alive was a torment beyond death itself.
How was this possible!
Kawasaki's other dōjutsu wasn't a cost-reduction technique, so how had his Susanoo lasted so long!?
Those black flames... could they be... Amaterasu?
Damn it! It really was Amaterasu!
Obito recalled the secrets Madara had left behind, which mentioned the Uchiha's secret Mangekyo techniques. Amaterasu was among them.
Amaterasu ignited black flames at the focal point of the user's vision. That meant the instant he solidified, Kawasaki had already launched the attack.
The crucial point was that Kawasaki seemed to understand the mechanics of his dōjutsu perfectly. How had he landed such a precise blow? Where had he miscalculated?
For the first time, Obito felt true fear. Both of Kawasaki's dōjutsu were perfect counters to him.
There were several ways to extinguish Amaterasu, but Obito possessed none of them.
Amaterasu could be pushed off with a chakra cloak or blocked by forming a chakra shield.
But with only one Mangekyo, he couldn't use Susanoo.
Obito clutched his left eye as its light faded, his mind racing...
.....
Watching the count for Amaterasu on his internal display fall from one to zero before slowly disappearing, Kawasaki couldn't help but sigh.
Itachi truly was Obito's natural counter. Whether it was Tsukuyomi or Amaterasu, both could be cast instantly if an opportunity arose.
Knowing the principles behind Kamui was extremely effective for countering Obito.
No wonder Obito had waited until Itachi was dead to become more active, much like Guan Yu, who saw all others as insignificant after Lu Bu's death.
Obito would now surely believe that his dōjutsu was Amaterasu.
In both of their confrontations, Kawasaki had completely outmaneuvered him.
He probably wouldn't dare to come looking for trouble so easily next time.
Still, it was a shame he hadn't gotten to see Obito's Wood Style.
He had no idea how powerful Obito's version of it was.
With that thought, Kawasaki quickly returned to the ship's cabin.
Inside, the others were still on high alert. A battle at sea could easily capsize the ship, which would be a major problem.
But the anticipated fight never materialized, and the encounter had been brief.
When they saw Kawasaki return alone and unharmed, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Kisame Hoshigaki, in particular, was stunned. The last time Kawasaki fought the masked man, the battle had been earth-shattering. This time, he had won so quietly.
"Boss, did that man escape?"
The one who spoke was Kisame. Kawasaki had decided to treat him as an employee, allowing him and Kyoko Kurita to call him 'Boss'.
Kawasaki nodded. "He's a master of space-time ninjutsu. Killing him is no easy task."
Space-time ninjutsu. Haku and Kimimaro had no concept of what that meant.
But Kisame and Kyoko understood just how rare such a technique was.
Their respect for their new leader grew even deeper.