Chapter 258 : Uchiha Naraku's Mistake
After climbing nearly two hundred meters up the extremely steep dirt wall, Obito finally jumped out of the underground space.
"That guy Zetsu actually dared to lie to me! What 'one hundred meters underground'! This is definitely more than that, right?!"
He cursed under his breath, then turned his head and asked loudly, "How are Rin and Kakashi doing now?"
"According to reports from other White Zetsu, it seems the situation is quite dangerous."
9527's voice echoed in his ear: "They said something about Hidden Mist Village's 'experiment subject'... I don't quite understand it."
Experiment subject?
Obito also didn't understand what kind of experiment it was, but it didn't sound like a good thing.
And 9527 was still chattering.
"All in all, they're about to be surrounded by Hidden Mist, you know."
"And those are the Hidden Mist's strongest Jonin and Anbu; they definitely won't escape."
"Also, their location is very far from here~ You'll have to run for a long time to get there."
"I still have to go!"
Obito sprinted in the direction the small tentacle pointed, then suddenly remembered his teacher could be faster than him: "What is Minato-sensei doing?!"
9527 asked, bewildered: "...Who is that?"
"I'm asking you what the yellow flash is doing!"
"Hmm..." It seemed to need to exchange information with its companions, as 9527 took a while to reply: "He should be on another mission."
"Of all times...!"
Unable to count on his teacher for support, Obito realized that Rin and Kakashi's lives depended solely on him.
"Hang in there, Rin, Kakashi!"
"Kakashi, you promised me you would, you absolutely must, do your best to protect Rin!"
"Just wait a little longer, I'll be there soon!"
..."Rin, can you still hold on?"
Kakashi panted heavily, turning to ask his equally disheveled companion.
"No problem."
Wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead, Rin suppressed her worries and gave Kakashi a resolute smile.
From the moment they started being chased until now, the two of them hadn't stopped sprinting and fighting.
Especially Kakashi, who had used Chidori five or six times in one day; his Chakra should have long since bottomed out.
If this continued, the two of them would sooner or later be caught and surrounded by Hidden Mist.
At that point, Kakashi would definitely die, and she, as a Tailed Beast vessel, would be taken to Konoha to release the Three-Tails, becoming an unforgivable sinner.
If she died here, without the burden, Kakashi would still have a chance to escape alone.
So... perhaps it was time to say goodbye.
Boom--
A sharp Water Release: Water Vortex Blade burst out from the forest, spinning and tearing through a large area of dead branches and leaves, crashing towards the unsuspecting duo.
"Get back!"
Kakashi pushed Rin's shoulder, and in that instant, the rapidly swirling water current passed between them.
The edge of the vortex blade was incredibly sharp, grazing the exposed skin of Kakashi's right arm, instantly blooming into a blood-red spider lily.
The blood droplets splashed from the wound scattered in the wind, and one drop landed on the amulet on his chest, soaking into the intricate carvings... Thousands of miles away, Naraku's movements paused, and he withdrew his hands that were about to take the mission scroll.
"Hm? What is it?"
Nara Shikaku saw his sudden pale face and dazed expression, and couldn't help but look puzzled.
"Lord Advisor," Naraku said hoarsely, shaking his head, "I cannot accept this mission!"
"But you are the best one to go--"
Before Nara Shikaku could finish speaking, Naraku had already shunshined away from the main tent, leaving the former staring dumbfounded at the empty ground.
"Uchiha Naraku! What on earth are you doing?!"
Ignoring the chaos behind him, Naraku continuously shunshined, returning to his tent at top speed, drawing the white-sheathed ninja sword from his waist and slashing his palm.
Blood immediately gushed out, staining his left palm and entire forearm red, then he spun and flicked it, forming a closed blood circle on the ground.
As Naraku formed hand seals at his chest, this large blood circle actually emitted a faint, eerie dark red glow, spontaneously growing countless incantations that rapidly spread in all directions.
Uchiha Fugaku, who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, entered the tent just in time to see Naraku standing amidst the bloodstains, his figure rapidly turning into a transparent, ethereal outline.
"Naraku!?"
Facing Fugaku, who was not his father but was more like a father, in such a panic, Naraku's emotions were complex.
But all he could do at that moment was give him a look full of apology and guilt for his impulsiveness.
"I'm sorry..."
As the last syllable left his lips, the boy completely vanished from the spot.
The swirling airflow caused by the spatial distortion instantly burst, knocking the items in the room scattered everywhere.
A stack of papers covered with characters that had been on the table "whooshed" and scattered, like black and white butterflies taking flight with the wind, dancing in the air... The faint green light of a healing talisman flickered in the shadows, and the bone-deep wound quickly healed, leaving only a faint white mark.
Kakashi tried to clench his fist and form hand seals, finding no unusual sensation in his arm; in fact, he felt his movements were even more flexible than before the injury.
However, no matter how good the healing talisman's effect was, it couldn't replenish their nearly depleted Chakra.
"Kakashi, listen to me."
Rin finally made up her mind, gripping Kakashi's forearm tightly, forcing him to listen to her next words in an unavoidable posture.
"If we continue like this, neither of us will survive. Abandon me; you still have a chance to escape on your own."
"No!" Kakashi refused without thinking.
"Don't talk nonsense, Kakashi!"
Rin's expression was a mix of sadness and anger, suppressing the sob rising in her throat, she said urgently: "How could you not understand such a simple problem?"
She released Kakashi's forearm, took out the remaining five or six exploding tags from her bag, and gave half of them to him.
"I'll go distract them later; you take the opportunity to leave from another direction. I'll try to take as many people with me as possible before I die."
"Rin, wait! Abandoning my comrades, I can't do it!"
Kakashi quickly held Rin's shoulders with both hands to prevent her from leaving, but he kept his head down, not daring to look at her face.
Remembering what had happened a few months ago, he couldn't help but feel a surge of grief.
"I've already made that choice once...! Obito told me to protect you in the end... If I have to watch you die, then we might as well both..."
"Then what about Naraku? ...If you die, how will he live?"
This sentence was like a sharp thorn, piercing deeply into the softest part of Kakashi's heart.
It felt as if countless blades had pierced his internal organs, and the pain seeped from his flesh into his bones, making his entire body tremble.
Kakashi actually knew that Naraku had never forgiven himself.
Uchiha Naraku was forever trapped in that rainy night, nightmares permeating the cracks of his soul day and night, and from them spilled the blood from his broken heart.
If Hatake Kakashi died, Uchiha Naraku would probably just sit blankly in front of the memorial stone, questioning himself over and over again.
[Why wasn't it Uchiha Naraku who died?]
[When will Uchiha Naraku finally stop making mistakes?]
[Everything, everything is Uchiha Naraku's fault.]
[It's all his fault, it's all Uchiha Naraku's mistakes.]
Until he completed his self-destruction and Uchiha Naraku became a complete shell.
"I..."
Kakashi wanted to say something, but after a long struggle, only a tiny whimper escaped his throat.
"I... can't..."
"Kakashi, listen, this isn't you abandoning me. It's me, I'm choosing not to go with you."
Rin's voice was rational and calm, as if she wasn't going to her death alone, but facing a perfectly ordinary small matter.
"If Obito were here, he would tell you to do the same."
She squinted and smiled: "You have to live, Kakashi. Then, on the battlefield, avenge me with Naraku."
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