His right arm had been severed long ago during the Great Shinobi War. In its place now stood a prosthetic limb personally modified by Hiruko—a masterpiece of specialized Cyber-Tech Shinobi engineering.
Clang—Boom!
The right arm deconstructed instantly. Countless metal components flew and reassembled like living organisms, transforming into a massive shield in the blink of an eye. The surface of the shield was densely etched with sealing formulas that flickered with a ghostly blue light under the glow of the flames.
VROOOM—!
The fire tornado slammed into the shield with immense force. However, the flames—capable of incinerating everything in their path—were violently absorbed the moment they made contact! The sealing formulas on the shield writhed like parasites, swallowing the fire whole.
Beep-beep-beep—!
The energy gauge on the shield rocketed upward, surpassing 90% in an instant. The shinobi wielding the shield narrowed his eyes, his expression shifting—the power of this fire exceeded all expectations!
"Laser Cannon!"
A split second later, eighteen apertures snapped open on the shield's surface. Dazzling beams of light erupted like streaks of lightning. Each beam carried enough concentrated energy to punch through solid steel!
"What?!"
Obito's Sharingan constricted. Sensing a fatal crisis, he didn't hesitate to activate Kamui, his body turning intangible as he slipped into the sub-dimension.
BOOM—!!!
The laser beams tore through the space where he had just been standing, blasting a crater several meters wide into the earth. The light rained down like a storm, vaporizing rock and soil, and continuing into the distant forest, instantly igniting a sea of flames!
Hidden nearby, Jiraiya summoned the two Great Toad Sages onto his shoulders, beginning his transition into Sage Mode. The true battle had officially begun!
Hiruko watched the chaos with a casual glance, then continued "adding seasoning" to the air, curious if he could actually force Obito to stay for good. Meanwhile, Minato Namikaze utilized the extreme speed of the Flying Raijin, entering a "no-cooldown" teleportation mode to constantly harass and test Obito.
The current Obito was no match for the Fourth Hokage, especially with the elite support surrounding him. Shikaku Nara, with his genius intellect, monitored the field and provided long-range tactical commands. To the side, Hizashi Hyuga kept his Byakugan locked onto Obito's vitals. The Aburame clan's insects had already silently saturated the surrounding space—the moment Obito showed a single opening, he would be met with a merciless barrage.
Obito's defeat seemed predestined—unless he could reclaim Kakashi's eye and obtain the power of Double Kamui.
As expected of the "Yellow Flash." At this rate, Obito is in deep trouble.
Black Zetsu, lurking deep within the earth, peered out with two dark eyes. Watching Obito get mobbed by the Leaf's finest, it found the sight almost hard to watch. It muttered softly to itself; it was well aware that Hiruko was releasing toxins upwind.
At a glance, Obito was being completely suppressed. Even with the formidable power of Kamui, he was being countered by his own "other eye" in the hands of Kakashi. Just as Black Zetsu was contemplating how to help Obito escape, the battle reached a sudden climax.
"What happened? Where did he go?"
Minato had seized a split-second opening, executing a Flying Raijin: Level 2 to slam a Rasengan directly onto Obito's head. Immediately, Black and White Zetsu phased through the ground, grabbing the boy and dragging him away at top speed.
Obito's face was dark—it wasn't just Minato's powerful strike that had brought him to his knees, but Hiruko's toxins finally taking full effect.
Hiruko shook his head with a sigh and turned back toward his lab. Without the Flying Raijin or space-time abilities of his own, he had no way to deliver a finishing blow to someone like Obito. Minato watched the retreat and hesitated, but didn't pursue. The Flying Raijin mark on Obito's back had been shed like a layer of dead skin and left on the ground; there was no catching him now.
After finishing his day's research, Hiruko headed to a ramen shop. Ichiraku Ramen had been a staple of Konoha for years, witnessing the growth of generations of shinobi. Back when Rin was alive, she used to come here with Obito and the others. Even now, Kakashi visited occasionally. The taste was excellent, and the prices were fair.
As Hiruko sat down, he noticed a familiar figure a few seats away. That silver hair was unmistakable: Kakashi Hatake.
Kakashi was the same as always—silent and elusive since his father's passing. Hiruko felt that since joining the Anbu, the boy had grown even gloomier. Minato had hoped that the heavy workload of the Anbu would help Kakashi recover, but while it seemed to help, the core trauma remained.
Hiruko's gaze lingered on the Sharingan in Kakashi's eye. He couldn't help but feel that Obito's eyes were truly magnificent. If only I could get my hands on them... especially both of them to unlock the full potential.
Kakashi was easy enough to approach, but Obito was a different story. Besides, the true power of Kamui required both eyes acting in unison across the same space. Thinking back to the battle, Obito must have been miserable—constantly getting hit by senbon and kunai that Kakashi "sucked into" the Kamui dimension from the other side.
It seemed Obito truly "loved" Kakashi; he hadn't even tried to take his eye back yet.
Kakashi waited for his ramen with an expressionless face. Hiruko didn't bother trying to strike up a conversation; the two had no real friendship to speak of. By the time Hiruko finished his bowl, Kakashi had already left.
Hiruko strolled home leisurely. As he reached the lakeside, a pleasant voice called out from behind: "Lord Hiruko!"
It was Anko Mitarashi.
Hiruko patted her head and smiled. "It's late. Why aren't you home resting?"
Ever since she discovered that Hiruko's house was filled with interesting gadgets and delicious snacks, this little one had become quite attached to him.
"Lord Hiruko... Sensei hasn't been paying much attention to me lately. Do you think he's mad at me?" Anko lowered her head, fidgeting with her fingers.
Hiruko rubbed his chin. He understood Orochimaru's thoughts. Anko wasn't suited to follow Orochimaru when he eventually left the village. With Hiruko around to look after her, Orochimaru wouldn't have many lingering worries. Orochimaru was intentionally distancing himself to ensure Anko could continue a normal life in the Leaf.
But for a young girl like her, it just felt like abandonment.
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