Chapter 11 Izanagi’s Cost Rewritten

Obito now faced Kaito, another wielder of time and space abilities, and found himself struggling. Every attack, every movement, was met with an equally swift and calculated counter.

 Confronted by Kaito's relentless sword techniques, Obito would initiate the blur, his form vanishing momentarily in an attempt to reposition. But Kaito was already prepared.

In response, Kaito exploited the "ability lockout for five seconds after blurring" along with his "God's presence" within Obito. He watched keenly, his eyes never wavering. The instant Obito reappeared, Kaito's blade was already in motion—an arc of cold steel slicing through the air toward his target with deadly precision.

A sharp clang echoed as metal met flesh. The moment seemed frozen in time. Obito barely had a chance to react before the blade carved into him, a fatal blow aimed straight for his core!

But as the gash formed, his body flickered and distorted—the wound disappeared as though it had never existed.

Thanks to 'Izanagi,' Obito managed to survive Kaito's lethal attacks repeatedly. Again and again, he endured what should have been certain death, rewriting reality itself in his favor. Yet each use of Izanagi came at a steep cost. His vision wavered, his breaths grew shallow. The inevitable truth loomed over him—his Izanagi was not a permanent solution.

Time passed slowly, the weight of battle pressing down on him. Each second felt stretched, every movement heavier. Kaito, however, was relentless. He did not allow even a moment of respite. His attacks were precise, unyielding, suffocating. The blade in his hand was a harbinger of absolute judgment, cutting through the air with the force of inevitability.

Obito's mind raced. He had to find an opening, a way to escape this endless assault. But Kaito had already mapped out his every move, pressing him to the edge of desperation. The battlefield itself seemed to shrink, his options dwindling. Just as it appeared that Kaito would finally land a decisive, inescapable strike—

A group of individuals quietly approached the battlefield. Hidden within the shadows, their presence was nearly undetectable. Among them, a single pair of eyes gleamed with calculation and malice.

Danzo concealed himself, his gaze cold and analytical. Squinting, he observed Kaito and Obito locked in combat, his mind processing every detail unfolding before him.

"That's the individual who claims to be Madara Uchiha," he murmured to himself, his voice laced with suspicion. "And the other one is... Kaito Uchiha."

His expression darkened, his lips pressing into a thin line. His sharp eyes locked onto Kaito's figure, noting the distinct crimson glow of his Mangekyo Sharingan. The power emanating from Kaito was undeniable.

"He even activated the Mangekyo Sharingan!"

Danzo furrowed his brow deeply. He was well aware of Kaito, a Uchiha prodigy whose name was whispered alongside Itachi's. The threat that Kaito posed to Konoha was undeniable. Every fiber of Danzo's being bristled with unease as he watched him in battle, his mind already crafting contingencies.

"As expected of the Uchiha clan," he muttered under his breath. "Another pair of Mangekyo Sharingan eyes emerged in the silence. Sure enough, this group poses a significant threat... a real menace to Konoha."

"The Uchiha truly are a blight upon this village," Danzo hissed through clenched teeth, his knuckles whitening around his cane. His single visible eye burned with lethal intent as he watched Kaito's devastating display of power.

Any lingering doubts about Itachi's loyalty evaporated. With the masked pretender fully occupied, containing this new threat, the pieces were falling into place exactly as planned.

"So it was you," Danzo realized, his mind racing through tactical calculations. "You're the one who orchestrated those counter-ambushes."

Then his eye widened in genuine shock as space itself seemed to warp around the combatants. One moment, Kaito stood meters away - the next, his blade erupted from the masked one's chest in a spray of crimson. Before the killing stroke could land, the wounded figure dissolved into nothingness, reforming moments later completely unharmed.

"Izanagi!" The forbidden technique's name slipped from Danzo's lips unbidden. To force such a desperate measure from a warrior of that caliber... This changed everything.

Even with Shisui's stolen eye nestled in his bandaged socket, Danzo had never dared challenge the masked one's spatial techniques directly. Yet here stood a Uchiha youth not only matching but surpassing that legendary prowess.

For the first time in decades, the old warhawk felt the cold touch of genuine fear. His mind raced with terrifying implications - if Kaito could push "Madara" this far, what hope did Root have against him?

Danzo's eye twitched as he watched the impossible unfold. The masked bastard - the one who called himself Madara - had just burned through a precious Sharingan to avoid death. And Kaito had forced him to do it.

"Damn that Uchiha brat," Danzo muttered, tasting blood where his teeth ground together. He hadn't seen movement that fast since Minato. His Root agents knew the signal - hands flicking in shadow language as they spread through the rubble.

He could practically hear Hiruzen's ghost mocking him. 'Still playing with fire, old friend?'

The cane creaked in his grip. Every jutsu had its price. Even the Fourth's legendary technique needed those damned markers. Kaito's version had to have limits - a cooldown, a range restriction, something.

His stolen Sharingan itched beneath the bandages. Just needed one clean opening. Just one.