CHAPTER 41:The Fall of Rin

Marcus sat on a solitary rock, eyes closed in meditation, the first light of dawn casting a serene glow over the clearing. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and a flash of light reflected off them. "It's time," he murmured to himself, his voice low and ominous. In an instant, he disappeared, the only evidence of his presence the leaves that swirled in the wake of his departure.

In Konoha, Rin was tending to patients in the hospital, her gentle demeanor a soothing presence amidst the hustle and bustle. Unbeknownst to her, danger lurked in the shadows. Marcus, moving with silent precision, crept closer. He had planned this attack meticulously, knowing that Rin, despite being a Jinchuriki, was not a formidable fighter. Finishing her shift and feeling tired she went into her room in the hospital to rest. As she stepped into her room, Marcus struck.

With a swift, precise motion, he rendered her unconscious, catching her limp body before it could hit the ground. He quickly secured her and vanished, leaving no trace behind.

Obito returned to the hospital, carrying a bag of food. "Rin, I brought us some-" His voice trailed off as he entered the room to find it empty. Panic surged through him. "Rin? Rin!" he called, his voice echoing down the empty corridors. His heart pounded as he searched frantically.

His cries attracted the attention of nearby doctors and shinobi, who rushed to the scene. "What happened?" one of the doctors asked, concern etched on his face.

"She's gone," Obito said, his voice a mix of fear and rage. "Rin is gone!"

His Sharingan activated instinctively, turning into the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan in a blaze of crimson. Suddenly Obito was nowhere to be seen in the room, he was already gone, in search of Rin, when he felt the aura of Rin on a person who was running.

Meanwhile, in the outskirts of Amegakure, Kakashi was on a mission to gather intelligence on the Akatsuki. The village, perpetually shrouded in rain, was as dreary and foreboding as ever. Kakashi moved silently through the outskirts of the village, his senses on high alert. Suddenly, a masked figure attacked from the shadows. Kakashi dodged the initial strike, but the attacker kept up the pressure, forcing Kakashi to fight back with all his might. He didn't realize this was all part of Marcus's plan to get his guard up.

"Who are you?" Kakashi demanded, his voice steady despite the danger he was in as his sharigan spins, wanting to put Marcus in a genjustu.

The masked figure said nothing, attacking again with relentless aggression but holding back. Kakashi countered each move, his mind racing.

Unbeknownst to Kakashi, Marcus had orchestrated the entire encounter, intending to draw Kakashi's attention and force him into a defensive stance. Marcus knew that if Kakashi felt threatened, he would fight back with all his might without hesitation, playing perfectly into his hands.

Earlier, before Marcus had begun his meditation, he had met with Zetsu. The enigmatic figure listened intently as Marcus laid out his plan. "The Ashura Demon is my enemy," Marcus had explained, a hint of truth laced with deception. "But we can use this to our advantage. If we work together, I can bring Obito back to you."

Together, they devised a plan that would use Rin as a pawn to manipulate Obito's emotions.

Zetsu, intrigued by the proposal, had agreed. Now, Zetsu's influence over Rin was solidifying. She struggled against the dark presence within her, but it was no use. Her movements ceased, and when she stood, it was no longer Rin but Zetsu, a malevolent smile spreading across her face.

Zetsu, now in control of Rin, made his way toward where Marcus and Kakashi were battling. Meanwhile, Marcus left a clone behind to lead Obito on a chase. Sensing Rin's chakra on the clone, Obito's rage intensified. "Who the hell are you? What have you done to Rin?" he shouted, his eyes glowing with the power of his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. "I swear, I'll kill you! I'll tear you apart if anything happens to her!"

Obito pursued the clone relentlessly, driven by a mixture of fury and desperation. The clone led him through the dense forest, drawing him closer to the confrontation between Marcus and Kakashi.

Kakashi, meanwhile, was fighting for his life. His thoughts drifted to Hiro, Minato, Obito, Rin, and his close friend Gai, thinking how they will miss him if he is gone but he dismisses these thoughts, focusing more on the battle to get a surviving chance. He charges his kunai with a powerful lightning Justu with all his remaining chakra. He threw the kunai charged with lightning chakra at Marcus, who simply smiled. Unleashing his full power, Marcus moved so fast that even Kakashi's Sharingan couldn't track him. In that instant, time seemed to stop.

When Marcus disappeared, Rin stood in his place, her eyes wide with fear as the lightning-charged kunai pierced her heart. Zetsu, having completed his task, slipped out of her body and vanished underground. Obito arrived just in time to see Kakashi's kunai strike Rin. The scene was a horrific echo of the past, too familiar and too painful.

"Rin!" Obito's voice was filled with anguish. He couldn't believe his eyes. His best friend, his rival, had killed the love of his life once again. The pain was unbearable. He caught Rin's falling body, desperately trying to heal her with medical ninjutsu, but it was hopeless. "Rin I'm here, it's me,Obito, don't die, I'll save you. Obito's voice filled with sadness and a teary face looking at Rin who was struggling to speak as Obito keeps using medical ninjutsu to save her."Obito I really came to like you alot spending time with you at the hospital it was one of the best moments of my —"

Rin stopped talking as her eyes went dark. Obito seeing this couldn't handle it anymore, screaming at the top of his voice as his chakra surges creating a shockwave,"Rin!"

The lightning chakra had done its damage, bursting her heart beyond repair.

At that moment, Hiro was summoned to Minato's office and informed about Rin's kidnapping. A sense of dread washed over him. He immediately creates five shadow clones, sending them in different directions to search for Obito and Rin. Using Shambles and his Observation Haki, Hiro traveled at top speed, tracking Obito's aura.