Chapter 304: Mangekyō

Chapter 304: Mangekyō

"Fourth Hokage of Konoha, a wielder of Wood Release... I didn't expect to encounter you here." Black Zetsu helped Uchiha Obito to his feet and coldly remarked while looking at Tonari.

"Eh?! Is this really the Fourth Hokage of Konoha? The one who defeated Madara?" White Zetsu exclaimed in surprise.

"Long time no see, Black Zetsu. I see you've merged with White Zetsu now. Tsk... I have to say, your combined form looks... ugly," Tonari taunted, glancing at the bizarre black-and-white figure encased in a green pitcher plant.

"We look ugly? Really, Black Zetsu?" White Zetsu asked, seemingly hurt.

"Shut up!" Black Zetsu snapped, clearly annoyed.

Then his gaze shifted to the childlike figure behind Tonari, Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage. His yellow eyes widened.

"It's him... the newly appointed Fourth Mizukage. I didn't expect you to get to him first. I put so much effort into learning that his resistance to genjutsu is weak..."

Tonari's eyes narrowed.

As expected, Black Zetsu truly lived up to his reputation as the intelligence mastermind of the Akatsuki. Even such a hidden detail had been discovered, highlighting his formidable information-gathering abilities.

Tonari couldn't help but feel wary, realizing that not even the dead could escape Black Zetsu's relentless pursuit of information.

"Then I guess I should thank you for your hard work..." Tonari said with a mocking wave.

"What the hell do you want, Fourth Hokage?!" Obito couldn't tolerate their casual conversation any longer and interrupted angrily.

Tonari's expression turned cold.

"Uchiha Obito, come back with me and atone to your teacher and his wife. Beg for their forgiveness. I've been waiting here just for you."

"Atone? A teacher who couldn't protect his students has no right to call himself one!" Obito retorted defiantly.

"Still so stubborn?" Tonari's voice dropped, and in an instant, he flashed in front of Obito, forming a spiraling ball of chakra in his hand.

Rasengan!

The Rasengan shot towards Obito's abdomen, but as it was about to hit, Obito's body became intangible, and the Rasengan passed through harmlessly.

Obito smirked, knowing that his Kamui ability granted him five minutes of intangibility, effectively making him invincible during that time.

But to his shock, an intense pain suddenly struck his abdomen as the Rasengan hit him dead on, sending him flying backward.

"Last time, you should have realized that your eye and mine are the same. You can't beat me. How do you still not understand that?" Tonari said with a casual flick of his coat, watching Obito crash into the ground.

Ever since his battle with Madara, Tonari felt like fighting Obito was akin to bullying a child—utterly effortless and almost unfair.

No matter how strong Obito's abilities were, against Tonari, his Kamui became nothing but a joke.

Obito retaliated by unleashing a few wooden spikes from his sleeves—Piercing Wood Technique.

However, Tonari simply caught the spikes with his bare hands, rendering the attack useless.

Obito's use of Wood Release was crude and unrefined, stemming from his partial White Zetsu implant and his armor of Guruguru (Spiral Zetsu).

Compared to Tonari's mastery, it was nothing but an amateur trick.

While Tonari was busy overwhelming Obito, Kisame and Yagura were dealing with Black Zetsu and White Zetsu.

The pair of Zetsu had no chance against two Kage-level opponents. After a few exchanges, they were already being pushed back.

"Don't let them escape, Kisame," Tonari ordered, glancing briefly at the situation.

"Understood, Tonari-sensei." Kisame tightened his grip on Samehada.

Black Zetsu, sensing the danger, quickly retracted his tendrils from the ground and tried to retreat.

"Dammit, Black Zetsu! We're in trouble here! Obito's completely outmatched, and these two are relentless!" White Zetsu panicked.

Black Zetsu was also feeling the pressure.

Not only were they being forced back, but he couldn't help but feel that his entire strategy had been seen through from the start. This unsettling feeling gnawed at his mind, worse than the threat of losing the battle.

"It's all because of that impulsive brat, Obito! I told him to wait and train, but no... He just had to come to Kirigakure!" Black Zetsu thought angrily.

Meanwhile, Tonari continued to pummel Obito, his punches landing one after another.

Each strike was accompanied by a harsh rebuke.

"This is for betraying your comrades!"

"This is for attacking your teacher!"

"This is for bringing ruin to your own village!"

"This is for causing the deaths of so many!"

Obito's mask finally cracked, and the orange shards fell away, revealing his scarred, bitter face.

"Curse you!" Obito shouted, his Mangekyo Sharingan spinning rapidly.

Blue chakra flared around him, forming a skeletal structure—Susanoo!

Seeing the incomplete Susanoo, Tonari couldn't help but smirk.

"Finally showing some spine, huh? But your Susanoo is still so basic..."

Tonari's own Susanoo erupted from his body—a fully-formed skeletal figure with muscular tendons and thick armor plating. It dwarfed Obito's incomplete form.

"Your Susanoo is still too shallow, Obito."

With a simple motion, Tonari's Susanoo shattered Obito's skeletal armor effortlessly.

Obito stumbled backward, completely outmatched. He couldn't understand how Tonari's Susanoo was so advanced.

"How... How can you use Susanoo so perfectly?" Obito gasped.

Tonari raised an eyebrow.

"Did you really think two eyes are necessary for mastery? You've got a long way to go."

With that, Tonari's Susanoo flickered and merged with Obito's own, destabilizing the latter's formation. The wooden restraints crept over Obito's limbs, pinning him down completely.

Tonari approached him, reaching out his hand towards Obito's right eye.

"Your eyes... they really are perfect."

Obito spat blood and glared defiantly.

"You're just a greedy hypocrite, craving others' power while pretending to be noble!"

Tonari chuckled.

"You're right. I'm a greedy, self-centered man... but at least I don't hide behind a mask, pretending to be someone else while wallowing in self-pity."

His words struck Obito deep, causing a flicker of doubt to pass through his eyes.

"What if all this hatred you cling to... was planted intentionally?" Tonari questioned.

"What if everything you saw that day was arranged to break you?"

Obito froze, the words piercing his heart.

"What... What do you mean?"

Tonari leaned closer.

"What if Madara planned every detail to manipulate you? What if your hatred and your ideals are nothing but illusions shaped by him? Are you prepared to face that truth?"

Obito's breathing grew erratic as conflicting thoughts clouded his mind.

Tonari looked at him, knowing the seed of doubt had been planted.

"Think about it, Obito. There's more to this world than just hatred and vengeance."

Suddenly, Obito's body disintegrated into wooden fragments—Wood Clone Technique.

Tonari clenched his fist.

"That brat... he's always so wary of me."

In the distance, Obito, now exhausted and wounded, was being carried away by Zetsu.

His right eye glowed faintly, the power of Izanagi having saved him at the last moment.

"Got lucky this time, didn't you?" Tonari murmured to himself, watching them disappear into the shadows.

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