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Chapter 55: The Three-Tailed Chakra
"How's the situation?"
"Lord Genji, the advance is underway... but the Mizukage's side is putting up fierce resistance."
Inside a tall tower in Kirigakure, Genji silently observed the distant battlefield while Terumī Mei stood behind him, speaking in a low voice.
This battle was meant to secure Kirigakure's future—but seeing it unfold like this, Genji couldn't help feeling a pang of pain in his chest.
Still, he quickly calmed himself. When has change ever come without bloodshed?
"There's more, my lord. Some of our people are beginning to question things…"
As Genji remained in thought, Terumī Mei spoke again.
"They're afraid… afraid of becoming traitors to the village. You know how we—"
"Hmph. Tell them this: losers are rebels, but victors spark revolutions!"
Genji interrupted before she could finish.
"And besides, we must trust Ao—and the Byakugan. He wouldn't lie to us!"
"Yes, understood. I'll pass along your words."
"Good."
Genji finally nodded at her reply. But just as he was about to say more, the ground suddenly began to quake violently.
In the next instant, a thunderous roar shook the sky, followed by a thick wave of smoke and dust. A surge of ominous chakra spread like wildfire, and within the dense mist, the shadow of a giant beast loomed.
"What is… that?"
Genji and Terumī Mei's eyes widened in unison. They could feel it—things had spiraled beyond their control.
Then, the beast let out a furious, anguished roar that echoed across all of Kirigakure…
---
"How… is this possible?"
Uchiha Obito's body was slammed into the earth by the force of a Rasengan.
The sheer impact shattered the ground, debris flying everywhere. Amid the swirling dust, only the bright spiral of chakra remained visible.
His mind was spinning. It felt like déjà vu.
Years ago, hadn't he lost the exact same way to Namikaze Minato? Was history repeating itself?
He couldn't understand—why had he fallen to the Flying Thunder God twice?
And more importantly… when did this brat learn that technique?
His head buzzed with confusion, but what rattled him the most was what the kid said before delivering the final blow:
"Who would choose illusion over reality?"
That line struck him harder than the Rasengan. His expression twisted, a sliver of doubt creeping in.
"Illusion... reality..."
He kept repeating the words to himself, but soon lost interest in pondering them.
Whether it was illusion or reality didn't matter anymore.
From his elevated perspective, he believed he saw the shinobi world more clearly than anyone else.
People were driven by desire—that was the root of the world's problems.
Only the Eye of the Moon Plan could end that. Only by freeing humanity from the chains of their own wants could the world be saved.
Only then could Rin's tragedy be prevented.
Only then could Rin truly be saved.
Besides…
He had no more time to think—Kitagawa Gen was already charging at him again with his White Fang short blade.
---
"Defeated...?"
Elsewhere, the battle between Kakashi and Kisame slowed.
Kisame wore an odd expression. Though still engaged with Kakashi, he'd been watching the events unfold nearby.
That strange spatial jutsu was beyond comprehension—but one thing was clear.
"That kid really used the Flying Thunder God technique… and actually landed a sneak attack?"
For a brief moment, Kisame began to question his allegiance.
Is this guy… really trustworthy?
"Kitagawa Gen…" he muttered.
---
Kakashi and Jiraiya, standing on the other side, also noticed the commotion. Both of them looked excited—yet slightly emotional.
Uchiha Obito may have been the downfall of the Fourth Hokage… but in the end, the Fourth still left behind something capable of changing everything.
"A golden opportunity."
Just then, Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. His gaze shifted sharply to the Fourth Mizukage.
He noticed something strange—the Mizukage's body seemed stiff, and his attacks weren't as fluid as before.
"Obito's genjutsu is weakening due to his injury? Then this is the time to break the control!"
Jiraiya didn't hesitate. The organization they were up against was far too dangerous. Even if Kiri had a hostile relationship with Konoha, no Kage should be made a puppet like this.
And if Kiri responded aggressively after this, well… that only helped Konoha too.
"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"
Catching the Mizukage in his moment of stiffness, Jiraiya launched a massive fire attack without hesitation.
"Ahhh!"
The Fourth Mizukage didn't even try to dodge. The scorching flames engulfed him—but at that exact moment, a surge of Tailed Beast chakra burst out from his body.
"Tailed Beast Mode?"
Jiraiya's brow twitched. This could be either good or bad. The appearance of the Tailed Beast chakra meant the Mizukage himself was starting to resist the genjutsu.
But…
It also made him much harder to deal with!
As the Fourth Mizukage roared and charged at him, Jiraiya began to sweat, steeling himself for the impact.
Zzzzz—
While Jiraiya dealt with the Mizukage, Obito seized the opportunity and phased back into the Kamui dimension.
But no sooner had he reappeared than—
A flash of silver streaked behind him.
A White Fang short blade, crackling with purple lightning, nearly cut through him.
Obito's face turned pale.
"Damn Namikaze Minato… damn that Flying Thunder God technique!"
He hadn't forgotten what Minato had done to him. But with Minato dead, Obito had believed no one else could master that jutsu.
He never thought someone would not only learn it—but also use Minato's old marks against him.
"You're surprisingly sturdy."
Kitagawa Gen didn't mind missing his first strike. With Flying Thunder God, he had the advantage. He launched another attack, speaking the entire time.
He needed to make the most of Minato's leftover marks—there was no guarantee he could use them again later.
"You survived a Rasengan and even know Wood Style. Who taught you that?"
"..."
Obito didn't respond. His eyes locked onto Kitagawa Gen, rage smoldering.
"And you're blaming others for being late? What's your problem?"
"Are you really trying to kill everyone in the world just to stop all conflict?"
"You truly believe in this illusion? Or is there something else behind your plan?"
Kitagawa Gen's words, like his attacks, never stopped—each one stabbing at Obito's heart.
Obito knew he was just trying to provoke him, force him into a mistake—but damn, it was working!
"You damn brat...!"
He clenched his fists, restraining his fury. The Rasengan hadn't disabled him, but his entire back had been torn open.
If half his body weren't made of White Zetsu, he'd be dead already.
He had to think about escaping now. But Kisame was still in the base… he had just recruited him. Running away now would be humiliating.
"Hm?"
Just then, Obito glanced toward the Mizukage again. He could sense the Tailed Beast chakra growing more chaotic.
And Jiraiya was clearly trying to further agitate it, disrupting the genjutsu.
He knew exactly what they were trying to do.
"So you want to break the genjutsu…"
Obito gritted his teeth, but then—he smirked.
He had a new idea.
His Sharingan spun wildly—and in an instant, the Three-Tails' chakra exploded into a rampage.
"Let me help you with that!"
"What?!"
Everyone's expressions shifted. Jiraiya's eyes went wide.
ROOOOAAARRR—
The Fourth Mizukage let out a furious roar—and suddenly his body began to swell uncontrollably.
In the blink of an eye, the entire underground base began to collapse!
"This is bad…"
Everyone's faces turned grim.
And just then, Kitagawa Gen's eye twitched.
[Side Quest Completed!]
[Slice Through the Darkness of the Shinobi World; Soar Through the Skies of Space]
[Objective: Secure a mission to the Hidden Mist and make Uchiha Obito feel the power of Flying Thunder God.]
[Reward Acquired: Three-Tails Chakra!]
"..."
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