Chapter 56: A New Exclusive Reward!
"Bastard!"
Under the pale moonlight, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi—now fully transformed into the Three-Tails—let out a thunderous roar that echoed across the land.
From within the beast, his expression twisted with rage and humiliation. A surge of fury boiled in his chest, teeth clenched so tightly it felt like they'd shatter.
The genjutsu that had clouded his mind was finally gone—lifted by none other than Uchiha Obito himself.
Even while under control, Yagura hadn't been entirely unconscious. Though his mind had been foggy, he'd retained fragments of awareness… enough to know what was happening.
To recall the sight of his beloved village being manipulated, desecrated, and toyed with while he—its protector—could do nothing… it made his blood boil.
And now, as chaos raged across Kirigakure, the killing intent swelling in his chest threatened to explode.
"Everyone—stand down!"
But Yagura knew—before anything else—he had to stop these fools from tearing the village apart.
Any more fighting, and there'd be nothing left to protect.
Honestly, there wasn't much left standing already...
His shout, laced with the chakra of the Three-Tails, shook the entire Mist Village like a thunderclap from the heavens.
The pro-establishment forces were thrilled—relieved even—but those under Master Genji's command turned pale.
Yagura wasn't just a jinchūriki—he was one of the rare perfect jinchūriki, able to fully wield the power of the Three-Tails.
"We're screwed..."
The rebels' morale plummeted.
They had mentally prepared for the worst, but seeing the towering form of the Three-Tails in person still sparked primal fear.
Even Genji, Mei Terumī, and the others wore grim expressions as they stared up at the mountain-like beast.
"My lord—wait," said Ao as he rushed forward.
"There's no trace of genjutsu left on the Fourth Mizukage!"
"What?"
Both Genji and Mei blinked in surprise, and at that moment, Yagura's voice rang out once more.
"All of you—cease immediately!"
"Everything that happened tonight was the result of deliberate manipulation. Someone is trying to overthrow Kirigakure!"
"As the Fourth Mizukage, I order a full-scale investigation and purge—our true enemy..."
"—Who is still hiding in the Mist!"
———
Deep within a forest on the outskirts of Kirigakure, a single kunai was buried in the dirt.
Suddenly, three figures—Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Gen Kitagawa—flashed into view, riding the ripple of chakra.
"Looks like... we're safe for now," Jiraiya exhaled, scanning the area. Satisfied that no one was nearby, he finally relaxed—only to mutter in frustration:
"That idiot… he actually let the Three-Tails loose... unbelievable."
"Well," Gen muttered, glancing toward the distant silhouette of the beast, "if you hadn't tried to dispel the genjutsu, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess."
"Hey hey hey! I had my reasons, brat! Don't talk like you know everything!" Jiraiya barked, though even he didn't sound very convinced.
They had all heard Yagura's declaration, broadcast through the Three-Tails' chakra—clear and undeniable.
Jiraiya understood why the Mizukage chose this path. Exposing that a Kage had been manipulated like a puppet would have massive consequences. Sometimes, the shame of a village must be hidden... at least for now.
"Kakashi, are you alright?" Jiraiya asked, shifting the topic with concern.
"That guy... Obito..." Kakashi's expression flickered.
"Don't worry, I'm fine," he replied calmly.
"I know what I have to do. The Obito I knew—my friend and hero—lives on only in my heart… and in my left eye. The one walking the world now… that's not him. Just a demon wearing his face. He's no longer the boy who dreamed of becoming Hokage."
Jiraiya sighed, both comforted and troubled by Kakashi's clarity. How did this kid grow to be so strong?
"And you, Gen? You okay?" Kakashi asked, turning to his student.
Though Gen didn't bear a scratch, Kakashi knew exactly who he'd been up against.
"I'm fine, Sensei."
Gen smiled slightly.
"This time went better than expected. Sure, it was messy at the start, but Obito was still wary after I tricked him last time. He was more cautious."
"And with Lord Fourth's seal on him, he didn't dare make a move. Though I doubt we'll get to use that seal again."
"No need to be sentimental," Jiraiya muttered, though there was a hint of sorrow in his eyes. Another one of Minato's legacies… fading away.
However, that mark had already revealed more than enough—it had fully served its purpose.
"Speaking of which, it's unbelievable that guy survived a Rasengan. Maybe that's the power of Wood Release."
"We should get out of here. It's way too dangerous."
Kakashi sighed before speaking again.
"Gen, are you still holding up? I got some military ration pills from the Akimichi Clan. If you can't—"
"I'm fine. Don't worry."
Kitagawa Gen shook his head, a faint smile appearing on his face.
His chakra reserves were overflowing right now—and once they got back, they were only going to increase.
He hadn't expected this at all, but this time the reward was the chakra of the Three-Tails!
He had been obsessed with getting that chakra for a long time. He'd even considered targeting the Fourth Mizukage for it, but with Uchiha Obito watching so closely, he never had a chance.
Now, though, he didn't have to do anything. The system had just handed it to him!
That chakra was crucial for planting the Divine Tree, after all...
Still, he wasn't ready to use it just yet—he didn't know what might happen, and he preferred to experiment after returning.
Besides, even without tapping into the Three-Tails, his own chakra was more than enough right now.
"But I still have an exclusive mission… why hasn't it been finalized yet?"
He was curious, but decided not to dwell on it. He'd find out once they got back.
"Let's get out of here first. The Fourth Mizukage has launched a full-scale manhunt. We—huh?"
Gen suddenly cut off mid-sentence and frowned, turning his head.
Kakashi and Jiraiya also snapped their heads around in unison. In the distance, space began to distort.
A moment later, Uchiha Obito and Hoshigaki Kisame stepped out of the warped space.
The five of them stood there, eyes locked, and for a moment, the forest was drowned in a heavy silence.
"Obito…"
Kakashi's expression turned ice-cold, and Obito let out a low snort.
"What? You want to fight again?"
Obito felt a bit unlucky—after retreating with Kisame to recover from his injuries, he'd just randomly picked a spot… only to run into them again.
He cursed his luck silently, but there was no way he could show weakness now.
"Let's not escalate this," Kisame spoke up, sensing the tension thickening again.
"We might be enemies, but don't forget—Kirigakure's after all of us now. Whatever grudges we have, we can settle them later."
"But wasn't the Fourth Mizukage under your control? Keeping you here wouldn't exactly hurt us."
Gen raised an eyebrow, while Obito snorted again in contempt.
"If you want to fight, be my guest. But do you really think they'll let you walk away? You're from Konoha. And do you really think they'll let you go back and report everything you've seen here?"
The air grew heavy again as silence settled over them, chakra building on both sides, just one spark away from explosion.
"Let's check over there."
"Be careful. The Mizukage said there are intruders in the village. Stay alert."
"You really think it's true? I have a weird feeling—"
"Mizukage-sama already summoned Master Genji for a meeting. Stop questioning orders."
Amidst the rising tension, distant voices from the Mist ninja broke through the silence, draining the momentum from both sides.
They were powerful, sure—but not enough to take on an entire village.
"Forget it. Let's drop it this time."
Jiraiya sighed, his voice solemn.
"Konoha won't forget what you've done."
"Hmph."
Obito snorted and turned to leave with Kisame. The Mist ninja were closing in—they had no intention of being caught.
At the same time, Gen and the others turned as if preparing to retreat.
But then—
In a flash of Flying Thunder God, Gen vanished, reappearing behind Obito with white fang's short blade crackling in purple lightning, aiming straight for Obito's head.
But Obito seemed prepared. He activated Kamui just in time, phasing out as he completed a hand sign: "Fire Style: Blast Wave Wild Dance!"
At the same moment, Kakashi and Jiraiya finished their own seals.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"
Kisame didn't fall behind either: "Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!"
In perfect sync, all five of them launched their jutsu—each a master of timing and combat.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The forest shook violently. Fire, lightning, and water collided, sending steam billowing into the air.
In the misty haze, the five stared each other down once again, the silence even more suffocating than before.
And just then, Gen's system chimed in.
[Exclusive Mission: Kakashi's Side Quest ②]
["The Disillusioned Obito – Broken and Lost"]
[Objective: Help Kakashi uncover the truth about Uchiha Obito]
[Reward is being calculated…]
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