"Are you okay, Izumi?" Tsunade asked with concern while supporting Izumi.
"I'm fine," Izumi shook her head. Then glaring in a certain direction with her bloodshot Mangekyō Sharingan eyes, she gritted her teeth and said, "Today, I will fight him to the bitter end."
Tsunade sighed before asking, "Can you still see clearly?"
"Of course you can."
"What if he emerges from that big thing?"
"As long as he uses Spatial Ninjutsu, I'll sense it."
Tsunade silently nodded without asking further questions.
Izumi suddenly raised her voice, "Hokage-sama, the Uchiha Clan has always had a Kinjutsu named *Izanagi*, which can turn harmful events experienced during a certain period into something that never happened at the cost of permanently blinding one eye containing the Sharingan."
"Obito might use this method to escape—it just depends on whether he's willing to sacrifice his eyesight."
These words were clearly meant for Minato Namikaze.
When Obito heard this, he naturally grew furious again, thinking, "This lunatic bitch wants me dead today?!"
After hearing Izumi's explanation, Minato intensified his attacks even more.
Since Tailed Beast Balls could not harm Obito anymore, he reverted to basic combat methods.
Channeling Nine-Tails' chakra, his punches relentlessly bombarded Susano'o.
The battle raged from day into night, and as the light slowly faded, the people of Konoha grew weary—despite still being terrified.
Even the ninja ordered by Tsunade to remain vigilant felt similarly tired.
Even the spies embedded in Konoha had already sent their reports out—but the fight between Minato and Obito showed no sign of ending.
Obito was now disheartened—he was completely overwhelmed.
This Susano'o form had instead turned him into a clear and easy target.
Its body had been smashed countless times, repeatedly rebuilt anew.
Though his chakra hadn't run dry yet, his strength was nearly gone.
Minato, however, remained far better off than him.
[Boom!] [Boom!] [Boom!]
Hit several more times, Susano'o staggered unsteadily before falling onto the ground.
"Move closer—don't let him escape!" Tsunade commanded surrounding ninja.
Everyone revealed themselves together, forming an encircling formation while slowly advancing.
While regulating his breathing and staring blankly at the sky, regret filled Obito's heart.
Why didn't I prepare some kind of backup plan like Madara did?
Thinking about using Izanagi only made him hesitate further.
Those were his own eyes—the Mangekyō. Once used, they'd be ruined forever!
Just as he hesitated, suddenly his body jolted violently against his will.
Looking closely, it turned out Minato, transformed into the Nine-Tails, hadn't stopped for even a moment—having built up strength before smashing directly into Susano'o's neck, severing it clean off.
At this moment, Susano'o's head separated from its body, leaving Obito inside the head unable to control it effectively.
"Obito, I can't speak for others when it comes to forgiving you. Go personally to Pure Land and apologize to Kushina—and everyone else too."
Upon hearing these words, Obito simply laughed bitterly to himself.
Among the Nine-Tails' beast children, there was neither sorrow nor joy. Minato spoke calmly, his left and right beast claws each holding a red Rasengan aimed straight at Susano'o's face—the spot where Obito stood—and smashed downward.
Whoosh~ Another tremendous noise echoed out, raising thick clouds of dust from the ground that obscured the spectators' vision.
No one knew how much time had passed before bright blood appeared in their sight. A faint, metallic scent filled the air, and the dust finally began to settle.
In the clearing view, Minato's beast claws were already gathering another Rasengan…
"Their hopes rose, and one ninja cautiously asked, 'Is that person dead?'"
"If Minato understood his limits, he wouldn't leave him a chance to live," Tsunade replied.
"Hokage-sama, is the Fourth really our enemy? Then why did he help us?" someone else asked.
They were truly shocked by Minato's displayed combat power.
Tsunade shot a cold glare at the questioner and remained silent.
"Prepare for battle."
While Tsunade and others were still talking, Minato continued pummeling Obito into the ground relentlessly.
He didn't care whether Obito used Izanagi or not. Even though Obito's body was now barely recognizable as human, he didn't stop his assault.
Until the land itself was soaked red with blood, until Obito's presence could no longer be sensed.
Minato slowed his assault.
Yet Tsunade rushed forward swiftly.
Obito lay nearly flattened into paste, his eyes tightly shut.
Before Minato could react, Tsunade dug out Obito's deformed eyes.
"These eyes… ruined, huh?" she muttered while staring at Obito's corpse. "Without eyes or Chakra, even if he wanted to live, there's no way he'd survive."
Then, Tsunade locked eyes with Minato.
Now that Obito was dealt with, would they immediately settle the score between them?
This thought passed through both of their minds simultaneously.
Just then—
[Earth Release: Earth and Stone Dragon!]
Several earth dragons emerged from the ground, opening their mouths and spraying streams of earthen torrents at Minato, who remained in Tailed Beast Form.
With a flick of his fox tails, Minato deflected the torrents back, a silent smirk curling his lips.
The Nine-Tails' chakra quickly withdrew inside him, and Minato resumed his human form.
Immediately afterward, no one could tell exactly what he did, but his body seemed to crumble like sand, turning into particles.
Tsunade froze, puzzled for a moment before quickly realizing the truth.
"What happened, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi and Izumi ran over. The other ninja, originally ready for a great battle, also looked confused.
"I guess he somehow released himself from Impure World Reincarnation and then ascended with his soul," Tsunade answered calmly.
"Ascended?"
"He has reached the Pure Land."
Kakashi nodded slightly before briskly stepping toward the unrecognizable corpse of Obito, instantly stunned, murmuring, "Obito…"
Izumi quickly pulled him away, then fired a massive [Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu], reducing the remains to ashes.
Kakashi turned away, unable to bear the sight.
Izumi remained on high alert, glancing around warily. "Obito might still be alive. He could show up any second."
"This is his eye. Take a look." Tsunade handed the removed eyeball to her.
"There's no chakra left," Izumi said after observing it with an activated Sharingan for a moment.
"In other words, he used that forbidden technique, causing his Sharingan to go blind?" Kakashi asked.
Izumi nodded heavily. "Such a waste for those eyes."
"Obito is dead..." Kakashi murmured, a strange flicker of emotion crossing his eyes.
"Although he died, it doesn't mean he won't reappear," Tsunade suddenly said.
Kakashi shot her a confused look.
"Kakashi, have you ever washed Rin's body?" Tsunade asked.
"No," Kakashi replied somewhat awkwardly.
"So you never got to examine her either?"
"...No."
"Don't underestimate your mentor. After all this time, no one can be sure what Sensei Minato might have done," Tsunade said helplessly while covering her forehead and sighing. "[Impure World Reincarnation]... That pervert Orochimaru..."
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>