If he uses the black flames, I'll create ten branches for every one he burns. Obito didn't believe the black flames were inexhaustible.
His countermeasure for intangibility was similar: Obito would control the branches to continuously grow, writhe, and pierce, maintaining a relentless, unceasing assault. Once the time limit expired, the intangibility would be broken.
"Now, let's see how you counter this," Obito thought, a smug confidence filling him as he surveyed the dense network of branches. He felt certain of victory.
Kouki, however, had anticipated Obito's strategy. At this juncture, Flying Thunder God was ineffective; Kamui and Amaterasu were less than ideal options.
But Kouki possessed other, more potent techniques, particularly without resorting to Susanoo.
"Eight Gates Formation, First Gate, Open!"
…
Kouki stood defiantly amidst the encircling branches, instantly opening the Eight Gates Formation to the Fifth Gate. The air crackled with barely contained power.
Boom!
Obito instantly sensed an immense surge of energy erupting within the "wooden nest." The branches were violently torn asunder, a gaping hole ripped through the seemingly impenetrable barrier.
From this opening, a figure burst forth, radiating an aura of overwhelming power that left Obito momentarily breathless, a palpable sense of awe mixed with fear gripping his heart.
"What kind of power is this?!" Obito gasped, involuntarily recoiling from the sheer force of the energy radiating from Kouki, once again stunned by Kouki's display of overwhelming strength.
"Tsukuyomi!"
The instant he emerged, Kouki locked eyes with Obito, unleashing this devastating genjutsu.
Obito's vision blurred; the world around him transformed into a stark, unsettling landscape of black and white.
"This is… genjutsu?"
Obito was shocked. He possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan; how could he be affected by genjutsu? This was unbelievably powerful, a testament to Kouki's exceptional abilities.
His Sharingan spun wildly, desperately attempting to counter the effects of the genjutsu, finally dispelling the unsettling black and white world.
But in that very instant, Obito discovered that his body was engulfed in the terrifying black flames of Amaterasu!
Kouki's Tsukuyomi had been a calculated feint, a carefully orchestrated maneuver designed to create the perfect opportunity to unleash Amaterasu. Obito possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan; Kouki wasn't certain how long he could hold Obito within the Tsukuyomi's illusory realm.
Employing Tsukuyomi directly against Obito wasn't the optimal strategy.
However, one thing was certain: even Obito's Mangekyo Sharingan would experience a momentary lapse in the real world when confronted with Tsukuyomi. With Amaterasu's devastating power, that fleeting moment of distraction would be fatal.
"Aaah! It burns! It burns! It burns!"
The White Zetsu shrieked in agony, its body contorting wildly as it desperately struggled against the all-consuming black flames.
Those present witnessed Obito's body begin to writhe grotesquely, a horrifying spectacle.
Crack, crack, crack!
In a desperate, last-ditch effort, the White Zetsu began frantically splitting into more branches at the points where it was burned, attempting to push back the black flames. It then performed a desperate act of self-preservation, severing the burning branches to prevent the flames from spreading further, narrowly averting a catastrophic outcome.
"Close call! Too close! I almost died!" White Zetsu exclaimed, his voice trembling with lingering fear and a profound sense of relief.
Obito's face was grim, his own fear palpable, his heart pounding in his chest. If he hadn't been wearing the White Zetsu disguise, he would undoubtedly be dead!
"Obito, this guy is too strong! We need to retreat immediately! I don't want to die!" White Zetsu urged relentlessly, his voice filled with desperate pleading.
"Shut up!"
Obito, his patience wearing thin, snapped at White Zetsu, his brow furrowed in irritation at White Zetsu's demoralizing words.
However, even Obito had to admit the undeniable truth: his meticulously planned operation had utterly and completely failed. His defeat was absolute and humiliating.
His gaze, a complex mixture of resentment, anger, apprehension, and grudging respect, fixed upon Kouki for a long moment.
Without uttering a single word, Obito activated the Body Flicker Technique and vanished from the scene.
He chose not to use Kamui to escape, clinging to a desperate sliver of hope: He had used Transformation Jutsu throughout, never revealing his true identity.
Nagato and the others likely didn't know who he was. And while Kouki suspected his target was Nagato, he couldn't possibly know Obito's previous identities and interactions with Nagato.
Obito clung to this final, desperate hope—that Nagato and the others would not recognize his true identity.
Kouki made no attempt to stop Obito's retreat. Obito now possessed both Kamui and Wood Release; without revealing his Rinnegan, Kouki wasn't confident in his ability to prevent Obito's escape.
With Obito's departure, the White Zetsu disguised as ninjas also retreated.
In the blink of an eye, the once crowded, chaotic scene on the unnamed mountain was transformed into a desolate landscape, with only Yahiko, Nagato, Konan, and the buried Minato Namikaze remaining.
As for Yagura Karatachi, lying unconscious on the ground? Unfortunately, the poor Mizukage, whose presence in the original Naruto storyline was minimal, had been inadvertently overlooked by Kouki in the aftermath of the battle.
"Sir, we owe you a tremendous debt. Without your intervention, Akatsuki might have been completely annihilated," Yahiko approached Kouki, expressing his sincere gratitude on behalf of himself and his comrades.
"Don't mention it; I was merely an unwitting participant in this conflict," Kouki replied, waving it off with a casual gesture, as if it were an insignificant event.
"May we know your identity? We wish to know to whom we owe our lives," Nagato addressed Kouki, his voice respectful.
"Uchiha Kouki," Kouki replied after a brief moment of consideration, finally revealing his true identity.
His true appearance had already been witnessed by Nagato and the others; as a member of the Konoha Military Police Force, his name held little significance. If they truly wished to know more, they can find out by checking.
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