Tobi's body stiffened abruptly.
Without any warning, clusters of white, viscous matter burst wildly from beneath his black cloak patterned with red clouds, instantly morphing into several miniature White Zetsu. Even more shocking was that the faces of these parasitic creatures all bore the same cold, masked visage as Kakashi.
Like greedy leeches, the spores latched onto Tobi's body, frantically draining his chakra as they swelled at a terrifying speed.
The space-time teleportation that had already been activated was forcibly interrupted by the sudden, chaotic surge of chakra.
"You bastard… how could you!"
"Lightning Release: Chidori!"
Zzzzt—!!
Blinding lightning tore through the air, instantly evaporating the dense fog within a ten-meter radius.
Kakashi's palm, wrapped in violent arcs of lightning, became an unyielding blade as it pierced straight through Tobi's chest without the slightest resistance.
Splat!
Blood dripped from his fingertips onto the scorched ground. Tobi spat out a mouthful of blood, his body shuddering violently under the dual assault of searing pain and high-voltage paralysis.
Behind the cracked mask, the Sharingan in his right eye trembled violently, disbelief filling his gaze.
"If all you know how to do is rely on tricks," Kakashi said coldly, leaning in, "then you should be prepared to die face-to-face."
He moved closer, his voice low and sharp. "Are you satisfied with this parting gift?"
From the instant he recognized Obito, Kakashi had already begun preparing.
He understood all too well how troublesome Obito's intangibility was. If he couldn't seal Obito's chakra or interfere with his space-time activation first, any direct attack would be meaningless.
So he took advantage of Obito's arrogance.
The moment Kakashi's initial punch cracked Obito's mask, he had quietly planted the Spore Technique on him.
Blood slid down Kakashi's arm as residual lightning crackled faintly through the air.
"Cough… cough, cough…"
With his chest pierced, Obito let out a hoarse, chilling laugh. Even though the right eye behind his mask was bloodshot from the agony, the mockery within it remained undiminished.
"Still this move, Kakashi… When you pierce someone's chest, your strikes are as decisive as ever. Not a trace of hesitation."
The words were like a sharpened blade, meant to dig into the darkest memories buried deep within Kakashi's heart. But Kakashi's expression did not waver. He merely stared back coldly, the lightning in his hand burning just as fiercely.
At that moment, sharp sounds of air tearing suddenly rang out from the surrounding forest, still shrouded in lingering mist.
Dozens of ANBU wearing Hidden Mist headbands emerged like ghosts, instantly tightening their encirclement around the charred battlefield.
"Over there! Spread out—surround them!"
A dignified yet commanding female voice rang out as a kunoichi descended from the sky.
She had long, wavy brownish-red hair, and the standard Hidden Mist attire she wore carried a mature, composed beauty. Yet her delicate face was frost-cold, emerald eyes locked onto the bodies of her fallen subordinates scattered across the ground.
It was none other than the Mizukage herself—Mei Terumi—who had personally led the team after receiving the signal.
The instant Mei Terumi landed, Obito's body—still pierced by Kakashi—began to distort. It turned intangible and dissolved into an empty afterimage.
A few seconds later, space twisted.
Unharmed, Obito reappeared atop a rock more than ten meters away.
"Stop! Who are you?" Mei Terumi demanded, swiftly forming hand seals.
Obito did not spare her a glance. His scarlet right eye remained fixed on Kakashi as he spoke in a low, hoarse voice.
"Kakashi… it seems there are more variables in this game than I anticipated. But it doesn't matter. Only the one who laughs last truly wins. We will meet again."
"Lord Mizukage! Retreat immediately!"
The middle-aged man following behind Mei Terumi shouted urgently. Veins bulged around the eye socket concealed beneath an eyepatch—the Byakugan of the Hyuga Clan.
"That chakra… there's no mistake! Even if it feels weaker, that cold, oppressive presence is identical to the mastermind who once controlled the Fourth Mizukage and turned the Hidden Mist into the 'Bloody Mist Village'!"
"What?!"
Mei Terumi's emerald eyes ignited with overwhelming killing intent.
Without the slightest hesitation, she spat out a massive volume of highly corrosive, viscous liquid that melted even solid rock in its path.
"Boil Release: Skilled Mist Jutsu!"
The surging acidic mist sealed off every possible escape route.
Yet in the face of a technique capable of reducing a person to nothing but sludge, Obito simply stood there, unmoving.
The acid passed straight through his body, gouging deep pits into the ground behind him.
His form turned phantom-like once more. No matter how fiercely Mei Terumi pressed the attack, she could not harm him at all.
Obito cast her a cold glance. The space at the center of his body began to twist, pulling him completely into another dimension.
As the warped space gradually returned to calm, only the sound of corrosive sizzling and the stench of burning lingered deep within the forest.
Mei Terumi released her hand seals, her chest rising and falling slightly as she steadied her breath.
She turned sharply, the fury in her emerald eyes still smoldering as they locked onto Kakashi.
"The Copy Ninja of Konoha," she said coldly, her voice carrying a faintly husky edge, "you'd better know what I want to hear."
The surrounding Hidden Mist ANBU tightened their formation, the atmosphere stretched taut to the breaking point.
Kakashi calmly flicked the remaining blood from his right hand. His gaze lingered on Mei Terumi for a brief moment before settling back into composed indifference.
"Lord Mizukage," he said evenly, "instead of pressuring me here, you should be grateful I appeared at all. If not for me, that man would have continued hiding in the shadows, manipulating the future of the Land of Water like a puppet master."
Mei Terumi's expression shifted slightly, a flicker of complexity passing through her eyes.
As the newly appointed Mizukage, she had planned to uncover the truth gradually once her rule stabilized. She hadn't expected Kakashi's arrival to drag the mastermind lurking behind the scenes directly into the open.
That man wasn't just provoking Konoha—he was issuing a warning to her as well.
"So you're saying he appeared here to frame you… and deliberately sever the possibility of an alliance between us?" Mei Terumi narrowed her eyes, a dangerous curve lifting the corners of her lips.
"Obviously." Kakashi spread his hands slightly. "Unfortunately for him, he underestimated my strength—and the insight of the Byakugan. Now that the real culprit has been exposed, I won't be taking the blame for this diplomatic incident."