Shisui took a deep breath, then suddenly crossed his hands and fingers tightly. He released them, pointing his palm toward the blue Susanoo enveloping Obito.
"Wood Style: Birth of the Tree World!"
The moment he shouted the name of the jutsu, the surroundings shifted drastically around Obito and Shisui. The Birth of the Tree World was a signature technique of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama. This one move could transform a barren plain into a dense forest, and there were even rumors that the forests around Konoha were created through Hashirama's Birth of the Tree World. The danger factor of this technique rivaled that of Susanoo itself.
Violent tree branches and vines erupted from the ground, wrapping around Obito's Susanoo arms. Despite the flames consuming the vines, new wooden tendrils quickly sprouted, rendering the entire Susanoo immobile. However, Shisui could feel the strain; the technique continued to drain his chakra. It was evident that his version of the Birth of the Tree World paled in comparison to the true power of Senju Hashirama, and even Madara's use of it during the Fourth Ninja War far exceeded Shisui's abilities.
It was just as powerful as when Senju Hashirama was summoned by Orochimaru during the Konoha collapse plan. Yet, despite this, the scope and destructive power of an A-level top-tier ninjutsu remained formidable.
"You think you can escape this? Every ounce of your chakra will feed the forest I'm creating! Wood style that can absorb the chakra of those bound by this technique, can only wait to become nutrients for the Birth of Tree World! Realize this, Uchiha Obito!" Shisui shouted, his expression growing paler.
The sparse and chaotic rainforest transformed into a tropical forest, completely rewritten by his technique. It wasn't until Susanoo was entirely enveloped that Shisui's face shifted from pale to ghostly white. He finally halted the output of his chakra.
"Vomit!" he gasped, collapsing to his knees as the intense exhaustion overwhelmed him.
"I've used too much chakra. Is this... the consequence of forcibly using a jutsu without mastery?" Shisui wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, muttering to himself. "But this way, Wood Style will absorb his chakra, and then Obito can be brought to..."
"What can you do?" Obito's voice interrupted, cutting through Shisui's thoughts.
Shisui's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked up again. A long, sickle-like curve sliced through the endless vines and trees. Susanoo reappeared before him, fully armed for battle.
"How... how could this be happening?" Shisui stammered in shock.
"My Susanoo's attacks can transfer all hit targets to a different space," Obito declared, controlling Susanoo to draw another blade. He swiftly cut through the surrounding wood vines, making them vanish instantly.
"Unexpectedly, you've managed to master the Birth of the Tree World," Obito sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "You were just a defective subject, an experiment for that fool Danzo and his twisted ambitions. I never would have expected you to pull off something like this." He slowly approached Shisui, the imposing form of Susanoo looming behind him, radiating a chilling aura.
Obito's eyes narrowed as he relished the moment, a cruel smile spreading across his face behind his mask. "But tell me, what do you think you can achieve against me? This forest of yours won't be enough to stop the true power of the Uchiha!" His tone was laced with condescension as if he were toying with Shisui's determination.
"But it doesn't matter; you're finished here," he continued, raising the long Katana high. "Disappear!"
"Damn it... Instead of clearing Uchiha's reputation, am I going to die here?" The intense exhaustion rendered Shisui's body uncontrollable, causing him to fall to the ground in defeat.
Above him, Susanoo's long Katana descended fiercely. "Stop!!" shouted a bloodied Itachi, gritting his teeth in desperation. However, his scream fell on deaf ears.
"Zanka no Tachi: Shinken Hirameki."
At that moment, a howling fire tornado erupted, its destructive power incinerating everything in its path. Both Wood Style and Susanoo were instantly reduced to ashes, disappearing in the next breeze of wind.
"That's the attack I saw with the Nine-Tails..." Itachi gasped, suddenly raising his head. "The flames of that man!"
Obito quickly transformed Susanoo into a protective shield, but even the armor began to melt under the relentless flames.
"Damn it!" Obito cursed inwardly as his body began to disappear in Uzumaki's space rift.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Shisui, lying on the ground, quickly realized Obito's intentions. He stretched out his hand and shouted, "Don't! Don't run! Wait!!"
Susanoo was nearly burned away but collapsed at the last moment, the operator having abandoned it. Shisui watched helplessly as it turned to ash, leaving a space before him.
He lay there for a long time, finally burying his face in the elbow of his left arm. With his right hand, he weakly pounded the scorched ground in pain.
Itachi, who had witnessed everything from a distance, also shed tears in silence. Mission failed!
Tatsuya slowly retracted Ryūjin Jakka and glanced at the defeated Uchiha duo, delivering a statement that offered little comfort: "It's good that you two survived."
"Damn it!" Shisui cried even louder.
Tatsuya could only respond with an exasperated silence, "..."
...
...
Inside Kirigakure, the raging Three Tails mirrored the chaos the Nine Tails had wreaked in Konoha six years ago.
"Master Mizukage is dead! All Mist Shinobi, stop the Three-Tails from escaping and bombard him with A and B level Ninjutsu use C-level ninjutsu to protect each other!" Terumi Mei seized the opportunity while the beast was distracted, leaping onto its shell. She concentrated Chakra in her voice and shouted to the Mist Shinobi below.
Upon hearing her cries, all the Mist Shinobi turned to where Terumi Mei stood. There, at her feet, lay the corpse of Yagura, the previous Mizukage.
"This… how could Lord Mizukage be…?" Kaito stammered, his voice trembling as he struggled to comprehend the horror unfolding before them.
"It's not that the Jinchūriki lost control of the tailed beast's chakra," Reiko, the Anbu Jonin, interjected, his tone grim. "The seal was broken. Where is Mizukage-sama? We need answers!"
A murmur rippled through the crowd, eyes darting around, searching for clarity.
"Who is that woman?" another Chunin, Haruki, asked, pointing at Terumi Mei. "Is she one of our Kirigakure ninjas?"
"I remember! It's her! Terumi Mei!" exclaimed Yoshikazu, an older shinobi, recognition dawning on his face.
"Terumi Mei? But I thought she was captured by Konoha during the Third Ninja War ten years ago!" a younger Anbu, Tsubasa, said, disbelief etched across his features.
Confusion swept through the ranks of Kiri Shinobi. What was going on? Why was a Konoha ninja in their village?
How could Terumi Mei suddenly reappear after ten years? And what had happened to Yagura, the perfect Jinchūriki, and their Mizukage?
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