Chapter 55. Really?
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In just the blink of an eye—
Kakashi rushed forward, and Obito was stunned!
Their gazes briefly met, and it was as though they instantly understood each other.
Perhaps this was the power of their bond!
Obito halted, pulling out his kunai again, frowning as he stared down the Kumo Ninja ahead of him.
Meanwhile, Kakashi charged directly, using the Hatake family's swordsmanship to intercept the enemy.
"Hatake Kakashi! Another genius of Konoha!" Dodai sighed in admiration, showing a hint of appreciation. However, his strikes remained merciless as he combined taijutsu and ninjutsu. "It seems Konoha isn't as corrupted as those Kumo Ninjas who returned claimed!"
With such exceptional talents, how could Konoha ever fall?
Despite his skill, Kakashi found it difficult to deal with an Elite Jonin. His body had already sustained numerous injuries.
Kakashi didn't fully understand why he had rushed to help. He hated this guy—hated him so much he'd even thought of leaving the team. Every time he looked at him, he felt a faint ache in his back.
Yet suddenly… he was here.
Without paying attention to Obito, Kakashi focused intently on dealing with the enemy, his movements both cautious and deliberate.
At that moment—
"Take him down, Kakashi!"
Obito's voice rang out again, and Kakashi's eyebrow twitched slightly.
Though the two didn't exchange words, in that instant, Kakashi seemed to understand what he needed to do.
Swiftly forming hand seals, he executed two ninjutsu in quick succession:
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Dodai grew more serious, remaining wary of Obito behind him. Using a powerful ninjutsu, he shattered the Earth-Style Wall and aimed an attack at the shadow clone.
Dust filled the air, blanketing the surroundings. Suddenly, a flash of lightning streaked through the haze.
A sharp sense of danger surged through Dodai. Without hesitation, he quickly performed seals:
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
But then—
"BOOM!"
Explosive tags detonated. Lots of explosive tags.
A loud yell followed.
"Now!"
From above, two figures descended from the sky. Dodai abandoned his Earth-Style Wall defense and threw two kunai at them with precision, landing direct hits.
However—
They were shadow clones!
His face paled as he sensed danger approaching both from in front and behind.
But it was too late.
A streak of lightning surged forward—it was that same jutsu from before!
Dodai's eyes narrowed.
At that moment, Kakashi and Obito dashed forward from opposite sides, perfectly in sync, aiming for the same target.
"Lightning Release: Chidori Drill!"
[T/N: Chidori is also known as "One Thousand Birds" in literal English translation. That's why before, when Obito described it, it started with "Thousand—" before being cut off. As for "Drill"... It's because, as the inventor, Obito now uses it to... drill the butts. Sorry, it's a joke. For why it's called "Drill," it will be explained further ahead.]
The furious shout of youth rang out.
Obito gripped his kunai tightly, infusing it with chakra that spun wildly, making the kunai rotate at high speed. The lightning chakra enhanced its piercing power—this was his solution!
A faint smirk appeared on his face. His short, neat hair fluttered in the wind as his two-tomoe Sharingan spun furiously. He stared down the now-paralyzed Kumo Ninja and said calmly:
"I told you. The moment I use these eyes, you've already lost!"
As the words fell, a pained cough rang out. Blood spattered as Dodai looked down to see Kakashi's kunai pressed against his stomach. Simultaneously, pain radiated from his backside. His eyes widened in shock, finally realizing his loss.
"Truly… Konoha's geniuses… I've lost!"
He had lost due to—
Carelessness.
He didn't dodge in time!
Or perhaps… it was the nature of Lightning Release.
Its speed was too overwhelming!
With both of them using Lightning Release, even the smallest lapse in attention was enough for him to be struck.
And with those final words, Dodai collapsed to the ground under the watchful gazes of Kakashi and Obito.
At this moment, Kakashi and Obito stood still, looking down at the severely injured Kumo Ninja lying on the ground. The area around his lower back was a bloody mess.
Kakashi, in particular, raised an eyebrow. His gaze shifted to the steaming kunai, glowing hot from the chakra-infused attack. With a sharp intake of breath, he looked at Obito in disbelief.
"Your jutsu…"
It has gotten stronger?!
"Hahaha!" Obito, now riding high on victory, smirked arrogantly. "Impressive, right? This is my new jutsu! I attached Chidori to my kunai, and it worked even better than I thought!" He paused, looking at Kakashi with curiosity.
"By the way, your jutsu just now… it's pretty similar to mine! That sound, like the chirping of a thousand birds... don't tell me—"
Before he could finish, Kakashi quickly interrupted, his face twitching slightly.
"It's called Taro Ball Zero!" he blurted out, using the name Minato-sensei had casually suggested before. "Round like taro balls, and it has nothing to do with you!"
"True, yours is round, not like mine," Obito laughed, brushing it off without a care. "No matter what, we won! Hahaha!"
He scratched his head, only to wince in pain, suddenly reminded of his injured fingers.
[Time to find Rin for treatment!]
"..."
This guy!
Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief. He would never admit that his own jutsu had been inspired by Obito's technique. His sharp eyes swept across the nearby Kumo Ninja, who were all staring at them with a mix of fear and shock. Meanwhile, Obito was grinning like an idiot, holding his injured hand and clearly pleased with himself. Kakashi furrowed his brows and muttered to himself after a moment of silence, "Obito… maybe he really is a genius."
To be able to create such a powerful jutsu...
This level of talent was terrifying.
Though, the direction of his talent was a bit… unconventional.
At this time, Konoha issued a retreat signal.
"Retreat!!!"
The battle came to a temporary halt once again.
Meanwhile, in another location, several White Zetsu clones exchanged bewildered glances, scratched their heads, and vanished underground.
Better report this to Lord Madara.
Uchiha Obito!
A frightening individual indeed. He truly was a fitting candidate as Lord Madara's successor. Surely, he… could terrify the entire ninja world just like Lord Madara once did!
...
At this time, in Konoha.
Spring had passed.
The village, now warmed by summer, felt much livelier. The once-quiet streets bustled with activity, and the hot weather brought a revival in milk tea sales.
After all, anyone passing by would feel curious. And in the heat of summer, curiosity was bound to double!
Today, the weather was sunny and pleasant.
Uchiha Yuto, accompanied by his beautiful assistant, made his way toward the Uchiha clan's residential area.
"Yuto, are you sure we shouldn't prepare a gift?" Suzune asked, blushing slightly. "It's Itachi's birthday, after all. Even just a ninja tool set would make a good present!"
Showing up empty-handed felt a little embarrassing.
However, Yuto dismissed her suggestion without hesitation.
What ninja tools?
Two cups of milk tea are better than any ninja tools!
He smiled faintly and said with confidence, "Don't worry! I've prepared a hefty red envelope. That'll be our gift! Why bother with ninja tools? Is that something a child should play with? I'll tell you a secret—Itachi doesn't care for those boring tools. What he really loves are red envelopes and milk tea!"
"???" Suzune blinked in confusion, her pale eyes wide as she tilted her head. "Really?"
"Of course! Trust me. Have I ever lied to you?"