Chapter 84. Are You Here to Be Funny?
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Who are you talking about?
Who, huh?
Can a ninja's actions really be called 'perverted'?"
Obito glared angrily at the group, his fury evident. He was simply... learning from a certain Legendary Uchiha elder, after all.
How was that perverted?
This was clearly a personal attack!
Of course, the Kiri and Suna ninjas, along with Kakuzu, ignored Obito. They exchanged glances with one another.
As seasoned ninjas, they fully understood what the arrival of these two kids represented.
They couldn't afford to delay any longer!
If this dragged on, Konoha ninjas would likely encircle them.
So—
Team up!
Capture the 600 million ryo first. Everything else could be dealt with later, once they escaped!
Without hesitation, the Kiri and Suna ninjas made the first move.
"Let us hold a funeral in your honor!"
"Protect the six—Danzo!" Hiruzen, seeing the enemy still refusing to retreat, shouted sharply before charging forward.
"We cannot let them take him away!"
"Yes!"
The Konoha forces responded in unison.
Minato smiled faintly. With Kakashi and Obito guarding Danzo-sama, he could leverage his mobility. However, facing the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—elite assassins—it was challenging to defeat them in a single strike.
But that didn't matter.
At this moment—
Victory for Konoha was inevitable!
As for Kakuzu—
To him, everyone else here was an enemy.
Having once fought the God of Ninja (cough, attacked him, but still), Kakuzu understood the terror of Konoha. If reinforcements arrived, someone might uncover the secret of his Earth Grudge Fear.
So—
From the beginning, his plan hadn't changed: Grab the target and escape!
As the chaos intensified, Chiyo stepped forward, directing her gaze at Obito.
"Allow me to be your opponent, young Uchiha," she said with a sigh. "Konoha truly has produced an extraordinary talent. While your jutsu may be distasteful, its power cannot be denied."
With that—
However—
Obito raised an eyebrow, glancing at Chiyo's wrinkled face, then at his own slender fingers. Without expression, he pulled Kakashi over and declared: "Your opponent is him!"
Kakashi: ...
This idiot!
"..." Chiyo hadn't expected Konoha's 'genius' to reject her outright. After a brief frown, she looked at Kakashi and murmured, "Kid, you look a lot like someone I once knew. That hateful man... Hatake Sakumo, was it?"
"…I have no interest in hearing about that coward," Kakashi replied calmly, stepping forward. "If you know him, then I'll show you—I'm nothing like him!"
Hearing this, both Minato and Hiruzen flinched slightly but said nothing, focusing instead on their battles.
Meanwhile, Danzo—
He let out a silent sigh.
He knew… his dream of standing at the pinnacle of the ninja world had failed from the very start.
Clenching his fists in frustration, he glared at the Kiri and Suna ninjas.
Today, you all lust… you all covet after my body, but tomorrow, I'll ensure you'll never reach my level!
If only he had absolute strength, who would dare touch him?
Danzo's eyes flickered with a fiery determination, though it quickly faded as he glanced at his best friend, Hiruzen.
Everyone is the same! Despicable! Is there truly no one left who genuinely cares for me?
And then—
He shrank back, relying on the Root ninjas to advance and control the battlefield.
After all—
Konoha still needed him.
He couldn't afford to die yet!
At this moment—
Each side had chosen their opponents.
"A brat from Konoha, huh? Seeing that forehead protector of yours reminds me of some unpleasant memories," Kakuzu said flatly, staring at Obito. "That man... Hashirama Senju, what a terrifying opponent he was."
With that—
Obito froze, staring at Kakuzu in disbelief.
He had fought the First Hokage?
This had to be a joke!
"You think I'd believe that?" Obito snapped back, shaking off his shock and laughing coldly. "Trying to mess with my mind using a cheap trick like that? Ridiculous!" His Sharingan flared with its three tomoe. "When you face these eyes, you've already lost!"
"Arrogant brat! From what those other fools were saying, you're supposed to be a genius?" Kakuzu's voice dropped, his tone indifferent. "I love killing so-called geniuses the most."
His gaze sharpened.
"Earth Release: Earth Spear!"
But Obito, prepared, reacted swiftly, flipping backwards to dodge and throwing a volley of kunai in midair. Kakuzu, however, deflected them all effortlessly.
"Is this Konoha's so-called genius?" Kakuzu remarked with disdain. "Has Konoha... already fallen?"
Yet—
Obito ignored the verbal jabs, continuing his assault with more kunai and calculated movements.
All for naught.
Kakuzu frowned. "If this is all you've got, I'm taking my 600 million ryo back now!"
"Nonsense!" Hiruzen, still fending off his own attackers, found a moment to glance over and snorted. "Six—Danzo belongs to Konoha!"
The crowd froze.
Even in this chaos, the Third Hokage was still divided in attention? Truly, the power of bonds was commendable!
Danzo's face, however, darkened.
The heartfelt moment he'd felt earlier? Completely gone.
Damn it!
Meanwhile, Obito refused to give up, summoning shadow clones to renew his attack. Frustrated by the delay, Kakuzu finally revealed his Earth Grudge Fear ability, his body unraveling into segments connected by black threads. Obito, though taken aback, was ready for this.
He grinned slightly.
The moment had arrived!
Forming a seal, he shouted, "Explode!"
At such close range, even if Kakuzu wasn't killed, he should at least be injured.
Or so Obito thought.
As the dust cleared, a hand suddenly reached for him. Obito's expression changed, and he quickly retreated, his eyes widening at the sight of Kakuzu, whose clothes were singed but body unharmed.
"No way!" Obito exclaimed.
Kakuzu frowned. "This is Konoha's genius?" He paused, his tone mocking. "Ridiculous!"
He sidestepped another kunai and launched an attack, quickly closing the distance to grab Obito by the throat.
"It's over!"
Yet—
Konoha brat in his grasp didn't panic as Kakuzu expected. Instead, Obito wore a mysterious smile.
"You're right. It is over," Obito replied.
In truth—
He had promised his sensei and Jiraiya-sama not to use this move recklessly.
But—
Fate had forced his hand.
Perhaps this was how that man felt all those years ago, choosing to bear the weight of protecting the Uchiha, Konoha, and the First Hokage.
In the end, he was left… alone.
Gained respect, but lost friends!
Poof!
The Obito in Kakuzu's grip vanished in a puff of smoke.
Kakuzu spun around, sensing something, and sure enough, the real Obito was crouched behind him.
Was it during that earlier attack?
The kunai had been a transformation jutsu!
Interesting tactics.
But why crouch behind him?
To Kakuzu, battles without monetary reward held no real interest. He had only stayed to confirm that this kid was supposedly Konoha's genius.
And then—
In the blink of an eye—
Obito leaped into an arched position, hands forming a seal, thrusting forward with full force.
It was seamless!
He smirked confidently, the moment frozen in time.
"I win!" he declared.
Yet—
"???" Kakuzu stared at the triumphant Obito, completely unscathed. After a brief pause, he spoke flatly, "Brat... are you here to be funny?"
What kind of absurd jutsu was this?
"?!"
"Why aren't you hurt?!" Obito stammered, his confident expression crumbling.
"Why would I be?" Kakuzu frowned and looked at Obito. "Is this Konoha's genius? Ridiculous!" After saying that, he glanced at the approaching Konoha reinforcements. Sighing internally, he muttered, They've arrived. Turning back to Obito, he took a step forward, leaving the baffled boy behind.
"Such a shame. The 600 million ryo will stay in Konoha for now," Kakuzu said. "But I'll return to collect it myself."
With that—
Under everyone's gaze—
He leapt into the forest and vanished.