Chapter 118: Ambush
After taking a quick look at his status, Baishi closed the interface. Locking onto the marker inside the training chamber, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, leaving the lava cave.
Time to work on Spatial Perception, Sensory Enhancement, and Mental Resistance.
However, as soon as he appeared in the training chamber, he immediately sensed something was off.
"Someone's here?"
Before he could react, a series of blazing fireballs shot toward him, obliterating the hot spring area, including the training chamber and the surrounding wooden buildings.
Emerging from the roaring flames, Baishi strode out slowly, clad only in shorts and otherwise unscathed. Clearly, he hadn't even had time to put on proper clothes.
Despite the intense heat, his body showed no signs of burns—not even his hair was singed.
This was the effect of his High-Temperature Resistance, now at Level VIII and close to breaking into Level IX. A mere Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu was no threat to him.
He quickly identified the attacker.
Fixing his gaze on a figure standing on a tree branch in the distance, Baishi's expression turned cold. "Uchiha Obito?"
He hadn't expected that after half a year of silence, Obito would suddenly show up—and attack without hesitation, seemingly eager to kill him.
What grudge could he possibly hold against me?
Then, Baishi remembered: it was he who had exposed Obito's identity.
From Obito's perspective, he had finally outlived Madara's oppressive shadow and was ready to fight for his goals. Yet Baishi's single revelation had dragged him into the spotlight, derailing many of his plans. Worse, it attracted relentless pursuit, including a stubborn adversary he couldn't shake off.
"Obito!"
A voice filled with surprise and excitement broke the tension.
Kakashi appeared on the scene, his gaze locking onto Obito as though afraid he might vanish again.
Panting slightly, Kakashi exclaimed, "So, you really did come here."
Yes, the relentless pursuer was none other than Hatake Kakashi.
Though Kakashi no longer possessed the Sharingan, his skills as a prodigy who graduated at five, became a Chunin at seven, and an elite Jonin by twelve were still formidable. At sixteen, his strength rivaled or even surpassed his alternate self at this age.
Without the drain of a constantly active Sharingan, his combat style was now more dynamic and versatile. Moreover, his younger self had never fully utilized the Sharingan's potential.
However, just like in the original timeline, Minato had assigned Kakashi to the Anbu to help him cope with his grief over losing his teammates.
This one-year stint in the Anbu allowed Kakashi to piece together the clues left by Obito and deduce that his ultimate destination was Moon Island. And so, he had pursued him all the way here.
Upon seeing Kakashi, Obito's eyes flickered with a mix of emotions, but he said nothing. Instead, he kept his focus on Baishi and demanded, "Tell me, how did you learn my identity?"
"Heh."
Baishi chuckled softly, about to reply when his expression suddenly shifted. In an instant, he flashed to a nearby tree, where one of his Flying Thunder God markers was located.
The spot he had just vacated twisted unnaturally as Black Zetsu materialized, transforming from a shadowy plane into a three-dimensional humanoid form.
Baishi couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.
Black Zetsu was a schemer capable of deceiving even Uchiha Madara. If not for the recent upgrade to Spatial Perception, Baishi might not have escaped in time.
The enhanced speed at which he could lock onto markers, courtesy of Level IX Spatial Perception, had saved his life. Without it, Black Zetsu's ambush might have gravely injured—or even killed—him.
Realizing the depth of the danger, Baishi quickly assessed the situation.
Obito and Black Zetsu must have planned this ambush meticulously. It's likely why Kakashi was able to track them here—they took too long to prepare.
This place is too dangerous. I need to retreat. A wise man doesn't stand under a crumbling wall.
But as Baishi contemplated his escape, Obito and Black Zetsu sprang into action.
Before Baishi could react, he felt a surge of mental energy attempting to infiltrate his brain, disrupting the chakra flow in his neural pathways.
"A genjutsu?"
He immediately realized Obito was trying to ensnare him in an illusion.
The culprit was obvious. At Level VIII, Baishi's Mental Resistance rendered him nearly immune to ordinary genjutsu. Only a Mangekyo Sharingan could pose a challenge.
Thankfully, in such a short span, Obito can't deploy a high-level illusion—this is likely just the innate hypnotic ability of the Sharingan.
With this understanding, Baishi quickly dispelled the illusion.
But no sooner had he broken free than a second wave of mental energy assaulted him, far more sinister than before.
This time, it was Black Zetsu.
Unlike normal mental energy, Black Zetsu's was extraordinarily tenacious and brimming with malice. Baishi could feel that this hatred wasn't directed at him personally but at humanity as a whole.
Of course. As Kaguya's split-off consciousness, why would he harbor goodwill toward humans?
But Baishi quickly caught himself.
Why am I dwelling on this?
He realized with alarm that Black Zetsu's energy was subtly altering his thoughts, steering them away from immediate concerns like escaping.
It seemed his Level VIII Mental Resistance was once again proving invaluable. Otherwise, Black Zetsu might have done more than merely distract him—he could've seized control of Baishi's mind.
Even so, the danger wasn't over. Outside his mental struggle, Obito was still a threat.
As if on cue, an overwhelming sense of danger gripped Baishi. Channeling all his strength into resisting Black Zetsu's influence, he managed to regain control just as the space in front of his chest began to distort.
"Kamui?"
Baishi instantly recognized Obito's technique: the Mangekyo ability to warp objects into the Kamui dimension.
He tried to activate the Flying Thunder God Technique, but the spatial distortion slowed his response.
Though the delay was minuscule, Baishi knew it wasn't enough.
In a split-second decision, he twisted his body sharply. A sickening crack echoed as his spine fractured, his entire form contorting unnaturally.
The maneuver, though agonizing, succeeded in minimizing the damage. Instead of a fatal blow, Obito's Kamui severed only Baishi's right arm.
As the distortion faded, Baishi wasted no time. Locking onto the nearest marker, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Just before disappearing, he cast a cold, piercing glare at Obito.
This near-death experience had taught him a harsh lesson. His complacency in neglecting to scout the area after training had left him vulnerable.
With Obito and Black Zetsu working in tandem, the ambush had nearly cost him his life.
But there wouldn't be a next time.
Baishi vowed to recover fully before taking the fight to Obito, eradicating the threat once and for all.
As for Black Zetsu?
The thousand-year-old schemer might prove harder to track down, but if Baishi ever found him, he wouldn't hesitate to eliminate him too.
(End of Chapter)
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