Chapter 119: Hide and Seek
All this seemed like a drawn-out ordeal, but in truth, it happened in just an instant.
The events transpired so quickly that Kakashi barely had a moment to glimpse Baishi's face before the battle was over.
Watching Baishi vanish into thin air, Kakashi's lips moved as though he wanted to say something. But before he could speak, Black Zetsu interrupted: "This way."
As he spoke, Black Zetsu transformed into a black streak and darted off in a specific direction.
Without hesitation, Obito followed.
Naturally, Kakashi wasn't going to stay behind. He pursued them as well.
Soon, the three arrived at a large tree a hundred meters away. Beneath it, fresh bloodstains were visible on the ground—Baishi's blood.
But Baishi himself was already gone.
Black Zetsu crouched down to sense the area. His hoarse voice broke the silence: "He's gone."
Given Black Zetsu's impeccable sensory abilities, his declaration indicated Baishi had likely already left Moon Island.
However, Obito countered, "Not necessarily."
Surprised, Black Zetsu asked, "You managed to mark him?"
Obito nodded slightly, closing his eyes as if sensing something. Moments later, he opened them abruptly and declared, "I've found him."
Without another word, his body began to twist, collapsing into a singularity before disappearing into thin air.
"Obito!" Kakashi yelled as he dashed forward, but his hand grabbed only empty air.
"Damn it!" Kakashi struck the tree beside him with frustration, his eyes filled with pain.
How many times has this happened now?
Ever since Minato had revealed that Obito was still alive, Kakashi had been searching for him relentlessly.
Thanks to his sharp instincts and exceptional talent, Kakashi could always locate Obito. But every single time, Obito managed to escape without a word. This silence, this refusal to engage, caused Kakashi unbearable anguish.
Should I just give up?
The thought crossed his mind, but Kakashi quickly banished it. His resolve hardened once more.
No matter what, he was determined to bring back the warm, kind, and passionate Obito of old. After losing Rin, Kakashi refused to lose another teammate.
Watching Obito disappear yet again, Kakashi murmured to himself, "Maybe I need to learn Sensei's Flying Thunder God Technique…"
Black Zetsu, who had paused to listen to Kakashi's muttering, nearly lashed out to kill him on the spot. But in the end, he held back.
Baishi's actions had already created a rift between him and Obito. If he disobeyed Obito's explicit warning and killed Kakashi, the fallout might result in an irreparable split.
Indeed, while Kakashi's relentless pursuit had long stirred murderous intent within Black Zetsu, Obito had consistently stopped him from acting on it.
Although Black Zetsu didn't fully understand Obito's reasoning, he knew for certain that any such action would push Obito to sever ties with him.
And that was a risk Black Zetsu couldn't afford.
After all, Black Zetsu had been working for over a thousand years to revive his mother, Kaguya. His extensive experience told him this was his closest shot at success.
No matter what, he couldn't allow it to fail.
As for Kakashi… he was just another talented ninja. Black Zetsu had seen many such prodigies over the centuries.
So long as the control seal Madara had implanted in Obito's heart remained intact, Black Zetsu had no reason to worry about Kakashi's influence.
With that thought, Black Zetsu melted back into the earth.
Kakashi, sensing the fleeting malice from Black Zetsu moments earlier, couldn't help but feel a wave of relief.
That thing… It's definitely no good.
He branded Black Zetsu as a threat in his mind.
Obito can't stay with him!
For the first time, Kakashi felt an overwhelming sense of urgency.
Without wasting any more time, he turned and left Moon Island, heading back toward Konoha.
---
Meanwhile, in the Land of Iron…
In a dusty underground chamber near a port city, Baishi stood, his face dark with frustration.
His right arm was still missing.
Though he had anticipated this, the reality still left him somewhat disappointed.
His Self-Healing had already reached Level VIII, but self-healing alone could only regenerate flesh and minor injuries.
As for regenerating a severed limb?
Even if Self-Healing advanced to Level IX or even Level X, it likely wouldn't achieve such a feat.
"It needs a breakthrough…"
Baishi thought to himself, "Fortunately, I have the system. I just need to focus entirely on advancing Self-Healing to achieve my goal."
Just as he was deep in thought, a spatial ripple filled the room.
Twisting his broken body, Baishi looked up to see a small black dot forming several meters away. It rapidly expanded, revealing an orange mask with black stripes and a pair of crimson three-tomoe Sharingan beneath it.
There was no mistaking it—Obito had arrived.
I've been marked.
The realization hit Baishi instantly, his face growing even darker.
Despite his skill, Baishi required hand seals to execute most of his jutsu. With one arm missing, his combat effectiveness had taken a significant hit.
Worse yet, his spinal injury from earlier made even standing a challenge, let alone fighting.
In this condition, there was no way he could face Obito head-on.
But with a chakra mark on him, there was no escaping either.
Under normal circumstances, given time, Baishi was confident he could locate and erase the mark. But Obito wouldn't give him that luxury.
If that's the case, there's only one way out.
Extending his senses, Baishi locked onto a marker over 200 kilometers away and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
In an instant, he vanished from the chamber.
Arriving too late, Obito immediately activated Kamui, pulling himself into his pocket dimension to pursue Baishi.
---
Over 200 kilometers away, Baishi reappeared. Moments later, Obito followed.
Despite Obito's dual Mangekyo Sharingan allowing for faster teleportation, Kamui still required an absorption and release process, making it slower than the instantaneous Flying Thunder God Technique.
Watching Obito materialize, Baishi once again activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Yes, his plan was to outlast Obito through sheer endurance.
Even with the enhancements from Hashirama's cells, Obito's chakra reserves were no match for Baishi's.
Not only did Baishi possess immense chakra reserves on his own, but he also had the Nine Tails as a virtually infinite energy source.
And Kamui wasn't free to use either. Frequent activation placed enormous strain on Obito's eyes, and even with Hashirama's cells, overuse would eventually render them blind.
Baishi was confident that, in a battle of attrition, victory was his.
Once Obito realized this, Baishi would gain the breathing room he needed to erase the chakra mark and regain the upper hand.
And so, Baishi and Obito began their dangerous game of hide-and-seek.
(End of Chapter)
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