Under the Pursuit

"Damn it!"

Obito's mouth dripped blood, his face twisted with pain beneath the mask.

As Fugaku's massive claw descended, crushing everything beneath it, Obito's left Sharingan flared with a blinding red light.

Izanagi!

Squish…

Obito's body was crushed like soft clay, splattered into fragments. Flesh, blood, and viscera—white, red, and dark crimson—were scattered across the ground.

Huff… Huff… Huff…

Fugaku, drained and trembling, fell to his knees. The enormous Susano'o surrounding him flickered before vanishing entirely.

At the same moment, the air shimmered, and countless glowing runes began to retract. The white barrier of the Time-Sealing Formation that had encompassed the Uchiha grounds faded from sight, shrinking back to the clan's center.

The formation had ended.

The crushed remnants of Obito's "corpse" wavered like a mirage before disappearing entirely, dissolving into thin air.

Suddenly, the space behind Fugaku twisted unnaturally.

A figure materialized from the distortion.

It was Obito, radiating pure hatred. He lunged forward, his remaining hand outstretched, aiming for Fugaku.

"Clan Leader, watch out!"

"Fugaku-sama!"

The surrounding Uchiha cried out in alarm.

The instant Obito grabbed "Fugaku"—

Poof!

The figure of Fugaku transformed into a pile of wood.

Obito froze in shock.

A substitution jutsu?!

When did he prepare that?

Realization hit him like a cold wave. They knew about Izanagi all along?!

Panic flared in Obito's chest. He thought, Has the Uchiha clan discovered all my secrets?

Fear gripping him, Obito began to retreat. A swirling vortex of Kamui formed in the air as he tried to escape.

But the vortex opened sluggishly, much slower than usual.

Damn it! Is it because I've used too much chakra and my visual power is depleted? Or is this still the aftereffect of the Time-Sealing Formation?

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Once again, volleys of shuriken and kunai rained down on Obito, as if the Uchiha had rehearsed this exact moment.

Clang! Clang!

Some projectiles missed, while others grazed him. Two Uchiha charged forward, swords raised, aiming for his exposed flank.

Obito had no choice but to cancel his escape and fend them off.

The shuriken pierced through his body, embedding themselves into the ground behind him, but the relentless assault gave him no time to recover.

From within the Uchiha compound, another signal flare shot into the air, signaling their current status.

Inside the clan grounds, Uchiha Iyo saw the signal and paused his attempt to reverse-summon Natsuki.

The flare signaled that the enemy was now at the edge of their formation range. With Obito's space-time jutsu, he could flee at any moment. Their priority was to capture him, not risk activating another Time-Sealing Formation.

"Notify the barrier team—do not attempt to reactivate the Time-Sealing Formation. The enemy is too far. Maintain current plans," Iyo commanded.

The two sword-wielding Uchiha made calculated attacks, anticipating that their strikes would phase through Obito. They moved with precision, leaving no openings for him to counterattack.

Obito, however, was nearly at his limit. His vision blurred, and his body ached with every movement.

Fugaku's figure appeared in the treetops, panting heavily. He too was on the verge of collapse, but his resolve remained firm.

Raising his hand, Fugaku signaled to the others. The Uchiha switched tactics, pulling out wired projectiles.

Shuriken and kunai were now tethered with steel wires, allowing the Uchiha to retrieve them for repeated attacks.

The projectiles shot forward again. This time, even if they passed through Obito's intangible form, they could be yanked back with added force.

Obito couldn't afford to let them hit.

The two swordsmen advanced as the wired projectiles struck from behind, creating a seamless assault with no gaps.

Obito staggered away, his Kamui vortex forming and dissolving repeatedly. Each time he tried to enter his dimension, another wave of attacks forced him to phase and abandon the effort.

Obito understood the grim reality. Fugaku had predicted everything—his techniques, his limits, even his strategy for escape.

The Uchiha had created specialized squads and methods to counter his abilities.

He realized, My entry into Kamui space is slower than pulling someone else in.

Without Izanagi, continuing the fight was suicide. His Sharingan abilities were fully exposed, and he had no energy left for prolonged combat.

Obito's heart sank.

He had to escape.

Obito was at his limit. His right arm was gone, his body riddled with shuriken and kunai, blood pouring from his wounds. His vision blurred, and dizziness clouded his mind.

He was weaker than ever.

The Time-Sealing Formation had lifted. He had to escape their attack range and find an opportunity to enter Kamui space.

Slamming his foot on the ground, Obito pushed himself forward, sprinting with all the strength he had left.

Thud! Thud!

Several Uchiha trailed him at a steady pace. They coordinated their attacks with thrown weapons and sword strikes, interrupting Obito's movements.

Fugaku, however, began to fall behind, his body straining with exhaustion. Yet he clenched his teeth, driven by a burning resolve: Obito must die here.

Obito's head spun, his strength fading. Is this the end?

"Oh dear… you seem to be in a bad spot…"

A teasing, mocking voice rang out.

The tone, which normally irritated Obito, now filled him with relief.

Zetsu had arrived.

From a nearby tree branch, Zetsu emerged slowly, his half-black, half-white face revealing itself.

The Uchiha, seeing this new figure, halted and regarded Zetsu with caution.

Taking advantage of their hesitation, Obito put some distance between himself and his pursuers.

A portion of Zetsu's white half detached and leaped onto Obito's shoulder. Obito's shoulder wriggled and shifted, forming into a new white arm.

He clenched his hand experimentally.

Finally, he had an arm again. Not only that, but he felt a slight replenishment of chakra.

Obito whirled around, and from his new arm, countless branches shot forward!

The Uchiha, caught off guard by Obito's sudden recovery, failed to evade in time. The branches struck hard, sending five of them flying and piercing their bodies.

Though the injuries weren't fatal—Obito's limited chakra weakened the attack—blood spilled freely from the wounds.

Fugaku watched the scene and sighed heavily.

It's over. We've failed.

With Zetsu aiding him, Obito could now easily use Kamui to escape.

"Cough…" Obito spat blood, his body trembling.

His chakra reserves were nearly gone, and his Wood Release was no longer reliable. Even with Zetsu at his side, a counterattack was out of the question.

"Let's go," Obito rasped, ignoring his injuries as he prepared to open Kamui space.

A swirling vortex began to form.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Shuriken and kunai flew at him once again. Each projectile was aimed precisely at Obito's vital points—his head, neck, and heart.

"Clan Leader!"

A shout rang out as Uchiha Kiyome and Yōki arrived to provide reinforcements.

Obito's heart sank. These Uchiha just won't give up.

Fugaku, exhausted and bleeding, could only watch. His vision was blurry, his eyes shedding blood from overusing his Mangekyō Sharingan.

If not for the extra power sealed in his eyes by Natsuki, he would already be blind.

He had no strength left to throw projectiles. His chakra reserves, drained by his Susano'o, were nearly depleted. Yet sheer determination kept him standing.

Kiyome and Yōki split up, one targeting Zetsu and the other focusing on Obito.

Zetsu, though possessing Wood Release, was running low on chakra after splitting a portion of himself to help Obito. He could only stall Yōki.

Obito glared at Kiyome's youthful face, his anger flaring. Even a novice dares to challenge me now?!

Kiyome swung his sword at Obito.

Obito didn't even bother dodging, allowing the blade to pass through his intangible body.

He reached out to grab Kiyome. The young Uchiha's Sharingan widened in fear as Obito's hand closed in, inching closer.

At the last moment, Kiyome twisted his sword and pulled it back, cutting across Obito's torso.

Obito flinched but suppressed the urge to strike back. Fugaku had drawn his sword and joined the fight.

Obito maintained his intangibility, letting Kiyome's and Fugaku's attacks pass through him.

The two Uchiha worked in seamless coordination, their practiced teamwork forcing Obito to forego multiple opportunities to counterattack.

Obito moved defensively, scanning for any opening in their relentless assault.

How much longer can Fugaku last? he wondered.

Obito's calculation was correct.

Fugaku was at his breaking point. His stamina and chakra were almost completely gone.

Even so, Fugaku's determination burned brighter.

I can't give up now.

Obito must die.