Chapter 121

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As the Genji prepared to use his shadow clone to meet Minato, a different scene unfolded in Konoha Village.

"Rin, it's almost time to break out. These remaining ANBU can't stop the two of us."

With the number of enemies reduced to single digits, Obito felt it was time to make their escape. Continuing the fight would be too much for either of them, especially for Rin, who was so exhausted that her legs were trembling.

"Um! This way!" Rin responded. After throwing a punch to push back the anbu in front of her, she chose a direction with fewer enemies and rushed toward it with Obito.

At this point, Ryoma didn't have the manpower to stop these two from breaking out.

"Yes! We finally escaped," Obito said, feeling relieved as they neared the edge of the barrier. He was happy to have Rin by his side, fighting alongside him. At least that guy, Kakashi, hadn't had the experience of fighting alongside Rin.

While Obito was lost in his thoughts, White Zetsu, who was possessing him, started to act strangely. Of course, no one present, including Obito, noticed anything unusual.

"I'm sorry, Obito. I possessed you just for this moment~," White Zetsu sighed softly, unheard by anyone. An abnormal wave emanated from White Zetsu's body, targeting Rin as she held Obito's hand and ran toward the barrier.

Suddenly, Rin felt a violent twitch in her heart, followed by a sharp pain that spread to her brain.

Cough! Cough! Cough!

Just as she approached the barrier's edge, ready to lead Obito across, Rin stumbled. She covered her mouth and nose with her free hand, coughing up mouthfuls of bright red blood that trickled down her hand. She seems to have come to the conclusion of the surety of her death, as she whispered weakly, "I'm sorry, Obito, Kakashi."

Her steps slowed to a halt.

"Rin! What's wrong?" Obito, a step behind, didn't see her vomiting blood but noticed her gradual stop.

Before he could react, a tremendous force came from the hand Rin was holding. She used the last of her strength to throw Obito out of the barrier.

'At least I can let Obito escape,' she thought, mustering her final strength to ensure his safety.

Rin lost her balance and fell to the ground, but seeing Obito's figure disappear beyond the barrier, she had no regrets.

"Rin!!" Obito screamed. Although he couldn't see her exact condition, he realized something terrible was happening. Her act of throwing him outside the barrier made it clear.

After letting out a heart-wrenching cry, he disappeared beyond the barrier.

"What's happening? Why did they stop?" Ryoma, leading his subordinates in pursuit, was momentarily confused by the sight of Rin coughing up blood and collapsing.

But that didn't stop them from surrounding her.

"Did Kirigakure's puppet seal activate? There must be spies in the village; otherwise, they couldn't control the seal so precisely!"

After a quick observation, the experienced Ryoma assessed Rin's condition with remarkable accuracy. He assumed that Kirigakure spies had triggered the seal, causing her sudden collapse.

"Rin!"

A cry filled with confusion, panic, and disbelief echoed within the barrier. It was Obito, who had just been pushed out by Lin.

'That fool!' Nohara Rin thought helplessly, seeing Obito return. She was also saddened, wondering if these Anbu would kill him. Along with the sadness came a touch of warmth, which brought a fleeting comfort to her weakening body.

"It's Uchiha Obito... Kill him! And remember to keep his Sharingan!" Ryoma ordered. Although his mission was failing, recovering the Sharingan would mitigate his boss's anger.

"How can such a thing… happen now… just now…"

As Obito entered the barrier, he saw Rin lying on the ground, blood spilling from her mouth. She was clearly close to death.

"This… I will never… accept…"

White Zetsu, which had been wrapped around Obito's body, spread out similar to in the anime, revealing Obito's head and his Sharingan, which was spinning wildly.

"You… all deserve to die…"

Like a wounded beast, Obito let out a heart-wrenching cry and rushed towards the ANBU surrounding Rin. As he advanced, the earth seemed to respond to his grief, fracturing with each step.

"What's happening to this guy?" Ryoma wondered, seeing the spikes growing from Obito's right side and the ground breaking beneath him. An inexplicable chill gripped him and his subordinates.

"Be careful! Secret Technique: Insect Coffin!"

Ryoma's instincts screamed at him to flee, but running away would be foolish. Instead, he sent his insects towards the fallen Nohara Rin, hoping to exploit her condition.

"I'll Kill you!"

Seeing this, the enraged Obito's Sharingan spun even more violently, connecting into a pattern of three sharp sickles, ready to unleash his fury.

…

Corpses pierced by wooden spikes lay strewn across the ground.

"It's actually... Mokuton..."

"And just now, was that the Mangekyō Sharingan?"

As his life slowly ebbed away, Ryoma murmured these words before falling silent. Dying at the hands of the famed Wood Release and the legendary Uchiha Mangekyō Sharingan left him with no regrets.

Obito leaned down and cradled Rin's petite, frail body in his arms.

"…Rin!"

After swiftly killing everyone present, Obito held Rin close, her body growing colder, and let out the cries of a wild beast mourning its lost partner.

"Obito… it's okay… don't be sad for me…"

With her last breath, Rin looked at Obito's madness, not to blame him but to comfort him. The thought of him being heartbroken if she were gone scared her more than her own fate.

"Rin… don't talk… I'll take you to a medical ninja…"

Seeing Rin speak gave Obito a glimmer of hope. He clung to the illusion that this nightmare could end, that he might wake up to find everything back to normal.

"It's no use… my heart… it's beyond saving…"

"If it weren't for Isobu's chakra, I'd be dead already…"

As a medical ninja, she knew her condition too well. Her heart was irreparably damaged, beyond even the abilities of theTsunade-sama to heal.

"I…"

Obito stroked Rin's face with his blood-stained hands, choked with sobs, unable to form coherent words.

"Idiot, still so clumsy."

Reflecting on their past, Rin's words became smoother and more relaxed.

"Um…"

Obito, however, could only manage simple responses.

"Don't be late all the time now that I'm not here to watch over you.."

"Um…"

"Get along well with Kakashi."

"Um…"

"And listen to the sensei."

"Um!"

"Obito, don't resent the village. I don't blame them."

Rin's voice grew weaker, and her body became colder. Obito's heart sank with her diminishing warmth.

"…and… Obito, thank you for your love."

With these final words, Nohara Rin passed away, her body lifeless and the Three-Tails within her also fading away.

…

"…Obito, someone is coming."

"…"

"You can't stay in Konoha now, but I can transform into your appearance and disguise myself as a corpse. No one will notice your disappearance."

"…"

---

It seemed that either Obito was still reluctant to leave or Nohara Rin's last words influenced him to stay in Konoha. White Zetsu had already devised a way to resolve the situation.

But Obito remained motionless, holding Rin's lifeless body in his arms.

"Obito, you've killed so many ANBU. Even the Sandaime Hokage and Shimura Danzo won't let you go. Think about your grandma. Staying in Konoha will only bring trouble to her."

Mentioning his grandmother finally stirred Obito. After some thought, he realized it was best to keep his plans from her.

"Let's go!"

After a moment, Obito stood up, his right eye rippling, before he disappeared.

Once he left, another White Zetsu appeared, quickly transforming into Obito, matching his appearance and chakra aura exactly, except for the absence of Sharingan, leaving only dark holes in his eye sockets.

Several other White Zetsu then destroyed the brains of the Root members killed by Obito, ensuring no information was left behind. They even eliminated the secret information left by Aburame Ryoma.

…

"It was Obito's chakra just now!"

"This is!"

Passing through a barrier, Kushina was stunned by what she saw.

"This is the wood release!"

She was shocked to see the long-lost Mokuton here and to find it had killed so many Konoha ninjas.

"Obito… Rin…"

Two figures hugging each other caught her attention before she could think further. It was Obito and Rin. However, their auras were…

"Sorry… I'm late…"

Seeing the two lifeless bodies, Kushina's eyes filled with tears and guilt. If she hadn't been misled by rumors, things wouldn't have ended like this.

Searching Konoha with her ANBU, Kushina had headed towards the village outskirts. When Obito's aura briefly appeared on her radar, she changed direction and rushed towards him. But it was too late.

Moreover, two other figures rushed over with her.

"Why are there traces of Wood Release here?"

Seeing the wooden spikes, the Third Hokage turned pale and glared at Danzo. Originally, he had come to see what Danzo was up to with the new Three-Tails Jinchuuriki, but he hadn't expected this.

Danzo was equally confused. How could he explain?

He had just started cooperating with Orochimaru to research mokuton. How did it appear here? Was it a remnant of previous experiments?

He squinted and surveyed the scene, ignoring his fallen subordinates. Danzo began to wonder if Sarutobi or someone else had hidden Wood Release Ninja among the countless lost experiments.

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