Pursuit

Konoha Village

Uchiha Clan Grounds, Perimeter

After Obito's devastating Wood Release attack drained his chakra, several Uchiha lay groaning in pain on the ground.

Fugaku looked at his injured clansmen, his face twisted with rage.

"Yōki, stay behind to care for the injured and wait for reinforcements. The rest of you, follow me!"

Not waiting for a reply, Fugaku immediately gave chase.

Yōki glanced at the wounded around him, sighing deeply as he pulled out a signal flare and launched it skyward.

He then took out emergency medical supplies and began treating the injuries, focusing on stopping the bleeding. The clan's medical team would arrive soon, having seen the flare.

Fugaku charged forward, his face burning with fury. He had prepared so carefully, yet Obito still managed to injure so many of his people.

Slamming his foot heavily on the ground, Fugaku propelled himself through the forest, trees rushing past him in a blur.

"Plan Two!" he shouted to the others.

Noticing Obito's dangling right arm, Fugaku suspected that the earlier Wood Release had placed a significant strain on him.

The Uchiha pursuers revealed their arms, each equipped with sealing arrays specially designed to hold additional tools.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Countless shuriken flew through the air toward Obito.

With Kamui sealed, Obito couldn't phase through the projectiles and wasn't accustomed to carrying a ninja tool pouch. He had no choice but to use chakra to create a black staff with Yin-Yang Release.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound of metal striking echoed as Obito deflected the shuriken and kunai with his black staff.

But the barrage didn't stop. Fugaku and the other Uchiha kept throwing tools at him, their supplies seemingly endless.

Dodging and blocking, Obito quickly began to take hits.

Shuriken pierced his leg and shoulder, and two kunai lodged into his side. Though he pulled them out quickly and the wounds weren't deep, each movement caused fresh blood to drip onto the ground.

The black staff in Obito's hand was durable, but it couldn't withstand the relentless assault from so many attackers.

He was already panting, his modified body barely holding up under the strain.

The Uchiha maintained a calculated distance, wary of another surprise Wood Release attack.

Their sealing arrays were premium-grade, each packed with an arsenal of tools. Fugaku had prepared them specifically for Obito.

Still, Obito's enhanced resilience allowed him to endure the onslaught. Despite bleeding heavily and being riddled with cuts, he stayed on his feet.

Fugaku glanced at his watch. Two minutes remained before the Time-Sealing Formation would expire.

Frustration mounted. The thrown tools weren't enough to land a decisive blow.

No time for hesitation.

"Susano'o!" Fugaku roared.

A massive, purple-black skeletal figure materialized around Fugaku, towering over the battlefield.

Obito glanced back, his eyes narrowing as his pulse quickened. Fugaku's Susano'o was evolving, its form gaining more substance and power.

Using the Sharingan power Natsuki had left behind, Fugaku pushed his Susano'o to its second stage.

"Take this!" Fugaku shouted.

The Susano'o's skeletal arm formed a massive Yata Magatama and hurled it at Obito with devastating speed.

Whoosh… Whoosh… Whoosh…

The sound of the spinning chakra projectile tore through the air, its killing intent locking onto Obito completely.

The moment the Magatama hurtled toward him, Obito instinctively tried to activate Kamui to dodge.

But with Kamui sealed, and his body weakened, he moved too slowly.

Boom!

The Yata Magatama struck Obito's right side.

"Argh!" Obito grunted, his body slamming into the ground.

When the dust cleared, his right arm and shoulder were completely gone.

The exposed cross-section revealed stark white tissue, inhuman and artificial.

Clutching his wounded shoulder, Obito struggled to rise. His eyes burned with a menacing intensity, glinting with resolve despite his battered state.

Time was running out! The Time-Sealing Formation was about to lift!

Obito's eyes sharpened with determination. He slammed his remaining left hand onto the ground.

Suddenly, the earth lit up with a crimson glow.

Fugaku's Susanoo surged with violent energy, the giant spectral construct radiating an aura of raw power. Its hand expanded, transforming into a massive claw composed entirely of pure chakra.

With a deafening roar, the claw descended like a crushing mountain, casting a dark shadow over Obito.

A faint red light flashed.

Uchiha Fire Flame Array!

As Fugaku's massive claw came crashing down—

BOOM!

A fiery wall erupted in front of Obito, glowing with an intense crimson light.

BOOM!

Another thunderous explosion followed as the flames detonated outward.

The sheer heat forced Fugaku's Susanoo claw to recoil, glowing red-hot as it was flung upward.

The backlash from the impact caused the Susanoo's claw and the Fire Flame Array's wall to collide with the overhead Time-Sealing Formation.

Zzzzt…

The formation shimmered violently.

Fugaku's face darkened. No good. I'm almost out of time!

Staggering backward, he gritted his teeth as sharp pain shot through his eyes. The Susanoo flickered erratically.

Obito, noticing the flickering formation, smirked faintly.

Let's see how you break through my Fire Flame Array!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Shuriken and kunai from five other Uchiha were deflected effortlessly by the fiery wall, bouncing harmlessly away.

"Damn it!" one of the Uchiha hissed in frustration.

Without hesitation, all five began forming hand seals in perfect synchronization.

Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!

Boom!

Five blazing streams of fire shot forward, slamming into the wall of the Fire Flame Array.

The impact was deafening, sending shockwaves through the battlefield.

The fiery wall flickered and trembled under the onslaught.

Obito, bloodied but resolute, poured more chakra into maintaining the array. The flames surged upward like a fiery column, straining against the white dome of the Time-Sealing Formation.

Time was slipping away.

Fugaku's heart sank. His teeth clenched tightly as he made a desperate decision.

Ignoring the excruciating pain in his eyes, he unleashed every ounce of chakra and visual power he had left.

The Susanoo flickered wildly, its form trembling before becoming fully solid again.

The intense chakra and ocular energy thickened the very air, pressing down on everyone in the area. The overwhelming pressure caused the Time-Sealing Formation to flicker erratically.

Obito noticed Fugaku's actions and funneled even more chakra into the Fire Flame Array, determined to withstand the attack.

"Aaahhhh!"

Fugaku roared, his face twisted with pain as blood poured from his eyes.

Finally, his Susanoo ascended to its third form.

The spectral warrior now bore full armor, intricate patterns etched into its plating, and a fearsome visage resembling a guardian deity.

The massive claw of the Susanoo ignited with purple-black flames, crackling with destructive energy.

The energy erupted outward in a shockwave, toppling the nearby Uchiha to the ground.

"Burn to ashes!" Fugaku bellowed.

With an earth-shaking roar, the Susanoo claw hurtled toward Obito's Fire Flame Array.

The purple-black flames engulfed the fiery wall in an instant.

Crack…

Crack…

The sheer destructive force of the Susanoo's flames caused the Fire Flame Array to shudder violently.

Obito's face hardened as he pushed more chakra into the barrier, but the purple flames overwhelmed the array in seconds.

CRACK!

With a sound like shattering glass, the fiery wall gave way.

The Susanoo's claw tore through the flames and smashed down onto Obito's position with unstoppable force.