Chapter 210: Encirclement and Madness

Five minutes ago, at the Konoha Cemetery...

Hiruzen Sarutobi gripped the end of his Adamantine Staff tightly, pinning himself in place as the staff extended, smashing through the forest and striking Obito.

"You haven't lost your touch, old man," Orochimaru said, his lips curling as he leapt onto the staff the moment it extended, charging toward Obito like lightning.

From within the wide sleeves of Orochimaru's robe, dozens of snakes suddenly emerged, hissing as they lunged forward to bite the enemy in front of him.

At the last moment, Obito regained his composure and activated his intangibility, allowing the staff and snakes to pass through his body harmlessly. Orochimaru's Kusanagi sword also failed to hit its mark.

"Their teamwork is improving..." Obito spat out the blood in his throat, his gaze darkening as he eyed the four approaching enemies.

As the battle progressed, the secret of Kamui was gradually being unraveled by the Konoha side, and Obito was finding it harder to stay ahead.

Whenever his intangibility ended, attacks from Hiruzen and Orochimaru would arrive simultaneously, and one of them would always engage him in close combat. Fugaku kept his distance, always ready to launch a genjutsu, while Kakashi Hatake, on the outskirts, continuously gathered chakra, preparing to unleash Kamui with his left eye. To make matters worse, the Konoha Jonin had already performed several high-powered combination jutsu, each time draining a significant amount of his energy.

"Let's go, Obito!"

Black Zetsu emerged from the ground, his body battered and his green, leaf-like outer shell tattered.

"I'll hold off Hiruzen and Orochimaru. You need to escape and put some distance between yourself and them, then use Kamui to retreat into your dimension..."

"You hold them off," Obito replied coldly. "I'm going to prepare that jutsu here."

"Are you insane? You're not leaving now?"

"I have to kill them. Four years ago, I caused havoc with the Nine-Tails, and Yuto massacred his entire clan. I didn't expect Konoha to still be able to muster this much strength. It's no wonder, since this village was founded by Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha..." Obito's expression remained unchanged as he gouged out his left eye and replaced it with another object.

"If I am to realize the Eye of the Moon Plan, this village is the greatest obstacle. Even if I can't eliminate them all, I must at least reclaim my left eye."

"Obito, you..." Zetsu hesitated, his powerful sensing abilities alerting him to every subtle change.

The tremor that ran through him told Zetsu that Obito's ocular power and chakra had once again "evolved," growing darker and colder, like a venomous blade buried in an icy pond.

'Kakashi's Rasengan had driven Obito further into the abyss... Heh.'

Zetsu thought this as he gritted his teeth and formed hand seals.

The forest floor began to churn as countless white humanoid creatures emerged, charging at the Konoha forces with loud, feral cries.

"He's trying to delay us," Hiruzen panted heavily. He was sixty years old now, and his physical condition had declined significantly. The prolonged battle with Obito was taking its toll.

"It will take approximately three seconds to break through," Orochimaru estimated as he killed a White Zetsu clone.

These clones were only at the level of genin. While the Konoha side could dispatch several with just a spit, the clones were fearless, continuing to fight recklessly, forming a human wall to block their advance.

"Lord Hokage, Captain, leave it to me!" Kakashi called from a distance, opening his left eye, the three tomoe in his Sharingan spinning into a three-bladed Mangekyō. He focused on Obito, channeling his accumulated chakra into the attack.

"Kamui!"

The long-range space-time ninjutsu activated, a spiraling distortion appearing in the space.

"Damnable eye technique..." At the critical moment, Zetsu rammed into Obito, taking the full force of Kamui in his place. The space around his abdomen twisted, and with a crunch, Zetsu was torn in half.

Kakashi Hatake clutched his left eye and crouched, his body trembling slightly from the pain.

"Well done!"

Hiruzen and Orochimaru simultaneously pushed forward, breaking through the White Zetsu clones' blockade and closing in on Obito once again. However, before they could strike, a terrifying premonition stopped them in their tracks. Master and disciple knew something was amiss, and instead of attacking blindly, they halted, ready to defend.

At that moment, Obito lowered his hand and opened both his eyes. His expression was cold, and his chakra, now completely different from before, burned in the air.

His right eye was the blood-red Mangekyō, and his left eye was the purple Rinnegan!

"Rinnegan..." Hiruzen murmured, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "Five years ago, Jiraiya and some mysterious individual worked together to kill Nagato Uzumaki. It seems that person was connected to Obito... That dangerous eye has fallen into the hands of an even more dangerous man..."

"Old man, now isn't the time to blame Jiraiya," Orochimaru replied calmly, his golden snake-like eyes fixed on their rejuvenated enemy.

"A Mangekyō in one eye and a Rinnegan in the other. It looks intimidating, but it doesn't change the fact that his chakra is nearly depleted. Even the most powerful sage's eyes require chakra to function."

"Orochimaru, what do you suggest?"

"Kill him!"

"Hahaha..." In such a tense situation, Hiruzen actually laughed. He patted his disciple's shoulder, feeling an inexplicable sense of relief.

"Orochimaru, whether or not I survive tonight, the process of passing on the mantle of the Fifth Hokage will begin tomorrow."

"Old man, why say this now? Are you giving your final instructions?" Orochimaru's raspy, cold voice cut through the air as his golden snake pupils glanced at his teacher.

"I don't consider myself any less capable than that brat Minato Namikaze... So the inauguration ceremony must be on par with his... And the one who hands me the sacred robes must be the previous Hokage."

Although Hiruzen and Orochimaru seemed to be having a casual conversation, they were actually buying time. In the brief moment they spoke, Fugaku and the others had already cleared the White Zetsu clones and surrounded Obito once again. Konoha had regained the upper hand.

Obito's gaze remained fixed on Orochimaru, recognizing the danger this man posed.

He understood that Orochimaru was right; his chakra was nearly depleted. Even the most powerful sage's eyes are useless without chakra to fuel them.

"But as mere mortals, you still underestimate the power of a sage..."

Obito murmured softly, forming hand seals in front of his chest as he spoke each word slowly and deliberately:

"Summoning: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!"

Roar—

It was as if a demon god of the apocalypse had descended, roaring at the edge of the Hidden Leaf Village.

The colossal figure, humanoid in form, with a body like withered wood and ten pillar-like protrusions on its back, stood in terrifying grandeur.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh...

Dozens of black rods shot out from the statue's skin, piercing Obito's body. With a suppressed scream of pain, his muscles rapidly shriveled, and he became gaunt like a withered tree.

"Heh, heh, you're all going to die..." Obito laughed maniacally, looking deranged.

'Even if my chakra is exhausted, it doesn't matter. After transplanting Hashirama's cells, I have a boundless life force! As long as I can create a world with Rin, nothing else matters...'

(End of Chapter)