Danzo grabbed hold of Obito and said to Naruto, "Naruto, it was this man who killed your parents!"
As he said this, Danzo's eyes gleamed with a devious smile.
He now felt reassured. Even though Naruto and Sasuke had an extremely powerful fusion technique, they clearly had a fatal emotional flaw.
A proper ninja can't allow emotions to completely take over. Otherwise, those emotions will become a deadly weakness on the battlefield.
At the moment, Naruto might be strong, but he was still only about eleven or twelve years old and obviously couldn't fully control his emotions.
Having noticed Naruto and Sasuke weren't continuing with their Fusion Dance, Obito no longer felt any rush to leave, either. As long as those two didn't fuse, they posed no real threat to him. It even looked like he might seize this opportunity to capture the Nine-Tails, theoretically the hardest beast to catch among the nine Tailed Beasts.
With that in mind, Obito started thinking about how best to play along with Danzo so he could drive Naruto over the edge. Then no matter how clear-headed Sasuke remained, they still wouldn't be able to pull off their fusion.
Not far away, Sasuke was very anxious. He had anticipated a lot of scenarios, but this definitely wasn't one of them. And since Naruto himself had no clue about his parents, Sasuke couldn't possibly know anything, either. All he could do was try to calm Naruto down.
"Naruto, keep your cool! They're trying to provoke you."
"Everything they're saying could be true, or it could be lies. Learn the truth about your parents first—we can figure out the rest later!"
Sasuke's words helped somewhat, though Naruto was already rattled to the core. Still, after hearing Sasuke's voice, he tried hard to compose himself. Unfortunately, neither Danzo nor Obito would give him that chance.
Danzo let out a cold laugh. "Naruto, your parents died young. They should have had a bright future ahead of them. But thanks to this man here, they lost their lives before their time. Everything I'm telling you is the truth. If you don't believe me, you can ask the other elders in the village."
Once Danzo finished, Obito jumped in to deliver the next blow:
"Oh dear, my apologies! Because of some stuff that happened back then, I messed up, and you ended up an orphan."
Obito had gotten Danzo's point completely: keep piling on the pressure until the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was pushed to the brink. Once Naruto's mind utterly collapsed, taking him down would be a cinch.
Hearing Danzo and Obito's back-and-forth, Sasuke felt his head pounding. With them pushing Naruto's buttons like that, it was practically impossible for him not to lose it. Sasuke tried again:
"Naruto, don't fall for it! Even if everything they say is true, you have to stay calm, or you'll never handle this properly!"
Naruto knew Sasuke was right, but knowing is one thing and actually doing it is another. Right now, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't steady his churning emotions. And while Naruto was struggling to keep it together, Danzo and Obito carried on with their provocations.
Danzo eyed Naruto, his face full of sly intent. "Naruto, when you were younger, the villagers' cold stares must have really hurt. Have you ever wondered why the villagers and their kids treated you that way? You never did anything wrong, yet they still shunned you, hated you?"
As Naruto listened, his hands clenched into fists, trembling. Danzo's words touched on the deepest wound from his childhood. Everyone else had families; he didn't, and a lot of villagers seemed to despise him for reasons he couldn't understand. Only Teuchi and a few others had never once looked down on him.
Obito chimed in again. "If I recall, your parents died to protect those foolish villagers. And after your parents died, those very same villagers shunned and despised their savior's child? Tsk, tsk. They really took it too far."
Danzo and Obito's words cut deep. Sasuke was startled, too—he hadn't realized Naruto's life was even more tragic than his own. At least Sasuke had lived with his parents for a few years. Naruto hadn't even gotten that chance.
Of course, it wasn't time to compare whose hardships were worse. It was obvious Danzo and Obito meant no good. Although Sasuke still wanted Danzo dead, he understood this wasn't the right time. Not only that, but he and Naruto needed to retreat now, before something irreversible happened.
Wasting no time, Sasuke spoke up: "Naruto, let's get out of here first. After that, we can figure out the truth about your parents."
But of course Obito wasn't about to let them leave. Naruto and Sasuke mostly acted together, and they had that infuriating fusion technique. If he missed this chance, he might not get another shot to disrupt them so effectively.
So Obito went on, "Your parents were both really powerful ninjas. If they hadn't cared about those fools' lives, they wouldn't have died. And obviously, if I hadn't interfered—if I hadn't caused the Nine-Tails incident in Konoha—they wouldn't have died. Nor would all those other Konoha shinobi."
This time, Obito pushed it even further, painting himself as both villain and scapegoat. None of that mattered, as long as it made Naruto utterly lose control. And indeed, Obito's plan worked.
Under their ceaseless prodding, Naruto's emotions finally snapped. His parents had been killed by Obito! Worse, his parents could have survived if they'd simply chosen not to protect those villagers.
Though there was no guarantee any of Danzo or Obito's claims were completely true, the way they spoke—so matter-of-fact, so seemingly credible—made it hard for Naruto to doubt them.
Pleased by Obito's performance, Danzo was about to pile on even more, giving Obito an even better opening. But at that moment, Naruto let out a furious roar. His fingernails grew long, his pupils turned to slits, and a layer of orange-red Tailed Beast chakra covered his body, his aura growing ever stronger.
Boom!
A fearsome surge of chakra erupted from Naruto, making Danzo and Obito both look over in surprise. Sasuke grew frantic. People's bodies and minds react differently under extreme rage—some manage to unleash superhuman power in a single burst, like sliding tackle a tiger to death.
But Naruto in a calm state could combine all sorts of jutsu into solid tactics. Now that he'd exploded in anger, he was relying purely on brute chakra force, no finesse—just raw, destructive power.
"Naruto, calm down! This isn't solving anything!" Sasuke yelled anxiously.
But Naruto, who had already lost his rationality, couldn't hear him at all. Two tails of chakra extended from the base of his spine, and the shockwave from his violent energy cracked the ground beneath him.
Obito, on the other hand, was thrilled. What he'd feared most was Naruto keeping his cool so he could fuse with Sasuke. Now that wasn't happening, and this was the perfect shot to capture the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
Seeing the power Naruto was unleashing, Danzo was amazed. As Naruto came charging on all fours like some wild fox demon, Danzo quickly made his decision.
"Madara! Take down that Nine-Tails brat!"
Obito: (O_O)???
Obito turned his head slightly to look at Danzo, then asked coldly, "You think you can order me around?"
Danzo just rolled his eyes. "Who else is gonna handle him? You expect me to do it?"
As he spoke, he glanced at the bandages wrapped around him. While most of his wounds had healed significantly, staying in the hospital and pretending to be sick suited him perfectly. He had no desire to leave unless he absolutely had to.
At this point, Naruto was almost upon them. Obito used the Body Flicker Technique and appeared right in front of Naruto.
Swish!
Naruto wasted no time. The instant Obito appeared, the Nine-Tails chakra around Naruto formed a massive claw and slammed down on Obito. But in his current form, Naruto was basically wearing an exoskeleton, while Obito was piloting a Gundam.
Boom!
A blue-green skeletal frame materialized in an instant—Obito's Susanoo. Naruto's claw did no damage. In fact, Obito's Susanoo quickly grew flesh, sprouted legs, donned armor, and grasped a weapon in its hand. Another moment longer, and it would be a fully realized Susanoo.
Naruto didn't give up after his first attack failed; he launched a barrage instead.
"Arrghhh—!"
His roar sounded inhuman. His skin started peeling away, revealing the crimson muscles underneath. His consciousness was slipping, replaced by a primal drive to destroy. But none of that helped much against Obito's Susanoo.
Obito promptly had his Susanoo deliver a powerful kick.
Thud!
A dull boom rang out as it crashed into Naruto. Protected by the orange-red Nine-Tails chakra, Naruto wasn't seriously hurt but was sent flying like a cannonball. While still airborne, he spun to regain his balance—
Crash!
He slammed into the outer wall of a Konoha building, spiderweb cracks radiating out. At the same time, a third tail grew behind him. Without missing a beat, he again dropped to all fours and charged Obito. This time, the orange-red Nine-Tails chakra turned dark red. He was entering a half-Tailed Beast transformation.
At this stage, Naruto was utterly berserk. Anything in his path got demolished like brittle twigs. Despite Naruto's newfound strength, Sasuke was more worried than ever. Watching Naruto charge Obito, all Sasuke could think was how much he wished he had his own "Gundam." Then he could've fought Obito's "Gundam" on equal footing.
Without Susanoo, Sasuke knew he couldn't just stand around and watch, so he activated his Lightning Release Armor. Cloaked in crackling lightning, he dashed forward to fight side by side with Naruto.
Meanwhile, Naruto lunged at Obito once again, prompting Obito's Susanoo to swing its sword in a fierce downward slash.
Swish!
Obito's attack was lightning-fast, but half-Tailed Beast Naruto boasted incredible sensory perception, reflexes, and speed. His dark red form flickered in a zigzag, and Obito's sword swipes trailed just behind him, never striking home.
"Rrgh!"
Closing in, Naruto's three tails lashed out like whips, trying to wind around Susanoo's legs and wrestle it down.
"Hmph." Obito sneered at the sight, convinced Naruto was like an ant trying to topple a tree.
Boom!
Right then, a flash of brilliant blue lightning burst in front of Obito. Covered in his Lightning Release Armor, Sasuke streaked by in a burst of speed and launched a Four-Finger Nukite at Susanoo's head. Obito narrowed his eyes and brought Susanoo's left arm around, sword in hand, slashing fiercely at Sasuke.
Crash!
Rumble!
Two powerful forces collided midair. Though Sasuke had gained all sorts of power-ups lately, he was still just eleven or twelve—far from his true prime. His and Naruto's era hadn't arrived yet. Although his strike made Susanoo tremble slightly, even cracking in places, Susanoo's overwhelming strength sent him hurtling backward like a cannonball.
Without the Fusion Dance to go into "Narusuke mode," the two had little chance. Right after Sasuke was knocked away, Naruto, too, got slammed back by another Susanoo kick, demolishing anything in his path.
Obito was quite pleased. If nothing else, Danzo had shown his value. Ever since Orochimaru tricked him, Danzo had been on a losing streak, but he still had his cunning. Like this time, provoking Naruto into a fury so thoroughly that Naruto and Sasuke couldn't even attempt their fusion. Obito decided he could use these kinds of "underhanded tactics" whenever he faced a powerful enemy in the future.
If he ever fell out with Madara one day, maybe he'd say something like, "Hey, you know that Black Zetsu you dreamt up? Do you know what he's done to Tajima's grave? He dug up your father's remains!"
Obito had no clue how much he'd grown under the enormous pressure from Senshi. In another timeline, he wouldn't have been able to summon a "Gundam" at all—but now he wielded Susanoo like a pro, and he'd also gained a level of insight he'd never had before. Otherwise, his entire life might have been nothing but tragedy.
After blasting Naruto and Sasuke away, Obito immediately launched a follow-up attack, controlling his giant Susanoo to keep up the pressure. Even though Naruto and Sasuke were stronger than before, they were no match for him. Sasuke knew it well. From the start, he'd been trying to convince Naruto to retreat, but Naruto was far too enraged to back down now.
Swish!
Under Obito's direction, Susanoo dealt another sword strike. By then, Naruto's body had swelled further, his skin totally burned off, revealing the hideous bone structure beneath. Four tails now lashed around behind him, colliding directly with Susanoo's sword.
Meanwhile, Sasuke wasn't about to slow down. Electricity crackling across his body, he dashed in at Susanoo's head, launching rapid-fire lightning punches.
"Ora, ora, ora!"
His strikes shook Obito's Susanoo, causing a bit of damage but nothing too serious. Obito had Susanoo swing its arm, swatting Sasuke away again. As for Naruto, though he'd initially blocked a blow, Obito just hammered him over and over, eventually leaving him sprawled in a pile of rubble.
Since this was inside Konoha, Obito didn't want to drag it out. After landing a series of punishing hits until Naruto couldn't fight back, he seized Naruto.
"Naruto!" Sasuke, himself badly hurt, cried out in alarm at the sight of Naruto getting captured. He tried to fight through the pain and fatigue, lightning flashing around him, as he charged again.
Swish!
Before Sasuke could close in, Obito maneuvered Susanoo to swat him away with another sword strike. Then Obito dismissed Susanoo and used Kamui to teleport himself and Naruto out of Konoha.
Watching Obito vanish with Naruto, Sasuke was overwhelmed with regret. Naruto had come to help him take revenge on Danzo, and because it was an assassination plot, they'd acted in secret—so backup couldn't arrive quickly.
Sure enough, the huge commotion alerted many ninja in the village. Jiraiya was the first to notice the sudden appearance of that blue-green Susanoo and immediately realized it was trouble. Konoha had only one Uchiha left—Sasuke—and he hadn't awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, so he couldn't possibly wield Susanoo. That meant the Susanoo user in the hospital area had to be an enemy.
But even though Jiraiya reacted fast, he'd been out gathering "writing material" by the hot springs, and it took time to get there. Obito had already bulldozed through Naruto and Sasuke by the time Jiraiya arrived; all Jiraiya saw was the ruined surroundings and an injured Sasuke.
Not long after Jiraiya arrived, Hiruzen Sarutobi and other elite shinobi also turned up. Jiraiya hurried over to Sasuke, frowning. "Sasuke, what happened? Where's Naruto?"
Covered in wounds, Sasuke's face was filled with grief. "Naruto got captured by some masked guy."
"What?!" Jiraiya exclaimed. Naruto was the Child of the Prophecy; there was no way anything could be allowed to happen to him. Without Naruto, who would guide the world toward peace?
Anxious, Jiraiya pressed on. "Tell me exactly what happened!"
Sasuke didn't mention he'd come to assassinate Danzo. He only said, "Naruto and I ran into Danzo and a masked ninja here in the village. Danzo told us that masked man was behind Naruto's parents' deaths. Together, the two of them pushed Naruto's buttons until he totally lost it!"
Jiraiya and the Third Hokage exchanged surprised looks. Neither had expected Danzo to be involved. But they set Danzo aside for the moment, as Hiruzen asked urgently, "What happened after that? Where's Naruto now?"
Sasuke's expression was pained. "That masked ninja took him. He has some powerful space-time ninjutsu and just teleported away."
Furious, Hiruzen said, "Medics, get Sasuke treated immediately! Everyone else, investigate the area for clues. Jiraiya, come with me to see Danzo."
Once Obito was gone, Danzo slipped back into his hospital room to continue "recovering." By the time Hiruzen and Jiraiya burst in, livid, Danzo couldn't have cared less. Lying there pretending to be ill again, he showed zero remorse.
Seeing Danzo lying there without a care made both Hiruzen and Jiraiya seethe. Whether or not Naruto was the Child of the Prophecy, Hiruzen viewed him as Konoha's Jinchuriki—a living weapon crucial to the village's deterrence power.
They could not afford to lose him. Jiraiya, meanwhile, was worried precisely because Naruto was the Child of the Prophecy. He'd spent years looking for the boy—paid a hefty sum to Senshi for intel—and only then finally found him. Now Danzo had conspired with an outsider, leaving Naruto in dire peril.
Yet before Jiraiya could keep brooding about it, he quickly spoke up to stop Hiruzen: "Lord Third, calm down! Are you planning to summon Enma and smash Danzo's head in? As despicable as he is, you should at least hear him out and see if he'll give up any intel."
"Cough, cough!" Hiruzen coughed twice and lowered the hands he'd started using to form seals. Indeed, he'd gotten so angry he nearly summoned Enma to beat Danzo senseless. After he relaxed his hands, he fixed his cloudy old eyes on Jiraiya. "Jiraiya, maybe you should put that Rasengan away too. He wouldn't survive it."
~~~
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