"No wonder an evacuation drill had already been arranged in advance, turns out Konoha's Hokage had already anticipated the attack from Sunagakure… But even so, not informing anyone else of Sunagakure's incoming assault, was it to avoid alerting the enemy?"
As expected, the Third Hokage was not a good person.
Watching the Konoha shinobi panic in the face of the giant snakes and the Sunagakure ninja attack, Samui couldn't help but curse inwardly.
Even though the village shinobi arranged an evacuation drill, faced with Sunagakure's sudden and aggressive assault, these people were completely unprepared. They were at a significant disadvantage in morale alone.
If reinforcements didn't arrive, Konoha would likely fall soon.
Watching the Konoha shinobi being pushed back step by step, Samui's gaze remained calm. As someone from another village, especially one who had been humiliated by Konoha shinobi, she secretly wished Konoha would be destroyed as soon as possible.
What a shame, in such chaos, she happened to be unable to move.
Uchiha Kage wasn't around, and Konoha was being invaded by Sunagakure, this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to escape.
"With how ruthless he is, if I escape, Atsui will definitely be killed."
On one hand was her brother; on the other, was freedom from being humiliated. Samui's icy and beautiful face was full of struggle and conflict.
Wait a minute, though her brother was sealed in some summoning realm and couldn't be rescued, the three disciples were still in Konoha's prison.
Thinking of this, Samui's eyes lit up.
Even if she couldn't rescue her brother, saving the three disciples would still be something.
Especially with the current conflict between Konoha and Sunagakure, and everything she had seen and heard in Konoha over the past days, if she could deliver this intelligence to Kumogakure… Even if she was forced to oppose the Cloud Village later, it would count as an early act of atonement.
———
Lightning Cutter!
Cutting a path through the blazing sea of fire, Kakashi's Lightning Cutter went straight to Uchiha Kage and pierced through his body without any resistance.
"That ability again…", The lightning in his hand faded. Kakashi looked at the empty space ahead and murmured.
"Looks like you're having fun, Kakashi," Uchiha Kage extended a hand toward Kakashi, whose attack had momentarily stalled.
Just then, Uchiha Itachi, who had been observing the battle, quickly activated his Mangekyō Sharingan and aimed it at Uchiha Kage.
Amaterasu!
The moment of attack it would materialize, as long as it took form, it couldn't escape the black flames that incinerate everything.
Blood tears flowed.
Uchiha Itachi unleashed Amaterasu at full power, covering the opponent's entire body.
"Did it work?"
From the corner of his eye, Kakashi saw the figure behind him wrapped completely in black flames.
What was burning wasn't the air, it was the entity.
"How could Amaterasu possibly kill someone?"
Poof!
The figure wrapped in black flames turned into a puff of white smoke and disappeared.
"Kakashi-senpai, below you!"
Before he could catch his breath, Kakashi saw a black shadow emerging from beneath his feet.
THUD!
And the kunai in the shadow's hand had already stabbed into his shoulder.
"So that's it, used a shadow clone as bait, then used Earth Release to sneak underground and launch a surprise attack… but…"
The stabbed Kakashi suddenly transformed into a burst of violent lightning.
"I wasn't the real body either."
Watching the masked man engulfed by his Lightning Clone, the real Kakashi appeared on the other side and let out a slight sigh of relief.
Did he hit him this time?
"As expected of Copy Ninja Kakashi, very nice tactics."
As the lightning faded, Uchiha Kage, still bearing residual sparks, remained unruffled.
If it had been the real Obito, he might've been completely numbed by that lightning.
But unfortunately, against someone like him who could activate Lightning Release Armor at will, that level of lightning attack was neither painful nor itchy.
"How is this possible, he clearly got hit, so why…"
Not only was he uninjured, even his clothes weren't torn?
Kakashi couldn't help but sweat inwardly.
This opponent apparently had more than one ability.
"He must have used some kind of Lightning Release secret technique at the last moment to neutralize your clone's explosive attack."
Due to the pain from using his eye, Uchiha Itachi had to close the one used for Amaterasu.
Not only immune to physical attacks, but he also handled ninjutsu with ease.
No wonder Father kept thinking of him even on his deathbed.
"We'll have to bet on genjutsu."
Itachi glanced subtly at Uchiha Shisui, who was still standing quietly nearby, then discreetly reached into his sleeve.
"Cover me, Kakashi-senpai."
"Got it."
Kakashi saw Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan in his eyes.
Perhaps only a Mangekyō could match another Mangekyō.
If all else failed, he still had one final move.
He'd never used it in actual combat, but only with it could he truly confirm whether this opponent was Obito or not.
Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!
As Itachi vanished with Body Flicker, Kakashi launched a classic Uchiha fire jutsu toward the masked man.
If the opponent really was Obito, he'd be very familiar with this move.
BOOM!
The Great Fireball struck the ground, kicking up a large cloud of black dust and smoke.
Uchiha Kage's vision was momentarily obstructed.
Yeah, right.
With his Byakugan, he didn't care about smoke or dust.
Itachi's little tricks were useless against him.
"Even if I can guess what you're trying to do, I'll give you a reminder, although both are Mangekyō Sharingan, there are differences in pupil power. A Mangekyō with lesser pupil power cannot affect someone with stronger pupil power."
Back then, even Uchiha Fugaku, despite being lucky enough to awaken Mangekyō, wasn't his match.
"You mean… my pupil power is inferior to yours?"
Several kunai flew from the smoke cloud, aimed at Uchiha Kage's blind spots, each with a burning explosive tag attached.
"If you don't believe me, feel free to try."
Having absorbed fragments and souls of many ninjas, and with pupil power constantly recovering and increasing after each dungeon completion, Uchiha Kage's born-with Mangekyō had long surpassed ordinary Mangekyō levels.
BOOM!
As he spoke, the explosive tags on Itachi's kunai triggered a fiercer explosion.
Confirming that the enemy was once again using his phasing ability to dodge the blast, Uchiha Itachi, with both Mangekyō activated, dove into the smoke cloud.
Now's the time, if he could get in close, he'd have a chance to win.
But as soon as he entered, he ran into an invisible wall.
No, it wasn't a wall, it was…
"This is the Mangekyō Sharingan's third power!"
Susanoo!
After many years, Uchiha Kage finally used his Susanoo again.
Though for now, it was still just the skeletal form.
"What's going on in there?", Kakashi stared at the black smoke, unable to discern what was happening inside.
The smoke meant to block the enemy's vision was now blocking his own.
"Looking around carelessly is not a good habit, Kakashi."
Whoosh!
From the smoke, a massive invisible hand stretched out and grabbed the still-straining Kakashi.
Thud!
Before he could react, Kakashi was slammed headfirst into the rubble-covered ground like a tree being uprooted.
"Guh…"
With internal organs crushed and body heavily injured, Kakashi vomited blood.
Only now did the smoke begin to clear.
Struggling on the ground, Kakashi finally saw the enemy's Susanoo, now solidifying beyond the skeletal form, had nearly crushed him. Even Itachi, who had entered the smoke earlier, was now struggling in the giant hand of the skeletal Susanoo.
"Kakashi!"
Seeing Kakashi suddenly so gravely wounded, Might Guy, who had been sparring physically with Reanimated Senju Hashirama, quickly abandoned the fight and rushed over.
"Guy… you're just in time."
Struggling to stand through the pain and blood, Kakashi rested one hand on Might Guy's shoulder.
"You're in this state, and you still want to fight?"
Looking at Kakashi, who was covered in blood, Guy couldn't help but feel worried.
Was that towering figure the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan?
It really was tough to deal with.
No wonder Kakashi got injured so quickly.
"It's nothing, just a few broken ribs."
With Guy's help, Kakashi barely managed to open his Sharingan eye.
"But I might pass out soon. When that happens, I'll leave getting me to the hospital to you."
"What are you planning to do?"
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