Hatake Tatsuya in Naruto

Chapter 155: Chapter 155



In the split-second of Obito's hesitation, Minato flashed forward, becoming a streak of light as he reached Itachi's side, pulling him back and retreating to safety.

"It's really you, Obito… just as I thought," Minato said, frowning as he gently set Itachi down. His suspicions had shifted from 80% to absolute certainty when he saw Obito's brief hesitation at Rin's shout.

"Obito… why? Why would you want to kill Kushina-san and Naruto, and attack Konoha? Why didn't you come back?!" Kakashi's voice wavered, full of disbelief. Ever since the battle at Kannabi Bridge, he'd idolized Obito, seeing him as his savior and moral anchor. Realizing now that the friend he'd held in such high regard was responsible for the attack on Kushina and Naruto shattered his worldview.

"Shut up!" Obito bellowed, his anger sending ripples through the space around them. Kakashi's body began to distort as if he were being dragged into the Kamui dimension.

With a swift toss of a Flying Thunder God kunai, Minato moved instantly, rescuing Kakashi just before he was pulled into the other dimension. "Everyone, fall back!" Minato commanded, his tone sharp. "Obito's space-time jutsu is too difficult to counter without knowing another space-time ninjutsu Leave him to me!"

Suddenly, a crash reverberated through the office as the walls and wood-style barriers shattered. Six Paths Pain had arrived once more.

"Is that… the Rinnegan user Uncle once mentioned?" Kakashi said, his voice filled with shock as he stared at the ringed patterns in Pain's eyes.

"Where's Konan?!" Rin called out anxiously, scanning the chaos around them, her voice edged with worry.

Deva Path Pain frowned subtly—not out of any particular prejudice against Rin, but because it was nearly impossible for him to feel anything but resentment toward Konoha Shinobi. His parents had been killed by shinobi from the Leaf.

"She's unconscious. Take her and leave—or," Pain's voice turned cold, his killing intent intensifying, "I'll kill every one of you right here."

The Akatsuki was supposed to operate discreetly, and already they'd drawn too much attention. After Rain Village, Kirigakure had become their fallback base, but even that was now exposed. If eliminating everyone here would preserve their secrecy, then so be it.

Minato's eyes narrowed, a bead of sweat forming on his brow. "This isn't good. Obito, with his space-time jutsu, and now the wielder of the legendary Rinnegan… I thought we were prepared, but their lineup is stronger than we thought." He grits his teeth, realizing the difficulty of protecting everyone from these two.

"No matter what," Shisui said, leveling his short tanto directly at Obito and Pain, "we need to bring this man back to clear the Uchiha's name, no matter the cost!"

"Lord Minato, please leave the Rinnegan user to me and Itachi," Shisui continued, his determination resolute. Itachi stood by his side, unsheathing his sword, his eyes unwavering. "Even if we have to put our lives on the line, we'll see it through."

"…Then don't die," Minato replied, realizing there was no other option. "Everyone except me—focus on Obito!" 

As he finished speaking, Minato crossed his fingers, conjuring two Shadow Clones beside him to even the odds.

Minato threw a dozen Flying Thunder God kunai in quick succession. In a flash, a burst of light erupted, creating a shockwave that forced all six Paths of Pain out of the room simultaneously.

"I call this technique—Multi-Spiral Flashing Super Round Dance Roar: Third Style!" Minato shouted triumphantly as he launched the attack. Despite the strange name, there was no time for anyone to comment on it.

"Obito, come with us!" Rin called, her voice thick with sorrow. "Come back to Konoha and confess what you've done! We're still your Friends!"

"...Friends?" Obito repeated the word, his teeth clenched. After a moment, he asked bitterly, "How did you recognize me?"

Rin hesitated, unsure of how to respond, but Kakashi spoke up first. "Six years ago, when you attacked Konoha—my uncle sensed your chakra."

Kakashi's words, though well-meaning, didn't seem to ease the tension. He didn't realize just how deeply invoking Tatsuya's name would affect Obito at that moment. Memories of that nightmare of night flooded Obito's mind, bringing back emotions he'd tried desperately to bury. 

For Obito, it was a nightmare that refused to fade. Some things, he thought, only become more vivid the harder you try to forget them.

Obito had even gone so far as to ask the old Madara, before his death, if there was any Jutsu that could erase some of his memories. Naturally, the answer was "No." Of course, even if such a jutsu existed, the cunning Madara wouldn't reveal it to him. This lingering void, this unresolved resentment, had become one of Obito's greatest motivations to act on his terms.

"So, you came here because of him?" Obito asked coldly.

Rin faltered, struggling to find the right words. "This… no, it's not that…" She was torn, knowing that admitting they were driven by guilt or sympathy would only infuriate him further.

But at this point, her answer didn't matter. Obito's anger was already at its peak.

"You think bringing more people would be enough to catch me? You're underestimating me!" he sneered, his tone sharp. He hadn't dared to drop the mask or even speak in his real voice, still mimicking Uchiha Madara's distinct voice.

Shisui, observing him closely, raised his voice. "I've watched your space-time jutsu enough times now—whether you're using it to warp yourself or others to another dimension, you always have to materialize for that split second. We've come prepared. This time, we'll stop you Obito!"

"Hah! Foolish brat," Obito scoffed, raising his right hand as a powerful wave of chakra surged from his palm. "The current Uchiha clan never fails to disappoint."

With one swift movement, he slammed his chakra-filled hand onto Yagura's back. Immediately, a sinister, foreboding aura spread through the room.

"What… that seal!" Kakashi gasped, his heart pounding with dread.

Before their eyes, Yagura's body erupted with a dark, ominous red chakra, growing until he took on the monstrous shape of a turtle-like creature. The air around them grew thick with his overwhelming power.

"You bastard!" Terumi Mei spat, her voice seething with rage. She had a sickening sense of what Obito was doing.

Obito sneered, unfazed by her fury. "This base is compromised anyway, and that guy's outlived his usefulness," he said coldly.

With a dark smirk, he shouted, "Eight Trigrams Seal—Release!"

---

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