Malphegor
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HSU: Ch. 39
🕑 Added 2024-12-02 12:23:34 +0000 UTCThe chakra-sensing ability was truly handy, and combined with the Sharingan, it became even more effective.
Through his enhanced perception, Masashi could track not just movement, but intent—the subtle shifts in chakra that preceded every attack.
Chakra rarely lied.
The first wave of explosive tags had just gone off when he immediately realized they had achieved nothing. He swiftly halted the jutsu and used the Flying Thunder God to change his position.
Despite his quick action, more than half a block was still reduced to rubble. Concrete and wood splintered outward in a wave, leaving a crater where a street had been moments before.
Fighting within the village was inconvenient; many techniques couldn't be fully utilized. Even though he had modified the tags, reducing its area of effect and channeling the blast upward, it still required careful handling.
The main concern was the potential cost of compensation if the explosions went too far. The village accountants were more terrifying than any enemy shinobi.
He couldn't help but think about the First Great Ninja War.
Back then, while there were many downsides, the freedom to unleash massive explosions without concern was undeniably satisfying. The earth would shake, the sky would light up, and entire battlefields would transform in an instant.
The immersive thrill of a grand-scale explosion was something you couldn't understand unless you had tried it. The way it rippled through your bones, the flash that burned itself into your vision—there was nothing quite like it.
The only downside was the expense. If you were poor, you couldn't afford it. This joy was exclusive to the wealthy.
While he wasn't exactly a tycoon, he did have a generous reimbursement budget courtesy of one.
Through the thick explosion smoke, Obito's figure emerged, unaffected. His body seemed to phase through the debris as he escaped the blast zone and grabbed Masashi in one swift motion.
Space began to warp immediately, but Masashi's body exploded into a bright flash once more. The light was blinding, intense enough to make even a Sharingan user flinch.
Kamui was indeed an excellent technique, but Obito's single eye was defensive in nature, leaving him with limited offensive options.
Masashi had been waiting for this moment.
However, Kamui's activation, much like the Flying Thunder God, was instantaneous and required no hand seals. Thus, this explosive tag still didn't injure Obito, who phased through the blast like a ghost.
But the sudden flash of light did catch him off guard, making his eyes water from the intensity. The brightness overwhelmed even his Sharingan's enhanced vision.
Where is he even pulling all these explosive tags from? Obito couldn't figure it out. He hadn't seen Masashi reach for anything. Each attack came without warning, tags appearing as if from thin air.
One hand held a blade, the other formed seals. Was he using a third limb to grab them?
It didn't seem like Flying Thunder God, as Minato's technique didn't work like this.
"What kind of jutsu is this?" Obito asked.
Masashi's answer was a slash aimed directly at his head, the blade whistling through the air where his neck had been a split second before. Another tag detonated where he reappeared, forcing him to phase again.
Masashi didn't bother replying.
On a dark, windy night perfect for murder and arson, why waste time talking? This wasn't a training session for Q&A.
Obito felt frustrated.
With both combatants adept at space-time ninjutsu, he couldn't do much relying solely on Kamui. Each time he tried to materialize and attack, Masashi was already gone, leaving only explosions.
Most importantly, fighting wasn't even his objective.
However, summoning the Nine-Tails required a medium to support the ritual, and Masashi wasn't giving him any opportunity.
As the two exchanged blows, each planning their next move in silence, more and more Konoha shinobi began to gather.
There were members of the Police Force, their uniforms marking them clearly in the darkness.
The ANBU moved like shadows at the edges of perception.
The regular army positioned themselves strategically around the battle zone, while unaffiliated ninja clans watched from their respective territories.
Hiding population numbers was a basic strategy among ninja clans; even when unnecessary, it was done to maintain appearances. Each group kept their full strength concealed, revealing only what was needed.
Among the largest groups were Hiruzen and Danzo's loyalists. The Sarutobi clan's ninja were among them, their chakra signatures distinct and powerful.
The Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans formed another faction, bound by their longstanding alliance with the Sarutobi clan, though they operated as a separate entity.
The Hyuga clan observed from afar using their Byakugan, directing others toward the action.
The battle between Obito and Masashi covered too wide an area, their movements too fast to track as they constantly shifted locations.
The shinobi converging from all directions weren't trying to show off or create a sense of drama—they genuinely couldn't keep up otherwise.
Previously, whenever they ran toward one direction, a mid-way notice would come, telling them to change course. The Hyuga's directions were constant, urgent updates as the battle shifted across the village.
It was exasperating.
What was most shocking, however, was what everyone saw clearly tonight: Masashi knew the Flying Thunder God.
The jutsu was no longer exclusively held by the Hokage's faction.
For Hiruzen and Danzo, the revelation was deeply unsettling. Although they had suspected it, they had hoped it wasn't true.
"The Uchiha clan hid it well..." Hiruzen said gravely as he finally arrived near the two battling figures. "But who is the other person?"
"Forget the masked one for now. Do you think you can bring Masashi under control?"
Though they often appeared to argue publicly, Hiruzen and Danzo had always collaborated closely to maintain their shared interests. Their public disagreements were just that—public.
Danzo's apparent disregard for public opinion wasn't because he didn't care but because he didn't care about those who criticized him.
This was the path he had chosen. As long as Hiruzen understood him, that was enough.
Unless the day came when he no longer did.
"I don't know." Hiruzen gripped his adamantine staff tightly. "But as long as we're both here, Konoha won't fall into chaos."
Danzo nodded. "However, there may be no one left in the village capable of restraining him. Not even your apprentice."
"Everyone has their strengths, and it hasn't come to that yet. We have Minato, and... Shisui."
At the mention of Shisui, both elders felt a bit more reassured. The young Uchiha's potential was undeniable.
"From now on, assign him more tasks outside the Police Force," Danzo suggested, already planning ahead. "Over time, he can transition away. After all, public-sector ninja can't usually take missions, and this could also fill the gap left by Minato."
Hiruzen nodded, agreeing, though his thoughts remained troubled.
The chakra enveloping Konoha was unmistakably that of the Nine-Tails. What about Minato's side? Had he succeeded or failed? The lack of any news left him with an ominous feeling.
In the world of shinobi, there was no saying equivalent to "Speak of the devil," but perhaps it would later be replaced by "Speak of Minato."
"Sandaime-sama!" Minato appeared beside Hiruzen suddenly, his face grim.
"Minato, how is Kushina?" Hiruzen asked urgently.
"The Nine-Tails has been unleashed, and Biwako-sama has been killed. The culprit is the masked man. He claimed to be Madara!"
He then turned his gaze toward Masashi, watching as another explosion lit up the night.
"As expected, Masashi also knows the Flying Thunder God. If he had been there, perhaps things would have turned out differently."
Minato wasn't naive. An attack on Konoha using a Mangekyō Sharingan to release the Nine-Tails would inevitably draw suspicion to the Uchiha clan.
But his first instinct was that the Uchiha must not be dragged into this mess.
If the tension between the Hokage's administration and the Uchiha clan escalated, Konoha's political stability would collapse, leaving no room for peace.
"It's too late for that now," Hiruzen said, appearing calm but inwardly grieving. Having shared decades of life with his wife, he hadn't expected this parting to be final.
"Capture that man, and everything will be made clear!"
As the number of surrounding ninjas increased, Masashi frowned. These fools are turning this into a circus. One wrong move and I'll end up doing their job for them.
The crowding was proving to be a hindrance.
Due to his abundant chakra reserves and strong recovery ability, his fighting style leaned towards large-scale techniques. This was why the more people involved in a battle, the less effort he put in—not because he didn't want to try, but because he feared overexerting himself and inadvertently hurting his allies.
The chakra gathering at his fingertips could level half the battlefield, but with so many 'friendlies' around, he might as well be fighting with one hand tied.
He wasn't like Minato, who utilized the Flying Thunder God to execute high-mobility strategies. Masashi, by nature, was more inclined towards overwhelming assaults.
"Uchiha! Why aren't you pressing the attack?" an ANBU captain called out.
Masashi paused, eyes narrowing slightly. "If you're so eager to die, by all means, charge in first. I'll keep your pension safe for you!"
If not for Obito's Kamui, he would have long since unleashed his powerful moves.
In contrast, Obito found the increasing numbers advantageous. Masashi's relentless focus on him left no openings, but the involvement of others created opportunities for him.
After all, he wasn't Madara.
The summoning technique he was using had been left to him by Madara as a contingency. The only one who could directly summon the Nine-Tails was Madara himself—Obito was just a proxy.
Otherwise, why would he need a medium?
Instead of avoiding the approaching ANBU squad, he deliberately engaged them. This move forced Masashi to further restrain his actions, much to the irritation of the ANBU, who interpreted it as a direct provocation.
The Sarutobi clan members in the ANBU, in particular, were incensed.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" the ANBU captain yelled as they launched their attacks.
Fire and wind jutsu converged on Obito's position, while earth users tried to limit his movement options.
"ANBU? Is that what they're calling cannon fodder these days?" Genjutsu and elemental jutsu rained down on him, who casually let the attacks phase through him with Kamui.
Locking eyes with one of his opponents, he unleashed a genjutsu that easily overpowered theirs. The ANBU dropped like a puppet with cut strings, his scream dying in his throat.
"It really is the Sharingan!" The ANBU, seeing the enemy up close, were now certain of his identity and grew even more alarmed.
As for their comrades who were being picked off like meatballs in a grinder, no one could spare the attention to help. The battlefield had become a graveyard of ANBU bodies and broken masks.
"Don't look into his eyes!" someone shouted.
Obito rushed towards the ANBU.
Trained by the so-called Ghost of the Uchiha, his combat prowess was unmatched by these ninjas, who weren't even jonin.
With a sweep of Kamui and precise strikes, his attacks bypassed defenses, severing limbs and decapitating foes. Within moments, a dozen were dead or incapacitated, their bodies falling with dull thuds on the blood-soaked ground.
Masashi halted his own movements, watching coldly as Obito clashed with the ANBU captain. Shame about your pension going to waste, he thought, observing the carnage.
These were the same ANBU who had just been cautious of him. Since they were so vigilant, he saw no need to assist them now.
The Uchiha clan ninjas, having arrived on the scene, gathered behind him. The divide between them and the Hokage's faction was evident, with both sides eyeing each other warily.
Most of the Uchiha clan now supported Masashi's approach.
Improving relations with the Hokage's faction was no longer possible. Instead, they focused on uniting with other factions within Konoha.
As long as they avoided direct confrontation with the Hokage's office, that was enough—mirroring the political strategy of the Third Hokage: conflict without breaking ties.
If non-ANBU ninjas had been the ones in peril, the Uchiha wouldn't have stood by idly. But this scene displeased Minato greatly.
Kushina was barely hanging on due to the vitality of the Uzumaki clan. As someone deeply protective of his wife, his restraint proved how gentle he was at heart.
But gentleness didn't equate to weakness or passivity. His dissatisfaction with the Sarutobi clan skyrocketed.
He had clearly seen how inappropriate actions by the Sarutobi ANBU had exacerbated the situation.
However, someone else acted before he could.
Hiruzen, who had already lost his wife, appeared outwardly composed but was seething inside. The loss of young Sarutobi clan members right before his eyes ignited his fury.
"You're shedding blood in our own village?"
Wielding the adamantine staff transformed from his summoning beast Enma, he swung with such force that the air itself seemed to explode.
Though he said nothing more, his intent was clear: Die!
The 'Professor' finally shows his true colors, Masashi observed.
He seemed to have forgotten that moments ago, he had instructed them to capture, not kill.
Even at fifty years old, the force of his blow was something few in the shinobi world could withstand.
However, Obito didn't rely on direct defense.
The staff passed harmlessly through his intangible form. Using the chaos caused by Hiruzen's outburst, he landed on the ground, aiming to press his hand down and summon his target.
Just then, a specially crafted kunai aimed for his palm.
You're such a nuisance, sensei! Obito cursed internally, retracting his hand and using Kamui to teleport elsewhere—straight into the Hyūga clan's area.
Several pairs of Byakugan immediately locked onto him, veins bulging around their eyes as they tracked his chakra network.
In the next instant, a fierce wind erupted, peeling a layer off the ground. The Hyūga moved in perfect synchronization, their Gentle Fist strikes covering every possible angle of approach.
They simultaneously attacked him and 'swept' the battlefield.
The Hyūga, having observed Obito's attempts to make contact with the ground during previous skirmishes, had noticed a pattern.
The Byakugan never missed details.
Though they didn't know what he was trying to achieve, they were determined to stop him.
"Hokage-sama, Sandaime-sama, this man seems to require physical contact with the ground to execute something," a Hyūga ninja declared loudly.
"I see it," Minato responded sharply. "Everyone, prevent ground contact!"
Obito's mood worsened instantly.
Masashi, on the other hand, laughed. Konoha's clans might fight among themselves, but they're not stupid.
He knew exactly what Obito was attempting, and he found it amusing.
Running to other Konoha ninjas for cover? Sure, he wouldn't interfere. But did Obito really think the other Konoha ninjas would be clueless enough to aimlessly attack the air and sacrifice themselves?
After all, Konoha's ninja forces had achieved their victories not by chance but by their keen observational skills and teamwork.
Obito finally managed to find another opening and nearly touched the ground when a swarm of insects rushed towards him, their buzzing filling the air like a thousand angry wasps.
The insects obliterated the barely-formed summoning array, turning it into a feast for themselves.
In Kamui's intangible state, Obito, expressionless beneath his mask, watched as his summoning array became fodder for insects.
He realized the truth.
Thanks to Masashi, his window for surprise attacks had closed. Against Konoha's united forces, while his own safety remained intact, it was impossible to summon the Nine-Tails under their watchful eyes.
This was absurd!
Since summoning was out of the question, he decided on another approach: all-out attack.
