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Mastermind of the Akatsuki 433
🕑 Added 2025-07-08 16:00:02 +0000 UTCChapter 433: “The Death of Byakuya”
The Five Kage would need more than ten minutes to recover their combat ability, but Nagato clearly couldn’t hold out that long.
While Nagato had power at the super-Kage level, he was among the weaker of that tier. In both innate talent and combat experience, he was far inferior to Madara Uchiha. Even with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path as support, he could barely fend off Madara’s attacks.
If the battle continued, defeat for Nagato was only a matter of time.
Yahiko and Konan saw the dire situation Nagato was in and wanted to step in to assist, but they too had been severely injured in the earlier fight and needed Tsunade’s healing.
Sighing, they both murmured, “If only there were a way to bring Byakuya back from the alternate dimension. If Byakuya and Nagato joined forces, they could definitely take down Madara Uchiha.”
Upon hearing this, Kakashi became more alert. He approached Yahiko and said, “Even if Byakuya returns to the shinobi world, can we really defeat Madara and the masked man?”
Yahiko nodded and then asked, “Kakashi, do you have a way into the alternate dimension?”
Kakashi gave no direct answer. He drew a kunai and headed straight toward the masked man. Obito also noticed Kakashi approaching, and the two moved toward each other.
When Kakashi drew near, Obito sneered, “Kakashi, are you here to die? Do you really think your Sharingan can match a Mangekyō? If you’re so eager to die, I can oblige.”
Taking a deep breath, Kakashi replied, “I came to stop you. I don’t want to see my friend continue down the wrong path, putting faith in a hollow illusion like the Infinite Tsukuyomi.”
“Who’s your friend?”
Obito’s expression darkened, and he immediately denied it, “Don’t flatter yourself, Kakashi. Your friend died in the Land of Grass more than ten years ago. The man standing here is just the Masked Man.”
Kakashi gave a bitter laugh and said, “So be it. I’ll consider him dead. But even if your mouth can lie, this Sharingan cannot.”
With that, Kakashi activated Kamui, twisting a vortex in the air.
Through the vortex, the Kamui space could be seen faintly. Inside, Byakuya was in a fierce battle with numerous reanimated shinobi. In order to defeat these immortal opponents, Byakuya had paid a heavy price.
At that moment, Byakuya seemed to notice the vortex and rushed toward it.
Obito’s expression shifted drastically. He lunged at Kakashi, instantly forming his Wood Release: Cutting Technique. A barrage of sharpened wooden spikes rained down.
He had confidence in defeating Kakashi, but Byakuya was another story entirely.
If not for sealing Byakuya in the Kamui space and using the reanimated shinobi to hold him back, Obito wouldn’t stand a chance. And now, Kakashi was trying to undo all of that.
Faced with the rain of wooden spikes, Kakashi remained calm. He used Kamui to transfer the technique into the alternate space, perfectly evading the attack. Then, forming hand signs, lightning flared in his palm.
It was Raikiri, Kakashi’s signature jutsu. He was now fighting seriously.
Before unleashing Raikiri, Kakashi spoke once more, “Obito, are you still going to hide your identity? If you turn back now and fight against Madara, I can plead on your behalf.”
“Plead for me?”
Obito laughed coldly, as if he had heard something utterly ridiculous. He slowly removed his mask, revealing a twisted face and eyes locked firmly onto Kakashi.
“Kakashi, I really don’t want to kill you, but you keep pushing your luck. I’ve killed more than a few Kage-level shinobi over the years. Do you think the reason you’re still alive after killing Rin and taking my eye was luck?”
Kakashi’s expression darkened as well.
“Rin died to protect the village, and it was her choice… And besides, who kills whom hasn’t been decided yet. As your friend, I have to pull you back from this path. I won’t let you destroy the world.”
“You think I’m destroying the world?”
Obito chuckled and replied bluntly, “You can think of it that way. But I prefer to call it a New World. A world with you, and with Rin. The real world is nothing more than an eternal purgatory.”
By the end, Obito’s voice had nearly turned deranged.
So his goal really was Rin… Kakashi sighed softly. He no longer knew how to convince this twisted friend, but one thing was absolutely clear: he had to get Byakuya out of Kamui space.
If Byakuya couldn’t be freed, no one would be able to defeat Madara.
Activating his Sharingan once more, Kakashi created another vortex to connect to the Kamui space.
His eye ached intensely, his vision blurred, likely the aftereffects of using the Mangekyō Sharingan. He wondered how Obito managed to avoid the same decline.
As Kakashi attempted the rescue, Obito once again interfered. Under his interference, the vortex only lasted two to three seconds before collapsing.
---
Inside Kamui Space
After finishing off the reanimated shinobi, Byakuya glanced up at the void overhead.
Defeating those resurrected ninja hadn’t been difficult. The real issue was how to get out.
He could use the version of Kamui he had recorded to escape, but doing so would expose his Mangekyō, something he wasn’t ready for yet.
Besides, if he wanted to maximize the benefits from this Fourth Great Ninja War, he couldn’t afford to win right now.
He needed to withdraw at the perfect moment, allowing Madara, Obito, Naruto, and Sasuke to all grow stronger. In his mind, a vague plan was already taking shape.
Thinking quickly, Byakuya adopted a tragic persona for himself, an undercover operative trying to save the Allied Shinobi Forces, but who had fallen victim to the Masked Man’s schemes.
Forming hand seals and gasping for breath, Byakuya raced through the Kamui space, searching for the fleeting exit he had glimpsed earlier.
He had once thought he might be trapped here forever, but now realized someone other than Obito could also connect to this dimension.
Once he understood that, he began waiting for the vortex to reappear.
Unfortunately, the vortexes were short-lived, and he couldn’t grasp their timing. All he could do was wait patiently and look for a proper moment.
After several attempts, Byakuya finally found his chance and leapt into the vortex.
Just as he was about to escape, the vortex abruptly vanished. Most of his body was caught in the spatial turbulence.
Enduring the chaotic currents with his resilient body, Byakuya ultimately managed to return to the shinobi world.
However, the spatial turbulence had left his body covered in countless tiny wounds, some even affecting his internal organs.
If he hadn’t mastered medical ninjutsu, these hidden injuries alone could’ve been fatal.
After escaping from Kamui space, Byakuya cast healing ninjutsu while walking toward Obito.
“Masked man, I forced my way out of Kamui space. Your subordinates weren’t all that impressive, certainly no match for the space-time turbulence in there.”
Obito’s expression changed slightly but he still forced a calm tone.
“Byakuya, after so many intense battles, how much chakra do you have left? Are you really still my opponent?”
Byakuya's gaze flickered, as if avoiding something. Obito noticed the shift in his eyes, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. But even so, he was hesitant to test Byakuya, as he couldn’t ignore the psychological shadow Byakuya had cast on him.
Even now, with Byakuya heavily injured, Obito didn’t dare act recklessly and maintained a considerable distance.
Just as the two were locked in a standoff, a figure appeared beneath Byakuya.
With the sound of a blade piercing flesh, Byakuya’s body was run through. Given his physical durability, he could survive even a direct hit from a Tailed Beast Bomb, yet this time he was pierced like an ordinary shinobi.
The reason was simple. A ninja can strengthen their body through training, but ultimately, it's chakra that reinforces the flesh.
After several fierce battles, most of the chakra in Byakuya’s body had been depleted. His body had lost its chakra protection.
Turning his head with great difficulty, Byakuya saw the ninja who attacked him.
“Why, Black Zetsu-sama? Aren’t we on the same side?”
Staring in disbelief at the attacker, Byakuya said, “Aren’t the masked man and Madara Uchiha your enemies? Didn’t we agree to rebuild Uzushiogakure together?”
Black Zetsu slowly pulled out the blade, his face devoid of emotion.
“Byakuya, I’ve served Madara-sama from the beginning. Getting close to you was his command. You were just too naïve to trust me.”
Byakuya’s eyes widened in realization, his expression filled with regret.
Then he suddenly thought of something and asked, “One more thing… what weapon did you use to attack me? Why can’t my body regenerate?”
Black Zetsu smiled faintly.
“Of course, it was a black rod. You’ve always liked using black rods to control enemies. Now you get to taste one yourself. How does it feel?”
Then he turned to Obito and said, “Obito-sama, Byakuya has lost his combat ability. Should we finish off Kakashi now, or go support Madara-sama?”
Obito looked at Byakuya with a trace of pity, then glanced toward Kakashi nearby.
“Let’s go support Madara first. Once I become the Jinchūriki of the Ten Tails, I’ll be able to crush him with one hand.”
Before finishing his sentence, Obito formed hand seals and cast Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu. The massive fireball engulfed Byakuya’s body. With no chakra left to even mold a defense, Byakuya had no way to resist and was swallowed by the flames.
After eliminating the formidable Byakuya, Obito headed in Nagato’s direction. But his mind kept replaying the many moments he had clashed with Byakuya, and a strange sense of relief spread in his heart.
From their first encounter, Obito had always been beneath Byakuya, suppressed in every way. After inheriting Madara’s identity and donning the mask, he thought he had become a nightmare, but it was Byakuya who turned him into one.
Byakuya not only surpassed him in strength but also in strategy, rendering him a mere clown on more than one occasion.
And yet, no matter how brilliant Byakuya was, he couldn’t escape Black Zetsu’s betrayal.
Black Zetsu had been placed at Byakuya’s side by Obito, which meant that everything Byakuya had worked for ultimately benefited Obito. If not for Byakuya’s relentless efforts over the years, their hunt for the Tailed Beasts wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.
Kakashi, left behind, was about to give chase, but was blocked by Aoba (Oba), one of the most unique among the 100,000 White Zetsu.
By attaching to an elite jōnin, Aoba had gained combat strength rivaling a Kage. Even Kakashi couldn’t easily break through his defense.
Glancing at Aoba, then at the place where Byakuya had vanished, Kakashi felt deeply conflicted.
He couldn’t accept that Byakuya was truly dead. How could someone so powerful die from a mere Fireball Jutsu? But he had witnessed it himself, and he could no longer sense Byakuya’s chakra.
After some hesitation, Kakashi returned to the Allied Shinobi Forces’ base and reported everything he saw.
When the high command heard that Byakuya was dead, their eyes widened in disbelief. They couldn’t accept Kakashi’s words, nor could they believe Byakuya had fallen.
Byakuya had been powerful enough to contend with Madara Uchiha. How could he die so easily?
But while intelligence can lie, the results of battle cannot. Nagato was now being attacked by both Madara and Obito. Obito had even begun using his intangibility again, something he would never dare if Byakuya were alive.
There was no time for the Allied Forces to be shocked. Kakashi dropped another bombshell, speaking with a complex expression.
“There’s one more thing. I’ve confirmed the masked man’s identity. He’s my former teammate, Obito Uchiha.”
“The masked man is Madara Uchiha?” The higher-ups didn’t react much. They were unfamiliar with the name “Obito.”
But Might Guy was visibly agitated.
“Kakashi, you said the masked man is Obito? Wasn’t he the bottom of our class? How could he be that guy?”
The Fourth Raikage seemed to recall something.
“Kakashi, if Obito was your teammate… then he was also the Fourth Hokage’s disciple. And the Fourth Hokage died at the hands of his own student…”
At those words, both Kakashi and Tsunade fell into silence.
The death of the Fourth Hokage had been a tragic turning point for Konoha. Ever since, the village’s situation had only gone downhill.
Far off on a cliff, the First Hokage and the others were observing the events below.
Not sensing Byakuya’s chakra anymore, Hashirama frowned.
“That’s strange. Has that ninja named Byakuya really died? I can’t feel his chakra anymore.”
“Byakuya is dead?” Tobirama was stunned for a moment.
“This might be a trap. He could be trying to deceive Madara Uchiha and the masked man…”
Before he could finish, Tobirama clenched his fists even deeper.
“Strange. His chakra has completely vanished. And his subordinate, who had the Rinnegan, has also been defeated by Madara Uchiha! Could it be that he really lost to the masked man?”
Realizing that his plan to benefit from the chaos had failed, Tobirama’s face darkened.
His plan was to wait until Byakuya and Madara were both severely weakened, then step in to stop them both. But now, with Madara and Obito victorious, they would have to bear the full pressure from Madara Uchiha.
Even more disturbed were Shisui and Kabuto.
To them, Byakuya held special significance. His death was like a bolt from the blue, throwing their vision of the future into doubt.
But… would Byakuya-sama really die so easily?
A seed of suspicion had already been planted in their hearts.
