NOVEL NEXT Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Retreat
"Let's see if your strength matches that big mouth of yours, boy!" Obito sneered, a dark fury rising within him, his tone icy.
"Haha…" Akira laughed mockingly. "If you were truly Madara Uchiha, or had even a fraction of his power, would you really waste time on all this chatter with me?"
"You'll see my power soon enough!" Obito's eyes narrowed as he swiftly formed a series of hand signs.
"Fire Release: Blast Wave Wild Dance!"
With Kamui's space-warping power, Obito's fire jutsu merged into a swirling vortex, twisting space itself. A raging, spiraling inferno burst from his mouth, flames twisting in the storm's spiral, forming an enormous cyclone of fire that rushed toward Akira.
Akira, however, had no intention of meeting Obito's attack head-on. Though his battle with the Deva Path had been brief, controlling heavenly lightning had drained a significant amount of his chakra and energy. Engaging Obito now wasn't necessary.
After acquiring Madara's full legacy and donning the mask of Tobi, Obito had become an even more formidable foe than Pain. His ability to wield Wood Release had been augmented by Mangekyo Sharingan, reaching levels that were difficult to gauge. Judging by Yamato's abilities in the original story, Obito's Wood Release was at least on par with Yamato's enhanced capabilities, making him a formidable opponent—one Akira could not easily counter.
In terms of defense, Obito barely needed any. His Kamui was his strongest shield, making it clear that Akira's plan was never to face Obito head-on.
A flash of lightning crackled across the ravaged battlefield as Akira's figure reappeared dozens of meters away.
"Tch…" Obito scowled, frustrated. He quickly realized Akira had no intention of direct confrontation.
A low rumble echoed from the sky, and the clouds, dispersed moments earlier by an explosion, began to gather once more. Thunderheads thickened, lightning flickering in the dense clouds.
"Damn it," Obito cursed internally. "In this Rain Country weather, even if I go all out, I might not be able to take him down."
Akira stood silently, rain pouring over him, watching Obito carefully without making a move. The two stood in a tense standoff until a pale White Zetsu emerged from the ground.
"Lord Madara," the Zetsu clone addressed Obito, "Nagato needs you to help bring the Deva Path back."
Obito's expression was unreadable as he gave a slight nod. The Animal Path and its summoned beasts had already been reduced to ash under Akira's attacks.
"Fine. For now, we'll pull back. Under the current conditions in Rain Country, Akira's power has reached frightening levels. Even I can't take him down easily," Obito thought, his eyes flashing red as he vanished from sight.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared next to the charred Deva Path. Before Akira could react, both Obito and the Deva Path had vanished into thin air.
Kamui's activation speed was nearly instantaneous, with no delay or rippling effect like a stone disturbing water. Not even Karin, with her sensory abilities, could detect Kamui's movement. The technique was simply too swift, appearing and disappearing in a flash.
Obito, completely unconcerned about his safety at this point, used Kamui without restraint. There was no technique in the entire shinobi world that could counter such a swift and precise space-time jutsu.
After Obito disappeared from the battlefield, Akira did not relax his guard. He knew Obito's nature well enough to suspect he might return with a surprise attack.
Meanwhile, several kilometers away, Obito and the charred Deva Path reappeared in front of Nagato and Konan. Seeing the scorched body of Yahiko, Nagato's face twisted with guilt. He looked toward Obito.
"Thank you, Madara. Without you…this might've gone very differently."
Obito merely nodded in acknowledgment, scrutinizing Nagato briefly before speaking.
"You were too careless this time. Don't let your guard down again. You've yet to fully harness the power of the Rinnegan."
"Yes, I understand," Nagato replied, bowing slightly. He seemed to lose some of his previous confidence as he humbled himself before Obito.
"Be vigilant from now on. Things in Rain Country are about to heat up. Konoha won't take this lying down," Obito warned, casting a sidelong glance at both Nagato and Konan. "It would be wise to secure control over Rain Country quickly, otherwise, Hanzō will undoubtedly side with Konoha."
Nagato fell silent for a moment before finally responding. "We'll handle Hanzō soon."
Nagato then turned to Obito. "By the way, Madara, the lightning jutsu Akira used earlier was incredibly powerful. Is the Gedo Statue alright?"
Obito waved dismissively. "The Gedo Statue is fine. After sealing the Six-Tails, it's slowly recovering. The damage from the lightning attack will heal soon."
Nagato looked at him, uncertain. "Why didn't you take down Akira? With your Wood Release, he shouldn't have stood a chance."
Nagato's question echoed a memory of when he, overconfident with his newly created Deva Path, had once challenged 'Madara.' Obito had crushed him with a single, massive wooden statue, a sight Nagato would never forget.
"In Rain Country, the weather works in Akira's favor," Obito replied calmly. "Judging from his chakra reserves, he still has energy to harness the storm and unleash more lightning-style jutsu. My true abilities should remain hidden for now, it's not yet time."
Elsewhere, over ten minutes passed, and Obito showed no signs of returning. He seemed to have genuinely left. Akira finally let out a slight sigh of relief, though he remained vigilant, cautious of any surprise attacks.
With his guard raised, he wielded his ninja blade, carefully scanning the battlefield.
Eventually, he paused before a massive, charred log over ten meters long. A flash of bright steel cut through the log, splitting it open to reveal the blackened remains of a withered wooden fragment—part of the Gedo Statue that had broken off under the lightning's wrath.
Akira inspected the branch-like remnants thoughtfully, then stored it in a scroll.
This artifact would undoubtedly prove useful.
----------------
Pls drop some Power Stones
+70 chapters on patreon.com/Jixo