Urashiki gripped his crimson fishing rod.
His Byakugan shifted—
Dark red rippled outward.
Six tomoe bloomed within the Rinnegan.
A portal of Yomotsu Hirasaka tore open in space.
"Not so fast."
Obito's twin Mangekyō synchronized with the spatial distortion. Kamui resonated against Yomotsu Hirasaka itself.
With a twist of space—
Obito and Kaze landed upon shattered ruins.
The desolate remains of the Land of Izumo.
The very battlefield where Akira -had fought Momoshiki and the Five Kage.
Urashiki's expression darkened.
He opened Yomotsu Hirasaka again—
This time they emerged upon endless scorched dunes.
A blazing desert under a merciless sky.
"Kaguya's desert dimension…" Obito murmured. "As expected of Yomotsu Hirasaka. Crossing such distances effortlessly."
Urashiki settled atop a sand dune, rod resting across his shoulder.
He did not open another portal.
"Not running anymore?" Obito asked.
A cold laugh answered him.
The one Urashiki truly feared—
Was Uchiha Akira.
The instant Obito had crushed Uratarō's head with Kamui, Urashiki understood.
Akira -had known.
Known he lived.
Known he possessed Hyūga Tarō.
Akira -had deliberately sent Obito to force Kāma's resurrection trigger.
Just like in the "past," when Akira -had killed him once already.
Urashiki's thoughts were razor-sharp.
He used Izumo as a springboard—
Then leapt to this distant desert dimension.
Even if Akira -could open space with the Rinnegan—
That required knowing where he was.
By forcing Obito to follow instantly, Urashiki relied on dimensional separation to block any chance of Obito relaying information.
As long as Akira -didn't appear—
This wasn't despair.
Of course—
Urashiki did not know Akira -had already delegated everything to Obito.
He switched back to Byakugan.
His gaze locked onto Kaze.
"So that's it…"
"Akira -intends to corner me—then force me to implant Kāma into that brat."
Obito didn't deny it.
"At least you'd live. Not a bad deal."
Urashiki sneered.
"Live under Akira's surveillance?"
"I'm Ōtsutsuki Urashiki."
"My fate is mine—not Akira's."
His rod snapped forward.
— Ama-no-Sumika Ryūsei-mei!
Hundreds of scarlet hooks spun like a storm.
Obito pressed his hand against Kaze's shoulder.
Kamui intangibility activated.
The hooks passed cleanly through them—
Buried deep into the dunes behind.
Urashiki observed calmly.
Obito's right-eye Kamui granted intangibility—
Even sharing it with those he touched.
As an Edo Tensei body, Obito's chakra replenished automatically.
In theory, he could phase indefinitely.
But—
The boy was alive.
And this desert was merciless.
Already, sweat dripped down Kaze's face.
Five minutes.
Perhaps less before dehydration set in.
Urashiki smiled faintly.
So long as he stalled—
The desert itself would defeat them.
Obito glanced sideways.
"I can send you to my Kamui space. This heat will kill you."
Kaze shook his head, eyes blazing.
"No."
"Urashiki has powerful error tolerance too."
"If neither of you can decisively defeat the other…"
"A third variable is necessary."
His eyes shifted—
Mangekyō Sharingan spinning into being.
Obito froze.
"You've already reached this stage…?"
Urashiki narrowed his gaze.
"Mangekyō, huh."
"Fine. So waiting it out won't work."
He reached into the crimson gourd at his waist.
A palm-sized brown chakra flame drifted into his hand.
Gaara's chakra.
He crushed it into form.
Outside this dimension—
Even amplified, its power was limited.
But here?
In a desert dimension?
The scale was different.
"You humans who mock me as the shame of Ōtsutsuki…"
"Open your eyes."
"Witness my true power!"
— Ama-no-Sumika: Quicksand Cataclysm!
The desert exploded.
An ocean of sand rose and roared—
A colossal sandfall devouring everything.
Obito's lips curved.
"So that's Gaara's ability… weaponized."
"Good."
"Now I have reason to stand here."
His voice lowered.
"Rin. Watch me."
"Uchiha Obito—burned to ash and reborn."
"With resolve beyond that of a Hokage."
"I will not fall again."
A towering azure Susanoo erupted into existence.
Fully formed.
Majestic.
Crackling black lightning gathered in its right palm—
Dense. Violent.
As the sand sea crashed down—
Obito thrust forward.
— Kamui Raikiri!
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