Shinichi's gaze did not linger on Obito for long.
Kamui was troublesome, no doubt. But in the end, it was just an evasive technique. Setting aside this ocular jutsu, Obito's strength wasn't even enough to give Shinichi a proper challenge.
What truly caught Shinichi's attention was the plant-like humanoid creature in front of him.
Especially... Black Zetsu.
The ultimate filial son of the ninja world—!
'Mayfly. A near-perfect fusion with the earth and plants...'
'If he hadn't shown himself on his own, even my Sage Mode senses would have struggled to find him!'
This hiding ability was no joke. It was the very skill Black Zetsu had used to scheme in the shadows for a thousand years.
Obito noticed where Shinichi's gaze had landed. His brow furrowed under the mask.
His opponent was completely ignoring him... paying more attention to Zetsu instead?
That was a bitter pill to swallow.
"Tejima Shinichi."
Obito spoke again. He deliberately dropped his voice a few octaves lower, still mimicking Madara.
"You took Kisame's head. That means you must have seen some of the organization's secrets. You understand the outline of the Eye of the Moon Plan... and you know I exist."
He lifted his chin slightly, trying to seize control of the conversation and pull Shinichi's attention back from Zetsu.
"Then you should know what kind of being stands before you. The Konoha you serve, the peace you hold so dear... they're nothing but fleeting dust before the new world to come."
"Hmph! It seems you've worn this identity for so long you've forgotten who you truly are!"
Shinichi looked at the masked man, who was completely lost in his Uchiha Madara persona. He gave a cold snort.
"In that case..." He slowly raised his right arm, spreading his fingers and aiming straight at Obito. "...let me help you remember!"
Before his voice even faded...
"Wood Release: Great Forest Technique!"
Under his right sleeve, his skin instantly hardened into wood. Thick branches exploded forward, stabbing straight at Obito.
Seeing the incoming Wood Release, Obito's lips curled into a smirk beneath his mask.
'Perfect. My goal's achieved.'
The enemy had finally taken the bait, locking his attack onto him. Now was the time to assert the deterrent power of his "Uchiha Madara" identity.
By using Kamui's invincible power to simply walk through his enemy's strongest attack, he'd crush his fighting spirit completely.
"...Pointless."
Obito didn't dodge. He didn't even move. He let the wooden spikes pass harmlessly through his intangible body.
"None of your attacks can touch me. This is the gap in our power..."
He stopped mid-sentence.
The moment the wooden branches passed through his body and emerged behind his back, they suddenly twisted violently through the air!
The tips of the spikes suddenly changed direction.
Their real target... Black and White Zetsu!
"What?!" White Zetsu cried out in alarm.
Black Zetsu's yellow eyes widened in shock.
The attack was too fast, too sudden. It completely shattered their sense of safety as mere "observers."
Realizing they couldn't dodge in time, White Zetsu slapped the ground and used his own Wood Release.
Several thick tree trunks rose from the earth, barricading their front.
Boom!
The vines slammed into the defensive trunks. Wood splinters flew everywhere. Using that brief moment of cover, Black Zetsu didn't hesitate.
"Mayfly...Activate!"
The ground rippled like the surface of water. In the next instant, their figures sank into the earth and vanished. All that remained were a few shattered, ugly stumps and drifting wood chips.
Obito's expression turned grim. This sudden twist gave him a bad feeling.
It seemed... his opponent knew his abilities inside and out.
Seeing the attack miss, Shinichi narrowed his eyes slightly.
'As expected. A failure.'
He understood the situation. Black Zetsu's hiding and escape abilities were exactly what had kept him alive for a thousand years.
Killing him in one shot was never likely. This was just a test run, a way to see how fast he could evade.
In a flash of thought, Shinichi shook his right arm. The wooden vines attached to his arm snapped clean off at the base.
The moment the falling wood debris blocked Obito's vision...
Shinichi stomped his foot.
The ground exploded beneath him as he charged straight at Obito, who had just deactivated his intangibility with a sour look on his face.
Mid-sprint, Shinichi's free left hand was already raised, palm up.
Violent chakra rushed toward his palm.
A deep blue chakra sphere, easily over two meters wide, took shape in an instant. The air across its surface rotated and howled with savage force.
"Wind Release: Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan!"
In the brief moment it took to close the distance, the terrifying jutsu was complete.
Holding the massive sphere in one hand, Shinichi pressed it down toward Obito's head with overwhelming force.
The deep blue light and churning air instantly swallowed Obito's figure and the space around him.
Obito gasped under his mask.
The Mangekyo Sharingan in his right eye spun wildly.
Kamui!
The roaring, massive Rasengan passed right through his body without a scratch. It slammed into the earth behind him, carving out a huge spherical crater. Dirt and debris flew into the air, torn apart by violent wind blades.
But Obito himself remained completely unharmed.
Shinichi held his pose, pushing the Rasengan forward while effectively staying "inside" Obito's intangible body.
For a moment, both sides were locked in a perfect stalemate.
One maintained a terrifying jutsu capable of destroying everything in its path, while the other maintained an invincible state of absolute evasion.
Staring at the Ultra-Ball Rasengan that had completely engulfed his form, Obito's expression shifted drastically beneath the mask.
The chakra consumption required to maintain a jutsu of this scale was enormous. Yet, Shinichi still chose to hold the stalemate instead of pulling back or switching tactics.
There was only one explanation.
The weakness of Kamui...the flaw had been exposed!
Shinichi wasn't wasting chakra for nothing. He was forcing Obito's hand, waiting for the exact moment Obito would have to drop his intangibility!
A sharp chill ran down Obito's spine. Behind the mask, his Mangekyo Sharingan stared fixedly at Shinichi's calm face. Red veins spread across Obito's sclera.
"You..."
Obito's voice had completely lost the calm arrogance of his Madara act. He spoke in absolute, horrified anger.
"You know the secret of my Mangekyo?!"
Upto 30 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/Viki2