Chapter 232: Chapter 232

Mid-fight, Kakashi suddenly halted and pulled back.

His gaze shifted behind him, brows knitting together.

“What’s wrong, Kakashi?”

Kitazawa instinctively tightened his grip on Zangetsu.

“I feel like we’re being watched,” Kakashi said, voice low and heavy.

Kitazawa’s heart skipped a beat.

Obito?

Who else could it be? No one else had reason to spy on him and Kakashi.

Then came the voice of the system:

As a future Hokage, you must repel strong enemies.

Current Mission: Drive away Obito Uchiha.

Reward: Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

Do you accept?

Kitazawa blinked in shock.

He had assumed he would only receive the Three-Tomoe Sharingan once he helped Sasuke awaken his own. That would have been too late… but this? This was unexpected—and perfect.

Without hesitation, he accepted.

A bonus windfall.

Especially since Kakashi had already sensed Obito. A clash was inevitable. And the system’s choice of wording—drive away, not defeat or kill—was telling. It didn’t believe Obito could be killed here.

Which was true.

Obito wasn’t just another enemy. He was one of the great antagonists of the original story—his advantages nearly on par with Sasuke and Naruto themselves.

Kamui alone was broken enough. Add in Hashirama’s cells, giving him stamina to spam it, and the reality-bending cheat of Izanagi… he was practically untouchable.

In the distance, White Zetsu tilted his head, smirking.

“Kakashi’s noticed. What now? Planning a tearful reunion with your old teammate?”

Obito’s chakra had slipped for only an instant, his emotions spiking—but that was enough. He didn’t bother denying it.

“Harmless,” he muttered.

“Are you going to reveal yourself, Obito?” Zetsu pressed.

“I am Madara Uchiha now,” Obito snapped, glaring.

“Lord Madara, then—shall we leave?” Zetsu backpedaled instantly.

“Leave? That’s not Madara Uchiha’s style.” A flicker of excitement lit Obito’s eye. “Why not announce my return to Konoha with thunder and flame?”

“Don’t forget the Moon’s Eye Plan,” Zetsu reminded smoothly.

“How dull.” Obito’s lip curled. “Then at least let me test how far Kakashi has come.”

“Come out!” Kakashi’s sharp voice cut through the air.

A shadow stepped into view.

Obito’s voice, cold and mocking, rang out. “Who are you?”

Kakashi studied the swirling orange mask carefully.

“It’s been too long since I returned to Konoha. The younger generation… is truly disappointing,” Obito sneered.

Playing games again.

Kakashi lunged without hesitation, his blade thrusting forward.

Obito didn’t even move.

Confused but committed, Kakashi followed through—only to watch his blade slip straight through Obito’s body.

His eye widened in shock.

“That all you’ve got?” Obito’s foot lashed out, slamming into Kakashi. The force drove him back, though he caught himself with a guarded block.

Obito flicked his wrist. From nowhere, kunai and shuriken erupted in a storm, hurtling toward Kakashi.

“Uchiha Style: Raging Wind Sword!”

Kitazawa blurred into place in front of him, Zangetsu already raised. The blade thrummed violently, heat surging through it. A massive arc of flame roared outward, scattering the barrage.

“Kakashi, be careful,” Kitazawa warned.

Obito’s gaze slid to him, dismissive. “So this is your new teammate? Hmph. Doesn’t look like much.”

Kakashi’s eye narrowed. “You know me?”

The phrasing—new teammate—stabbed at old wounds. Rin. Obito. The memories Kakashi never let himself dwell on.

Kitazawa, already aware of Obito’s identity, caught the hidden barb immediately.

“No,” Obito said flatly. “I only heard that you killed your own comrade.”

Lightning flared violently. Kakashi’s Sharingan whirled, his chakra condensing into a blade of raw lightning.

“Lightning Release: Raikiri!”

He flashed forward, a streak of speed and killing intent—

And pierced nothing.

Again, his attack passed harmlessly through Obito.

A chain shot from Obito’s sleeve, wrapping around Kakashi before he could react.

“Tch—!” Kakashi immediately cut with his Lightning Blade, but the chain didn’t so much as tremble.

Obito raised his arm, ready to gloat—

But Kitazawa was already weaving seals. A water dragon roared into existence, crashing toward them.

Obito smirked, yanking the chain to drag Kakashi into its path—

Only for the dragon to swerve unnaturally, twisting around Kakashi and hurtling straight for him.

“Water Release? Barely worth my time.” Two massive shuriken tore free from his Kamui space, slicing the dragon apart.

Kakashi burst free from the chain in the chaos, his blade flashing white. He lunged for Obito’s throat.

The chain whipped back to intercept, steel clashing.

Kitazawa’s seals snapped into completion. “Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Crimson!”

Shuriken ignited with flames, raining down in a blazing storm.

Kakashi’s blade twisted, angling suddenly for Obito’s mask—

“A wasted effort,” Obito muttered. His body flickered intangible again, ignoring both steel and fire.

Kakashi slid back, regrouping beside Kitazawa.

“This is a Space–Time ninjutsu,” Kitazawa said grimly.

Kamui. Intangibility for up to five minutes. Untouchable… yet unable to strike until he solidified.

That was the window.

“Mhm,” Kakashi nodded, recalling Minato-sensei’s mastery of the Flying Thunder God. “Did you notice anything else?”

Kitazawa’s eyes sharpened. “We strike when he strikes.”

Kakashi blinked. He hadn’t expected Kitazawa to see so clearly.

“I’ll draw him out. You wait for the opening,” Kitazawa said.

“You sure?” Kakashi asked. “I can lead instead—”

“You have the Sharingan. You’ll see the chance better than me. Besides…” Kitazawa’s lips quirked. “We’re in Konoha. Once this fight escalates, reinforcements will come.”

Obito’s voice cut across them, disdain dripping from it. “Plotting right in front of me? Pathetic.”

Kitazawa’s chakra surged, Senju power flooding his body. No outward change gave him away—unlike Lightning Release Chakra Mode’s visible arcs of electricity. To Kakashi, it was only proof that this Academy teacher still hid depths unseen.

There were two ways to deal with Kamui.

One—like Minato. Catch Obito the instant he turned tangible to attack.

Two—like Konan. Force him out by making intangibility unsustainable.

Kitazawa’s eyes burned with resolve.

“Then we’ll see which way works best.”

Kitazawa intended to use both strategies.

With Senju Chakra Mode, he could partially mimic Konan’s relentless pressure.

That was why he insisted on leading the assault.

Three minutes of Senju Chakra Mode might sound short, but three minutes was enough. Enough for reinforcements from Konoha to arrive.

“Fire Release: Great Fireball”

His hands blurred through seals—faster than before. In the next instant, a massive fireball surged from his mouth.

Obito’s lone eye narrowed.

His hand signs… why so fast all of a sudden?

Before he could dwell on it, he used Body Flicker, slipping past the fireball. But as his feet touched the ground, another roar filled his ears.

A water dragon came crashing in.

Tch—again?

Obito twisted, letting the beast phase through him. But no sooner had it passed than a flaming shuriken followed.

Then another jutsu. And another.

Kakashi, keeping pace, found himself stunned.

His speed… his seals are faster than mine?

There was no time to question it. He threw himself back into the fight, coordinating seamlessly with Kitazawa. Alone, their plan would have been obvious. Together, it became a storm.

Obito gritted his teeth.

Their rhythm left him no opening. He had no chance to weave his own jutsu—only relying on Kamui’s intangibility while dodging.

If this kept up, five minutes would run out.

And then—he would be forced to materialize. Even if only for an instant, under this barrage, he would take a hit.

More than that—it was humiliating. To be driven into such a state by these two…

Still, Obito refused to believe they’d uncovered Kamui’s weakness.

Coincidence, he thought coldly. Luck and teamwork, nothing more.

His eye flared scarlet.

“Enough.”

Time seemed to slow for Kitazawa and Kakashi as Obito surged forward, dropping intangibility.

“Wood Release: Cutting Sprigs Jutsu!”

Branches exploded from the ground, spearing outward like a forest of blades.

“Wood Release?!”

Kakashi froze for a split-second—just long enough for the branches to impale his side.

Obito smirked. As expected. No Konoha shinobi can stay calm at the sight of Wood Release.

But in the blink of an eye, Kitazawa’s body crumbled into mud.

“What—?!”

His eyes darted. Kakashi vanished with a bang.

“Shadow Clone?!”

Obito’s composure cracked.

A flash of lightning split the night.

Before he could phase again, killing intent slammed into him from behind.

No—too late!

“Raikiri!”

Kakashi’s strike severed Obito’s left arm cleanly, then drove straight through his torso.

Blood sprayed violently as Obito choked out a ragged breath.

For a brief, bitter instant—he saw himself as Rin must have seen him.

Kitazawa lunged in to finish the job—but suddenly, pale white growths sprouted across his body like cotton.

“White Zetsu’s Spore Technique…”

Kitazawa reacted instantly, abandoning Obito and forming seals.

The spores latched tight, feeding on his chakra while trying to smother him. Fragile, yes, but insidious—nearly invisible until triggered. Even the Fifth Mizukage had fallen victim once.

But Kitazawa had no intention of brute-forcing it.

“Sealing Technique—Evil Sealing Method!”

Cursed black markings spread across the spores, freezing them mid-expansion.

Half a Zetsu—gift-wrapped. Too valuable to waste.

Meanwhile, Obito phased, body twisting into Kamui’s void. Mortally wounded but unreachable, he vanished without a word.

The spores on Kitazawa went limp, powerless.

Satisfied, he sealed them into a storage scroll.

Then his eyes fell on the ground.

Obito’s severed arm.

His lips curved faintly. Another prize. He stored that too.

Kakashi, however, stood rooted, staring at the bloodied dirt.

“Why are you zoning out?” Kitazawa asked lightly as he closed the scroll. “That guy has space–time ninjutsu. Of course we couldn’t hold him.”

“That’s not it,” Kakashi muttered, frowning. “His eyes… they felt familiar.”

Kitazawa smiled faintly. “It was the Sharingan. No wonder it felt familiar.”

Relief washed over him. Obito was gone—badly wounded, unlikely to resurface for years. Which meant no secret meeting with Itachi. No Uchiha massacre.

Sudden, yes. But logical. If Obito came to Konoha, of course he’d seek out Kakashi.

Kakashi shook his head. “Not just the Sharingan… Never mind. We should see Hokage-sama immediately.”

The appearance of Sharingan and Wood Release together—if word spread, the village would be shaken to its core.

“Kitazawa! Kakashi!”

Kosuke finally arrived, panting. “What in the world happened here?”

He wasn’t truly late—the battle had ended too fast. Earlier, the commotion was small enough that he mistook it for a sparring match. Only when the clash grew too fierce did he rush over.

“Nothing,” Kitazawa said smoothly. “Just sparring.”

He added with a smile, “Kosuke-senpai, you should get back to your class.”

“…Alright.” Though confused, Kosuke left, relieved both were unharmed.

Kitazawa watched him go, then muttered, “The fewer who know, the better.”

“Agreed,” Kakashi nodded. For Kosuke’s own protection, secrecy was necessary.

“Want that severed arm?” Kitazawa asked casually.

Kakashi’s expression didn’t waver. “No.”

“Then let’s go.” Kitazawa’s tone hardened. “Hokage-sama must hear of this.”

Together, they hurried to the Hokage Building.

Hiruzen looked up, eyebrows rising. “It’s rare to see you two together.”

“Hokage-sama,” Kakashi said gravely, “a masked man attacked us at the Academy.”

“What? Someone infiltrated Konoha?!” Hiruzen’s face darkened. “Where is he now? Did you capture him?”

Their presence here proved they had survived. But if they failed to capture the intruder…

“No,” Kakashi admitted. “We couldn’t stop him from escaping.”

“Even with your strength?” Hiruzen frowned deeply. Kitazawa and Kakashi were both elite Jonin. Anyone who slipped through them was no ordinary foe.

He was already piecing it together—the jutsu used, the mask…

But Kakashi’s next words froze him.

“He had space–time ninjutsu. And he wielded both Sharingan… and Wood Release.”

“What did you say?!”

Hiruzen surged to his feet, disbelief etched across his face.

Wood Release and Sharingan. Together.

Impossible. Unthinkable.

Unless…

One name rose unbidden in his mind.

Danzo Shimura.

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