He Took Out That Card

Kakashi watched as the masked man before him slowly turned around.

He understood.

There was no way he could escape now. All he could do was hold out.

And wait for the others to arrive.

"If you really are Uchiha Madara, dealing with me should take no more than an instant." Kakashi spoke slowly. "Are you worried I’ll escape now?"

"Are you trying to find out more about me?"

Obito seemed to have seen through Kakashi’s thoughts, but he had no intention of refusing to answer. In a casual tone, he said, "There’s nothing strange about it. My battle with Hashirama Senju left me seriously injured. The person standing before you now is nothing more than a shell with very little power left. But even so, it’s enough to make you feel despair."

Obito had complete confidence in his own strength.

Even more than ten years ago.

He had already been capable of dealing with a Hokage, let alone now.

Even Pain was no match for him.

It could be said that his current strength might not allow him to accomplish just anything, but in this world, there was likewise no one who could stop him.

Well, except for that mysterious merchant.

Kakashi could hear the confidence in his words.

A shell with very little power could still defeat him so easily?

Kakashi stared intently at him.

He probed, "Even if what you said is true, you’ve experienced despair yourself, haven’t you? Was it the First Hokage who brought it to you?"

"No."

Obito’s hoarse voice seemed to carry endless resentment. "The thing that brought me despair was this world!"

He raised both hands and clapped them together.

Wood Release: Hellish Rampage!

Several thorn-covered trees coiled and surged forth, rushing toward Kakashi in the cramped space.

Not good!

Kakashi abruptly raised his Dragon Head Arm and spewed scorching flames, apparently trying to burn away the thorn-covered trees.

In a barrier like this, dodging was impossible.

Those sharp, densely packed thorns were enough to pierce through or even crush everyone inside.

Kakashi could already imagine it.

If this technique were used in a densely crowded place, what kind of hellish scene would it create?

This guy…

Does he want to kill me?

Doesn’t he want information anymore?

Kakashi struggled to hold them back. Using the Dragon Head Arm consumed a massive amount of Chakra. During his earlier battle with Rasa, his Blue Potion had never been replenished and had long since been completely used up.

Wood Release.

It was considered the strongest Kekkei Genkai!

Even after Kakashi burned away part of it, more and more trees continued to surge forth and coil upward, constantly compressing Kakashi’s living space within the cramped barrier and forcing him back step by step.

Until his back could already feel the scorching heat coming from the barrier.

If he retreated any farther.

Even if he wasn’t pierced by these branches, he would be burned to ashes by the barrier.

"Stop making futile struggles. In a world like this, neither you nor I can stop despair."

Obito looked coldly at this former companion, his heart filled with resentment toward him.

He hated Kakashi for receiving Rin’s love.

He hated him for failing to protect Rin.

He did not actually want to kill Kakashi, but he wanted to see him slowly fall into despair.

Meanwhile.

In Konoha, Minato Namikaze and the others had finally received an urgent message after holding a meeting all night.

"A mysterious man wearing a Swirl Mask abducted a young girl, and Kakashi chased after him?"

Everyone was shocked.

Minato Namikaze immediately stood up and shouted, "The meeting is suspended for now. I’m going to provide support!"

"I’m going too!" Tsunade also abruptly stood up.

It wasn’t only her. Everyone else did the same.

"Wait—" Utatane Koharu spoke up to stop them. "Kakashi chased after him instead of activating the Destiny Stage to leave the intruder behind. That means the intruder isn’t a member. We should be on guard against someone diverting our forces and using a feint to attack elsewhere."

"That’s right." Another elder nodded as well. "The Hokage knows the Flying Thunder God Technique. He can go alone. Depending on the situation, he can return to the village and reposition our forces. The rest of us must guard the village."

"All right. I’ll go alone." Minato Namikaze nodded.

"But…"

Tsunade had only just begun to speak when Minato Namikaze’s figure had already vanished.

She couldn’t help clenching her fists.

A man wearing a Swirl Mask? If what Minato Namikaze told us last night was true, then that person should be the culprit behind the Nine-Tails’ Rampage more than ten years ago. Kakashi, who hasn’t undergone Class Change yet, may very well be no match for him.

"Damn it!"

Tsunade slammed her fist onto the table.

The others could understand how Tsunade felt.

Jiraiya sighed inwardly.

The village was truly beset by danger on all sides now.

Shen Mo also noticed Minato Namikaze’s movement.

Even though he was extremely fast.

Judging from the situation below, it seemed he wouldn’t make it in time.

Unless—

Kakashi used that trump card.

And Obito.

Obito was still coldly watching Kakashi struggle to hold on.

"’Opening Chests can grant your wishes.’ Those words are nothing but a lie."

As if taking revenge, Obito seemed intent on tearing apart Kakashi’s psychological defenses piece by piece. His hoarse voice was cold as he said:

"Even if you gained this pitiful bit of strength, so what? You still can’t accomplish anything. Just like your teacher, who was likewise unable to stop the death of the person he loved, unable to stop the destruction of that so-called village of his…"

Kakashi simply wasn’t paying attention to what the masked man was saying.

He could faintly sense the other man’s pain in those words.

But—

Kakashi remembered what Shen Mo had said.

When facing the ravages of fate, one could either accept it or seize the opportunity to change it.

And that opportunity was the Jars!

"You want to make me despair?" Kakashi had already made up his mind. "Then open your eyes and take a good look at my madness and despair!"

"Oh?" Obito was somewhat surprised.

He even slowed his attack.

He hadn’t expected Kakashi to say something like that.

Another important reason Obito hated Kakashi was that Kakashi had been able to continue living calmly despite the pain of his father’s suicide and his companion’s death.

Could it be…

Has he actually been enduring the hatred and pain in his heart all this time, and is he finally nearing his limit?

Obito discovered something today.

They hadn’t seen each other for more than ten years.

He seemed to have become unable to understand this former companion of his.

"Interesting." Obito spread his arms as if embracing something and said, "Then let me see just how much your madness and despair measure up to mine."

Kakashi had also thrown caution to the wind.

He took out that Card!

—Rampaging Copying Eyes.