An invisible noose had been quietly woven into place.
Even though the forces openly tracking Akatsuki had temporarily pulled back, Obito could still feel the pressure slowly tightening around him.
The organization continued to expand according to plan, yet the overall momentum of the Ninja World had shifted in a way he couldn't fully grasp.
"Change…"
"Even with this new situation, it doesn't mean the Five Great Ninja Villages will suddenly coexist in harmony. The only difference is that in the past, the most straightforward way to resolve conflict was war."
"In the future, when new disputes arise between the Five Great Ninja Villages, they'll be more inclined to use other methods."
"This is the opening the organization can exploit."
Zetsu had gathered this information from Orochimaru.
Obito still couldn't see through that man, but he had to admit some of his views made sense.
So Obito adopted part of Orochimaru's plan—yet he had no intention of letting Konoha advance too smoothly.
"Just this so‑called Stone Golem Army… did it really conquer the world in ancient legends?" Obito stared at the stone soldiers restrained by Earth Release.
"Regardless, it's still a power that once existed," Zetsu replied. "As long as Moryo moves carefully, Konoha, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure will all be forced to divert significant strength to deal with it."
"After all, in Konoha's hands, there's only one young shrine maiden who can enter the sealing shrine."
"And with her current age and her powers still unawakened, she's nowhere near ready to shoulder the responsibility of resealing it."
"'Moves carefully,' huh…" Obito thought he couldn't expect too much from such an arrogant demon—especially when even someone as cautious as Rasa had still died so easily.
—
Roshi had already prepared for the worst: Moryo had successfully devoured the shrine maiden, yet still hadn't made a move.
Was it planning to use the stone soldiers to slowly grind down the Ninja World's strength?
In a drawn-out conflict, facing enemies like these, ninjas—made of flesh and blood, would inevitably be at a disadvantage.
At present, there is no single autonomous weapon capable of dealing with an entire golem army on its own. If things continued like this, no one could predict how the situation might evolve.
"I'm preparing for a charge."
"An enemy-luring tactic?" Kakashi immediately grasped his intention. "Moryo's prolonged silence might be because it's looking for the ideal timing and target—something that can establish its fearsome reputation in one stroke and inflict heavy damage on the Allied Shinobi Forces."
Roshi said calmly, "A person who can annihilate large numbers of stone soldiers and then advance deep alone—that kind of provocation might be enough to draw it out."
"Isn't the price of using yourself as bait too high?" That was the only part Kakashi couldn't accept. "The enemy is a demon with unknown abilities. Even you can't guarantee your own safety."
The stone army alone wasn't a problem. Those things were rigid and clumsy; slipping through their formation wasn't difficult.
Their greatest threat to the world lay in how easily they could devastate civilian population centers and production hubs, shaking the very foundation of the ninja world's stability.
But going in alone, it was obvious he wouldn't just be facing stone constructs… Back when he went to the Land of the Dragon Vein, Roshi had at least clashed with Sunagakure several times and had a clear sense of their capabilities.
Now, he was dealing with an enemy whose trump cards existed only in legend.
"If all you need is a powerful charge with enough provocation to draw its attention, I can handle that just as well," Kakashi said, voice low.
"I'll make sure to have emergency withdrawal measures in place beforehand." Roshi's response made it clear he had no intention of altering the plan.
The next day, Roshi informed Baki of his decision.
The Sunagakure jōnin could only give a bitter smile. "Roshi-san… this kind of tactic, you… I…"
As a shinobi of Sunagakure, he wasn't really in a position to object—especially when it was Konoha choosing to shoulder the risk, and the person involved held such status.
But Roshi left him with complicated feelings. This man had once dealt Sunagakure a grievous blow, yet now he seemed to be laying different paths in front of them.
And this operation… if this dangerous plan truly succeeded in drawing out the demon's main body or exposing its movements, the village that stood to gain the most, more directly than Konoha, would be Sunagakure.
By all logic, Baki should go along himself to show Sunagakure's stance. But whether he could make it back out alive was one thing—and then there was the matter of command. "…During this time, Kakashi will temporarily take over my duties."
"Kakashi Hatake… he's already reached the front lines?" Baki's heart gave a small jolt, but even that news felt insignificant next to Roshi's decision to personally serve as bait.
He made one last attempt to dissuade him. "The shrine maiden we handed over to Konoha before might be able to play a role. For you to infiltrate in person is too dangerous."
But when faced with those emotionless eyes, Baki could only draw in a deep breath and nod. "I understand. Sunagakure will cooperate with your operation."
Once the decision was made, there was no more room for hesitation.
Roshi walked alone toward the defensive line the Allied forces had painstakingly held. He reached a vantage point atop an earthen wall.
Below him, a dense army of stone statues surged like a gray tide.
The heavy pounding of countless stone feet blended into a continuous roar that pressed down on the heart.
Under the mixed gazes of Konoha and Sunagakure shinobi—astonished, anxious, unable to believe what they were seeing—Roshi leapt down from the Earthen Wall.
The instant his feet touched the shattered ground—
Thick, gnarled giant trees, iron-hard vines, and twisted trunks roared to life, surging outward from his landing point.
The once-orderly ranks of gray-white stone statues were instantly thrown into chaos by the forest that exploded into being.
Statues were crushed, snapped, and torn apart one after another.
In the span of a breath, the stone tide that had seemed so overwhelming was swallowed whole, buried under the rushing wave of greenery.
From their position on the defensive line, the Sunagakure shinobi watched as the previously unstoppable golem army was overwhelmed by an even more irresistible force. Their breathing hitched; their emotions tangled into something hard to name.
Almost without thinking, Baki turned to look at Kakashi, who was also focused on the battlefield. When he spoke, shock had dried his voice to a hoarse rasp he himself barely noticed. "Power like that… facing it as an enemy would only inspire genuine fear."
His gaze shifted back to the wild, ever-spreading forest and to the lone figure moving with steady steps, pressing deeper and deeper into enemy-held territory, half-hidden by the canopy of green.
"But now… seeing it on our side brings… an indescribable sense of reassurance."
Kakashi did not look back. His uncovered right eye stayed fixed on Roshi's advancing silhouette, barely visible through the surging greenery.
He only answered quietly, his faint words almost immediately drowned out by the roar of growing trees and shattering stone.
"Yeah… to be able to stand there, make that choice, and carry it out… that's just who he is…"
Obito surveyed the battlefield with a cold, detached gaze.
That man was carving his way through the golem army with unstoppable force.
His value to Konoha was beyond question.
The longer Obito watched, the more certain he became. That figure was present, directly involved, at almost every decisive point on the field.
"So… he trusts his own power that much?"
As he followed the flow of the battle, Obito noticed the two ninjas who had been lurking behind the golem army finally reach their limit and move to attack.
"Wind Release: Divine Wind!"
"Fire Release: Swift Fire!"
The rushing wind and roaring flames fused in an instant, swelling into a blazing storm that slammed into the rampaging forest.
Trees went up like kindling, crackling and snapping as fire raced across the trunks. Thick black smoke billowed upward, swallowing the center of the battlefield from sight.
But in the very next second—
An even stronger wind, carrying those same flames, suddenly reversed course. With far greater force, it swept back along its original path.
It roared straight toward the two stunned ninjas.
"An absolute difference in chakra," Obito immediately understood. In a clash like this, the side with the stronger wind release naturally seized control.
"Is he using himself as bait to draw out more information?" Behind the mask, his Sharingan spun slowly. "As you wish. But the harvest might be greater than you expect."
Using the confusion of the raging flames and churning smoke, Obito's form seemed to melt into the air itself. He slipped through the burning trees and shattered stone, phasing in and out as he closed in on the Roshi's figure at the battlefield's heart.
At that moment, another of Mōryō's subordinates slammed both hands onto the ground.
"Earth Release: Earth Corridor!"
Boom!
Thick earth walls erupted upward, interlocking to form a sealed corridor, clearly meant to trap Roshi within.
Almost the instant the walls rose, the ground split apart. Sharp wooden spikes speared upward, effortlessly shredding the crude earthen cage.
Just as Roshi's attention was drawn toward the Earth Release—
Obito moved.
Like a ghost, he emerged silently from the ground behind and to Roshi's side, his hand reaching straight for Roshi's back.
At that same instant, Roshi reacted as if he had eyes on the back of his head. The ground under his feet exploded, and a thick tree trunk shot up from below, driving toward Obito's body.
"Hmph."
Obito let out a faint, cold snort. The wooden spike passed cleanly through his body—just as his own hand phased through Roshi's torso.
Their attacks slipped past each other. As they crossed, Obito spun, reaching out to grab again—only to be met by a Kunai whistling straight toward him.
The blade cut through his head without resistance and buried itself deep in the earth wall behind him.
'Such fast reaction speed.' Obito felt a slight chill run through his heart.
Roshi used the opening to pull back, plant his feet, and calmly face the long‑haired man in the tiger‑striped mask who had suddenly appeared.
Every time he went fishing, what kind of catch did he end up with?
Last time, the Village Hidden in Sound had bitten like small fry. This time, another giant beast had taken the hook.
Since they had run into each other here, with no witnesses around, he might as well try to kill him on the spot.
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