Chapter 148 - Just a Trivial Matter
Such a familiar sight...
Orochimaru seemed to be witnessing shadows of the past.
In Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, he saw reflections of his own youth with Jiraiya. Sasuke, much like himself, was rational and calculating, while that fool...
Was just as impulsive as Naruto.
But their fates were different.
Orochimaru and Jiraiya had Tsunade—an exceptionally strong teammate with a kind heart and unwavering will to balance their differences.
"I said, let go of Naruto!"
Sasuke sprang toward Obito Uchiha.
Obito, however, barely acknowledged Sasuke's charge. He paid no attention to the bonds these brats shared.
Yet, Obito underestimated Sasuke just a little.
The kid's taijutsu was surprisingly decent—far superior to Naruto's at this stage.
A kunai flashed toward Obito's throat!
Obito casually blocked Sasuke's wrist, but the boy quickly twisted his grip, redirecting the kunai toward Obito's stomach with ruthless precision!
"This brat..."
Obito instinctively phased into his Kamui intangibility.
"What...?"
Sasuke was stunned to see his kunai sink into Obito's stomach—only to pass through as if striking air. Before he could react, Obito kicked him away.
"Sasuke!"
Naruto took advantage of the moment to flip back to his feet.
But Obito was merciless. Without hesitation, he spun and kicked Naruto hard in the neck, sending him flying as well.
"Damn..."
Naruto clutched his throat, forcing himself to stand. He ignored his pain and immediately checked on Sasuke.
"Sasuke! Are you alright?!"
Sasuke scrambled up, his eyes locked onto Obito in alarm.
And then—he saw them.
The Mangekyō Sharingan.
"No way...!"
A look of utter disbelief flashed across Sasuke's face.
He had never expected to see another pair of Mangekyō Sharingan.
On the night of the Uchiha massacre...
Sasuke had witnessed firsthand how the Mangekyō Sharingan differed from an ordinary Sharingan.
And now, staring at Obito, there was no doubt.
This man was an Uchiha.
After all, only an Uchiha could activate and deactivate their Sharingan at will.
Kakashi Hatake, their teacher, had a Sharingan, but he could never turn it off—forcing him to constantly expend chakra to maintain it.
"You're... an Uchiha...?"
Sasuke's voice trembled as he stared at Obito, trying to confirm his identity.
"Heh... so you've figured it out."
Obito smirked, reaching up to tear off his mask.
The half-scarred face beneath made his aura feel even more sinister.
"So what?"
Since abandoning his false identity as Madara, Obito no longer cared about hiding his true self.
"You... you're Obito Uchiha!"
Sasuke gritted his teeth.
After the Uchiha massacre, he had kept an eye on every rumor related to his clan.
Not long after that night—
A new rogue ninja from the Uchiha clan had emerged.
Obito Uchiha.
Recently, after Orochimaru's subordinates caused chaos and nearly triggered another Nine-Tails incident in Konoha, Obito's name had resurfaced—linked to the previous disaster twelve years ago.
Naruto's mind went blank.
Because...
He knew exactly what that meant.
Naruto had learned pieces of the truth from the chakra his father left behind during the Nine-Tails crisis. Jiraiya had also spoken with him about it.
Obito Uchiha...
Was the man responsible for his parents' deaths.
"It was you..."
"You killed my father and mother!"
Naruto's expression twisted in fury.
His fists clenched, and an ominous red chakra began seeping from his body.
The Nine-Tails' power.
Scarlet energy wrapped around him, forming a translucent tail behind his back.
"Oh, that?"
Obito sneered without the slightest remorse.
"Twelve years ago, I should've killed you too."
The deaths of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki—
To him, they were nothing more than an insignificant event.
He had every chance to kill Naruto back then.
During the Nine-Tails attack, he had even used the newborn Naruto as a hostage against Minato and Kushina.
He had gone so far as to place an explosive tag on the infant's body.
Such ruthless, inhumane cruelty.
And yet—
Obito felt nothing about it.
Ever since he committed himself to the Eye of the Moon Plan, he had discarded his emotions.
Minato, who once protected him.
Kushina, who had always cared for him.
Even their child, Naruto.
None of them mattered.
"AAAAAHHHHH!!!"
Naruto roared, lunging at Obito with beast-like fury. His crimson eyes glowed as the Nine-Tails' chakra overwhelmed him.
"Hmph. So you're going to fight me with the Nine-Tails' power?"
Obito chuckled.
He had subdued the full Nine-Tails before.
This little fragment of its chakra?
It was nothing.
"Naruto!"
Sasuke knew they had no chance. He tried to stop Naruto from acting recklessly—
But it was too late.
With no other choice, Sasuke dashed forward to fight alongside him.
If he couldn't stop Naruto—
Then he would fight with him.
But before he could reach them—
Orochimaru blocked his path with a smirk.
"Well, well..."
Orochimaru took slow steps toward Sasuke.
"Looks like it's time for our little test."
This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.
After all—
He hadn't forgotten his goal.
Two S-rank rogue ninja.
And yet, they were each dealing with a pair of kids.
The outcome was obvious.
Obito knocked Naruto unconscious.
Orochimaru swiftly defeated Sasuke, then leaned in with a sinister smile.
He left a cursed seal on Sasuke's neck.
"My name is Orochimaru."
He whispered as Sasuke's vision blurred.
"This curse mark... is your reward. If you survive... come find me."
"We're leaving."
Obito's voice echoed in the wind.
"I can already sense that pathetic Kakashi approaching."
Once Orochimaru and Obito were gone—
Sakura, who had been frozen in terror, finally regained control of her body.
She rushed to Sasuke's side in panic.
"Sasuke-kun!"
"Don't worry about me..."
Sasuke clutched his burning neck, barely able to stay conscious.
He ignored his own pain and forced himself to speak.
"Check on... Naruto..."
That idiot...
The Nine-Tails inside Naruto was too dangerous.
Obito hadn't killed him—
But Sasuke and Naruto were now both incapacitated.
And in the middle of the Forest of Death...
They were as good as prey.
The forest was far from safe.
Sakura anxiously kept watch over both of them, flinching at every rustle of the wind.
But not everyone in the forest was an enemy.
Nearby—
Nagato's team had arrived.
They quietly observed the situation.
"As long as we ensure they don't die, it'll be fine."
"Jiraiya's student...
"He won't be that easy to break."
----------
Powerstones?
For 20 advance Chapters: patreon.com/michaeltranslates