The Iwagakure shinobi Sumashi was furious.
A Konoha ninja squad had appeared out of nowhere, and they clearly did not take them seriously at all.
“But Captain, we’re already short-handed,” Sumizuru said.
If they had enough people, they would have formed a tightening encirclement around the Konoha ninja squad long ago.
“The fighting at the front is fierce. There’s nothing we can do about it,” Sumashi said with a slight frown.
“Regardless, make sure you strengthen the guard on the bridge. I suspect they may very well be a decoy.”
“Yes, Captain.”
His subordinate Sumizuru quickly withdrew.
…
Elsewhere.
Kakashi’s squad was locked in a standoff with the Iwagakure shinobi.
“Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!”
Obito spewed a massive fireball from his mouth.
It carried a scorching wave of heat as it hurtled forward.
“I didn’t hit anything.”
Obito’s expression darkened.
The enemy could use invisibility ninjutsu!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Shuriken came flying through the air in a sneak attack.
Kakashi hurriedly raised his blade to block them, knocking all the shuriken away.
“We’ll take this child with us for now.”
The invisible Sumashi knocked Rin Nohara unconscious and prepared to carry her away.
He exchanged a glance with Hikari, the Iwagakure jōnin, and the two quickly vanished into the bamboo forest.
“Damn it!”
Seeing Rin captured, Obito was frantic with worry and moved to charge after them.
“Wait, don’t chase them, Obito!”
“Qingyuan and the others should still be drawing attention for us. The two of us need to continue the mission.”
“Then what about Rin?”
Obito stared at Kakashi in shock.
He had never expected Kakashi to be so heartless.
“The enemy wants our intelligence. They won’t kill her right away. Once the intelligence leaks, they’ll immediately strengthen the guard on the bridge. We have to complete the mission before that happens.”
“Compared with the mission, saving Rin is the priority right now! Your claim that Rin will be fine is nothing but wishful thinking.”
At that moment, in Obito’s heart,
Kakashi was a bastard even more detestable than Qingyuan.
“Anyone who doesn’t value his comrades is the lowest of the low.”
Obito did not want to say anything more to Kakashi.
He immediately ran in the direction the Iwagakure shinobi had left.
Only Kakashi remained where he was, his expression twisted by inner conflict.
…
Inside a dark underground cave.
White Zetsu slowly pushed half his body out through the wall.
“Lord Madara, the plan is already in motion. Obito is nearly at the designated location.”
White Zetsu’s voice echoed through the underground cave.
An old, decrepit man with a face covered in wrinkles slowly opened his eyes.
In contrast to his appearance, those crimson eyes were utterly clear, their glint piercing and intimidating.
“Is that so?”
Madara Uchiha nodded.
“By the way, Lord Madara, should we put more into it?”
“Send a few. It needn’t be many,” Madara Uchiha said slowly.
For the sake of the plan, there was no harm in being cautious.
But the others, to be honest, barely concerned him.
Minato Namikaze was just a kid who happened to be fast.
Qingyuan was merely a civilian with somewhat decent sensory abilities.
As for the remaining few, they were even less worthy of notice.
If any of them had been an Uchiha shinobi, perhaps he would have treated that person as a potential candidate as well.
For now, he only needed to focus on Obito.
“Yes, Lord Madara.”
White Zetsu slowly slipped back into the wall.
Chapter 18: Qingyuan, Here I Come!
Originally, someone as insignificant as Qingyuan would never have caught his eye.
But this was a critical time, and his physical condition no longer allowed him any more time to consider the matter.
He had to determine the executor of the Moon Eye Plan as quickly as possible.
Only then could he pull out the tubes without worry, sleep soundly until he was resurrected, and make his entrance as a savior.
“Hashirama, I will prove everything about myself. I can make it… to the other shore.”
Madara Uchiha spoke slowly to the empty, pitch-black cave.
He unconsciously touched his chest.
A portion of Hashirama’s flesh and blood was there.
It was thanks to that that he had awakened the Rinnegan and devised all these plans.
…
Just as Qingyuan pretended to sense things in the distance, the spirit of the Renegade Qingyuan drifted back.
His expression was rather grave.
“What’s wrong?”
Qingyuan quickly asked.
Don’t scare me.
Could it be that Iwagakure’s forces had already surrounded them?
Was there still time for him to write his will?
“Up ahead is where Rin was captured. Obito is almost here,” the Renegade Qingyuan said.
Before they knew it, they had already reached the vicinity of Kannabi Bridge.