A Sage's Pursuit of Power

In addition to Kakuzu, the Akatsuki had another master of Five Nature Transformation ninjutsu, a member who wasn't expected to appear until much later: Tobi in his White Zetsu form. This individual could simultaneously wield all five nature releases, rivaling the Third Hokage in proficiency.

Moreover, with the White Zetsu's abundant chakra and regenerative abilities, Tobi was essentially a human artillery platform on the battlefield. In the original storyline, he single-handedly stalled an entire division of the Allied Shinobi Forces, with the reanimated Third Hokage stepping in to counter his five-nature barrages.

In an instant, Aoba blinked through the air and appeared behind Tobi. His Kusanagi Blade slashed across, cleanly severing Tobi's head, sending it flying into the air.

But Aoba wasn't fooled, what he struck was a mud clone. Though Tobi often played the fool, his actual combat ability was unquestionably Kage-level. Otherwise, Obito wouldn't have personally recruited him for missions.

From a distance, Tobi emerged from the ground using the Hiding in Ash and Dust Technique, one of White Zetsu's signature skills.

"That was close! I almost lost my head there!" Tobi joked in his usual over-the-top manner, his tone gratingly carefree.

Nobody entertained his antics, however. The danger he posed had already become clear.

Aoba had been wary of White Zetsu from the beginning. Karin had been monitoring the area, but Tobi's technique was simply too fast. By the time Karin could alert them, it was already too late. Though Aoba's Flying Thunder God Slash had struck swiftly, it failed to cause harm, heightening everyone's caution.

Not far away, Pain glanced in Aoba's direction, his Rinnegan flashing ominously.

"The Leaf reinforcements are here. Stop them. Do not let them interfere with the experiment."

For now, the Akatsuki obeyed Nagato's commands, largely due to the deterrence of the Rinnegan.

Kisame, Itachi, Deidara, Sasori, Kakuzu, and Shin stepped forward together.

The sight of six Akatsuki members preparing for battle, each one a Kage-level threat, would strike fear into any opponent. Even Aoba dared not underestimate the combined power of these individuals. Though some had weaknesses, in a group fight, such shortcomings could easily be compensated for.

Interestingly, this marked a rare instance of six Akatsuki members fighting side by side—a scenario that hadn't occurred even in the original storyline.

Fortunately, two among the six, Itachi and Shin, were double agents. Shin was merely playing along, while Itachi had no intention of fighting seriously. Kisame, Deidara, Sasori, and Kakuzu, however, were deadly threats.

Observing the six advancing, Kakashi exchanged a glance with Aoba before leading the Leaf forces into action.

Although the Leaf reinforcements were few in number, they were an elite unit. Personally led by Kakashi, the team included Guy, Asuma, Hayate Gekko, Kurenai Yuhi, and Anko Mitarashi were each heading their own squad.

In the original timeline, Kurenai and Anko's combat capabilities were somewhat underwhelming. However, Aoba's interventions had drastically changed things. As a mentor, he had pushed his friends to train relentlessly and had provided advanced techniques and training regimens. While they hadn't reached Kage-level, they were undoubtedly formidable elite jōnin.

Though unlikely to defeat the Akatsuki members outright, they could hold their ground and buy time.

The true powerhouses of the Leaf were Kakashi and Guy.

At this point, Kakashi's strength was unparalleled. Aoba suspected he had already unlocked Kamui, but such information was too sensitive to casually inquire about.

Moreover, Kakashi had been gifted one of Aoba's chakra cloaks, which compensated for his usual chakra limitations. Though he had declined a Hashirama Cell implant, the chakra cloak alone made him far more formidable.

With Kamui, the Flying Thunder God Technique, and virtually no weaknesses, Kakashi was now at the peak of Kage-level.

The Leaf had extensive intel on the Akatsuki, and Kakashi was well aware of the opposing members' dispositions. His strategy was to avoid splitting forces and to concentrate all their efforts in a coordinated assault.

Kakashi and Guy served as the main attackers, with Hayate and Asuma providing backup. Kurenai and Anko handled support roles, ensuring everyone functioned as a cohesive unit.

"Guy, it's time."

"I've been fired up since the moment we arrived! Let's see who can take down more opponents this time, Kakashi!"

Guy's energetic declaration earned mixed reactions. While his enthusiasm might seem over-the-top, it quickly became clear that no one could afford to underestimate this green-suited powerhouse.

"So fast!" muttered Deidara as Guy launched himself into the fray.

"Allow me," said Shin, stepping forward. His intent was clear: to buy time and gather insights, as Aoba had instructed. Though Shin's immortality allowed him to withstand extreme techniques, his mastery of the Eight Gates only extended to the fifth gate. Beyond that, his body couldn't handle the strain.

Nonetheless, this battle with Guy was an opportunity to gain inspiration and potentially overcome his current limits.

Shin wielded a secondary Kusanagi Blade gifted by Aoba, dubbed the Sky Blade, while Guy brandished his unique weapon: nunchaku—a rarity in the ninja world and an extension of his distinctive fighting style.

As the two clashed, the remaining Akatsuki members joined the fray, unwilling to be outdone in Nagato's presence.

The skirmish erupted into chaos.

Aoba took only a brief glance at the battlefield before refocusing his attention on the masked man, Obito.

From the moment Obito appeared, Aoba had been preparing to use Kotoamatsukami. However, the distance between them had been too great.

Despite its status as the strongest genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami wasn't without limitations. In addition to the cooldown period and immense chakra consumption, the jutsu's effective range was a critical factor. In canon, Kotoamatsukami was always deployed at close range.

Thanks to the Hashirama Cells integrated into his body, Aoba's Kotoamatsukami had an extended range, up to approximately 50 meters. Beyond that, accuracy and effectiveness would diminish significantly.

Though Kotoamatsukami is instant in its activation, the jutsu still requires a subtle casting process. The further the target is, the longer this process takes. Beyond fifty meters, many top-tier ninja could potentially notice and react in time.

As Aoba locked his gaze on Obito, the masked man was equally focused on guarding against him.

The last time they clashed, Aoba's Flying Thunder God: Level Two had given Obito quite a scare. Since then, Obito, for the first time in a long while, had returned to rigorous training, improving his reflexes and situational responses.

For years, Obito had grown complacent, relying on the training he received from Madara Uchiha in his youth and the invincibility of Kamui. But Aoba's combat prowess, reminiscent of Minato Namikaze, had shattered his complacency. The fear of being outmaneuvered by Flying Thunder God had forced him to take his training seriously once more.

If Aoba knew that his previous move had prompted Obito to sharpen his skills, he might have been frustrated. Aoba would have preferred to deal with the older, less vigilant version of Obito.

Obito was acutely aware of Aoba's mastery of Flying Thunder God. Given that this location had been chosen spontaneously, Obito reasoned there shouldn't be any pre-placed marks for Aoba to teleport to. Thus, Obito concentrated entirely on tracking Aoba's movements.

By keeping track of Aoba's specialized kunai, Obito believed he could counter Flying Thunder God effectively.

Just as Obito's thoughts began to coalesce, Aoba sprang into action. Spotting Obito here presented a golden opportunity, Aoba was determined to end this lingering threat. The sooner Obito was eliminated, the sooner Aoba could stop worrying about his next move.

A flurry of Flying Thunder God-marked kunai scattered across the battlefield in all directions. Obito instantly entered combat mode, his Sharingan rapidly locking onto the positions of every kunai. One of them, he knew, would be Aoba's landing point.

"Which one is it? Above? Or behind?" Obito thought, his mind racing.

In the next instant, Aoba appeared directly in front of him. Before the kunai even reached the ground, Aoba had used Flying Thunder God: Level Two to flash into midair—right in front of Obito.

The gap was now within fifty meters. Without hesitation, Aoba activated Kotoamatsukami, aiming it squarely at Obito...

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