Chapter 42 042: Obito: Bastard!
The atmosphere at the scene was bizarre.
Uchiha Taiga felt the urge to laugh, barely managing to keep a straight face at the iconic scene unfolding before him.
The others were simply shocked by the Third Hokage's decisive action. Suspending an advisor on the spot was quite an astonishing move.
Observant individuals subconsciously glanced at Taiga, already mentally categorizing him as someone absolutely not to be provoked.
Setting everything else aside, that half-body Susanoo alone was enough to instill despair in many.
That was no longer a power a normal ninja could wield.
Having dealt with Utatane Koharu, Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a soft sigh and turned to face Uchiha Fugaku.
"Clan Head Fugaku, Advisor Koharu was indeed biased in her handling of this matter. I hope you won't take it to heart."
Truth be told, Hiruzen handled the situation with remarkable decisiveness.
Fugaku's expression softened slightly, and he gave a subtle nod, accepting the explanation.
The suspension of an advisor was clearly enough of a concession for him.
Inexplicably, Fugaku felt a sense of reassurance, a feeling that was especially pronounced when standing alongside Taiga.
'Was I too harsh on this child in the past?'
The thought suddenly crossed his mind.
Hiruzen then shifted his gaze to Taiga. "Taiga, you did well to intercept the enemy here and prevent the village from suffering greater losses."
He then swept his gaze over the gathered ninjas and ANBU, raising his voice a notch.
"All of you contributed to this effort. The village will remember your dedication."
This was a blatant attempt to gloss over Koharu's transgression.
Receiving the Hokage's validation, Fugaku's mood improved significantly.
He instinctively glanced at Taiga, only to find the young man giving a soft chuckle, completely ignoring Hiruzen's words.
Obviously, this silent dismissal was a statement in itself.
Hiruzen noticed Taiga's attitude.
The chuckle was faint, but he heard it loud and clear.
Taiga didn't even spare him a glance, keeping his head down as he toyed with the sword in his hand. An inexplicable sense of unease rose from the bottom of Hiruzen's heart, but he quickly suppressed it.
Now was not the time to pursue the matter.
He surveyed the surroundings.
The ruins were still smoking, charred stumps littered the area, and the ground was covered in massive fissures.
The scale of the destruction was too massive to cover up. He had to finalize the narrative as quickly as possible and minimize the fallout. Otherwise, if the ordinary villagers caught wind of this, it would undoubtedly cause another wave of unrest.
"Listen up, everyone," Hiruzen commanded, his voice steady.
"Clear the battlefield immediately and assess the damages. The injured are to report to the medical squad, and the rest of you return to your posts."
There were hardly any injured personnel left; the one who suffered the most severe injuries had already fled.
Though, between Uchiha Obito and Utatane Koharu, it was hard to say who was hurting more.
Hiruzen's orders were meant to downplay the incident. Having been his comrade for decades, Mitokado Homura instantly understood the Hokage's intentions.
Without a moment's hesitation, Homura turned and began organizing the manpower, directing the ninjas and ANBU to disperse.
The crowd was more than happy to leave this epicenter of trouble, quickly acknowledging the orders and scattering.
Watching this unfold, the smirk on Taiga's lips grew more pronounced.
Suspend the advisor first, handle the matter lightly, and quietly reinstate her once the storm blew over. By then, no one would bring up today's events. He was far too familiar with this little trick.
"Lord Hokage is certainly decisive," Taiga finally spoke, his tone unhurried.
"But isn't merely suspending an advisor a bit too much of a slap on the wrist?"
Hiruzen's expression shifted, his brows furrowing deeply.
Just as he was about to respond, a figure suddenly interjected.
Hatake Kakashi!
He closed the distance to Taiga in a few strides, his single exposed eye locked onto him.
"That man earlier... was that really Uchiha Obito?"
He kept his voice low. It was clearly trembling, yet he forced himself to maintain control.
Taiga lifted his eyelids and cast a glance at him.
"What do you think?"
Those words pierced Kakashi's chest like needles.
His pupil contracted slightly. His lips parted, but no words came out.
His hand unconsciously rose to touch his left eye—the Sharingan that Obito had given him.
The eye felt faintly hot.
Kakashi's expression grew dazed, as if he had plunged into a memory he desperately wished to avoid.
"Even though I didn't attend the Ninja Academy, I'm still from your generation. I wouldn't mistake that guy's face," Taiga said, patting Kakashi on the shoulder.
"I have no interest in whatever happened between you two in the past, but that guy is the murderer who killed the Fourth Hokage and his wife. Hatake Kakashi, what are you going to do about it?"
As he spoke, Taiga leaned in slightly, a smile on his face as he stared directly into Kakashi's eye.
In that moment, Taiga looked every bit the villain.
But... he was genuinely curious.
"I..."
Kakashi was in a trance, stumbling back two steps before steadying himself.
"I don't know," he finally said.
Seeing this, Taiga let out a loud laugh and paid him no further mind.
He had said his piece. As for what Kakashi would do from now on, that was his own business. Taiga just needed to grab a front-row seat and enjoy the show.
***
Miles away from the village, deep within a dense forest.
The space suddenly distorted, and a vortex materialized out of thin air.
Uchiha Obito tumbled out of it, staggering and nearly crashing to the ground. He reached out to brace himself against a tree trunk, barely managing to stay on his feet.
At the stump of his severed arm, White Zetsu's tissue was slowly writhing, attempting to repair the damaged area. But the arm was completely gone, shredded to pieces along with a small portion of his shoulder by that chakra blade.
"Gah!"
He suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. Tearing open the front of his shirt with his remaining hand, he revealed a deep gash across his chest.
It was the collateral damage from the chakra blade. The injury was clearly severe, and he had been enduring it the entire time he was in Konoha.
Now, he could no longer hold it in.
"Damn it..."
Obito gritted his teeth and slammed his fist into the tree trunk.
With a loud thud, the bark splintered, sending wood chips flying.
He refused to accept this.
He had originally only intended to take a look at this so-called genius and test his limits.
If possible, he would have used a few deceptive words to drive a wedge between the Uchiha clan and the village.
And the result?
He was suppressed, his arm was severed, his mask was shattered in public, and he was forced to flee like a stray dog.
Uchiha Taiga.
He ground the name between his teeth, chewing on it with pure hatred.
From the ground beside him, a figure slowly emerged from the dirt. A black-and-white body, its torso encased in pitcher-plant-like leaves.
Zetsu.
"My, my, what a pathetic sight," White Zetsu's voice carried a hint of mockery.
Black Zetsu's tone was much more solemn. "Your identity has been exposed. This will have a significant impact on our plans."
Obito didn't reply. He simply stared in the direction of Konoha, a storm of complex emotions churning in his intact left eye.
"I know. I will adjust the plan."
Black Zetsu pressed, "What are you going to do?"
White Zetsu chimed in with a giggle, "Yeah, yeah, do you have a new plan?"
Obito's face twisted in anger. "Shut up. I am Uchiha Madara. I will not fail."
Are you shitting me? In this fucked up situation, he was still spouting that nonsense?
Had he acted the part for so long that he actually brainwashed himself? Did he really think he was Uchiha Madara?
If the real Uchiha Madara were in this state, he would probably die of shame.
It was a good thing Black Zetsu didn't have a face to show expressions, otherwise, his reaction would have been quite the spectacle.
"So, what exactly is your plan?" Black Zetsu asked him again.
Obito's face twitched, and he fell into a temporary silence.