Chapter 554: This Is Hell

"Obito, I'm the Three-Tails' jinchūriki now. What happens if I leave without permission to help you rescue Kakashi and end up getting captured myself?

"My life doesn't belong only to me anymore. I'm one of the village's strategic weapons.

"I can't put the entire village in danger because of my personal feelings.

"If I'm captured, the front line could collapse. Konoha might even lose the war. And if that happens, hundreds or thousands of people like Kakashi could die."

Even in the face of Kakashi's desperate questioning, Rin shook her head and refused.

It was obvious that the Nohara Rin inside Engraved Tsukuyomi was still an extraordinarily selfless person who cared deeply about others.

More importantly, she was a selfless person with common sense.

She understood exactly what her position meant.

If Naruto were in her place, forget Sasuke—even if Akamaru got kidnapped, Naruto would probably charge off to rescue him without thinking twice.

Of course, given his status as Asura's reincarnation and the protagonist of the story, he would probably succeed anyway.

Unless the person who kidnapped Akamaru happened to be Ōtsutsuki Isshiki after suddenly developing a craving for dog meat.

It was not that Rin did not want to save Kakashi.

Choosing not to go was causing her enormous pain too.

But that kind of pain could only be understood by someone who shared her priorities.

Kakashi, who occupied Obito's role in this world, was essentially a Naruto-type person himself.

Naturally, he could not understand her decision.

Rin's reasoning was rational.

In Kakashi's eyes, however, it only seemed heartless.

He staggered backward as though he no longer recognized the girl in front of him.

"Rin… when did you become like this?

"Kakashi is our teammate!"

"You can go to Captain Shisui."

Rin did not explain herself again.

"I'm sure he can help you."

She had already made her reasoning perfectly clear.

If she left to save one person, even more people might die.

If Rin were some hot-blooded idiot, she could simply rush off, rescue Kakashi first, and worry about the consequences later.

Any deaths caused indirectly by her actions could then be mentally separated from her decision as long as she refused to think too hard about it.

But Rin was not that kind of person.

She could not do that.

And the alternative she suggested was perfectly reasonable.

Go to Uchiha Shisui.

Shisui was the squad captain, and he cared deeply about both the village and his comrades.

If he learned that one of their people had been captured, there was a good chance he would organize a small rescue team.

Unfortunately, Kakashi was no longer listening.

"Rin, you've changed. You've become someone I don't even recognize anymore!

"I was wrong before. I never should have fallen in love with you in the first place!

"Villages were created to protect comrades. If we start abandoning our comrades for the sake of the village, then we've completely reversed the whole point of having a village!"

Tears streamed down Kakashi's face as he stormed out of the tent.

The instant he stepped outside, his Sharingan evolved into two tomoe.

He did not go to Shisui.

In Kakashi's mind, Shisui would probably refuse to let him attempt the rescue too.

So he went alone.

And once Kakashi realized his Sharingan had evolved, his confidence only grew stronger.

With that, he headed toward the location where Obito was supposedly being held.

The journey was strangely quiet.

Even after getting close to his destination, Kakashi had not encountered a single Kirigakure shinobi.

A faint sense of unease crept into his heart.

But he did not stop.

Eventually, as he drew nearer, a series of strange sounds reached his ears.

Kakashi's expression changed instantly, and he accelerated.

Those were the sounds of his closest friend—

No.

The person he loved—

Being tormented!

"Are they torturing Kakashi for information? Damn those Kirigakure bastards!"

Kakashi sprinted forward.

At last, he burst through a layer of thick mist and saw Obito and Ao locked in a brutal struggle inside.

Kakashi froze.

At that moment, he looked much like the Obito of the real world after desperately racing across the battlefield only to arrive in time to see Kakashi's Chidori pierce Rin's chest.

No.

This was worse.

It was like real-world Obito had run all that way only to discover an entire Kirigakure squad waiting in line while their captain stood at the front reminding everyone not to waste food.

Worse still—

There were two lines!

"This place…"

Kakashi murmured blankly.

"…is hell."

He had only just accepted the truth in his heart.

He did not love Rin.

The person he truly loved was Kakashi.

And immediately after realizing that, he had been struck by a sight like this.

Under the overwhelming pain and despair, Kakashi's Sharingan evolved again.

Just like before, it jumped straight from two tomoe to the Mangekyō Sharingan.

But this time, it was not merely one eye.

Both eyes awakened the Mangekyō simultaneously.

Which meant Kakashi now possessed the basic requirement for Susanoo.

Obito, who was still caught up in Ao's assault, stared in shock.

And despite everything happening to him, he could not help feeling jealous.

As for his current predicament?

Obito kept repeating the same thing inside his head.

'It's only genjutsu.'

'None of this is real.'

'And nobody outside can see it anyway.'

If playing along for a moment made things easier, then so what?

"Kamui Shuriken!"

The enraged Kakashi hurled a strange black shuriken toward Ao.

Guided by the Uchiha clan's precise shuriken technique, it traced a perfect arc through the air—

And struck the newly installed attachment Ao had only just received.

Ao screamed.

His connection was cut immediately.

"What the hell is Kamui Shuriken?!"

Obito stared in disbelief.

Wait a damn second.

He was the actual owner of the Kamui Mangekyō Sharingan!

He had never used a technique like that!

Why the hell did Kakashi get one?!

What kind of theft was this?!

Then Obito's thoughts briefly went somewhere else.

Wait.

There really had been a rather unfortunate scene involving someone else taking what was his.

Had Kakashi somehow stolen one of his Sharingan techniques along with everything else?

"Damn you! Who the hell are you?!"

Ao glared furiously at Kakashi through the pain.

He had been so absorbed in what he was doing that he had completely forgotten to use his Byakugan to watch for approaching enemies.

And just like that, he had been ambushed.

The ninja tool he had only recently obtained was already gone again.

Who knew whether Madara even had a spare?

And even if he did, how much would Ao have to pay to get a second one?

Did Madara at least offer half price for replacements?

This Uchiha bastard had gone too far!

Ao did not even bother tending to the injury.

His lower body was reconstructed from White Zetsu tissue and Hashirama cells.

Even after Kamui tore away part of it, there was no ordinary bleeding to worry about.

He simply picked Nuibari back up, reactivated his Byakugan, and charged at Kakashi.

"You're full of openings! Die!"

Through the Byakugan, weaknesses seemed to cover Kakashi's entire body.

Driven by rage, Ao blurred forward.

Four openings—

One second.

Four strikes.

Then he flashed past Kakashi, turned his back with perfect confidence, and finished in a dramatic reverse-thrust pose as Nuibari stabbed straight through Kakashi's heart.

It was an extremely cool technique.

The finishing pose was excellent too.

Unfortunately, there was one small problem.

Kakashi no longer had collision detection.

With Kamui's intangibility active, Nuibari passed straight through him as though he were not there.

Ao had apparently been so blinded by rage that he failed to notice his attack had met absolutely no resistance.

Bang!

Kakashi drove an elbow into him and knocked him unconscious on the spot.

He did not kill Ao.

Killing him immediately would have been far too merciful.

But punishment could wait.

Right now, Kakashi had something more important to do.

He rushed to Obito's side, gathered him into his arms, and held him tightly.

"I'm sorry…"

Kakashi's voice trembled.

"I came too late."