(posted 2/23/19)
CHAPTER 37 | A Disorderly Universe
Tobi kept walking closer. Naruto could feel the distortion of energy coming off him like radiating cold. He was prepared to grab the trio at any moment.
Naruto also felt Obito and Kabuto, still frozen behind him. Kabuto's plant-clone body was only distinguishable from everything else by the shape of its outline intersecting with other streams of energy. Naruto could sense everything from Tobi's footsteps to the way Obito's heart thumped wildly in his chest.
The complete Sage Mode he'd gotten from absorbing the great tree's energy had already lasted far beyond usual, much of that time wasted while chasing Tobi's shadow. He had to make the best possible use of the remaining time.
"Well?" Tobi said. "I suppose I can't trust anything Itachi told me, but you're clearly involved in this somehow. So did Orochimaru also make a copy of you?"
"I am the copy. So's this entire world," Naruto said. "The Orochimaru who did this comes from somewhere else. He just recently came here and took his other self's place. You really don't understand what you're dealing with. It wasn't a coincidence he picked you as one of his test subjects."
"How did you escape? The Tsukuyomi usually leaves a person weak for days after awakening. Did Itachi go easy on you? Or did that help you?" Tobi inclined his head.
"I'm not a that," Obito spat.
"I get you're mad about losing the Sanbi right now," Naruto said. "But that's part of it. You think you're so great at twisting people to do what you want, but you're the one being used this time. Give this up now, before you lose everything."
The cold aura grew, fueled by Tobi's anger.
"I don't have anything left to lose."
"Get ready," Naruto murmured. "He can't take us back to this world if he's in yours."
Naruto didn't look to see if Obito approved his idea. Tobi's step quickened and he jumped at them.
Naruto didn't move. Tobi reached out. Naruto felt Obito's hand on his back.
Tobi grabbed the front of his jacket like he intended to throw him. Naruto saw the world before him freeze and twist and start to turn into something else.
The outside slipped away and the kamui dimension faded into view, but they still felt trapped in between.
The two versions of the dimension were warring with one another. Tobi and Obito were pulling them in different directions at the same time. They hadn't had time to consider if it was dangerous, if they might all get ripped apart.
Finally, they landed on the smooth, pale stone surface of the kamui dimension. Naruto steadied himself as quickly as he could.
Tobi was still stubbornly holding on to the collar of his jacket. Naruto elbowed him hard in the mask, then kicked him in the chest. The force sent Tobi half-sliding, half-stumbling back until a square column stopped him.
Tobi stayed on his feet, but didn't move to retaliate just yet. His mask was riddled with hairline cracks from the Mode's power. Pieces of it crumbled and fell. He stared at them.
Naruto made to walk toward him, but Obito stopped him by pulling on his arm.
"What?"
Obito gave him a serious look. He took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright. We've made it this far. Let me try."
Naruto opened his mouth, then closed it. He was all too aware that the Mode wouldn't last much longer. But Obito was right. They had to try this without fighting first.
Obito stepped forward to speak to his older self. "If you're wondering why those attacks didn't go through you, it's because we're not in your kamui. We're in mine."
Tobi looked around. Kabuto's camp was nearby. It was obvious at a glance that Obito was right. He'd won their tug-of-war.
"Naruto, while Tobi's distracted, listen," Kabuto whispered from behind him, beckoning.
"Huh?" Naruto bent to Kabuto's height, frowning in puzzlement.
"I haven't told you yet, but when I came here from the future, I brought a sample of that poison with me. The one that suppresses Shodai-sama's cells, remember? After Orochimaru-sama went to your world, I tried to replicate it, so we might have a way to fight him."
"Why didn't you—"
"It's taken a long time. I haven't tested it yet, so I can't be completely sure it works."
Test. Naruto remembered what Orochimaru had said when he attacked Root. A successful test, ne? He was trying out his own version of the poison.
Naruto nodded. "Orochimaru has it, too. But if you had a sample of the original, yours must be…" he trailed off. It was difficult to concentrate on another conversation when Obito was walking toward his older self.
"You're in my territory now," Obito continued. "You probably don't get what that means, since you've never had to think about it before."
"Enlighten me, then," Tobi said. He spoke quietly, but Naruto could hear the underlying sarcasm.
"It means you're trapped, and I'm not. True, if you go into your own kamui, you can make it back to your world. You should still be anchored to that kamui strongly enough to use it. But you've never had to phase across multiple dimensions at once, have you? It takes some practice to get the hang of it."
Obito stopped walking a few feet away. Despite how close he was to his older self, he wasn't standing on guard. He just put his hands on his hips and tilted his head up at Tobi in mock puzzlement. "I don't know, though. With only one eye, are you even capable of it at all?"
Tobi's hand twitched like he wanted to reach for a weapon. Naruto took another step toward them, but this time Kabuto took hold of his sleeve to stop him.
"Wait," Kabuto said quietly. "He won't be able to hurt Obito here. We can use that poison on him, too, if we have to. Half his body is made of plant cells. It should be a last resort, though, if we want him on our side."
"What are you?" Tobi asked coldly.
"Weren't you listening to what Naruto told you earlier?" Obito gestured back to them. "We're what happens when a snake tries to steal whatever he wants by making copies. But not just of individual people—of worlds. You are what came along with Naruto's world, so you're no different from us. I'm a person just as much as you are. More, actually. You're only half of one."
Tobi pushed off the column and rushed at him, kunai in hand. Naruto gave a startled cry, but Obito didn't even blink. The long slash went through him.
Tobi's posture was more cautious than surprised. He straightened from his striking pose and paused. Obito turned around to face him again, this time with his Sharingan activated.
"Sure, you're stronger than me in almost every way." Obito narrowed his eyes. "But here, I'm stronger in the only way that matters."
"You're wrong," Tobi said.
"What?" Obito bristled immediately.
"I don't know how you came to be here. Or what you've been told about me." Tobi slowly raised one of his hands and pointed. "I don't know what kind of world you come from. But the location doesn't change anything. You are weak."
Obito's eyes burned like live coals. He was clearly struggling not to let anger overtake him. His hands shook, clenched down by his sides.
"I know, because it's written all over you. And all over them." Tobi opened his hand as he swept it over to indicate Naruto and Kabuto. "If you want to know the source of your weakness, look no further."
"That's enough," Naruto said. "Obito, don't listen to anything this guy says. He always tries to force people into his gloomy point of view. He did the same thing to me and aniki. He knows he can't beat your kamui, so he wants to take away your will to fight instead."
"I know," Obito said tightly. "But that won't work. I know for a fact I'm better off for meeting you guys. The proof is right in front of me."
"Does Naruto know you?" Tobi tilted his head to the side curiously and dropped his hand. "And I'm not sure what to make of the other one. That Orochimaru, always meddling… but it's clear he's the one who brought the three of you together. Why is that? If he made you for the sake of power, why would he be after me, as you claim?"
"It's because you have the Mangekyou that matches the one he's already stolen," Naruto said. "Orochimaru brought us together, but we escaped from his world. He had to figure out something else."
"So it is the Mangekyou he wants," Tobi said. He no longer seemed surprised about how much Naruto knew. "That explains everything. When he brought your little group together, he must have wanted you to bond in captivity. Then, after he got everything else he wanted from the experiment…" Tobi drew a line across his throat with his thumb. "Have the others die in front of that version of me. I hate to admit, it's a good plan."
Obito looked like he was going to be sick. He crossed his hands under his arms and held them tightly against himself.
"You don't know what you're talking about," Naruto said loudly, trying to divert Tobi's attention away. "Orochimaru worked too hard to get us there. He let us go because us dying would be a waste. It wasn't until after we were gone that he started getting interested in the Mangekyou."
"You might be right. I don't really care either way." Tobi observed his younger self. "You've seen a glimpse of it, haven't you? When I found you, I could see that in you right away. But your Sharingan hasn't changed yet, so—it must not have been someone you cared for."
"Oh, that—what happened?" Naruto blurted.
"You haven't told them yet. Of course."
Obito glowered. "I've got nothing to hide from them. We'll catch up when you're not around."
Tobi chuckled. "That stubbornness of yours is almost nostalgic. My point is that you've already seen a sampling of what the world has to offer. Denial is not going to give the relief you want it to. You obviously know all about me, but I know you even better. You've probably vowed not to become someone like me. You're so contrary that you would convince yourself we're not the same."
"We're not the same. What matters is the actions we choose to take."
"On a superficial level, maybe. For a time, you might get by with controlling your actions through sheer willpower. But you'll see how fragile that is when something truly terrible happens."
"By that logic, if I'm weak, so are you," Obito retorted. "At least I want to fight to live in reality, instead of trying to get rid of it just 'cause I don't like it."
"But you are already denying it."
Obito lost his temper. "I'm not! You're just being annoying! It's been half a year since I found out about you. Anything you think you know about me has changed."
"Really… so you're not at all afraid to face reality? Not even a little?" Tobi raised his hand slowly and splayed it out over his crumbling mask.
"Don't." Obito sounded winded.
Tobi pushed his mask up just far enough for them to see him smirk. Scarred skin tugged at the corner of his mouth. But more startling than that was Tobi's voice. The deep, sonorous tone was just another part of the disguise. When he lifted the mask, it changed.
"You've done a good job of separating me from yourself in your mind. Don't you think that's its own kind of delusion?"
He didn't sound like the ominous shadow leader of Akatsuki anymore. He still sounded older, but Obito's soft mischievousness was all there. Tobi lifted the mask the rest of the way up and off over his head.
He stared at Obito. The scarring covered the right side of his face, the one with the Sharingan. But the other side was a nearly perfect mirror. He even had a normal looking eye. One red, one black—like the older Kakashi, only reversed.
"This?" Tobi said, sensing their confusion. He touched below the ordinary eye. "This is just a placeholder. There is a particular Sharingan I wanted to have here, but Orochimaru killed the person who possessed it. He has managed to take and hide almost all of the spares stored beneath Konoha and elsewhere. After the Sanbi, my next course of action is to get them back."
He locked his gaze with Obito's again. He started to walk closer to him.
"Get the hell away from me." Obito stepped backward, hands up.
Tobi didn't attempt to strike out at him again. He just leaned in closer to Obito's height. "You are extremely naive. If you keep on living in this world—or wherever you came from—you will eventually come to realize that in the harshest way possible. You can save yourself the pain if you accept it now."
"No." Obito's voice trembled, but he held his ground, refusing to step back any further. "I've already managed to change things. I found the Sanbi in my time, and I brought it here. That's why it was too strong for you to control. No one in my time can use it anymore, and the world and Rin will be safe."
Tobi didn't flinch at the sound of Rin's name, but something dark flickered in his eyes. "That is where you're the most wrong. There is no such thing as safety, for anyone. Is that why you've become such good friends with them?" He gave a short nod to the other two. "That version of Kabuto, who doesn't have a human body, and Naruto, who at least acts like he's indestructible. Do you somehow believe they will never die on you?"
"I know they're not immortal. But I'd rather die alongside them if my only choice for friends are immortal creeps like Orochimaru."
Tobi smiled again, but it looked more cruel than amused. "Alongside them? Where do you think Naruto has been before today? For that matter, your version of Minato-sensei… where is he now?"
Obito glanced at Naruto, who was still itching to jump in. This wasn't going well. But Kabuto had already reminded him of the decision he'd made earlier. Trust Obito. Let him try.
"Minato-sensei can take care of himself," Obito said strongly, looking at Tobi again. "He managed to take on the Kyuubi by himself, even with you interfering. You have no right to talk about him." There was a sudden surge of anger in his voice. "I've heard there are plenty of people there helping. He'll be able to figure out that we jumped to another world."
"I've forgotten how much I used to worship him. That's right—back then, it seemed everyone did. But do you really know him?"
"Better than you do," Obito retorted. "I've already been around him longer than you were."
Tobi gestured at Naruto. "Then, can you tell me why he chose to seal the Kyuubi within his own son? The truth is, he is as ruthless and power-hungry as anyone else. Always seeking advantage, even in the midst of personal tragedy."
Obito's body was coiled with anger, ready to strike. But it was Naruto who threw the first punch this time.
Tobi deftly stepped and dodged out of the way, experienced enough with Naruto's Sage Mode to stay far back from the strike.
Obito grabbed Naruto's arm as he whirled around. "Hey! What happened to convincing him? If I'd known you were gonna start a fight anyway, I would have clocked the bastard myself."
Despite the circumstances, Tobi had a self-satisfied smile. "You really have learned everything, haven't you? Yet there is still something you want from me. This is more interesting than I expected. I can't decide if you're arrogant, or just stupid."
Naruto scowled.
"Sorry," he said to Obito. Then he addressed Tobi again. "If it was only for your sake, that would be one thing. But we don't want Orochimaru wreaking havoc on the universe. If he doesn't get your eye, he'll be stuck in my world and eventually, we can bring him down. That's why you need to fight. Even if other places don't matter to you, I doubt you want to lose your kamui. If you don't stop obsessively hunting the bijuu until then, it'll be that much easier for you to fall into a trap."
"No—wait a minute," Kabuto interjected.
Naruto glanced at him. "What?"
"It won't take that long. If Orochimaru-sama already has one, it's still enough to—"
Tobi interrupted. "If I am needed that much, there must be a way to use my power I didn't know about. I can admit that." Tobi swept his hand around at Obito's dimension. "There are aspects of dimensional travel I haven't discovered yet. I can't say I'm very interested in other worlds, but… if there is a way to make my own abilities stronger, that will make this worthwhile." His outstretched hand paused in front of Obito. "I've found an even better replacement."
Tobi fluidly lunged forward at Obito in a single motion. Obito started and tensed up, but Tobi went all the way through him again, no more effective than before.
"Stop!" Kabuto shouted.
Tobi kept moving. Naruto realized too late that Tobi was coming directly for him. He sensed the currents of energy and movement change, but he didn't have time to set up a counterattack.
He started to step away, to dodge just enough, but Tobi changed direction again with a suddenness that even Frog Kumite hadn't prepared him for. Naruto only had time to subconsciously grit his teeth as the glint of a tantō knife appeared in Tobi's hand.
The pain was hardly noticeable at first. Naruto would have cried out in sheer surprise if nothing else, but his throat tightened when his mind caught up to what happened, making him choke.
The knife was buried in his abdomen. Tobi had angled it upward to go under his ribs, but Naruto's thudding heart had not been pierced. Either Tobi had missed the fatal strike, or…
"Don't move, unless you'd rather make this quick by giving up now," Tobi said. He was holding on to the handle of the knife with an iron grip. "As inconvenient as it would be for you to die, the power is worth a minor setback. And it's very worth it to return all the trouble you've caused me."
Blood trickled down the knife handle and plipped onto the floor. Naruto put his shaking hands over Tobi's. His fingernails dug into the leathery gloves. As long as Tobi had a grip on the knife, there was no way he could safely move.
Tobi looked grimly satisfied. "It's no use. I can't have you healing yourself again—"
"Bastard!" Obito screamed. Tobi had to duck as Obito threw a flying kick at his head.
"Reckless," Tobi said. "If that had landed, your friend would be laying in a pool of his own blood right now."
That was enough to make Obito stop the second strike he'd already lined up.
"I'm going to kill you." Obito's voice trembled with suppressed rage and panic.
"Such a quick change of heart from the self-righteous attitude earlier."
"Damn it," Naruto wheezed. It was difficult to breathe. One of his lungs must have gotten hit. He could feel the combination of Sage and bijuu energy rushing to his aid, but every breath or movement undid it. The energy he'd absorbed from the great tree was extremely powerful, but it wasn't limitless. Eventually, it would exhaust itself on the sharp edge of the knife.
Naruto looked over Tobi's shoulder at Obito, who stared back in wide-eyed desperation.
"I'm not going to die," Naruto said as steadily as he could. "Not until I've reached the title of Hokage."
"What an irresponsible claim. Do you want to make it worse?" Tobi sounded unexpectedly angry.
There was more Naruto wanted to say, but it was more important to focus on healing, so he returned his attention to his hands on the the knife. Naruto closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, then pushed Tobi's hands away with all his strength, taking shaky steps backward at the same time.
A sharp, sick feeling shuddered over him. The knife was out. Naruto saw Obito run forward and wrench it from Tobi's hands. Obito cried out in pure rage and took a swing at Tobi, but that was all Naruto saw. He stumbled backward and nearly landed on Kabuto, unexpectedly close, who wasted no time in pushing him on his side and getting to work.
"Sorry… didn't see you there," Naruto slurred. He tried to lift his head to watch the others fighting, but it hurt too much.
"That was a very bad idea!" Kabuto said, even as he took a folded cloth and pressed it into him. "Hold that if you can. Try to stay awake. I was going to help you! I could have made him let go without hurting you. Were you paying attention to what I just said a minute ago? Don't close your eyes."
Naruto forced his eyes open and smiled a little. Maybe this scolding was Kabuto's way of showing concern. "Sorry. I forgot."
"Stay focused," Kabuto commanded. "The energy you absorbed is already trying to heal you, which is good, because otherwise this would be beyond me. It's better if I just guide it."
"Obito—"
"I'm worried about him too, but you can't help him if you're bleeding to death. Focus."
"Oh… ha ha. It is a lot, huh?" Naruto felt the warmth seep through the cloth and dazedly let go of it to look at the shiny redness on his hands.
Kabuto muttered a curse and pulled Naruto's jacket off. He placed Naruto's hands firmly back over the wound. "Focus!"
Naruto focused. He let go of his grip on the energy, let Kabuto guide it to be as effective as possible. As the pain started to fade a little, and breathing became easier, he felt a strange sense of loss and disappointment at returning to a normal state. It felt almost like a great, warming presence that had been there was suddenly gone.
No wonder the real Madara had subsisted on the tree for so long. Its life was stronger than death.
Once he started feeling better, Naruto sat up.
"What are you doing?" Kabuto didn't try to stop him, but he kept his glowing palms pressed into his chest.
"As soon as I can move, I'm gonna—"
"This is going to take longer. Even if you feel better, it doesn't mean you're healed."
Naruto didn't argue just yet. He wanted to be as close to full strength as possible. But he could at least watch now.
Obito was fighting all out to make sure that Tobi couldn't come anywhere near them. But even without the use of his own kamui, Tobi was able to avoid almost all of Obito's wild movements. Fueled by anger and fear, Obito was going to wear himself out very soon.
Naruto worried what Tobi would do when that happened. He wasn't bothering to fight back—he just circled, like a vulture waiting for its prey to tire out.
"They're getting too far away." Kabuto bit his lip, but kept his eyes on the healing. "This is bad. We need to have Obito take us out of here as soon as possible. If Tobi won't cooperate, the best thing we can do is take him away from here and into the future or Obito's timeline, where Orochimaru can't reach."
"What do you mean?" Naruto asked. He still felt lightheaded. The Sage energy had taken care of the major part of his healing, but now it was finally used up.
"Kakathree's eye is linked to this kamui." Kabuto looked up at him seriously. "Learning to use it would take time for anyone who isn't Obito, but—it's not out of the question that Orochimaru-sama could follow us here."
Naruto's attention turned back sharply when he heard Obito cry out. He was crouched, bracing himself on one knee and breathing heavily.
But Obito got back up the moment a slithering wave came spilling out from under the flap of the canvas tent.
Hundreds, thousands of snakes burst out of it, slithering from every fold and crease.
"No." Naruto leaned forward and heavily stood.
"What—" Tobi, who was about to close in on Obito again, was suddenly forced to step back as the mass of writhing bodies streamed in between them.
It went past them and pooled into a mass that built itself up until it became Orochimaru.
"I've been found out," he said, grinning that perpetual grin. He looked the same as the last time they'd met. Naruto couldn't see the Sharingan. But then, there was no trace of the Zetsu, either. It meant nothing.
"Obito!" Naruto shouted. "Take Tobi and leave! Just get out of here now!"
Obito looked at him, wide-eyed to see Naruto back on his feet again. He didn't notice the snake-bunshin that materialized behind him.
"Look—"
Bunshin-Orochimaru kicked Obito to the side with enough force to send him flying. Obito hurtled toward a stone column, but managed to phase through it, get his feet underneath him, and skid to stop against the next one.
Meanwhile, Tobi turned to Orochimaru as the bunshin disintegrated into snakes. Despite all their warnings and the inaccessibility of his power, he had a menacing grin of his own.
Tobi moved like he was about to strike. But the snakes that had made up the bunshin, instead of returning to Orochimaru, darted for Tobi and slithered up his legs before anyone could blink. Tobi made a disgusted face, then bared his teeth when one of the snakes crawled up his back and sunk its fangs into his shoulder. Another one went around the other side and bit into his neck.
"Shit!" Naruto rushed forward and started pulling and batting away the creatures, as if Tobi was on fire. He managed to knock off or toss away most of them. But the two snakes that had latched on first would not let go.
Tobi reached up and ripped out the one on his neck, crushing the snake's head in his hand. He could only reach the other one by its tail, and pulling it out drew blood.
Orochimaru watched them struggle without concern, only a muted smile and a spark of amusement in his yellow eyes.
"Damn you," Tobi snarled. "Always meddling in things that don't—"
"Get back, you idiot!" Naruto got in front of Tobi and shoved him backward.
Tobi stumbled. He looked furious, but didn't leap forward again. He tried to regain his footing and had to take another step back.
He braced himself against a column and stared back warily. "What did you do?"
Orochimaru made to step toward Tobi, but Naruto stood in his way.
"It's remarkable you haven't changed your mind after all that, Naruto-kun." Orochimaru crossed his arms thoughtfully. "Though, I wouldn't call it surprising. When we met again the first time, I recognized that you'd become a little more wise to the unseen. But other aspects have been a bit disappointing. Have you figured out what I meant?"
Naruto angled himself more fully in front of Tobi. "I didn't care then, and I don't care now. I never signed up for your stupid project. None of us did."
"You've gotten better at seeing, but you waste the knowledge and resources you possess. You are content to emulate what has come before, to struggle to contain what cannot be contained. You act instinctively out of fear of loss." Orochimaru's gaze flitted to Obito, who had come up beside Naruto, and Kabuto, who was further back. "All of you. You have misused the gift you've been given."
"We're leaving," Obito said.
"Wait. Take Tobi and leave first," Naruto countered.
"Yeah, right. Like I'm just going to leave you and Kabuto to—"
"Look behind you!" Kabuto cried.
The other two whirled around just as Tobi let loose a stream of fire that lit up the dimension's persistent gloom. But the fire wasn't aimed at them. Tobi's back was pressed to the column, and he was striking at another Orochimaru that had appeared between him and Naruto. A bunshin? Or the original?
They jumped out of the blasting range. Tobi's flame went from a bright inferno that licked the stone, to a sputtering thin line, to nothing but wispy smoke that quickly dispersed. Tobi clumsily wiped soot from his mouth on his forearm and glared. His face had become very pale.
"What did you do to me?" he repeated, breathing ragged.
"I'm not prepared to say my previous project was a failure, but I would like to find out what I could do with the same gifts." The second Orochimaru had easily dodged the fire. Naruto quickly looked back and saw that the first one was gone. "To that end, there is no benefit to a massive struggle here. I'd rather make this quick."
Naruto ran across and put himself between Orochimaru and Tobi again. "That's too bad. You'll have to go through us first."
Orochimaru gave a full-throated laugh. "That's just like you, Naruto-kun. What 'us' are you talking about? You're the only one who wants this sad, confused puppet to live. Is it because you can relate?"
"Shut your mouth," Naruto growled. "I know you think we can't possibly stand up to you, but you shouldn't underestimate us."
"None of you are in any condition to fight. Tobi may be a fool," here Orochimaru gestured one long-fingered hand at him, "but he was right about your biggest misconception—the one you've managed to infect the others with. The lesson you need to learn: you can't save everyone."
Minato knelt down next to the body of the Sanbi jinchuuriki. Every inch of the old man's skin was burned by demonic energy.
He'd found the corpse close to where Obito, Kabuto, and the man who'd taken them had all disappeared.
Minato had felt more than one of his Hiraishin marks on that masked man, but now he couldn't sense any of them. Only the daggers he'd scattered around the island registered now—and a few more beyond, not attached to anything moving.
The boys were in trouble, and he had no idea where Naruto was, either. Because this had to be Naruto's world, didn't it? He needed someone who could tell him more.
As if on cue, Minato heard someone land behind him. He stood and turned to face Kakashi.
"Minato-sensei," Kakashi said, his one visible eye wide. "How…"
Minato glanced away from him as Jiraiya appeared.
"Hey," Jiraiya said with an irreverent wave. "We've met before, on that last mission. I was impersonating myself to make sure those brats didn't get themselves killed."
What in the world had Obito been doing? Minato mentally filed that information away for later. "Then I hope you understand what's happened. We've crossed over, and I believe the Sanbi has combined with itself in this world."
"By we you mean…"
Minato hesitated only a second before responding. "Potentially everyone who was in the area when this jinchuuriki released it. Obito was with me, and I saw Kabuto appear here as well for some reason."
Kakashi shook his head as if trying to shake some sense into what he was seeing and hearing.
Minato looked down at the dead jinchuuriki. "But a masked man took the two of them."
"What?" Jiraiya said sharply. "You saw the masked man?"
At his teacher's alarmed tone, fear threatened to close around Minato's heart. He kept it at bay the way he always did: by taking a breath and refocusing solely on the situation in front of him.
"They disappeared. I don't know where. Is he the cause of all this?"
"He's…" Kakashi visibly struggled. He closed his eyes, shoulders tense, hands clenched down by his sides. Then he looked at Minato again. "He's part of a group trying to steal all the bijuu to combine them into some sort of super-beast. Kiri tried to draw him out using the unsealed Sanbi as bait. I don't think he expected this, either."
They were interrupted by a piercing shriek from above. The Sanbi wasn't stomping as wildly as it was a moment ago, but it now seemed determined to break through the barrier. It bashed its head against it and shrieked in pain or frustration when it cracked, but held.
"At any rate, they won't be able to keep this barrier up much longer," Jiraiya said, looking up. He put his hands up in a seal when the Sanbi started turning around.
It walked over them, and they had to jump out of the way to avoid being crushed. The Sanbi's tails swung, glowing with angry red energy. Its tails hit the ground and mud and rocks flew into the hair.
Minato felt the energy sting his skin. The red aura was starting to surround the Sanbi, as if it was growing angrier, or maybe gathering its power.
"I think a lot of Kiri-nin from my world came here, along with however many are here for the plan on this side," Minato said to Kakashi, who had landed directly beside him. "Taking care of this should be first. Do you all have a plan?"
"No. No one knew this was going to happen. They put up the barrier just in case, but…"
"Containing it like this isn't going to be enough. It's going to break through. Even if it doesn't, everyone here will be killed."
"Kiri planned to seal it within the Mizukage's aide," Kakashi started, but then they heard a battle cry.
Kakashi moved quickly to disarm and tackle the Kiri-nin who had tried to charge at Minato from behind. He twisted the shinobi's arms behind his back.
"Konoha scum!" The man snarled, cheek pressed into the ground. Minato recognized the uniform the prison guards had been wearing.
"You may be really confused, but that's no reason to be rude," Kakashi said. "Can't you see we have bigger problems right now?"
Minato smiled a little despite himself. This version of Kakashi was not as different as Naruto led him to believe. He turned and prepared to jump away.
"Wait!" Kakashi said. "Where are you going?"
"Before anything, we have to stop the Sanbi. My markers are everywhere, so I can help wear it down. As for the rest—truthfully, I…" Minato looked back at Kakashi, but he paused at the guard's glare.
In this situation, ceasing hostilities was the only choice. But if there was something beyond this, if they could find their way home, the war would still be there.
"Nevermind," Minato said, turning back. "Maybe we'll have the chance to talk another time."
"Wait, don't—" Minato heard Kakashi say, but he jumped away to the other side of the island, where the Sanbi's head kept bumping into the barrier.
Minato looked up and dodged nimbly as the Sanbi's front claws raked at him.
I'm not sending you to find it, Hiruzen had told him. It's too risky yet. Right now, the most important thing is finding a way in. But along the way, should you happen to discover where it's being kept…
The Sandaime told him an Uchiha would be sent to help scout once he made it back to Water. He also told him about Fugaku's suggestion: the possibility of claiming the Sanbi for Konoha.
Minato had assumed Fugaku's hand-picked Uchiha would be aware of the idea, but when Obito showed up, he no longer thought so. Rather, it was clear the Clan Head wanted to use the lower-risk mission to boost Obito's track record, leaving other possibilities for after they found a path.
But now, Minato felt sure that Obito had known something. And whatever he knew, it had something to do with the man who had kidnapped them.
Minato took out an ordinary kunai and made a long cut across the palm of his left hand. He stared warily up at the Sanbi as blood pooled in his hand.
He knew of only a few ways to make the creature in front of him disappear—quickly, and with the fewest number of casualties. It came down to a choice between those methods.
It all depended on what he was willing to spend—and what he was willing to gain.
Chapter 38, Team To-like this chapter, will probably be longer than usual, and may take as much time. (But hopefully not any longer!) As in, probably after March starts, but by or before the 15th. Until then!