Ryosuke had expected this outcome from the start. That Fireball Jutsu had only been a feint. With his current chakra reserves, unleashing a massive Fireball posed no real burden.
Still, he played his role, feigning shock.
"Impossible... how did you do that?"
His eyes widened in disbelief.
Behind the mask, Obito wore a smug expression.
This was the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan—his right eye's Kamui, capable of intangibility.
Of course, he wasn't about to explain anything. Just as he'd said earlier, "the dead don't need to know."
At the same time, Obito sensed that others were approaching.
And in this area, that could only mean more Uchiha.
He needed to end this quickly to avoid complications.
With a flash, Obito charged at Ryosuke.
All he had to do was phase through Ryosuke's counterattack, then rematerialize and absorb him into the Kamui dimension. The fight would be over.
Ryosuke also sensed someone approaching.
But whether it was an ANBU member or another Uchiha, no one could help him here.
He felt the pressure of Obito's charge—this enemy's intangibility and phasing abilities were truly troublesome.
Without hesitation, he gathered his chakra and activated the Eight Gates.
Opening Gate—Open!
Rest Gate—Open!
Life Gate—Open!
Pain Gate—Open!
With four gates opened, Ryosuke entered a true state of the Eight Gates technique. His body was already sustaining damage.
A powerful aura burst from him as he surged forward to meet Obito.
Obito was startled. Ryosuke's strength had exploded.
This looked like the forbidden Eight Gates technique—one he had seen recorded in the texts left by Madara.
He hadn't expected someone from the Uchiha Clan to have mastered such a taijutsu technique.
Of course, the Eight Gates had a fatal flaw: the user would suffer immense weakness afterward, becoming a defenseless target.
But Obito didn't plan to stall. He had already sensed someone closing in and didn't want this opportunity to slip away.
Besides, so what if Ryosuke's physical strength had increased? Obito's strategy was foolproof.
What could Ryosuke do—use Flying Thunder God like his teacher?
Even if Minato were here, Obito wouldn't fall for the same trick again.
He continued his charge, just as planned.
They met mid-air, but no collision occurred.
Ryosuke feigned confusion, but in truth, his legs were coiled, muscles tense, ready to strike the moment Obito reached out.
As Obito phased through Ryosuke's body, he smiled confidently.
It's over.
He solidified, reaching out to grab Ryosuke and pull him into the Kamui space.
But just as his hand reached out, Ryosuke's legs snapped into motion—delivering a brutal kick.
Obito's expression turned to terror.
Boom!
He was sent flying, crashing through several trees before slamming to the ground in a twisted heap.
His body was clearly broken.
At that moment, Uchiha Yatsushiro, who had just arrived, witnessed the entire scene.
The man in the orange spiral mask—could it be the one behind the Nine-Tails attack on Konoha years ago?
The one who had framed the Uchiha Clan, giving Konoha's leadership the excuse to force their relocation to the outskirts and strip them of status.
This man had to be captured.
Yatsushiro charged toward Obito's last known position with that conviction.
Meanwhile, Obito felt the damage to his body.
Anyone else would've died from that kick.
Thankfully, half of his body was Zetsu's, but even now, he could barely move.
Fury filled him. He'd failed again.
Could it be that this Uchiha, like his teacher, had figured out his ability after only one encounter and developed a countermeasure?
Terrifying.
But once he healed, he would be back.
With a final glare, he activated Kamui.
In a blink, he vanished into the Kamui dimension.
Just as he disappeared, Yatsushiro arrived at the spot—only to witness the figure fade from existence.
He cursed under his breath.
He'd gotten away.
There wasn't a trace of chakra left in the area.
A space-time technique—truly troublesome.
At the same time, Yatsushiro felt a flicker of excitement.
That masked man had been untouchable for Konoha's shinobi.
But Ryosuke had injured him.
Ryosuke had become incredibly powerful.
Yatsushiro rushed toward Ryosuke.
Ryosuke himself was grinning with excitement.
He hadn't managed to finish Obito off, but he'd landed a solid kick—fulfilling his personal goal.
Obito was absurdly resilient. That kick had used up every ounce of Ryosuke's strength.
If he hadn't done that, and Obito had pulled him into the Kamui space, he'd be dead now.
Actually, Kamui wasn't as invincible as it seemed.
As long as you understood how it worked, and timed your counter just as the user materialized to attack, you could strike.
Of course, if Obito stayed intangible the whole time and never went on offense, Ryosuke wouldn't be able to touch him.
Against someone like that, the best counter would be time-stop.
In the ninja world, space reigned supreme—but time reigned above all.
Ryosuke recalled that the awakening of the Mangekyō Sharingan was tied to the user's deepest desires.
Shisui awakened Kotoamatsukami because he wished to prevent his clan's rebellion—thus, the strongest genjutsu was born.
Sasuke awakened Kagutsuchi when he learned the truth about Itachi's sacrifice. His desire to reshape the rotten system of the Leaf Village led to a flame-controlling power that mirrored his inner resolve.
If Ryosuke's deepest conviction during awakening was that "time surpasses space," perhaps he'd gain a time-based ability—ideally, time-stop.
Too bad Obito hadn't underestimated his Sharingan.
If he had, maybe that would've triggered Ryosuke's Mangekyō awakening.
Just then, Yatsushiro arrived by his side, looking more respectful than ever.
He could feel how truly powerful Ryosuke had become.
They needed to bring him into the radical faction—no wonder he held such extreme views. He had been hiding his strength all along.
With power like this, he might even surpass the clan's top prodigy, Shisui.
He suspected Ryosuke had figured something out during the fight.
"Ryosuke, do you know who that masked man was?"
Ryosuke replied flatly,
"No idea."
If Obito's identity became public knowledge, the Uchiha would be the first to take the blame.