Chapter 56.3- Gamer of the Desert

Kankuro stared at the both of them. But he was obediently still. Beyond tilting his head as he watched her be held hostage, he was as still as a statue. She knew he was doing his best to hide his panic. She was terrible at hiding hers, she knew. Mebuki was a traitor. She had betrayed their village and now she was holding her hostage. But in truth it was not her present scenario running through her head. It was the fact that this would break Gaara. Her brother, her Kage. It was not so long ago that he was distant from everything and everyone. It was not too long ago that he did not seem to care about a single thing. But then he’d opened up. Someone had managed to reach him. And now that woman was turning out to be a traitor. Would he even be able to believe them? Mebuki was the one he trusted above all. The one he asked for advice. The one who spoke with his voice as far as the village was concerned and he was absent. That was what made this entire thing make no sense.

Watching Kankuro’s fingers so closely, she could see it the moment his pinky finger moved. So could Mebuki it seemed. It just came down to who was faster. The woman behind her pulled backwards with her kunai aiming to slit Temari’s throat. She managed to break the skin, but just barely. Kankuro’s puppet was faster. From beneath them, the ground exploded and they found themselves bundled into the midsection of Kankuro’s puppets. With her footing thoroughly ruined, Mebuki was unable to do more than break her skin. She then felt the woman slump behind her. This particular puppet was thoroughly laced with one of Kankuro’s more fast acting poisons.

The puppet body opened up and she met the worried eyes of her younger brother. She didn’t resist the hug he bundled her into.

XXXXXXX- THE GHOST OF THE UCHIHA

“Nicely done, Kabuto” He said as he used Kamui to appear into the cave. His next words froze in his mouth as he looked at the state of the cave. More particularly, the people in the cave. The man in the red armour was undoubtedly Madara, he knew that for sure. The woman with the red hair was also easy enough to spot as an Uzumaki. And then there were more red haired men in the cave. Men who were weaving seals. He couldn’t spot kabuto, but his senses knew what a bad situation this was.

Kamui, he tried. For the first time, his mangekyou’s ability did not avail him. He tried again. Tried to force space to sunder and take him with it. The kamui realm was a place he knew more intimately than any other, and for the first time it had shut its doors to him. The red haired men were chanting in unison as they weaved more and more seals. Now that he could see them better, he noted the marks that identified them as reanimated shinobi.

“Kabuto! What is the meaning of this?” He called out, trying to locate the smarmy boy that had set this trap for him.

“Up here, Obito” A voice said. He looked up indeed and found the snake standing atop a familiar clay construct. Diedara’s technique?

“What have you done?” He asked, trying to stall for time.

“Nothing much. You see, it always annoyed me how everyone in this stupid world underused the most powerful technique of them all. Why use Edo Tensei to make people fight for you? I mean, I understand the concept. Immortal soldiers are one hell of a buff. But why the hell did everyone ignore the technique’s power to gain knowledge. In front of you stand seven of the most revered Uzumaki Clanheads. I have had them working for days to create a seal that undoes your technique. In this cave, space will not bend to your will, Obito” He said.

“You fool. Longing, rusted, fur-“

“That hasn’t worked on me for a very long time. Try another trick.” Kabuto said, seemingly unaffected by the words that Sasori had assured him would put the boy in a trance. He’d been tricked, he realised. Was Sasori in on it, he wondered. He would find the answer to that sooner or later. He turned towards the cave wall, intent on breaking through but his fist met only a shimmering glowing barrier. It was only then that he realised who the red haired woman had to be- Mito Uzumaki. The Shodia’s wife. Famed for trapping even the Nine Tails with her powerful barriers.

He watched the barrier fully form to enclose both he and the reanimated body of Uchiha Madara.. Kamui was still not working. He should have moved to kill the Uzumaki first. Or even just interrupt their jutsu.

He barely had time to consider his options before his mentor was upon him. He dodged under the first swing of the powerful gunbai. He could wield the weapon with just as much skill as his mentor. That meant he knew just how to fight against it. He stepped into the man’s guard where most would have stepped backwards and aimed a stab at his head with his kunai. Madara dodged the stab with a simple lean out of the way and then brought a knee up to his chest. He willed his chest into the kamui dimension and then aimed a stab for the man’s eyes again.

His thoughts blacked out as he was sent flying from the kick. Fuck. No kamui, he realised again. Foolish. His entire fighting style had been built around a single technique. Without it, he was beginning to realise that his options were much more limited. He formed a tiger seal and breathed out a literal torrent of flames at his mentor. Uchiha Madara, also using the fire seal breathed out flames that put his to shame, overwhelming his attack and continuing towards him. Obito jumped all the way to the other side of the barrier to avoid the attack.

A/N; Plot twist? This has been in the cards for about thirty chapters now. It feels so good to finally be on the way to the ending