Naruto: Starting with the Ōtsutsuki Bloodline

Chapter 99: Yesterday Once More – Master and Disciple

"Go to hell!"

With Uchiha Obito's furious roar, a set of chains clattered out from his sleeves as he lunged forward.

"Lunatic," Kitagawa Gen muttered, raising a brow as he charged to meet the attack.

Whoosh—

Their weapons clashed, just a fleeting exchange before their bodies split apart again. But Obito twisted midair, and the chains whistled through the air, sweeping in from behind.

Swish—

The chains cut through the space where Gen had just been—but he was already gone, and his voice echoed from behind Obito.

"Your taijutsu's a little slow. By the way, didn't I hear you were dead last back in the Academy?"

"Shut up!"

Obito's figure flickered and reappeared right in front of Gen, swinging his chains again.

With no Flying Thunder God seal on him now, Obito wasn't worried about being outmaneuvered—especially not when he was already seething with rage.

Not just because this bastard had impersonated him… but because of his words.

He thought he had come to terms with everything. That he'd made peace with his past. But hearing those things out loud still cut deeper than he expected.

"What gives you the right to judge me? You're just another fool who blindly obeys the rules of this hellish world!"

"At least I don't take illusions for reality."

Gen pressed the attack, clearly enjoying beating Obito while he was down. His White Fang short sword shimmered as it slashed again.

"And haven't you realized something else? If your chains are cutting the wind..."

Clang—

Gen parried Obito's chain mid-swing with the White Fang, redirecting its path.

In that same instant, purple lightning surged in his left hand, thrusting straight at Obito's chest.

"You're solid now!"

"Tch!"

Obito grunted and twisted his body, his Mangekyō Sharingan spinning rapidly—the unmistakable prelude to Kamui.

He was going to suck Gen into his dimension.

Whoosh—

But just as the spatial pull activated, Gen flashed away with instantaneous speed.

"Fire Style: Blast Flame Dance!"

Obito didn't miss a beat—he'd anticipated this. A massive torrent of flames roared after Gen.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

Gen didn't hesitate either. Slamming his palms into the ground, a thick earthen barrier rose in front of him.

BOOM—!

The explosion of fire lit up the night sky, bathing the once-quiet Takigakure in chaos and heat.

From the very first clash, the entire village had been thrown into alarm.

Takigakure might have fallen from glory, but it was still a shinobi village. Hundreds of ninja were already evacuating civilians while surrounding the two combatants.

"What's happening?!"

"Not sure. Looks like the fight broke out near Fu's place."

"Damn it! Who are these people?"

"Could they be after the Seven-Tails?"

The Taki-nin were tense. They wanted to step in, but these two were moving too fast—disappearing and reappearing at will. Their overwhelming chakra made it clear this was not a fight just anyone could interrupt.

"Should we prepare the Hero Water?"

"Do it. If the situation turns any worse..."

Takigakure's leadership exchanged grim glances. One of them looked at Fu, who stood frozen and confused, and let out a sigh.

While they were debating, the battle between Kitagawa Gen and Uchiha Obito continued without pause.

As Obito spun his chains with deadly precision and the number of onlookers grew, Gen suddenly remembered something Jiraiya had told him.

"Don't make a scene."

He pursed his lips, instantly teleporting away using the Flying Thunder God to put some distance between them. As Obito charged after him, Gen gathered chakra once more.

"What the hell are you really after? Sneaking into Takigakure like that... are you here for the Seven-Tails?"

"…???"

Obito froze. His face darkened as he realized—this bastard was framing him!

Before he could respond, Gen kept fighting and yelling at the same time.

"I'm a Konoha shinobi! I came here with Lord Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade to visit your village—only to run into him! Be careful!"

"You son of a—!"

Obito's eyes turned bloodshot. He just realized something very unfair about being a rogue ninja:

Even when you catch someone else causing trouble, if you're the one labeled a criminal, no one listens to you!

Even if the shinobi of Takigakure didn't believe Kitagawa Gen's nonsense, the name of Konoha, plus the weight of Jiraiya and Tsunade's reputations, wasn't something they could afford to ignore.

"Since he's an honored guest from Konoha, then all personnel—assist the Konoha ninja and subdue this attacker!"

"Yes, sir!"

As expected, a small nation like Takigakure didn't have the backbone of Kirigakure. They made their decision almost instantly.

This turn of events made Uchiha Obito feel as if the entire world truly had abandoned him.

"DIE!!"

Obito roared in fury, and in a flash, countless massive shuriken shot out from his Kamui dimension.

He charged toward Kitagawa Gen like a madman—only to realize with shock that Gen wasn't dodging this time.

Instead, Gen calmly pressed his hands to the ground, his chakra subtly shifting.

"You go play by yourself. I'm done here."

His voice drifted into Obito's ears just as a mud wall rose from the earth, blocking the giant shuriken right before impact.

And in that moment—Obito's eyes widened.

Because engraved on the earthen wall, were portraits from a photograph taken the day they graduated from the academy.

Rin, smiling brightly, stood right in the center—facing down those deadly projectiles.

"NO!!!"

Obito's expression twisted in panic as he quickly activated his eye to absorb the incoming shuriken—

—but at that instant, Gen shattered the wall himself.

His White Fang short blade, glowing with purple lightning, came slashing straight at Obito.

---

Meanwhile, outside Takigakure, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Kakashi had finally arrived. Tsunade muttered under her breath:

"What the hell is that kid doing in there…"

The Fourth Raikage was also with them, being watched over by Shizune. They hadn't wanted to bring him, but they were concerned something might go wrong—especially since his chakra had been sealed. Still, even without chakra, his sheer physical power and combat skills could prove dangerous.

"I don't know either…" Jiraiya admitted, looking puzzled.

"Normally, Gen is very cautious," he continued. "He wouldn't cause unnecessary trouble. And with his abilities, he should be just fine. So that must mean…"

"He's encountered an enemy," Kakashi said bluntly, confident in his assessment. "Gen might have a difficult personality, but there's no doubt—he's an excellent shinobi. If he's causing a stir, it's because something serious happened."

"Sounds about right," Jiraiya nodded. Then he muttered, "Don't tell me that kid's jinx actually came true…"

He didn't get to finish the thought—his eyes widened suddenly. And so did Kakashi's.

From the opposite side, figures wearing black cloaks with red clouds emerged. When they saw Jiraiya and the others, they paused.

Both groups stared at each other in stunned silence.

"Tch… That damn brat really is a jinx," Jiraiya sighed. His gaze darkened with complexity. Taking a step forward, he asked in a low voice:

"Yahiko… is that you? You were behind the last incident too, weren't you?"

"It was me," Pain replied after a moment of silence, nodding slightly. "It's been a long time… Jiraiya-sensei."

That single sentence stunned both Kisame and Uchiha Itachi.

What the hell?

Their leader... is Toad Sage- Jiraiya's former student?!

Kisame instantly went on alert. Itachi, meanwhile, looked genuinely taken aback, as if still processing what he'd just heard.

"That boy, Kitagawa Gen—is he your student?" Pain asked.

But Pain seemed unfazed, maintaining his cold composure.

"You've always had a talent for teaching, haven't you? Another powerful shinobi you've trained."

"He's not really my student… not officially," Jiraiya replied with a trace of embarrassment. But then his tone turned serious.

"What's going on, Yahiko? I received some very unusual intel—it said you were dead. And Orochimaru told me a few things too, about what happened back then. So… you…"

"Those days are long gone," Pain interrupted, shaking his head. For a fleeting moment, sorrow flickered in his voice—but it vanished just as quickly.

"We're no longer who we used to be. We are Pain—beings that no longer feel pain. And we have come to reshape this world."

Reshape the world…?

Jiraiya's heart sank.

From what he'd gathered from Uchiha Obito, it was clear—his former student had completely gone astray.

But one thing still didn't add up.

Staring into Pain's eyes, Jiraiya asked quietly:

"Your eyes… those are Nagato's. And you—You're not Yahiko. If you were, you wouldn't be doing this. He…"

"You're right. Yahiko is dead, Jiraiya-sensei."

Pain's voice was still calm, but a faint edge crept into his words.

"He chose the wrong path. Or perhaps… it was the path you gave him that was wrong to begin with.

This world isn't full of hope and kindness. It's a hell built on suffering.

True understanding between people is near impossible. Even basic trust is hard to come by.

Yahiko paid the ultimate price. But now—I am Pain.

We will walk a new path. One that leads to true peace.

A peace we will create!"

"So what—you're the same as Uchiha Obito, then?" a voice cut in.

They all turned—and saw Kitagawa Gen standing casually beside the Fourth Raikage.

He tilted his head in confusion, then asked curiously:

"If you just kill everyone in the world, does that count as peace?"

"…"