V.2-C.7│Into Exile VII│

"I guess you have mastered Sage Mode." Obito stated, but it wasn't like he didn't already know that Minato had such capacity.

"Yes. But, my skills with senjutsu is quite limited right now. It took too long to build up. I haven't actually used this in an actual battle before, nor can I maintain this for too long either." Minato replied.

"I guess this means you really want me dead then..." Obito replied.

"Well, before, maybe not so much, if at all. But, it has come to my attention that you are a threat to the village. And as a threat, you shall be eliminated. As the Hokage, it is my duty to do so." Minato responded.

"I see..." Obito replied as the two would now look at each other for what seemed like a few minutes, but in reality only a few seconds had passed on.

This state wasn't just a cliché in the form of a romantic connection between two people, where the world comes to a standstill as you find the one, but also an effect of when one is facing off against a dangerous opponent.

More so between Minato and Obito, both understanding that the next few moments will decided whether they live or die. For Obito, he disliked the idea of killing Minato, but on the other hand, Minato has no qualms at all at this point.

The only real reason that Obito is disinclined to strike against Minato in a lethal way, is that Minato is someone that could be useful. Not because he was his father, and Obito holds some level of respect for the man, or anything else.

Factors that Obito thinks about is that Minato is the Hokage, a strong one, one enough that is at the very least good enough for the village of Konohagakure to keep it as peaceful as possible.

Really, Obito wasn't just about to kill him off to get Hiruzen to take the position or to further complicate things.

'And it would be difficult to kill him as well...' Obito thought to himself as his Sharingan eyes were watching the movements made by Minato.

The Sharingan itself is able to see the mixed flow of senjutsu flowing through Minato, but that didn't mean that Obito could perceive Nature Chakra itself. Without it flowing and mixing with another's chakra, he would be unable to see its flow.

This was the true first time that Obito was seeing natural chakra as well, outside of his own body and through another. After all, he never had the Sharingan in his past life.

"Then lets do this." Obito added finally, breaking the tension and the silence, for Minato nor Obito had done anything after Minato's reveal.

Minato would have to do something soon though, as he couldn't keep up his current state of being, Sage Mode, for long, just as he had revealed. Sure, maybe it was a little shortsighted of Minato to reveal such information, but at the end this would decide whether or not he would be able to take Obito down.

If Minato fail's this all in attack, that would mean it was useless anyway. 'If only I have more time to develop myself some more...' Minato thought to himself.

Minato would then dash forward, his strength, endurance, agility and overall speed having increased to levels above what he was currently at. At first, Minato though that he would finally be successfully in getting Obito, but he would be surprised to find that Obito had managed to dodge his strike.

"You're going to have to try harder than that." Obito mocked.

"Oh yeah? Then I think I will." Minato responded as he once again went forward towards Obito.

Minato was a very keen-minded individual, having the highest scores in the history of the Chunin Exams written test.

In combat, he could correctly deduce the basic mechanics behind a technique after seeing it only once, and from there plan around its strengths and weaknesses to his or his allies' advantage.

With his observational skills he could determine an opponent's plans and motivations based on only limited evidence. After he had finished analyzing, Minato would strike quickly and with precision, attacking vulnerabilities at the most opportune moments.

It was through using this intelligence that Minato was able to decipher that Obito was actually quite skilled. Skilled enough to at least compete with himself at his current level of strength.

As Hokage, Minato prepared for threats facing Konoha by placing a network of marked locations around the village's outskirts for him to teleport to, including at least two safe houses and likewise passed on his space–time ninjutsu onto the Hokage Guard Platoon.

However, such preparations was not enough to stop those escaping, and it wasn't enough to give Minato enough time to try and escape Obito. 'The boy has enough experience with the Hiraishin to at least keep up. I need to do something else...' Minato was already in Sage Mode, and even this seemed to be just a breath away from being able to touch Obito.

Obito may not be exactly displaying a level of power and skill that is greater than Minato, but it was his ability to be cunning through certain scenarios and tactics placed to his advantage. There was also the fact that Obito seemed to have a great grasp on Hiraishin as well.

Obito was using this space-time technique as well, meaning that Minato and Obito both would be hard pressed to take each other out.

Minato punched forward, but it was dodged by Obito, while Obito would also go for a counter attack but also miss out on punching Minato as well.

It was a very rudimentary taijutsu fight between the two, for any form of ninjutsu would only be a form of distraction from the real action.

Looking at both, one can see that Minato was a much more aggressive fight between the two of them, but that didn't mean that Obito was all that defensive.

It was more like the way Obito fights was a balanced taijutsu, where he takes the uppermost of the defensive styles he knows of and has learned, in combination with the aggressive styles he knows of and has learned.

In general, the original Obito Uchiha's taijutsu would have been not so good, and instead would be much more skilled in other aspects. In fact, the original Obito couldn't even be called very skilled in anything much at all.

Like a black page that was left to be filled, for the totality of the original Obito's skillset was reliant on his dojutsu.

Even so, the original Obito was someone powerful enough, hard working enough to overcome such flaws. Obito as he is now was most certainly far from that status as a black canvas barely filled.

If there was a way to describe Obito's fighting style now, then it would be a combination of his previous life, his new life's abilities mixed in, alongside the stuff he has inherited from Sasuke from his previous life.

Most of all, the greatest factor now in this life, and then in his previous life, is Obito's stamina.

Minato also knows this, sees this as he could tell that Obito was not exactly being fatigued and instead still had energy enough to continue. Which is not too surprisingly, but with the degree and intensity of their fight, one would assume that Obito would at least start to get tired.

Obito himself understands that his stamina probably comes from Hashirama Senju's cells which he absorbed into himself. Of course, he also just so happens to have inherited, or more like taken with him into this life his Uzumaki genetics to help him out.

His stamina can most certainly be considered among the best of the best.

Minato's kunai extending outwards, as he saw something, a flaw in the way that Obito was moving, allowing him to capitalize on this, Minato wished to injure Obito at the very least.

Obito himself also noticed, cursing within his head that he was a bit careless, and watched as the kunai was fast approaching him.

Slowly, Obito started to think on his options, and he couldn't exactly just flash away with the Hiraishin. Not yet anyway, as he hasn't had any time to place marks throughout the place.

He was being kept busy enough by Minato's relentless assault.

'Kamui...' Obito was forced to use this technique to save himself, which allowed him to teleport away from the strike, confusing Minato at this, before Obito would appear behind Minato at the same time.

Through Minato's senses, enhanced by Sage Mode, he was able to sense Obito's reappearance.

Minato turned around and repositioned himself to strike once again, yet it wouldn't work, and Minato knew that this wouldn't work, for Obito punched forward, striking Minato on the chest and Minato exploded with such force that it threw him backwards, into the tree line behind him.

'It's over...' Obito thought as he noticed that the strength, the vitality behind Minato's chakra through his Sharingan was not as strong as before.

Not only that, Obito could actually sense Minato's chakra now, for entering Sage Mode allows one to be completely undetectable by chakra sensors.

Obito did notice that Minato wasn't fully injured or overly hurt and should be able to recover given some time. Though, Obito had made sure to strike Minato with enough strength to make him go unconscious.

He couldn't have Minato still be awake and acting suicidal just to capture or kill the others, or himself.

Obito used Kamui once again, shifting and transferring himself out of this common dimension connected to this main verse, and allowed himself to travel all the way towards where he believes Kushina and Mikoto are.

He may not be using his Hiraishin anymore for he has transformed it to make something even greater than before, but that didn't mean he would be unable to use his Kamui to try and locate them.

Going off of the direction they have head, Obito should be able to find them, as long as he continues down following their tracks.

They may be strong and skilled kunoichi, but they didn't have time enough to cover their tracks completely, and by the time he reaches a certain distance, Obito should be able to sense their chakra signatures, allowing him to use his space-time technique to get to them.

Along the way, Obito intends to cover up his own tracks and the tracks they left behind as well.

[]

Kurenai was ready, as ready as she could ever be, and knowing full well that Anko was going to see if her teacher, Lord Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, could help them was certainly a risk.

Kurenai herself may not know much, if anything at all about the man, but she was certainly aware of a few things about Lord Orochimaru's character.

Obito seemed to think not too highly of the Sannin, when practically most of Konoha seemed to love the man as much as they do the Fourth Hokage. 'Well, the village doesn't like Lord Orochimaru above the Fourth Hokage, but still...' Kurenai thought, as a point could be made to the degree of popularity Orochimaru has because of his prowess and talent.

His accomplishments as well.

Kurenai had packed all that she could, and thought that it was sad that she would be leaving now without having had the chance to at least stay within the house that Obito has grown up within.

She thought it would have been a chance, but it also wasn't like this isn't a chance to do what she wants as well.

'I wonder whether my mother and father will be all right...?' Kurenai knew that there was a possibility that she was putting her mother and father in danger, but at the same time it is highly unlikely that Konoha would go after them for her actions.

Maybe the more darker aspects, but at that point, it would be useless to go after them simply because they have left Konoha and their location is unknown to anyone. Kurenai of course knows where they are moving to.

Someplace that would be on the opposite side of the Land of Fire, which is far, but it would also increase the level of protection her parents have. Sure, it may be closer to Kiri's sea border with Konoha, but Kiri and Konoha right now have a... tentative peace between the two.

In fact, with the pirates put to a stop under that corrupt businessman, Gato, the Land's of Fire and Water could engage in some much needed trade. It most certainly was the best place to set up and restart developing a proper living for the two of them.

That aside, Kurenai had gone ahead and gotten herself all packed and ready to go. 'I wonder...' Kurenai thought to herself, before she proceeded to stealthily get herself out and away towards the meeting point.

Once outside of the village, she did notice that it was rather easy, but pushed that to the back of her mind. Soon enough, she did notice that Anko had come along, and with her is her master, Lord Orochimaru.

"Lord Orochimaru." Kurenai bowed to the older man in a sign of respect, but also because he was willing to place himself in this position to help them. "Thank you for helping us."

"Why, it is no problem." Orochimaru replied, as Anko would then question.

"What next?" Anko was unsure if Rin was coming, but their time is limited and they couldn't just wait around for too long.

"Hmmm, there does seem to be someone else coming, are they not?" Of course Orochimaru knew about the other.

"I don't know..." Anko shook her head, but it would not be long as they were contemplating to go now or not, when Rin would appear, and alongside Rin was her mother, and while Rin couldn't be called a carbon copy of her mother, it was a little close enough to say so.

"Lord Orochimaru?" Rin's mother asked, confused as to what exactly is going on.

"Don't worry about me. I may not be able to leave, but I have it on good information where Obito would be going to." Orochimaru stated, before continuing. "No time for chit chat. I shouldn't be away long..."

Orochimaru would then proceed to hand over a map, a map that pinpointed where an approximate location of where Kushina, Mikoto, Shizune and Tsunade would be going to. Which also shocked Rin's mother, but at this point it wasn't like things weren't already chaotic.

"Thank you..." Anko had said to Orochimaru just before he left, and there was no small amount of emotion in her words. Many emotions really, but to decipher said things would be left for a later date.

Right now, escaping comes first.

Kurenai could tell. "Maybe we can see each other some other time." Orochimaru said, before leaving.

Leaving Rin, Rin's mother, Kurenai and Anko to decide upon their next decision. "I see that you have competition indeed, Rin." Rin's mother said with some amusement.

"Mother!" Rin exclaimed with a blush, but things would need to get back on point.

"Anyway, lets go where it is marked. From what Lord Orochimaru said, most of the Konoha shinobi should be distracted. We will have to go the long way around." Rin's mother contemplated, being the oldest she should help, and would come along.

"Your coming with us?" Kurenai couldn't help but ask Rin's mother.

"I must look out for my daughter, of course." Rin's mother replied.

"Right..." Kurenai though that her parents would do the same if they were shinobi. 'No, even if they were still here, they would try and come as well.' Things are complicated.

"We will arrive there later, so be careful and cover your tracks." Rin's mother stated, allowing the other three girls to become more focused.