Chapter 84 Lin's Death

“Some people perform magic tricks with clumsy hands, some use laughable illusions to obscure the truth, but I, Sako the Jester… am used to casting true magic in the name of sleight of hand~”

Bailin stood atop the treetops, delivering his introduction in a bizarre, theatrical tone. For any actor, the ultimate challenge is the masked man from V for Vendetta, that romantic fighter for freedom, the eccentric wielding a rose to shatter his chains—every gesture and line impossible to surpass in style.

“I’ll see if I can reconnect it,” Rin said, cradling Parker’s body as she tried to pry open the black box holding him.

Given her mastery of medical ninjutsu, it was hard to imagine why a dog, sliced in half, could still be perfectly fine. The secret surely lay within the box.

“No~No~No~ I advise you not to do that, my dear little Rin. The charm of magic lies in the unknown. If you open the box, my cute little pup may never again catch the scent of his beloved droppings.” Bailin crooned in his strange voice.

“What is your purpose?” Kakashi asked, brows knitting.

“Merely following my master’s orders. Do you plan to just stand here talking all night? Why not chat while we fight?” Bailin asked, tilting his head.

“I’ve been wanting to do just that! Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!” Obito’s anger erupted, and a blazing fireball roared toward Bailin atop the treetops, casting a crimson glow over the surrounding woods.

“A classic ninjutsu~ May I ask, just out of curiosity, have you ever actually killed anyone with this jutsu?” With a dramatic sweep of his cloak, Bailin infused it with water chakra—a “charged strike”—and draped it over the fireball. A mere grand fireball wasn’t worth wasting a Hungry Ghost Path shield.

Elemental advantage is overwhelming. Deidara could burst from his coffin and wail, “It’s truly unbeatable.”

With a hiss, the massive fireball was instantly extinguished, and a fine mist billowed forth—the masked figure vanished from the treetop.

“A forest shrouded in mist—a perfect opportunity for trickery,” the voice echoed from the left side of the forest.

The trio immediately tensed in readiness.

“How about a little magic act?” The same strange laughter now came from the right side of the woods.

“Obito, keep an eye to the right,” Kakashi ordered.

“Got it!” The three formed a defensive triangle, alert to all around them.

Night had fallen silent; the sounds of battle had driven away birds and insects. Now, only two bizarre, shifting laughs drifted through the darkness, sometimes near, sometimes far.

“Damn it… where is this guy?” Obito hated being on the defensive, wanting nothing more than to charge into the woods for an all-out brawl.

“Stay calm. We can drag this out until dawn if we have to.” Kakashi, for his part, detested fighting in darkness. No one could say whether their hidden opponent had set traps amidst the trees.

“Obito, is your backside all right?” Rin still worried about the senbon that had struck Obito earlier.

“F-fine…” Obito blushed as soon as Rin showed concern.

“Are you sure? Why don’t you check behind you?” The strange laughter sounded right behind them!

“How is that possible?! We’re practically back-to-back! How did he get in? Is he invisible?” Kakashi was startled, but his reaction was swift—he spun and stabbed backward with his blade.

Obito wasn’t slow-witted—he was a bit of a fool, but a solid ninja. As soon as he heard the voice right by his neck, he spun and counterattacked.

Though Rin’s combat ability was limited, her reflexes were quick—just half a beat behind the others, she too turned to strike.

The masked intruder stood directly behind them, his voluminous cloak concealing who knew what secrets.

Kunai and short blades plunged into the cloak—but there was no sensation of striking anything solid.

“Curious what the magician hides beneath his cloak? Then come inside and see for yourselves!” With a flourish, Bailin swept his cloak wide, plunging all three into utter darkness.

With “Counterstorm” active, even with his eyes closed, he could fend off all physical attacks with twin kunai.

A cacophony of metallic clashes rang out—Bailin, facing three opponents alone, was holding his own. In the pitch black beneath the cloak, the four exchanged blows by the brief sparks their weapons struck.

Suddenly, a bird’s cry pierced the gloom; Kakashi’s blade flashed with blinding light, momentarily dazzling all.

“Now!”

Squelch! Squelch! The two stabbed wildly, blood spattering as the masked man finally ceased moving and slumped to the ground. The three crawled out from beneath the oversized cloak.

“Whew… I’m not sure how he got behind us, but… this was clearly suicidal, wasn’t it?” Obito shook the blood from his hand, exhaling in relief.

“Take off his mask. Let’s see who he really is—I have a strange sense that he’s familiar,” Kakashi said, flicking blood from his blade.

“Why do I have to do it? That’s creepy.” Obito eyed the fallen figure warily—its mask still bore that ever-present, mocking smile.

Grumbling, he crouched and reached out to remove the mask.

A thunderous roar—

It wasn’t lightning, but the ringing in his mind was as shattering as a thunderclap. His heart seemed to seize in a giant’s fist and stop beating.

Rin…

Why Rin…?

“How could it be Rin?!” Obito howled at the sky.

The face beneath the mask was none other than Rin, her expression frozen in terror, as if she had no idea what had happened.

The two boys whipped their heads toward where “Rin” should have been standing—

Rin tilted her head, her smile twisting into something uncanny. With a bow, she began backing away. “I told you, true brilliance must be experienced firsthand. A little clumsy trick… a grand transformation, bought with your pain and applause.”

Lightning Blade!

Kakashi, ever ruthless and silent, let the lightning in his right hand blaze against the night as he stabbed mercilessly into the “Fake Rin’s” heart.

“Hee! I can’t die yet—I haven’t heard my audience’s reviews.” With a flick of his cloak, Bailin revealed his true form, backflipping away and vanishing into thin air.

Fraudulent Magic

“Rin… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” Obito wept endlessly, clutching Rin’s body.

“Obito… your eyes are beautiful…” Rin reached out with trembling hand to wipe the tears from Obito’s cheek. In both Sharingan, three tomoe spun slowly.

He had failed to awaken his eyes at thirteen; the clan had all but given up, labeling him talentless. Yet now, upon awakening, he’d achieved three tomoe—if the Uchiha learned of this, they’d surely take him home and nurture him as a prodigy.

“Rin… without you, the world has lost its color. What’s the point of these eyes…” Obito sobbed.

“Is that all you have to say to me?” Rin gently stroked his face.

“I… I like you, Rin…” Obito gritted his teeth, finally voicing his feelings.

“If you like me, why did you stab me so many times?” Rin seemed a little annoyed.

“I… I…” Obito was at a loss for words.

“Obito… don’t say anything more…”

“Rin…”

“Obito…”

“Rin…”

Gazing deeply, full of emotion.

“While I’m still warm, don’t you want to do anything?” Rin’s tone suddenly turned coy.

Obito froze, then slowly lowered his head.

Crash!

Kakashi booted “Rin” into the air. With a shriek, “Rin” morphed into a twisted, white humanoid mass.

“Are you an idiot?! How could that possibly be Rin!” Kakashi roared.

“Ugh!” Obito retched at the sight of the white, twisted thing burrowing into the ground.