"What do you think?"
Watching Naruto leave, Kabuto turned to Obito and asked.
Obito snorted coldly. "At the very least, based on what Naruto just said, he doesn't seem to be our enemy for the time being."
"Oh?"
Kabuto's voice carried a hint of amusement. He then added, "So, does that mean there's a possibility of becoming allies?"
Obito frowned, recalling how Naruto had appeared out of nowhere—just like his own Kamui. The only ones capable of such a feat were those who possessed Space-Time Ninjutsu!
Could it be that Naruto had already discovered this hideout?
Impossible. This place was extremely well-hidden. There was no way he could have found it!
Yet, when Obito glanced back at Kabuto, he felt a growing sense of unease.
Kabuto had managed to locate the corpses he had hidden and even resurrected Madara Uchiha using Edo Tensei. If Kabuto could track down something even Obito had concealed, then Naruto's sudden intrusion seemed more plausible.
Obito sighed before responding. "Whether we can become allies depends on fate."
Ever since Naruto had revealed his identity, Obito had begun to lose confidence.
It felt like his mask was slipping.
For so long, he had terrorized the world under the name Madara Uchiha, an identity that had struck fear into many.
From behind his mask, Obito had often felt a sense of amusement, thinking: You fools… You've all been deceived. The real mastermind is me—Obito Uchiha!
That feeling—the pride of being the unseen hand guiding events from the shadows—was now crumbling.
Naruto had shattered that illusion.
After a moment of silence, Obito activated Kamui, and the swirling distortion of space-time began pulling him in.
"I won't see you off. If you're interested in staying here a bit longer, leave when you wish."
Leaving these words behind for Kabuto, Obito disappeared.
Kabuto smirked contemptuously. Tch. He's just as irritating as Naruto.
Turning his gaze toward the sea of White Zetsu clones below, Kabuto licked his lips. "Now then, I need to plan the hunt for Yamato and complete this massive project."
---
In front of the Gedo Statue, a space-time vortex formed, and Obito stepped out.
The moment he landed, rustling sounds echoed through the air as Black Zetsu and White Zetsu emerged from the ground, their twisted, intertwined forms moving unnaturally. Thick, dark, and gnarled roots extended from the earth, creeping around them.
"You're back? How did your conversation with Kabuto go?" Black Zetsu inquired.
Without answering immediately, Obito gazed at the Gedo Statue and finally spoke. "Kabuto isn't a problem. But there's bad news—Naruto successfully transplanted Nagato's Rinnegan."
White Zetsu's voice was filled with disbelief. "How is that even possible?! Can Naruto really withstand the Rinnegan?"
Obito replied calmly, "It's not surprising. Both Naruto and Nagato are from the Uzumaki clan—their vitality is monstrous. On top of that, Naruto is the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki. And besides that…"
He trailed off, hesitation creeping into his voice.
Because deep down, Obito suspected that Naruto possessed that kind of power.
The Uchiha Clan's stone tablet contained a prophecy that Madara had once shared with him. Obito had studied it as well.
It spoke of a great force—one that could be awakened by the unification of the Senju and Uchiha bloodlines.
Over time, Obito had come to realize that there were indeed two mysterious forces at play in this world—souls that reincarnated again and again through specific bloodlines.
The souls of Indra and Asura.
Madara and Hashirama had been among these reincarnations.
At first, Obito assumed that after Madara's death, he—as an Uchiha—must have inherited the mysterious power of their lineage.
But then, he saw something unsettling in Naruto.
He saw the same overwhelming power that once belonged to Hashirama Senju.
This led Obito to question: Is Naruto the successor to the Senju's power?
And if Naruto was Asura's reincarnation, then who was Indra's?
This uncertainty made Obito shift his focus to Sasuke Uchiha.
His research into Sasuke left him uneasy because he couldn't determine whether he or Sasuke was the true inheritor of Indra's power.
Thus, he had deliberately pushed Sasuke forward, accelerating the evolution of his Mangekyō Sharingan, ensuring that Sasuke would one day reach—or even surpass—him.
Only then would he have his answer.
Now, however, Naruto himself had urged him to manipulate Sasuke's hatred.
This made Obito hesitate.
Originally, after the Eight-Tails' escape, Obito had already planned to provoke Sasuke, to push him further toward the darkness.
But now, with Naruto directly suggesting it, Obito found himself strangely resistant to the idea.
It was like deciding to do something on your own—only for someone you despise to tell you to do it. Suddenly, it feels like the last thing you want to do.
White Zetsu, noticing Obito's silence, spoke up. "Obito, what else is bothering you?"
Black Zetsu's voice turned grave. "Regardless of how Naruto managed to transplant the Rinnegan, this isn't good for us. You should know that Madara left those eyes for a reason—everything ties back to the Eye of the Moon Plan."
He continued. "Without the Rinnegan, there will be great obstacles in executing the plan."
Obito remained silent for a moment before speaking. "I'm well aware of that. But even without the Rinnegan, I can still carry out the Eye of the Moon Plan."
Black Zetsu observed him carefully. Is he planning to resurrect Madara?
Obito walked toward the Gedo Statue and activated Kamui. A powerful force surged as he began absorbing the massive statue into his dimensional space.
White Zetsu's voice was laced with confusion. "Obito, what are you doing?"
Obito slowed down for a moment, carefully managing his chakra. Absorbing something as enormous as the Gedo Statue in one go was extremely taxing.
"Just in case," he murmured. "Naruto is becoming more and more unpredictable. He knows too much. And now that he has the Rinnegan… I fear he may try to take the Gedo Statue for himself."
Black Zetsu agreed. "A wise decision. The Gedo Statue houses seven of the nine Tailed Beasts—we can't afford to lose it."
Once Obito had completely stored the Gedo Statue, he turned his attention to White Zetsu.
"Where is Sasuke right now?"
White Zetsu responded, "He's traveling. Last I checked, he was in a forest, making his way here."
Obito nodded.
A space-time vortex began swirling around him once more.
"Then let's go meet him."
And with that, he vanished.
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