The rain kept pouring harder, accompanied by flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder. It fell like a dense waterfall, blown by the wind into mist and fog, with raindrops the size of marbles pelting down on the three of them.
"Hey, Obito," Masashi wiped his face and urged, visibly annoyed, "Hurry up and use an earth jutsu to shield us."
Without replying, Obito perford the jutsu, raising an earthen wall that combined into a large do, blocking the rain from above.
Then, he removed his mask.
Though he had braced himself for it, Masashi had to admit the makeshift bio-tech did little for looks.
"How'd you get like this?" Masashi asked, casting a skeptical glance Zetsu's way. "You did this, didn't you? Even got the patterns almost right."
"Without it, Obito would have died," Zetsu said in a somber tone. "You should be able to sense it; this body is far stronger than if you trained yourself."
"Maybe, but I only trust my own power," Masashi said dismissively, waving his hand and turning his gaze back to Obito.
"Heh…" Obito scoffed, turning his head away.
"Hmm?" Masashi's expression shifted. "What's this, craving sweets again?"
Obito glared back at him. "Idiot! I'll kill you!"
"Yeah, good luck with that," Masashi replied, wagging his middle finger. "We both have space-ti jutsu; neither of us is catching the other."
"For now," Obito retorted. "You're seriously annoying."
"Your grandmother didn't think so."
"You didn't have to visit her."
"She made good tea and cake. And soone had to check on her after you abandoned the village."
"I didn't abandon—"
"No? What would you call it then?"
"..." Obito fell silent, forced to concede.
Back when he occasionally returned to the village, he'd seen Masashi visiting his grandmother often, keeping her company. When she passed, Masashi's family had handled the funeral.
After he left, his grandmother had been alone.
After a pause, he said, "Thank you for helping with her."
"We were neighbors, and she was good to ."
After this brief exchange, the two returned to glaring at each other.
Zetsu, watching from the side, grew impatient. Humans were always caught up in strange trivialities.
"Obito, you should get to the main point."
"Call that again, and I'll kill you!" Obito snapped, the response now second nature.
"…"
"So, what's the main point?" Masashi asked.
"Since you asked…"
"Just say it in plain language. Have you been training for three years on how to be stubborn and talk like shit?"
"I was just about to!" Obito said, frowning at Masashi's attitude. "Masashi, what do you think of this world?"
"It's fine," Masashi replied seriously. "Earning money as a ninja is a breeze. And I like eating delicious food."
Really, the second ti around was far better than the first. The founder of the one-country, one-village system may have taken a hands-off approach, but he truly did sothing great.
"You always said emotions make weak ninja. Look at now," Obito gestured to himself.
"I said uncontrolled emotions make weak ninja. You've just swapped one extre for another."
"Tch... Still so shallow," Obito sneered at him. "If money and foodd were all you cared about, you could leave Konoha and co with ."
"Nope," Masashi refused without hesitation. "No tea, no deal. Konoha has the best selection and quality. I'm not going anywhere."
"..."
Zetsu couldn't understand. Couldn't a missing-nin buy tea?
"Let's talk business. Why don't you co back to Konoha, Obito?" Masashi asked. "You don't seem like soone hiding in the shadows."
"I can't go back," Obito's gaze turned dark. "Listen, Masashi. This world is built to create failures. Soday, you'll beco one too. I'm done with it; with my grandmother gone, I don't need to hold back anymore."
"Such a grim perspective doesn't sound like it ca from you," Masashi said confidently. "You were always the optimistic idiot."
"I was, and you told to stop being so passionate. Isn't my change now what we used to call a 'true ninja'?"
"I'd give you a full score for reading comprehension, but as I see it…" Masashi finally cut to the chase, "You t the real Madara, and he trained you into what you are now."
Obito was briefly taken aback, but Masashi had already pointed to Zetsu. "So, what's that thing? Doesn't look human."
"I am Madara-sama's will," Zetsu grinned. "Standing before you isn't your forr comrade, but Madara himself, and you could be, too."
"Unless I beco Hokage, no one's using as a vessel," Masashi replied with a wave of his hand. "You claim to be the clan head's will, but words aren't enough; I need proof."
"Huh?"
Zetsu was puzzled. What was this guy trying to pull? Did he also want to be Hokage?
"Tell , what was Madara's first comnt in the Flying Thunder God scroll?"
"Is that all?" Zetsu's eyes swirled in thought. "Madara-sama said, 'This technique borrows from the Uzumaki clan's knowledge; if you view the target as a sealed object, it's easier to understand.' Is that what you wanted?"
"Oh?" Masashi stroked his chin. "Did you sneak into our archives to check that?"
Zetsu suddenly felt Obito was far easier to deal with.
"Enough gas," Obito interrupted coldly, ending the exchange between them. "Masashi, don't waste your life on aningless pursuits. Join , and I'll show you the true power of the Uchiha clan. Isn't that sothing you want?"
"The village provides structure. You confuse restriction with foundation," Masashi answered, then grinned. "Are you talking about the Rinnegan?"
"You even know about the Rinnegan?" Obito now took his old neighbor seriously.
Across the shinobi world, the Rinnegan, Sharingan, and Byakugan reigned as the three great dōjutsu. Even the Uchiha clan generally didn't question this belief.
This confird the Uchiha didn't realize the Rinnegan evolved from the Sharingan. Without eting Madara, Obito wouldn't have believed the Sharingan held such power.
So, how did Masashi know?
"Simple deduction. We Uchiha are the Sage of Six Paths' descendants. The Rinnegan was his power. Did you really think there was no connection to the Sharingan?"
"To inherit the Sage's eye yet think the Rinnegan has no connection to the Sharingan—that's the real abnormality."
"Is that all?" Zetsu suddenly spoke up.
He could see that Masashi was not the kind of person to beco convinced of sothing based rely on speculation.
"As expected of the one claiming to embody Madara's will, I'm certainly not relying on re guesses," Masashi cast Zetsu a highly appreciative look. "With Madara's visual prowess, he definitely saw more in that stone tablet."
"How much did you see?" Zetsu raised his voice, and even Obito turned to look.
Over the past three years, Obito had co to know Madara's creation well. While he viewed Zetsu as nothing more than a tool, he recognized the being's eerie stability—an almost complete absence of emotional fluctuation.
In his understanding, Madara's concept of 'a will in physical form' translated simply: Even in death, I leave sothing to watch over you.
He was too superficial. Obito never turned back on his decisions.
"Two opposing forces twist together to birth all things in existence..."
"I thought long and hard before I understood that line's aning," Masashi, initially a bit awkward, began to get into character.
"You... can see that far?" Zetsu was genuinely shocked.
He had certainly altered the inscription on the tablet, but its unique powers—being created by his mother with Yin-Yang Release—were not replicable. The ability to decipher the tablet's contents was directly tied to the viewer's mastery of Yin Release.
For an Uchiha to see that line, they would need at least the Mangekyō Sharingan.
But Masashi definitely didn't have the Mangekyō.
"Yeah, it wasn't easy—stared at it all night until my eyes hurt," Masashi said with a sigh, watching Zetsu's reaction carefully. Your shock is particularly entertaining.
He had indeed seen that phrase.
The Uchiha's ocular power, derived from yin chakra, did not begin only at the Mangekyō level but existed at birth, though initially quite limited and restricted to basic Sharingan abilities.
At the Mangekyō level, this power could rival a person's chakra itself, awakening unique techniques tied directly to the user's innermost desires, giving birth to the so-called Eye of Inner Reflection.
Although Masashi's visual power had not reached the Mangekyō level, it far exceeded the typical power of a three-tomoe Sharingan. In recent years, it seed his Yang Release had interacted with his Sharingan, sparking a sort of chemical reaction.
Zetsu was truly shocked.
The last ti he had felt this surprised was when he found out that Madara had survived his battle with Hashirama and even managed to bite a chunk of flesh off him.
It wasn't easy to startle him.
Could this guy really have managed it?
Zetsu understood better than anyone that the current Uchiha clan's Mangekyō Sharingan was incomplete. The line, "Two opposing forces twist together to birth all things in existence," was left unaltered, though the context was changed.
A good lie was 90% truth. When Zetsu modified the tablet's content, it left most of the essential parts intact.
It seems I might have underestimated him.
Masashi was likely to beco the second Indra rather than another Tobirama.
His potential is even greater than Madara's…
Though doubt remained, Zetsu decided to try implenting a bold new idea.
Whether it was Madara or Obito, Zetsu couldn't control them directly; he could only influence them through careful manipulation—mostly truth, with just enough lies mixed in.
But he was still prudent to have a backup plan—Zetsu didn't want to wait another thousand years.
Deciding to proceed, he put on a show.
"You ntioned the Eternal Mangekyō, so it's clear you know its secret, but that's still not the truth."
"Oh?" Let's see what bait you're offering.
"From the beginning, eternity never existed. The Mangekyō Sharingan had no such weakness. Indra's original Mangekyō could summon the Perfect Susanoo right away."
"The Perfect Susanoo..."
This technique harnessed the power of Yin Release's 'creation from nothing' to its fullest, extending the user's physical form.
"Exactly, and there's Izanagi, as well. The Sharingan is an imperfect eye, which is why it consus one's visual power."
"So, how does one make it perfect?" Masashi's gaze was fixed on Zetsu.
"That's precisely the serious matter we need to discuss." Zetsu turned to Obito. "Madara-sama, what do you think?"
Being a manipulator, he knew never to steal the spotlight. A pawn's sense of control depended on their belief that they were the master.
Each reincarnation of Indra and Asura thought this way.
Obito thought this way.
It would treat Masashi similarly.
Zetsu was never the master; he was simply a diligent servant for each of his masters, answering questions and unveiling truths.
And all of this was to restore greatness to the world once again.
Zetsu's deference pleased Obito. He cast a glance of approval, as if to say, "You're a useful tool," then looked at Masashi.
"You like deals, so let's make one," he spoke evenly. "If you want the power over all things, you must help obtain what I seek."
"Let's hear it." The real ga begins.
"I want the Nine-Tails."
"What?" Masashi feigned perfect shock. "But she is already... married?"
Obito froze, then his fury flared.
Across from him, Masashi muttered nonsense about staying out of his teacher's marriage.
"I want the Nine-Tails itself, not its jinchūriki!" Obito shook with rage. "What's wrong with your mind?"
"Ah, why didn't you say that from the start? You really don't plan on returning, do you?" Masashi's smile faded, his expression turning serious. "Hokage is Hokage, Konoha is Konoha. I am an Uchiha, so I care not for these things. But you—do you plan to turn against your teacher?"
"This is a necessary sacrifice," Obito said coldly. "It's the fate of the Uzumaki."
Another red-haired youth appeared in his mind. A mber of the Uzumaki clan who had received Madara's eyes was already well along the path Obito had set.
Everything was going as planned, with the Gedo Statue successfully summoned. Yahiko's idealistic thods held no rit. In a rotten world like this, they could only fail.
That A and Konoha would target Akatsuki proved as much.
Only the Eye of the Moon could bring an end to this.
"Is that so..." Masashi didn't push the point further—he was only skilled at persuasion through physical ans.
"We are both Uchiha, so let's settle this in the Uchiha way. The current Fourth Hokage is favorable to the Uchiha. In the short term, I cannot side with you against him."
"Then I'll take that as an agreent to the deal." Obito glanced outside; the rain was almost over. "The Hokage is the Hokage. Sooner or later, he will turn on the Uchiha."
"If that's the direction things go, of course, we'll make the first move," Masashi had no objections there. He fully trusted the current Hokage, after all. "But if you act prematurely, I will stop you."
"No problem. We'll settle it then." Obito was confident.
With the terms set, the two Uchiha left, each heading their separate ways.
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