"The illusion battle? Is Tobi okay? This isn't what we originally planned. We haven't fully figured out Uchiha Sōgen's eye technique yet, so why is he going into battle himself? What if Sōgen's technique can alter minds? Wouldn't Tobi be in serious danger?"
White Zetsu looked at Uchiha Obito with confusion.
The man in the mask leaned against a tree with his eyes closed, as if resting. However, with White Zetsu's perception, he could clearly sense the storm-like intensity of Obito's ocular power.
"Unless it's an ocular technique that can directly inflict physical harm, the illusion-based techniques of the Mangekyō Sharingan can't actually kill another Mangekyō Sharingan user. Even techniques that can alter a person's will can't confuse another Uchiha who has awakened the Mangekyō."
This was a conclusion Black Zetsu had reached after observing the Uchiha clan for over a thousand years. He had subtly taught it to Uchiha Madara, who then passed it on to Uchiha Obito.
"Also, in the ntal space where the tailed beast is sealed, there's no need to worry about Sōgen hiding an ocular technique with physical attack power. Obito's choice is sound."
There is no such thing as a perfect plan in this world.
Black Zetsu, having lived for a thousand years and crafted countless sches in the shadows of the ninja world, knew this all too well. While he had devised many brilliant strategies, an equal number of failures and setbacks had taught him that plans don't need to be overly detailed.
The main purpose of a plan is to define the goal.
As long as the ultimate goal is achieved, it doesn't matter if the plan becos distorted beyond recognition. In fact, if you can't adapt to changes, blindly sticking to a plan often leads to failure.
Black Zetsu admired Obito's decision.
As long as his safety is ensured, taking so calculated risks is acceptable.
Whether it was Uchiha Madara or Uchiha Obito, they ranked among the top three most challenging puppets he had ever controlled over his millennium of existence. Yet, he didn't mind their autonomy one bit. He was tired of controlling mindless puppets who needed his constant intervention. To achieve his goals, he needed individuals like Madara and Obito, not those useless wooden puppets.
He just needed to align his objectives with their desires, and these capable individuals would naturally exhaust their intellect and energy to achieve what he himself couldn't.
"So, should we strike now and eliminate Uchiha Sōgen?" White Zetsu asked eagerly, glancing at the deep crimson Susano'o in the distance. "If I go all out with the wood clone technique, I could probably break through Susano'o's defenses with the first strike and crush Sōgen with the second."
"Now is not the ti for you to act," Black Zetsu replied, also gazing at Susano'o, which was clad in black tengu armor. He admired Sōgen's cautiousness, using extra eye power to protect himself. If Madara hadn't chosen Obito, Sōgen would have been a good candidate.
"Besides, this 'two-strike victory' you're talking about is just a guess. Don't underestimate Uchiha Sōgen. Who knows what hidden tricks the leader of the Uchiha clan still has? Leave it to Obito. This is his mission."
White Zetsu imdiately deflated.
When Black Zetsu spoke like that, it ant he wouldn't get a chance to make a move.
Ignoring White Zetsu's antics, Black Zetsu looked up at the stationary Three-Tails, wondering if the battle in the ntal space was nearing its conclusion. Fights in the ntal world don't flow at the sa pace as reality.
---
"So, this is it?"
"An ocular technique of the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
A pond, a rock garden, bamboo groves, stone lanterns, and a massive cherry blossom tree... It looked like a lovely garden.
Uchiha Obito pressed the mask, which was also ford by ocular power, against his face and glanced down at his lower body, which was buried in the ground. He couldn't quite figure out when this had happened. Was this an illusion-based Mangekyō technique? Terrifying!
Even though he also had the Mangekyō Sharingan, he didn't even have ti to react, let alone resist.
Actually, he still hadn't figured out how it happened. One mont, he looked up at the six-petal windmill pattern in the sky, and in the next, the dark, iron-and-rock do was gone, replaced by a vast, impossibly blue sky.
"Mask man who calls himself Uchiha Madara, how do you like my little garden world?"
A voice ca from a branch of the flourishing cherry blossom tree.
Obito turned his neck slightly and looked up, seeing Uchiha Sōgen sitting on a branch, looking down at him with a haughty gaze.
"This is your Mangekyō technique? Interesting. The scenery is nice. Since you've worked so hard, I'll tell you sothing: illusion-based Mangekyō techniques can't kill another Mangekyō user. Illusions are ultimately a contest of ocular power. As long as your power can't completely overwhelm mine, you won't be able to kill here."
As he spoke, his single red eye unleashed an enormous surge of power, sending shockwaves rippling across the courtyard.
Cracks appeared in the ground, and ripples ford on the surface of the pond.
The small garden world shook violently, like a crystal bottle struck by a heavy force. If it fell, it might shatter.
"This is the first ti I've heard of sothing like that. So, that's why you lured into this ntal space with the Three-Tails seal? Outside, were you worried my technique had physical attack capabilities, or was it sothing else?"
Sōgen smiled, unfazed by the trembling tree beneath him. He calmly replied, "Maybe you're right. I might not be able to kill you here. But... that doesn't an you'll walk away unscathed."
"Oh, really?"
Beneath the mask, Obito's expression remained icy. "Show , then."
He continued to struggle, unleashing his powerful eye techniques in a storm that shook the small garden. He hadn't forgotten Madara's teachings: whether it's the Sharingan or the Mangekyō, it's ultimately a contest of ocular strength.
If his power was strong enough, Sōgen's technique couldn't harm him.
*Snap!*
Sōgen snapped his fingers, revealing a aningful smile.
*Wood Flower Blooming*
Obito suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his back, but it didn't faze him. Ever since Rin died that night, he had lived in hell. No physical pain could surpass the anguish of losing her.
The weight on his back, though, alerted him to the fact that this wasn't a typical attack. Before he could turn around, dark roots snaked over his shoulder and pierced into his chest like needles.
And then, he felt excruciating pain.
In this illusionary world, their bodies reflected their ntal states. Here, wounds didn't bleed or kill, but they inflicted unbearably real pain. It was true "heart-wrenching" agony.
In the real world, such an injury would have been fatal. But in the illusion, the torn heart and lungs were made of spiritual energy, delivering pain without death.
Even enduring such excruciating pain that would make most people faint multiple tis over, Obito didn't make a sound.
Pain was nothing to him.
He glared coldly at Sōgen with his lone red eye, silently conveying his disdain.
Is that all? It's not enough!
"Underestimated, huh!"
Looking at Uchiha Obito, who was still desperately trying to destroy this courtyard world with sheer force, attempting to break through his ocular jutsu, Sōgen's smile grew even brighter. He actively allowed his chakra to be consud by the growing cherry blossom tree, deliberately matching Obito's attempts, as his illusionary world swayed to the rhythm of Obito's bursts of chakra.
It was maintained at a level that made it seem like, with just a bit more effort, the small courtyard world could collapse.
Once, twice, three tis...
The cherry blossom tree grew larger and larger. Even before it began to bud, its height already surpassed that of the two withered cherry trees nearby, making Sōgen marvel. As expected, the Uchiha clan's natural gifts were indeed exceptional, possessing ntal energy as powerful as the life force of the Senju and Uzumaki clans, sothing ordinary people could never hope to attain.
Every attempt to break free ended in failure, each ti falling just short.
Noticing his diminishing chakra, Obito finally sensed sothing was wrong. His chakra shouldn't have been consud so quickly. He tried once again to surge his chakra and escape from the tree roots tightly binding him, causing the illusionary world around him to tremble.
But at the sa ti, he noticed that the roots piercing into his body were slowly siphoning his chakra.
"Uchiha Sōgen!!!"
Obito still had enough strength to shout in anger.
Unlike Danzo Shimura and Hiruzen Sarutobi, who, at this point, could barely speak.
"You finally realized? Much quicker than I expected... But that's enough." Sōgen glanced at the cherry blossom tree, which now had delicate buds forming on its branches. At this stage, even soone as powerful as Uchiha Obito was destined to fall.
"You little brat, how dare you sche against !"
Obito didn't forget to maintain the persona of Uchiha Madara, though his anger made it increasingly difficult to keep that haughty, condescending attitude toward his junior.
"What's this talk about scheming? Isn't combat all about trickery? You're the legendary Uchiha Madara, the one who pacified the warring states. Shouldn't you be used to tricks like these by now? Why so angry? You should be proud to see the younger generation growing. The mighty Uchiha Madara can't be this petty, right?"
Sōgen's words were as cold and slick as a venomous snake, spitting venomous taunts.
His respectful tone, addressing Obito as "you" in a formal manner, sohow sounded more irritating than if he had simply addressed him informally.
Beneath the broken mask was a face resembling Uchiha Madara's.
One had to admit, Obito's ntal resilience was remarkable. Even within this illusionary world, he had gone so far as to use his chakra to alter his appearance, trying to prevent Sōgen from discovering his true identity.
Obito gritted his teeth.
He hadn't expected Uchiha Sōgen's Mangekyō Sharingan ability to be so bizarre, able to devour another's ntal energy. After all, chakra was rely a variant of ntal energy, essentially a form of Yin Release power.
In a mont of carelessness, he had allowed Sōgen to drain so much of his chakra.
He had no idea what the chanism behind Sōgen's ocular jutsu was—whether it rely drained an enemy's ntal energy or allowed him to absorb it for his own use. If it was the forr, that was still acceptable; losing so chakra was within Obito's tolerance.
But if it was the latter...
Then things would get troubleso! If Sōgen could absorb ntal energy to replenish his own, wouldn't that an the curse of Mangekyō Sharingan blindness would be much slower to take hold than Obito had anticipated? Could it even be that, by draining Obito's chakra, Sōgen might restore what he had previously expended?
In that case, all of Obito's efforts would have been for nothing, and if he failed to capture Yagura, he would lose even more than that.
"No way."
Obito gritted his teeth and looked up at the dense canopy of cherry blossoms, the countless pink buds swelling and beginning to bloom.
From between clenched teeth ca his determination.
Gathering all of his remaining chakra, he unleashed **Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change**, an illusionary technique that reflected the enemy's illusions back at them. It was said that this technique had been developed by a genius Uchiha during a clan civil war, specifically to counter other Uchiha illusions.
In essence, this technique wasn't as powerful as the Mangekyō Sharingan's ocular jutsu.
However, with the power of Obito's Mangekyō-level chakra behind it, it montarily burst with dazzling brilliance. Sōgen's **Wood Blossom Sakuya** faltered for a brief second, and Obito seized the opportunity he had created.
(End of the chapter)
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