"Do you have any idea how dangerous this mission was? I had to take on Uchiha Yōwan and the Fourth Raikage by myself, and I even used Kamui to toy with them..."
On the path where Konoha's couples loved to take evening walks, Obito had just met up with Rin after her shift and was enthusiastically bragging about his so-called heroic exploits.
Listening to Obito's story full of holes, Rin didn't expose him. She simply covered her mouth and laughed softly now and then, humoring him.
"Hmph."
Just as Obito got to the crucial part—where he single-handedly subdued the Fourth Raikage—a cold snort cut through the night, echoing along the quiet walkway.
"Who's there?"
Startled, Obito jolted upright and spun around several times, trying to locate the source of the voice.
After turning in place with no one in sight, he thought he must have been imagining things—until he turned back around and saw a girl suddenly standing right in front of him.
"Ta—T-Grandma?"
Nearly jumping out of his skin, Obito squinted under the lamplight and instinctively blurted out the nickname as soon as he recognized her face.
"Who are you calling your grandma?! Always learning bad habits from that fool!"
Uchiha Hikari's irritation flared the instant she heard it. She almost rolled up her sleeves right then and there to give Obito a taste of the traditional "elders' love."
"N-no, that's not what I meant! I was saying—uh—there's a grandma flying in space!"
Sensing imminent danger, Obito shut his eyes and began babbling nonsense without any regard for logic.
"Enough. That kid wants to see you."
Seeing how flustered he was, Hikari didn't bother arguing with an idiot. She left the curt message and vanished in a blur before his eyes.
Obito rubbed his temples.
He was done—completely done—with the Uchiha clan.
"She... she's gone, right?"
Obito cracked one eye open, peeking around to make sure the terrifying "grandma" was really gone.
"She's gone," Rin said gently, nodding.
"Phew... scared me to death. I swear, I don't ever want to see that walking disaster again..."
Realizing she'd really left, Obito let out a long breath, patting his chest as if to calm his heart—clearly shaken.
Seeing him like that, Rin couldn't help but smile teasingly. "Wow, I didn't expect you to be that scared of Hikari."
"What? Scared? No way. I just respect my elders, that's all! Think about it—she's from the Warring States era! Of course I've got to be polite. If we actually fought, I could've handled it with one hand—"
Once sure Hikari was gone, Obito immediately puffed up with bravado again, pounding his chest as he tried to reclaim his dignity.
But before he could finish his sentence, a stray cat suddenly leapt out from the bushes, hissing and chasing something small and black.
"I could've done one-handed push-ups right in front of her to prove my strength!"
Hearing the sudden noise, Obito panicked, assuming Hikari had come back, and dove flat to the ground mid-sentence.
"..."
Rin gave an awkward yet polite smile.
"Honestly... where did that stray cat come from..."
Finally realizing the situation, Obito muttered to himself and got back up from the ground.
"Alright, Obito, you should go find Takeshi now. It's getting late—if he's calling you out, it must be something important."
Rin quickly changed the subject, worried she'd burst out laughing if this went on.
"Ah—right. I'll head over, then. Rin, stay safe on your way home."
"Don't worry, Obito. This is the village, and there are patrols from the Internal Affairs Division around. I'll be fine."
Rin smiled and waved him off reassuringly.
As Obito jogged away, the smile on her face slowly faded, replaced by curiosity.
"Strange... the thing that cat was chasing didn't look alive at all..."
Rather than a creature, it seemed more like a lump of black, shapeless matter.
That's right—the one being chased by the cat was none other than Black Zetsu.
"I didn't expect to be mistaken this badly... That kid Obito might actually surpass Yōwan when it comes to ocular techniques."
Perched atop a power pole used exclusively by the Uchiha clan, Black Zetsu blended into the night, his presence completely concealed.
He had finally escaped the cat's relentless pursuit, and muttered his true purpose under his breath—
To find a new proxy.
Unlike Jigen, who was limited by certain restrictions and unable to fight at full strength, Black Zetsu simply had no power of his own.
When Kaguya created him, it was during the crucial moment of her sealing.
She barely had any energy left to give him.
As a result, aside from fleeing and gathering intelligence, Black Zetsu had no notable abilities.
Though he'd taken Madara's Rinnegan before leaving, without a suitable host, the eyes were nearly useless.
"That kid seems to care quite a lot about that girl with the painted face,"
Black Zetsu murmured, recalling Rin—and then, Takeshi.
"No... that Hokage means more to him."
Setsuna was dead. Yōwan had defected.
Black Zetsu desperately needed another pawn to cast Rinne Tensei and revive Madara.
Then, Madara could collect the Tailed Beasts and bring Kaguya back.
"That one called Hikari is also strong. Hmph. Too bad that idiot Fugaku... Even after all my guidance, he just sat there doing nothing..."
"Meow!"
As Black Zetsu was grumbling about Fugaku being a hopeless waste, the sound of a cat hissing rang out behind him.
"Again?!"
He turned around—only to see the same persistent green-furred cat from before, still chasing him.