Obito had long since grown accustomed to the erratic chatter and grotesque humor of the White Zetsu clones. Their personalities varied wildly despite originating from the same source, yet none of that mattered to him now. His thoughts were entirely consumed by one matter alone.
Uzumaki Menma had taken Kakashi away.
No… more precisely, he had taken that eye.
Although the Mangekyō Sharingan no longer resided within Obito's own socket, there was an essential and irreplaceable connection between himself and Kakashi. That eye had once belonged to him. He had entrusted it to Kakashi with his own hands on the battlefield, in what he believed were his final moments.
It symbolized the last fragment of warmth that still lingered in his otherwise corrupted heart a remnant of the boy he once was.
Since abandoning his former identity and walking the path of darkness, Obito had slaughtered countless shinobi without hesitation. Entire battlefields had been reduced to graveyards beneath his will. Yet through all of that, he had never reclaimed the eye.
Not because he lacked the ability.
The value of the Sharingan within the shinobi world was immeasurable. Possessing even one was enough to invite assassination attempts, conspiracies, and wars. If Obito had wished, he could have taken it back at any time. From the moment he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan until the unfolding era that would eventually culminate in the Fourth Great Ninja War, he had possessed more than enough means to retrieve it.
He simply chose not to.
Somewhere deep within him, there remained an attachment to the past he refused to sever.
Even killing Kakashi was not something he truly desired. If it ever became necessary, reclaiming the eye would suffice. He had countless methods at his disposal to accomplish that. Yet for more than a decade since the calamity that changed his fate, he had allowed Kakashi to retain it.
That alone spoke volumes.
But now, circumstances had changed.
"Obito," a low voice interjected from beside him. "I warned you long ago that the eye should have been reclaimed as soon as possible. The records left behind by Madara-sama were explicit. Only when both Mangekyō Sharingan are united can their true power be fully realized."
Black Zetsu's tone carried undisguised dissatisfaction.
"As long as you continue to neglect this matter, many techniques unique to the Uchiha clan remain beyond your reach. Worse still, the eye may fall into the hands of others. Now it has already been taken by the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki. That boy likely does not even realize he possesses a Mangekyō Sharingan. There is a high probability he will treat it as nothing more than a specimen for research. If it is damaged, that loss will be irreversible."
Among all of Obito's current associates, Black Zetsu was the only one who could truly be called his partner. Nagato and the rest of the Akatsuki were merely pieces on a larger board.
In many respects, Black Zetsu approved of Obito's competence. His strategic mind, his ruthlessness, and his unwavering dedication to the "Eye of the Moon Plan" all aligned perfectly with Madara's vision. Yet there was one flaw Black Zetsu could never overlook.
Obito still clung to the past.
Since the forty-seventh year of Konohagakure's founding, thirteen years had passed. During that entire time, Black Zetsu had repeatedly urged him to retrieve the Mangekyō Sharingan from Kakashi. Each time, Obito had refused.
Now, that hesitation had allowed Uzumaki Menma to seize it.
Unlike Danzō Shimura, who hoarded Sharingan for experimentation and power, Menma's intentions were unclear. If he treated the eye as ordinary biological material and destroyed it during study or transplantation, Obito would never be able to recover what he had lost. Furthermore, Obito had no surviving brothers. The possibility of awakening the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan through traditional means was already closed to him.
"Hmph. If it is lost, then it is lost," Obito replied coldly. "As long as the plan proceeds smoothly, a single eye is insignificant."
He was fully aware that this was a weakness perhaps even the gravest mistake he had ever made. Even so, it was a line he had refused to cross.
In his calculations, the success of their ultimate objective rendered such losses meaningless. Once the Ten-Tails was revived and the Infinite Tsukuyomi cast upon the world, all suffering, all regrets, and all failures would be erased.
Black Zetsu studied him intently.
"You say that," he continued, his voice dropping further, "but have you truly decided to abandon it? If we act now, there may still be time. We could seize the Nine-Tails directly. Uzumaki Menma is only twelve years old. He cannot possibly wield the Kyūbi's chakra with complete mastery yet. This is the period in which he is most vulnerable."
He paused deliberately.
"If we reach an agreement with Nagato, we could advance the Eye of the Moon Plan ahead of schedule."
Obito's visible eye narrowed slightly behind the mask.
"Advance the plan…?"
Was the Akatsuki truly prepared?
From a comprehensive standpoint, their preparations were incomplete. Their infiltration networks had been established, and intelligence on the jinchūriki had been largely compiled. Task assignments for the capture of each tailed beast had already been distributed. In terms of manpower alone, they were capable of initiating operations.
And just as Black Zetsu had said, Menma represented an opportunity.
If the Six Paths of Pain were deployed immediately, the probability of successfully subduing the Nine-Tails' host was extremely high. Once all nine tailed beasts were sealed within the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, the Ten-Tails could be resurrected. Afterward, Nagato himself could be used to revive Madara Uchiha.
Compared to that, every other complication was merely a minor detail.
Yet Obito hesitated.
He began pacing slowly, the expression hidden beneath his spiral mask turning increasingly grave.
The Eye of the Moon Plan was not simply a strategy it was a doctrine. In Madara's eyes, and eventually in Obito's as well, it represented the only path to true peace. A world in which every individual would be trapped within a flawless dream. A reality where loss could be undone, where Rin would live again, and where no child would ever stand upon a battlefield.
Such a vision could not tolerate failure.
Madara had devoted decades to its preparation. Obito himself had endured more than ten years of relentless scheming to bring it closer to fruition. Now that the final stages were approaching, recklessness was unacceptable.
After a long silence, he finally shook his head.
"No. This is not the optimal time. The capture of the tailed beasts must be carried out systematically through the Akatsuki. Nagato will not move unless he is fully prepared. Meanwhile, tensions between the Five Great Shinobi Nations continue to escalate. Their alliances are fragile. Their mistrust deepens with each passing year."
His voice grew colder.
"If we can provoke another great war before unveiling our plan, their forces will be weakened perhaps even shattered. Only then will our path become truly unobstructed. Acting now would be premature."
Black Zetsu listened without interruption.
Obito's desire for control was absolute. Variables irritated him. Deviations from his projections were intolerable. Everything had to proceed according to the design he had inherited from Madara and refined through his own experiences.
Naturally, the theft of his eye by Menma had ignited a surge of fury within him. There had been a moment brief, but real when he had considered abandoning all caution to retrieve it immediately.
But compared to the world he sought to create… such anger was meaningless.
"Then you may lose it forever," Black Zetsu said quietly.
"It is only one eye," Obito answered. His brow furrowed before gradually relaxing. "It will not change the outcome."
He paused before adding, his tone sharpening like a drawn blade:
"Nevertheless, increase surveillance on Orochimaru and Uzumaki Menma. I want precise intelligence on every movement they make."
Preparation was still necessary. If he could confirm beyond doubt that the eye remained intact and if a suitable opportunity presented itself he would act without hesitation. Recovering the Mangekyō Sharingan while capturing the Nine-Tails ahead of schedule would be ideal.
But if such conditions failed to materialize, he would continue along the predetermined path.
"As you wish," Black Zetsu replied, inclining his head. "All relevant information will be delivered to you without delay… Obito."
A chilling silence followed.
Obito's gaze hardened.
"Do not forget," he said slowly, "I am Madara now."
Black Zetsu froze momentarily before a strange smile spread across his darkened face. He bowed deeply.
"Yes… Madara-sama."
Moments later, his body melted into the ground and vanished.
For Black Zetsu, the only objective that truly mattered was the successful activation of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Everything else alliances, sacrifices, contingencies could be adjusted at any time. Strengthening Obito would certainly improve the plan's margin for error, but even failure in that regard was not fatal.
If the eye was destroyed, then so be it.
After all, who could possibly uncover the truth behind the masked man who had attacked the village twelve years ago?
Neither Obito nor Black Zetsu could foresee the reality.
Uzumaki Menma was not merely a prodigy… but a traveler who possessed knowledge of the future itself. The seemingly insignificant decision to abandon that eye would one day become a blade turned back against its former owner.
A consequence waiting patiently in the shadows.