The current state of the battle was incredibly disadvantageous for the Shinobi Allied Forces.
Despite the absence of Kabuto Yakushi and the powerful reanimated warriors under his control, which made things easier for the Five Kage and the alliance, the situation remained dire.
With the help of Naruto's shadow clones, they had quickly defeated the army of a hundred thousand White Zetsu and arrived at the battlefield where Naruto was fighting the masked man.
Kakashi had lost his life during the Pain invasion. Although the villagers of Konoha who died later were resurrected by Nagato, Kakashi was not among those brought back.
In the battle between Naruto and the masked man, without Kakashi's crucial assistance, even with the arrival of the Five Kage, they still hadn't been able to break the mask or reveal the man's true identity.
Even after the Five Kage arrived, everyone remained helpless against the masked man's bizarre space-time ninjutsu.
Taking advantage of the situation, the masked man captured one of Naruto's shadow clones. Along with the Eight-Tails' tentacle that Sasuke had captured earlier, he fed them both into the Gedo Statue.
After the Gedo Statue devoured the chakra of all nine Tailed Beasts, it successfully restored itself to the original form of the Ten-Tails, just as the masked man intended.
Using the Hashirama cells in his body and his newly transplanted Rinnegan, the masked man successfully brought the Ten-Tails under his control.
This one-eyed god, which had existed since the dawn of antiquity, immediately unleashed a cataclysmic power. It began a wholesale slaughter of the Shinobi Alliance, even wiping out the headquarters with a single Tailed Beast Bomb.
With the help of Naruto, the Five Kage, and their comrades, they finally managed to sever the connection between the masked man and the Ten-Tails.
Left without a controller, the Ten-Tails fell into a state of frenzy. It condensed a Tailed Beast Bomb even larger than its massive body, intending to wipe out the entire Shinobi Alliance in one blow.
At this critical moment, the four previous Hokage arrived on the battlefield.
Minato Namikaze utilized the Flying Raijin Jutsu to teleport the Tailed Beast Bomb far away into the ocean.
The four Hokage coordinated with each other to deploy the Four Red Yang Formation, successfully trapping the world-destroying Ten-Tails.
Sasuke arrived before Naruto with his squad, standing alongside the four Hokage and the current Five Kage to face the masked man.
With the assistance of Minato Namikaze and Tobirama Senju, the group finally managed to shatter the mask on the man's face, revealing the scarred countenance beneath.
"Obi... to!"
Looking at the familiar face behind the broken mask, Minato Namikaze's eyes widened in utter disbelief.
Seeing Minato's expression, Naruto immediately asked, "Father, do you know who this masked man is?"
Beside them, Sasuke and Tobirama also looked over.
"Fourth, what do you know?"
Suppreessing the shock in his heart, Minato Namikaze explained to the group, "Obito was my former subordinate and disciple. He was supposed to have died during the Third Shinobi World War."
He looked at the drastically changed Obito before him, his lips trembling and a hint of pain showing in his brow.
"Obito, is it really you?"
"Why... if you didn't die back then, why didn't you return to Konoha? Kushina, Kakashi, and I... we were all so worried about you."
"Just what did you experience to end up looking like this?"
Obito's appearance was eerie. Half of his face was covered in deep wrinkles. One eye was a Mangekyo Sharingan while the other was a cold Rinnegan, exuding a sinister aura.
His upper clothing had been destroyed during the fight, revealing skin that was half-normal and half-ghastly white.
He held the Uchiha war fan, with a chain connected to his waist.
His mismatched eyes scanned the surroundings, looking at the people surrounding him—the previous Hokage, the current Five Kage, Naruto, and Sasuke.
Yet, Obito showed not a hint of tension at being surrounded. He slowly reached out and pointed at the stunned Minato, his lips parting to let out a raspy voice.
"Sensei, call me by that name if you wish. Right now, I am no one, and I have no desire to be anyone."
"If you want to know why I became like this, the reason is likely you, Sensei."
"You were always a step late. You possess the fastest speed in the shinobi world, yet when I, Kakashi, and Rin needed you most, you never arrived."
"The so-called Hokage... looking at it now, is nothing more than that."
It wasn't just the people on the battlefield who were shocked by the masked man's identity; even Fugaku and his group, who were quietly watching from the sidelines, found it hard to believe.
"Obito... it's actually Obito?"
"How is that possible!"
"Does that mean the one who caused the Nine-Tails incident, killed the Fourth Hokage and his wife, and manipulated the Nine-Tails to destroy Konoha was him?"
"Even the one who raided the Police Force on the night of the Uchiha massacre... that was Obito too?"
After Fugaku and Setsuna reached the battlefield, they had regrouped with the clansmen who had been monitoring the various hidden villages.
Hearing the constant exclamations of his clansmen, Fugaku didn't have the heart to stop them. The shock in his own heart was even greater than theirs.
"I remember when Obito was at the Academy, his grades were at the very bottom, weren't they?"
"Even if he improved after becoming Minato Namikaze's disciple, to think he could actually kill Minato that night... it's truly..."
Beside him, Elder Setsuna looked through the Four Red Yang Formation at Obito in the center of the battlefield. His eyes held hatred, but also a sliver of regret.
"Back then, Kakkaku and the others concluded that Obito's talent as a shinobi was indeed mediocre..."
"But he was pure and sincere. We thought that perhaps he had an extraordinary talent for awakening the Sharingan, which is why we didn't stop him from becoming Minato Namikaze's disciple."
Over many years, the Uchiha clan had summarized certain patterns regarding the awakening of the eyes.
Those with simple hearts and intense emotions were more likely to awaken their eyes after suffering severe mental trauma.
And such people, after awakening the Sharingan, often underwent a complete change in personality, falling deeply into darkness.
Obito fit this pattern perfectly.
The Mangekyo Sharingan that had awakened a space-time ability was clear proof.
"We thought he died in the last war. I never expected him to survive, let alone awaken the Mangekyo..."
"And then to go on and commit one grave error after another, eventually starting this Great Ninja War."
Setsuna shook his head. At this point, it was too late for words.
Obito's life could be handed over to the shinobi world, but his soul had to be brought back to face punishment.
On the battlefield, faced with Obito's accusations, Minato Namikaze had no answer. He simply lowered his head in silence.
"Sensei, you don't need to put on that face."
"I don't hate you in my heart. If anything, I'm grateful to you. Perhaps it was because of you that I saw the true colors of this world and how utterly beyond saving it is."
"I am in hell right now!"
"But the world shouldn't be like this. I will personally create a perfect world, a dream world where no one has regrets and everyone can live happily."
"Sensei, when that time comes, you won't need to feel regret here. In the dream, you will live a wonderful life with your wife, your son, your friends, and your subordinates. I will be by your side as well."
Just as Minato was sinking into depression, Naruto stood up. He vehemently refuted Obito's absurd logic, reigniting Minato's fighting spirit.
The battle broke out once more.
This time, with the support of Minato Namikaze and Tobirama Senju, the group successfully defeated Obito.
Seeing that Obito, the final boss, was heavily injured and on the verge of death, the group didn't even have time to celebrate before an anomaly occurred.
Obito took the opportunity to get onto the Ten-Tails and formed hand seals, sealing the Ten-Tails into his body.
The massive body of the Ten-Tails was sucked into Obito's battered frame, condensing into a pure white orb suspended in mid-air.
The moonlight shone upon it, casting a cold glow.
Crack!
Crack, crack!
The sound of shattering echoed clearly across the battlefield. Everyone looked up to see the shell of the massive orb breaking, revealing Obito's new form.
Obito's appearance had changed drastically. His black hair had turned snow-white, and his skin was a strange white hue. The right side of his body, repaired by Hashirama cells, was covered in scale-like cracks.
Five spikes protruded from his shoulders and back, and nine magatama patterns along with the Rinnegan symbol were engraved on his back.
His mismatched eyes looked down with cold indifference, exuding an inhuman aura.
"W-what is this?"
"Just what did Obito do!"
"He absorbed the Ten-Tails... has he become its Jinchuriki?"
Outside the Four Red Yang Formation, the Uchiha clansmen looked at the current Obito, feeling a new wave of shock.
Fugaku's brow furrowed as he watched. Even he could not predict the current Obito's strength.
On the battlefield, seeing Obito become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, Hashirama Senju immediately attacked, using the Gracious Deity Gates that had just restricted the Ten-Tails. However, Obito destroyed them with ease.
The spikes on his back burned with the Six Paths Sage Fire chakra, transforming into arms that grabbed the Four Red Yang Formation, easily destroying the great barrier erected by the four Hokage.
At this moment, Obito held the black Truth-Seeking Orbs, but his face was full of confusion, and his eyes lacked focus.
He had clearly lost his will within the massive power of the Ten-Tails.
"Hmph, so this is the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki."
A heavy voice sounded from behind Fugaku and the others.
Hearing this familiar voice, everyone immediately turned around to see a space rift opening. Ren stepped out, followed by Shisui.
"My Lord."
Ren waved his hand, signaling for everyone to rise.
He walked forward, his gaze fixed on the distant battlefield.
Fugaku asked in a low voice, "My Lord, you are here?"
The massive Shisui followed behind Ren, walking through the crowd as he explained to Fugaku, "My Lord and I just made a trip to the Pure Land. Unfortunately, we found no trace of the Sage of the Six Paths. After forming a contract with the Pure Land space, we came to this battlefield."
Ren looked at Obito's current state from a distance and remarked sentimentally, "To think that even without Madara Uchiha, the situation still turned out like this."
He scanned the area, seeing everyone on the battlefield clearly.
After expanding his perception to search the area once, he shook his head slightly.
"I still don't sense the Sage's presence. Do I really have to force his hand!"
He turned to Fugaku and asked, "After you arrived at this battlefield, tell me roughly what has transpired."
Fugaku stepped forward and briefly recounted everything he had seen and heard.
Fugaku's report was concise and efficient, quickly covering the events that had occurred on the battlefield during this time.
Ren nodded slightly; it was much as he had expected.
He looked toward the battlefield, his Mangekyo Sharingan activating as he focused specifically on Sasuke and Naruto.
It seemed he would have to intervene to flush out the Sage of the Six Paths.
He didn't believe that old man could keep hiding if Naruto and Sasuke were about to die.
While Fugaku was speaking, another change occurred on the battlefield.
In the midst of fighting the Hokage, Naruto, and Sasuke, Obito relied on his tenacious willpower to suppress the Ten-Tails' massive power, regaining his conscious mind.
Obito's appearance changed once more.
Two horns grew from his forehead, and Truth-Seeking Orbs floated behind him. He wore partial robes of the Sage of the Six Paths and held a Six Paths Staff. The scale-like spikes on his back burned with Six Paths Sage Fire chakra.
Having regained his reason, the current Obito was a true Ten-Tails Jinchuriki.
"It's finally complete, Sensei."
"Though I don't know what happened to Kabuto, it's actually better for me that he didn't resurrect Madara Uchiha."
"That man is too much trouble. If he had been resurrected, I would have had to keep an eye on him. Thanks to the lack of interference, I successfully became the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki."
"Right now, I am the second Sage of the Six Paths in this world."
Even as Obito spoke, Minato Namikaze appeared instantly beside him via the Flying Raijin Jutsu, thrusting a special kunai toward Obito's neck.
Obito remained calm, having anticipated Minato's sneak attack. He held his staff in front of him. The moment the kunai touched it, the point of contact dissolved, and the kunai snapped effortlessly.
He flipped the staff, swinging it down toward his teacher's shoulder.
With the Yin-Yang Release he now commanded, any contact would prevent even a reanimated body from regenerating.
Just as the Six Paths Staff was about to hit Minato's shoulder, a large hand that ordinary people couldn't see reached out and grabbed Obito's wrist, forcing the staff to a halt.
Seizing this rare opportunity, Minato immediately used the Flying Raijin to return to Naruto's side.
Obito ignored his departed teacher and shifted his gaze to the arm and its owner.
"Minato is a talent I've taken a liking to. I hope you won't destroy his body."
A heavy voice rang out.
Obito looked at the stranger before him, his gaze passing over the man's thick eyebrows as his own brow furrowed deeply.
"Strange."
"Who are you?"
In his vision, a bizarre scene appeared.
The person before him was ethereal, as if he didn't exist in this world at all.
Obito blinked and immediately realized the oddity of the man before him.
If he used the Rinnegan, he could see the man's figure, but in his Mangekyo, he saw nothing at all.
It was very peculiar.
"Me?"
"I'm just a visitor from outside this world, no one of importance."
The one who had stepped in to block the hit for Minato was none other than Ren.
Yin-Yang Release could damage a reanimated body, and there was no telling if it would harm Minato's soul.
He couldn't let such a rare SSR he had collected be easily destroyed.
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