As anger surged within Obito Uchiha. The ground beside him began to writhe, and a strange half-black, half-White figure like a Venus Flytrap slowly emerged.
"Madara Uchiha, Itachi, I have found you." Black Zetsu spoke in a hoarse voice, glancing at the unconscious Kakashi Hatake before looking meaningfully at Obito Uchiha.
"Madara Uchiha, are you planning to take his Sharingan?" Its gaze pointed at Kakashi Hatake's left eye hidden under the Forehead Protector, where one of Obito Uchiha's Mangekyo Sharingan had been implanted.
Obito Uchiha's body stiffened slightly, and he did not answer at once. He stared fixedly at the unconscious Kakashi Hatake.
"Power. What I need now is more power." Everything he had seen proved that the Ninja World was undergoing changes he could neither understand nor control.
Whether it was the pale monster born from Fugaku Uchiha, the masked black creatures, or the shadow that had once appeared and taken Nagato. It all made him feel like a piece on a board, ready to be swallowed at any time.
This was something Obito Uchiha could not accept. Even when facing Madara Uchiha and knowing he was being used, Obito Uchiha had never considered himself a pawn.
He always believed he would achieve "Infinite Tsukuyomi" by his own will. But now, faced with unknown enemies and sudden crises he could not resolve, he felt powerless and furious.
So. "There can be no more pointless attachment."
The last trace of hesitation in Obito Uchiha's eyes as he looked at Kakashi Hatake was replaced by indifference. Perhaps before, he avoided acting because Kakashi Hatake reminded him of pain, or because a trace of the past still lingered.
He had deceived himself into thinking that one Mangekyo Sharingan was enough, and so he tolerated leaving his eye with Kakashi Hatake. But now, that was no longer acceptable.
The Ninja World was full of unpredictable variables. He needed complete power, the strength of two Mangekyo Sharingan, to face what might come.
Even if it meant digging out Kakashi Hatake's eye with his own hands. Even if it meant cutting off the last ridiculous bond.
With his mind made up, Obito Uchiha stepped forward slowly, one step at a time, toward the unconscious Kakashi Hatake. The sound of his footsteps echoed heavily in the silent cave.
Just as Obito Uchiha came within a few steps of Kakashi Hatake. The body on the ground suddenly twitched.
The only exposed left eye snapped open, filled with alertness and sharp focus. "You…"
Kakashi Hatake forced himself to stand despite the dizziness, gripping the short blade at his waist. "You are the one who calls himself 'Madara Uchiha', aren't you?"
Obito Uchiha paused slightly but did not answer. He lifted his foot again, the killing intent growing colder.
"Stop!" Kakashi Hatake's heart jumped as survival instinct kicked in.
According to Root intelligence, this man possessed space-time Ninjutsu similar to intangibility, rendering attacks useless. With no other choice, he drew the short blade called Jealousy, which radiated a chilling, unsettling aura.
Jealousy: Replica Mirror Image. It copied a possible future "image" of the target and controlled it to fight until Chakra was exhausted.
Kakashi Hatake had used this ability before with little effect, treating it as an improved Shadow Clone. Now, facing an enemy he could not touch, he could only gamble on it.
Buzz. As Kakashi Hatake poured Chakra into the blade, a distortion-like wave erupted.
"What is this?" Sensing a hostile presence lock onto him, Obito Uchiha instinctively halted.
In front of Kakashi Hatake, the air rippled like water, and a figure slowly took shape. When it fully appeared, everyone present changed expression.
Obito Uchiha froze as if pierced by something unseen, the crimson Sharingan trembling with shock. Kakashi Hatake also stood stunned, his grip on Jealousy shaking as he stared ahead in disbelief.
The image standing before Kakashi Hatake matched the height, build, and outline of "Madara Uchiha". But there was no mask.
That face. That face.
"Kakashi Hatake?" The image spoke, its voice familiar yet strange, and slowly turned around.
Short black hair, a Hokage Hat on his head, one side of his face scarred and twisted. He wore the green vest of Konoha, covered by the ceremonial robe of the Hokage.
"You… you…" Kakashi Hatake's mouth slowly fell open as the face overlapped with memories from the past.
This face was Obito Uchiha. "No, impossible…"
Kakashi Hatake's voice trembled with shock and confusion. He stared at the masked "Madara Uchiha", then at the Hokage version before him, his mind going blank.
Jealousy copied a possible future image of the target. That meant the masked "Madara Uchiha" was.
"O… Obito Uchiha?!" Kakashi Hatake cried out hoarsely, his world overturned.
The man who wore a Uzumaki mask, claimed to be Madara Uchiha, planned the Nine-Tails disaster, and led Itachi Uchiha to slaughter his clan. Was the same Obito Uchiha crushed under rocks at Kannabi Bridge and buried by his own hands at Memorial Stone.
The one who questioned him in nightmares, asking why he failed to protect Rin. The one he believed long dead.
"You… you are alive? Why…" His whisper cut off as killing intent burst forth, flooding the cave with icy pressure.
"Kakashi Hatake!!" Obito Uchiha roared, rage exploding after his identity was exposed.
"You are asking to die!!"
Might Guy sat up in bed and let out a long yawn, then raised a hand to rub his sleepy eyes. He was still groggy as he looked toward the distant night sky shrouded in rain. Far away on the horizon, he saw a faint pale red glow rising.
"Huh? Is it morning already?"
Might Guy frowned, his expression troubled as he muttered to himself. "The quality of my sleep last night was not great. It is already daylight, but I am still kind of tired."
"It looks like I need to double today's training. Only then will I be able to sleep well tonight."
As he spoke, he stretched his arms wide in a big lazy stretch, but before he could finish, his body suddenly stiffened. His eyes locked onto the distance, staring at the red light on the horizon.
That glow, which looked like morning clouds, seemed to be growing brighter.
"Wait." Might Guy's drowsiness vanished in an instant. "The sunrise? No, the direction is wrong, and this color…"
It was not growing brighter anymore. It had already turned the color of fresh blood.
Worse still, that light was rushing toward Konoha at a terrifying speed.
"This is bad!"
Might Guy's face changed instantly, and a surge of instinctive danger seized his heart. It was not just him. The ninja who were staying at home also saw that distant light.
However, the moment they clearly recognized what that red glow truly was, their pupils shrank sharply.
Buzz!!
A shrill scream tore through the air, instantly ripping apart the quiet of the rainy night. Several crimson beams finally arrived, slanting down from afar like long spears and lighting up faces twisted with fear and helplessness.
In the next moment, everything fell into silence, though not true silence. The sound and light released by the beams overwhelmed ears and eyes alike.
Everyone was briefly deaf and blind, able only to sense the ground beneath their feet trembling like it had gone mad.
After an unknown amount of time, when sight and hearing slowly returned and sound came back.
Boom!!
A thunderous roar exploded above the once peaceful Konoha. Apartment windows, shop displays, and streetlamp glass shattered under the sweeping shockwave, raining down with a violent clatter.