The descending Rasengan tore Obito and the earth apart in an instant. Stone fragments flew through the air as smoke billowed from the crater.
A figure leaped out of the smoke, landing gracefully on a nearby tree trunk. It was Obito, his mask still in place but completely unharmed.
"Obito, the same technique won't work on me twice," Minato called out. "From the moment I saw you, I've been on guard against your Flying Thunder God attack!"
Having been beaten by Minato's second Flying Thunder God technique before, Obito hadn't forgotten the mark that still lingered on him. The moment his genjutsu was seen through, he was already ready to turn intangible.
He hadn't forgotten the move Minato used to beat him over ten years ago—the Flying Thunder God catching the Rasengan. To avenge himself and prove he was no longer that clumsy, inexperienced boy, he stopped absorbing himself into the Kamui dimension the instant he saw Minato disappear, and instead turned intangible.
Minato wasn't surprised his attack had missed. After all, over ten years had passed; his opponent would undoubtedly be stronger.
"It really was you," Minato said, his voice hardening. "I didn't expect that after I mentioned Uchiha Madara's name, you'd actually start impersonating him."
Having spoken with Nine-Tails Madara, Minato naturally understood that this masked man wasn't the real Uchiha Madara. According to Nine-Tails Madara, that red-eyed freak wouldn't hide behind a mask. He would only despise you, then shout Susanoo, and finally crush you.
"I didn't impersonate him, but you guys..." Obito's gaze shifted to Nine-Tails Madara beside the Kazekage. "Using my appearance and imitating Susanoo with Tailed Beast chakra, he's having a blast!"
"It's a pity a fake is still a fake," Obito sneered. "These Cloud Village lackeys are so difficult to deal with."
"The fake Uchiha Madara from Four-Star Village has been confronted by the real Uchiha Madara!" Samui overheard Obito and Minato's conversation. She finally understood why she hadn't noticed Obito infiltrating her ranks. It turned out that the legendary figure's Sharingan genjutsu had directly hypnotized them all!
This trip to Four-Star Village wasn't in vain, she thought. She had to find a way to get this crucial information back.
Meanwhile, Nine-Tails Madara, accused of being an imposter by Obito, instantly retaliated.
"Hahaha... a fake?" Nine-Tails mimicked Madara's usual arrogant laughter, then took a sudden step forward. "Then let me show you the difference in power between us!"
Whoosh!
Nine-Tails Madara instantly transformed into a red afterimage and darted out. His half-body chakra fox claw reappeared, slamming fiercely toward Obito.
Boom!
Just like the previous Rasengan, the chakra fox claw pierced through Obito's body and smashed into the ground.
Watching Nine-Tails relentlessly attack him, Obito remained calm and unmoved.
"A fake is a fake. Just impotent rage."
"But you," Obito's gaze passed through Nine-Tails and landed on Menma. "The one behind Four-Star Village. I'll find out your identity, and where your Sharingan came from."
Ripples appeared in Obito's right eye. He was preparing to leave.
Seeing that Obito had ignored his fierce attack and was staring at Menma from a distance, Nine-Tails was instantly enraged.
"That damned circle-eye, how dare he ignore me!"
"Then I'll have to show you my trump card!"
"The real trump card?" The ripples in Obito's right eye slowed slightly. He was preparing to see what tricks this clown disguised as Madara had up his sleeve.
Nine-Tails gave him a look that said, you're about to be finished, and quickly turned around. His gaze swiftly locked onto Menma in the distance, and he shouted:
"Four-Star Lord, he's trying to escape! Kill him!!!"
Menma: "..."
Obito: confused face.
Minato covered his face. I knew it.
Samui and the other Cloud Village ninja nodded knowingly. We understand that move. It's a Cloud Piercing Arrow, they thought.
"Are you mocking me?" Obito's eyes flashed with icy killing intent as he retreated, his body contorting rapidly, about to disappear.
But the next second, his contorted body suddenly returned to normal, and he stopped retreating. Instead, he started running toward Menma. The ripples in his right eye subsided visibly after his body went out of control.
"My body has lost control!"
Could this be!
Obito whirled around, only to see Menma right in front of him. And beneath the eye sockets of that mask, a magnificent and mysterious Straight Tomoe pattern swirled.
"The Mangekyō Sharingan!"
"The Sharingan?!" Minato was stunned by Obito's exclamation. Then, an incredulous look crossed his face as he stared at Menma, followed by a look of utter desolation and blankness. His entire being vanished.
Ignoring Minato's intrigued expression, Menma reached out to Obito. His fingers touched Obito's neck and passed through without resistance.
"It seems I can't control the Mangekyō Sharingan to release the eye technique," Menma said calmly. He controlled Obito's body, making him resist Kamui's absorption. However, he couldn't control the Mangekyō Sharingan's ability to release power through willpower.
"I didn't expect you to have awakened a Mangekyō Sharingan that allows you to control your body," Obito said. "So, is that why you can freely use the Tailed Beast's chakra?" Obito guessed that the Mangekyō Sharingan's ability to control the body, combined with the Sharingan's powerful mental control over the Tailed Beasts, achieved complete control by combining these two elements allowed him to utilize the Tailed Beast's power like a perfect jinchuriki.
"Perhaps," Menma withdrew his gaze, calculating the time.
Seeing that Menma didn't deny it, Obito immediately confirmed his guess. Then, turning to Menma, who was deep in thought, he said mockingly, "Don't waste your energy. You can't break my Space-Time Ninjutsu. Once I break free from your control, I'll leave immediately to find the tailed beast you're controlling and cut off its chakra source!"
The Nine-Tails, who had come running over eagerly, was enraged to see Obito so arrogant despite being controlled.
"What trashy jutsu! A Four-Star Lord could easily break it. You brat, just shut up and wait to die!" As he spoke, he looked at Menma with a fawning expression. "Four-Star Lord, let me kill him after you break it. I'd like to see if his mouth is as hard as my claws!"
"Hmph." Obito scoffed disdainfully, but inwardly he was frantic, frantically channeling his eye power to break free of his body's restraints.
Menma slapped away the Nine-Tails, its face plastered with Madara, and spoke leisurely. "Of all the ways to invade, you chose to confront it head-on instead of fleeing immediately. Truly worthy of being called Kenichi."
"What do you mean?" Obito frowned, puzzled.
Menma shook his head, expressionless. "Nothing. It's just that my eye technique can last for another minute, while yours probably only lasts half a minute, right?"
Hearing Menma's words, Obito's crimson pupils constricted sharply. He stared intently at Menma, his fear almost overflowing. He didn't know how Menma knew the duration of his intangibility; he hadn't told anyone about it!
Menma chuckled lightly and said calmly, "If you're willing to release your eye technique and resist with all your might, you'll break through my control in three seconds. How about it? Want to go all out?"
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