After hearing the news about the small Ten-Tails, Obito's expression shifted unpredictably.
Although he had reclaimed his Sharingan—which had evolved from its original state into the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan—he knew deep down that even with these eyes, the gap between him and Shinji was not something easily closed. Even if he went a step further and evolved them into the Rinnegan, he would, at best, be on par with Nagato during the Fourth Great Ninja War—still no match for Shinji.
However, the information about the small Ten-Tails brought by White Zetsu made his heart race!
He understood better than anyone what the Ten-Tails represented; otherwise, Shinji and Otsutsuki Isshiki wouldn't have fought to the death over it. If he could seize the small Ten-Tails, he could stand on equal footing with Shinji as a Jinchuriki. At that point, he would finally have the confidence to stand before that Uchiha junior again.
Obito went from shock to excitement, then back to a cold calm in mere moments. He turned to White Zetsu and asked, "Do you know where Otsutsuki Isshiki's Ten-Tails is?"
White Zetsu replied, "I heard Group 1 is the one researching the Ten-Tails. They should know where it's being kept."
"Group 1..." Obito nodded silently.
Through eavesdropping on the researchers, he knew Shinji had consolidated almost all the scientific talent and resources of the shinobi world to tackle subjects involving the Ten-Tails, Rinnegan, and cell research. It stood to reason that a specific group would be dedicated to the small Ten-Tails.
White Zetsu then advised, "Not only did we escape, but we also made off with Group 3's experimental materials. The Research Institute must be in total chaos right now! We should lie low for a while. We can deal with the Ten-Tails later."
"Mm." Obito followed the advice readily.
He didn't have the Rinnegan yet; even if the Ten-Tails were placed right in front of him, he couldn't subdue it. There was no point in worrying about it now. His priority was to evade Shinji's pursuit.
In the current shinobi world, Shinji's influence was absolute. Not even counting his "Dawn" members, the forces he had integrated—Orochimaru, the "Dark Akatsuki," and "Kara"—constituted a terrifying power. Even with his eyes back, Obito did not dare confront Shinji head-on.
Consequently, the two first visited several secret laboratories previously sealed by the Akatsuki to gather funds and equipment. Then, utilizing the high mobility of Kamui, they traveled east across the boundless ocean until they found a small island to serve as their new hideout.
Inside the Research Institute.
Contrary to Obito's expectations, the Institute did not mobilize in a frenzy over his escape. The research of various groups continued to move forward steadily.
Undoubtedly, Obito's "escape" was entirely orchestrated by Shinji; otherwise, Obito would never have come into contact with any useful information. Shinji had even been forced to manufacture a few seemingly coincidental "oversights" to ensure Obito could slip away smoothly.
As the Research Institute was the cornerstone of Shinji's next phase in fighting the Hegemons, its security was naturally flawless. For example, the entire campus was under 24-hour surveillance. This wasn't just visual monitoring; it included chakra monitoring and barrier-based sensory detection, almost entirely eliminating any possibility of infiltration or escape.
Regarding guards, all standard personnel were high-level Tenseigan puppets with strength approaching that of a Jonin. These puppets possessed near-human intelligence but absolute loyalty, making them impossible to bribe.
Beyond the standard guards, there was an elite squad of experts stationed on campus. This squad currently consisted of Kabuto Yakushi, Ranmaru, Deidara, Delta, Jugo, and Guren. Their combat strength was unquestionable: Kabuto and Ranmaru were versatile Kage-level powerhouses, and Deidara's destructive power reached or even surpassed ordinary Kage-levels. Although Delta wasn't yet as strong as she appeared in the original timeline, she had reached Kage-level in taijutsu and mobility, and Amado had recently performed another round of modifications on her. Jugo and Guren were also highly experienced Elite Jonin.
This squad covered every base—sensory, reconnaissance, taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu—leaving no weaknesses. While their complex backgrounds meant they weren't a monolith, it also ensured they kept each other in check, preventing anyone from betraying the Institute.
Above the elite squad were Haku and Yakumo, who were stationed permanently, with Otsutsuki Toneri available as support.
With multiple layers of protection, let alone a sightless Obito, even Nagato in his prime wouldn't be able to stir up trouble here. Furthermore, many of the researchers themselves—Orochimaru, Tsunade, Sasori, and Hiruko—were Kage-level powerhouses. The defensive strength of the Institute was unique in the entire world.
Therefore, shortly after Obito fled, Yakumo placed a detailed report on Shinji's desk.
After reviewing the process of the escape, Shinji warned, "His Sharingan contains space-time dojutsu; the danger level is high. Do not be careless."
"Understood," Yakumo nodded.
The White Zetsu by Obito's side had already had his will modified by Shinji's Kotoamatsukami. He was specifically planted to monitor Obito up close and handle part of the "guidance" work. Simultaneously, Eida's Senrigan allowed Shinji to spy on or lock onto Obito's location at any time.
With this double insurance, as long as the monitors weren't negligent, Shinji didn't have to worry about Obito. After all, Hikari mastered Ame-no-Iwato, a technique that perfectly countered Kamui by locking down space.
"Even if Obito could drive the Rinnegan in the original timeline, it doesn't mean he will definitely awaken it himself. Let's wait and see," Shinji mused silently.
Even if everything went smoothly, awakening the Rinnegan would take time. He didn't need to watch Obito every second for now.
What truly concerned Shinji were Karin, Hikari, Shion, and Sasuke.
The battle in the Sixth Ring World had taught him just how much an impact the six Sorcerer Supremes had on the tides of war. One could say that Shinji's ability to repel the Propagation Hegemon and seal a portion of it with Chibaku Tensei was largely due to their help.
Therefore, he wanted to draw from that experience and establish a similar defense system in the shinobi world—one where six powerful individuals would work together to maintain a protective barrier like the Magic Ring.