"Impossible!"
After the shock of that instant, Uchiha Obito roared from the depths of his being, almost instinctively.
How could such a powerful Genjutsu exist in this world?!
For a thousand years, the Uchiha Clan, with their Sharingan, had always stood at the pinnacle of the Genjutsu domain, and the Mangekyo Sharingan was a realm even beyond that peak.
No one had ever been able to contend with them using Genjutsu.
But now, someone claimed to possess a Genjutsu Bloodline that could completely hypnotize a person just by seeing him, a Genjutsu that even the Mangekyo Sharingan couldn't resist?!
"Absolutely preposterous!"
As if to vent the unplaceable panic in his heart, Uchiha Obito roared out another sentence, his Mangekyo Sharingan fixed on the figure opposite him, gritting his teeth, with a reckless defiance that seemed to say, 'I don't believe it':
"How could a mere mortal like you comprehend the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan!"
"Let me show you!"
This time, Uchiha Obito held nothing back, his Dōjutsu power surging into his eyes with full force, directly meeting the opponent's gaze.
However, Aizen remained calmly in place, showing no intention of dodging.
The next moment.
"Zheng!"
The ringing sound of a blade slicing through the air pierced his eardrums, and a nearly tangible sharp pain suddenly arose from his neck.
Uchiha Obito's pupils widened involuntarily.
His vision seemed to suddenly flip into mid-air, clearly seeing his own headless body.
It wasn't just one strike.
In that fleeting moment, he seemed to peer through the timeline, witnessing countless scenes of his own death, cut into various forms.
Cut in half at the waist, severed arms, severed legs, decapitation, diagonal cuts...
Almost instantly, the countless intense pains that flooded his mind seemed to explode his brain, nailing his body to the spot, trembling like a sieve.
As for his Mangekyo Sharingan...
Let alone controlling the opponent's body, even the almost overflowing Dōjutsu power was forcibly suppressed within his eyeballs, creating a strange sensation of fullness that made his eyes ache.
At this moment, Aizen's unusually calm voice happened to sound in his ear.
"So-called complete hypnosis..."
"It is the complete hypnosis of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch."
"The moment your gaze met mine, your body was no longer under your own control."
"Everything you see and know is under his control."
"Do you... understand what this means?"
"Im-Impossible!"
These overly calm words, on the contrary, ignited a strong spirit of resistance in Uchiha Obito's heart.
For many years, ever since he personally witnessed Rin die at Kakashi's hands, he had never personally experienced such a terrifying thing.
When he himself was a Uchiha who often manipulated others' minds with Genjutsu, this kind of fear, knowing the ins and outs, was naturally amplified countless times.
"Boom!"
In an instant, a vast amount of Chakra erupted from Uchiha Obito, spreading in all directions, transforming into a giant that was entirely clear blue and continuously growing taller as Dōjutsu power was injected.
From skeleton, to muscle, then to armor...
In just an instant, Susanoo ascended from the first stage to the third stage, taking on a nearly complete form, its eyes glowing crimson.
"Roar!!!"
The deafening roar shook heaven and earth.
Violent vibrations rocked the ground.
Following that, a long blade, formed out of thin air, was suddenly swung down by him.
Under this attack, beyond what ordinary people could imagine, even mountains would be split in two.
At this moment, Uchiha Obito, giving his all, displayed an explosive power far exceeding his own imagination.
Or rather, the Mangekyo Sharingan was inherently such a subjective product.
Aizen Sōsuke stood quietly in place, unmoving.
"Rumble..."
In an instant, the ground where Aizen stood, along with the Hokage Building behind him, was easily split into two by this heavy blow.
Rising smoke and dust obscured his vision, countless stones and broken wood flew up, falling sparsely to the ground, making a sound like falling rain.
But at this moment, Uchiha Obito no longer dared to underestimate his former classmate.
Under the stimulation of the almost playful scene just now, he immediately controlled Susanoo and rushed into the smoke and dust without hesitation.
Susanoo's long blade in hand slashed left and right, easily sweeping away the dust, revealing Aizen Sōsuke's figure.
"Die!"
Uchiha Obito's heart pounded faster and faster, his blade continuously swinging.
"Too slow."
Aizen's voice suddenly sounded in his ear.
Just this understated remark made goosebumps rise all over Uchiha Obito's body; the long blade he was about to bring down suddenly swept horizontally, abruptly slashing in the direction of the voice.
"Whoosh!"
But it only met with emptiness.
Uchiha Obito clenched his fists, suddenly raising his voice:
"Aizen Sōsuke!!"
"Coward!"
"Do you not even dare to face me directly?"
Veins throbbed on his forehead beneath his mask.
However, he still tried to suppress his anger, attempting to draw out Aizen's figure.
Under Uchiha Madara's guidance, he naturally understood the special function of Susanoo.
Not only could it create such a god-like body, but it could also block the Dōjutsu of other Mangekyo Sharingan. To be precise, it should be that Susanoo's special structure isolated the Chakra connection between inside and out.
He was confident that under the protection of Susanoo, that bastard's Genjutsu would never be able to affect him.
The only weakness was that he couldn't maintain Susanoo for too long, so he had to provoke him out quickly.
Moreover, this was deep within Konoha territory.
At this moment, Uchiha Obito did not realize.
In that instant, deep down, he had already believed the fact that he had fallen under 'complete hypnosis' the moment he saw Aizen.
"Do not speak so lightly."
As this still gentle and polite voice spoke, Aizen's figure slowly emerged from the shadows, step by step. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, still calmly and condescendingly looking at the cornered beast before him.
"That will only expose your weakness."
The moment he saw him, Uchiha Obito's heart was instantly filled with joy, his voice uncontrollable as he ferociously pounced in the direction of his appearance:
"You're the one exposed!"
"Idiot!"
The hurricane howled.
Susanoo's extraordinarily massive form was almost tangible, and the blade it wielded was accompanied by a surge of powerful wind, its edge wrapped in a viscous, glowing white mist, vowing to cut the man before him in two.
"Buzz!"
In an instant, heaven and earth shattered.
"Huff, huff..." Uchiha Obito gasped heavily, his rapidly beating heart feeling as if it would leap out of his throat.
In these past ten years, this was the first time he had been pushed to such an extent. The sense of threat Aizen Sōsuke gave him far surpassed that of Minato-sensei back then; if he relaxed even slightly, it felt as if he would be instantly killed, forcing him to unleash all his power.
That incredibly powerful Genjutsu was even harder for his already limited brain capacity to comprehend.
How did this guy do it?
However, it didn't matter.
Uchiha Obito regulated his breathing, looking down at the figure in the giant pit before him, a hint of disdain gradually rising in his eyes:
"Aizen Sōsuke."
"A mere mortal like you cannot understand."
"This is the power of the Uchiha Clan."
But his words had just fallen.
Before he could turn around.
A familiar voice suddenly entered his ears.
"Obi-Obito..." Uchiha Obito first froze, then abruptly turned his head towards the direction of the pit.
Then, he saw a familiar two-toned face, lying in the center of that giant pit, his entire lower body smashed to bits, only his miraculous upper body was still desperately grasping at the soft soil around him, trying to struggle.
"Zetsu?!"
"Wh-When did he..." Uchiha Obito's eyes widened in astonishment.
From the beginning, his Susanoo had not been dispelled for even a moment.
However, as he stared at Zetsu with suspicion and uncertainty.
He saw Zetsu also looking at him with disbelief.
No.
To be precise, it should be behind him.
This direct gaze suddenly sent a chill down Obito's spine, and he abruptly turned around, swinging his chain-scythe in sync.
"Whoosh!"
In an instant, the end of the chain-scythe almost grazed Aizen's cheek, kicking up a harsh gust of wind.
Aizen Sōsuke, however, seemed completely oblivious, letting his hair flutter in the airflow, his gaze from beneath his thick glasses calmly fixed on Obito's figure, his voice tinged with surprise:
"Obito, is it?"
"Uchiha Obito... such an unexpectedly familiar name."
Yet, though he spoke of 'unexpected' and his voice slightly rose at the end, his face showed not the slightest hint of surprise.
"Sh... sh..."
Watching Aizen Sōsuke slowly walk towards him, muttering to himself, Uchiha Obito, sheltered beneath Susanoo, found his steps involuntarily retreating.
"Aizen..."
"Who exactly are you?"
Uchiha Obito stared intently at him.
He had never encountered such an existence, beyond imagination.
Aizen displayed a gentle smile and countered:
"Haven't you known all along?"
"Obito-kun."
"Run! Obito!"
At this moment, the White Zetsu in the pit suddenly cried out.
He had witnessed it firsthand.
After Obito first activated Kamui, attempting to pull this man into his dimension, Obito had been played with like a puppet.
This guy was an existence that the current Obito simply couldn't handle!
Who exactly was he?!
At this moment, it wasn't just White Zetsu who had this thought.
Even Black Zetsu, looking at the man before him, had eyes filled with disbelief.
Just now, if it weren't for his nature of existence being completely identical to his mother's, being of the same caliber, even he would have almost been deceived by him.
Is this something a human can do?
And those two blades in his hand.
If he hadn't felt the same energy signature as the God Tree, he would have almost mistaken them for artifacts left by other Ōtsutsuki.
Could a human create these?
Is there something wrong with this world?
A series of questions continuously popped up in Black Zetsu's mind, yet not a single one could be answered.
Instead, the moment White Zetsu cried out, Aizen's gaze was suddenly drawn to him, and he looked at him with interest.
Black Zetsu's heart immediately tensed.
"Whoosh!"
Before he could ponder the meaning of that glance further, Obito had already shot out without hesitation, holding half of Zetsu's body with one hand, and retreated resolutely into the distance.
However...
"Too naive."
Almost the instant these words fell.
Uchiha Obito watched helplessly as the longer blade effortlessly pierced through the outer Susanoo as if it were nothing, sinking heavily into his chest.
"Pfft."
Pinning him to the tree.
At this moment, Aizen Sōsuke's figure was incredibly close.
He stood there, gently extended his hand, and under Uchiha Obito's trembling gaze, removed the Uzumaki mask covering his face.
This calm gaze, like the scorching midday sun, revealed his half-twisted, half-normal, hideous face.
"I see."
Aizen examined his current appearance, his voice chillingly rational:
"Relying on these special cells to replace the original damaged body, have you?"
"It actually has such an effect."
At this moment, Aizen's gaze towards him was not like looking at a person, but rather like appreciating a meticulously structured object, attempting to explore its deeper internal principles.
This feeling made Uchiha Obito extremely uncomfortable, and everything that had happened from just now until this moment filled his heart with an overwhelming sense of despair.
"What... what exactly do you want to do?"
Uchiha Obito stared at him intently, his fierce gaze unable to conceal the deep-seated panic in his still cowardly heart.
The Dōjutsu ability of the Mangekyo Sharingan is often a reflection of one's deepest psyche.
Kamui was, after all, a Dōjutsu prepared for the timid.
From before until now, Uchiha Obito, who had always yearned to hide, had he ever changed?
From beginning to end, he was the coward who tried to escape everything.
"Don't worry."
"I won't kill you."
Aizen Sōsuke's tone was calm and soothing, yet it failed to make Uchiha Obito lower his guard in the slightest.
His gaze from beneath his thick glasses rested on Uchiha Obito's Mangekyo Sharingan, and he smiled gently:
"It's just that I need your cooperation for an experiment."
"?!"
Uchiha Obito was stunned by these words.
In fact, ever since completing the re-creation of the Zanpakuto, Aizen Sōsuke had been pondering a question.
Since he could now confirm that there truly existed an entity in this world, like the will of the Soul King, that hindered his soul from fully manifesting in this world.
Then, how should he contend with it in the opponent's domain?
Upon what should his entire, complete soul be entrusted for manifestation?
This Zanpakuto could only carry about two to three percent.
It was far from his peak.
An invisible enemy is always daunting.
Moreover, regardless of whether what lay beneath the surface of this world was the Six Paths Sage, or the Goddess Ōtsutsuki, or even the planet's will itself, Aizen had never entertained the thought of submitting to anyone.
It's just that his original world at least had three realms standing in parallel, allowing him to research, hide, and seek assistance.
But this world was a singular material realm.
It wasn't until Uchiha Obito's appearance—or, more accurately, the appearance of his Kamui dimension, which was created out of thin air—that Aizen suddenly conceived an idea.
What if he were to entrust the essence of his soul, like the Shinra of mistletoe, to other dimensions, relying on these dimensions to draw power from these worlds to nourish and grow?
And even, eventually, relying on these other dimensions to construct his own 'three realms' cycle, similar to what the Soul King did, thereby manifesting his full power without relying on the Ninja World itself?
Would this method truly work?
The Kamui dimension, though small, was a sufficient petri dish for him to use.
Pondering this, Aizen Sōsuke's gaze towards Uchiha Obito became increasingly appreciative.
This was a qualified talent.
However, Uchiha Obito felt a chill down his spine and his heart drop into an ice pit from Aizen's gaze, which treated him like some kind of object, completely unable to comprehend what he was saying:
"You... what exactly are you talking about?!"
Unfortunately, Aizen did not give him time to think.
Talent only needed to fulfill its primary role as a petri dish; that was enough.
Almost the instant his words fell.
He saw the short blade in his other hand suddenly reverse grip, and like a flash of lightning, it abruptly stabbed towards Obito's right eye.
At this moment, Uchiha Obito's entire body tensed.
He watched as the blade tip pierced his eyeball.
"Clink."
However, the moment the short blade penetrated his eyeball, he did not feel the familiar pain, nor the sensation of his brain being pierced.
At that moment, as his eyeball touched the blade tip, he instinctively triggered Kamui's spatial distortion.
Immediately after, a strange, crisp sound echoed in his ears.
In that daze.
He seemed to see the blade pass through space, lightly touching the surface of a stone pillar in the Kamui dimension, leaving a subtle, glowing mark.
Taking root, sprouting, planted deep, sinking into invisibility.
Like an unknown seed.
Aizen Sōsuke quietly watched this scene, a smile of unknown meaning gracing his handsome face.
"Obito!"
Almost simultaneously with Zetsu's voice.
Uchiha Obito's body suddenly regained control, and he instinctively flickered in and out of intangibility, his Body Flicker Technique reaching an unprecedented peak in his life.
At the same time.
Faint rustling sounds of breaking wind suddenly echoed from a distance.
Those were the sounds of the surrounding Konoha Ninja arriving.
Uchiha Obito clutched Zetsu with one hand, while the other hand desperately covered his eye.
The two almost immediately, upon escaping this area, used Zetsu's unique Mayfly Technique to break through the ground and dive to depths where even earthworms couldn't survive, fleeing like the wind into the distance.
Aizen Sōsuke remained quietly standing in the distance.
Obito turned his head, instinctively trying to meet his gaze through the darkness. And he, too, seemed to be able to see Uchiha Obito's figure through the thick ground.
This silent gaze left an indelible, heavy shadow in Uchiha Obito's heart.
Aizen, however, merely smiled calmly.
His gaze was profound.
On the distant horizon, the colors of Konoha peeled away layer by layer, first a few golden threads piercing through the clouds, followed by myriad rays of light.
The sky had dawned.