"What the hell is this thing?" Madara Uchiha stared at Obito in disbelief. Obito's mask had shattered, revealing the black markings that stood out starkly on his face.
But beyond their striking appearance, the power surging from Obito's body was utterly astonishing—even to Madara. The strength emanating from him seemed to be approaching Madara's "true peak" state!
Moreover, wisps of blue smoke rose from Obito's body, as his injuries from the Yin-Yang Release continued to heal.
"What's going on with Obito Uchiha now?" Madara's expression darkened. He realized that Obito was growing stronger, and this was not a good sign.
"Why is this happening?" However, Obito seemed completely unaware of the changes, continuing to roar hysterically.
"Why?! Why did it turn out like this?!"
Madara fell silent, beginning to understand why Obito had ended up in such a state. The psychological blow was too great; it had completely broken him.
Thinking back to the battle, the once-unmatched Susano'o had been utterly useless against Kitagawa Minamoto! Its massive size had rendered it incapable of effective attacks, while Minamoto's sheer power was absurd beyond comprehension.
"He shattered Susano'o directly... and shattered Obito's spirit along with it," Madara sighed. Even Susano'o could be crushed underfoot—Obito was still human, after all.
"Still, this might work out better. This mindset doesn't match his power, and that's advantageous for me." Madara's gloom lifted. Previously, he had worried that Obito's growing strength might interfere with his plans. But with this fragile mental state, the danger seemed far less significant.
"That was Yin-Yang Release," Madara adjusted his thoughts, then spoke coldly. "The power of Yin-Yang Release is beyond imagination. Even I only comprehended it after awakening the Rinnegan."
"Yin-Yang Release..." Obito wasn't completely unfamiliar with the technique—Madara had taught him many things.
"He mastered Yin-Yang Release? That's what defeated me?"
"What else? Yin-Yang Release is an extension of the 'Power of All Creation,' the power of the Sage of Six Paths." Madara nodded lightly, but his eyes continued scrutinizing Obito's entire body.
Though Obito's fragile mentality reassured him, the power surging from Obito's body still made him uneasy.
"I never expected that brat to master such power. No wonder you couldn't deal with him."
"So it was Yin-Yang Release..." Hearing Madara's explanation, Obito's hysterical gaze finally began to change.
"If it's Yin-Yang Release, then it makes sense. After all, that's the power of the Sage of Six Paths."
"And it's not something ordinary people can wield. Yet he can use it with ease."
"It seems he truly is a descendant of the Sage's younger brother. Otherwise, how could he do this? How does he deserve this?!"
"No wonder... no wonder..." Obito muttered incessantly, his gaze gradually returning to normal, even becoming faintly resolute.
This scene made Madara's mouth twitch involuntarily. He remembered Black Zetsu mentioning that Nagato had experienced something similar. Nagato had also recovered by believing that Kitagawa Minamoto was a "descendant of the Sage's younger brother."
"What's wrong with these people?" Madara couldn't help but grumble internally. First Nagato, now Obito—both had their spirits crushed by the same person?
Although he himself wasn't feeling great, having once again been humiliated by 'True Several Thousand Hands,' his mental state remained intact. After all, he knew he wasn't at his "peak"!
"Still, I won't forget this grudge. Kitagawa Minamoto, next time you won't be so lucky." Being beaten down by Minamoto's True Several Thousand Hands—this was a grudge Madara would never forget.
But for now, his focus shifted back to Obito. The black markings on Obito's body were far too peculiar.
"What secrets is this brat hiding? Why has he suddenly changed like this?"
Before he could ponder further, Obito suddenly stood up. He seemed to have truly recovered, his gaze now filled with unwavering determination.
"It was just one defeat. Defeating me won't be so easy!"
"The power Rin gave me is meant to create a peaceful new world."
"There's no way I'll lose so easily!"
Watching Obito's impassioned roar, Madara knew he had temporarily stabilized him. Yet as Obito shouted, the black markings on his body began to fade, making Madara's frown deepen.
"It seems I'll need to 'study' this brat carefully." Madara pondered for a moment, then spoke up.
"Since you've recovered, let's move. We still haven't secured the Four-Tails."
"Hmph, I know." Obito nodded. He needed to vent his frustration. If he couldn't beat Kitagawa Minamoto, he could at least deal with the Four-Tails Jinchūriki easily!
Obito was brimming with confidence, but within him, the consciousness of Isshiki Ōtsutsuki was struggling to remain composed.
"Damn inferior creature..." The 'Karma' seal wasn't something that could be undone quickly. It required time and repeated activation by the host.
Isshiki had originally estimated that his consciousness would take about a year to fully awaken. But he realized he was wrong—it seemed he had been forcibly awakened in just a few days!
For Isshiki, this wasn't necessarily a good thing. Obito was severely injured, and the 'Karma' seal had to provide energy to help heal his body. In essence, Obito had disrupted Isshiki's plans!
"This isn't some 'gift from Rin.' This is my energy." Isshiki gritted his teeth, but gradually calmed himself given the circumstances.
"Fine. Awakening early isn't entirely bad. I can recover my lost power and observe this brat's actions. Consider it an opportunity to familiarize myself with this body ahead of time."
Under the moonlit sky, within Iwagakure, Kitagawa Minamoto and Jiraiya sat together, watching the Iwagakure shinobi tirelessly working to rebuild. Minamoto couldn't help but murmur.
"I wonder how long it'll take for them to sort things out. And who knows when they'll find the Four-Tails Jinchūriki."
"Who knows? After such devastating destruction, just returning to normal would be fortunate." Jiraiya sighed, his heart heavy at the sight before him.
"It's fortunate this didn't happen in Konoha, and fortunate you've mastered 'Yin-Yang Release.' Otherwise, this would've been a disaster."
"Perhaps." Minamoto chuckled, though he still felt a tinge of regret.
After all, Rōshi, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, was an exceptionally stubborn individual. He had left Iwagakure due to ideological differences with Ōnoki, choosing to pursue his own path of solitary training.
In Minamoto's memory, Rōshi had been subdued by Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki. But now, the situation had changed—he hadn't been found yet, and Madara's actions had once again turned into a "failed success."
This left Minamoto feeling somewhat cheated. After all, he hadn't had the chance to obtain the Four-Tails' Chakra.
"Should I act alone?" Minamoto stroked his chin thoughtfully. Acting alone would mean using his "Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki" identity.
But if he used that identity solely to capture the Four-Tails and extract its Chakra, it would feel somewhat beneath him. He needed to carefully consider how to secure the Four-Tails' Chakra.
"Do you truly have confidence in facing Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki?" While Minamoto was lost in thought, Jiraiya couldn't help but speak up again, his expression growing more solemn.
"Though it's not fair to place such a heavy burden on you, it seems you're the only one capable of confronting him directly."
"Well..." Minamoto felt a headache coming on. Why was this topic coming up again?
He understood the need to prepare for the worst, especially since Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki shared the same surname as Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. Anyone would make unsettling associations.
But constantly bringing it up made Minamoto feel like he was being cast as the villain. Of course, he also knew that in the eyes of Nagato, Obito, and others, he probably did resemble a villain.
"But I don't recall ever 'crushing ants' without reason." Minamoto had always emphasized maintaining a high level of dignity, rarely engaging in disgraceful actions.
Still, he now felt a sense of inevitability—as if the atmosphere demanded a showdown.
"It should be fine, I think." Sighing internally, Minamoto realized he needed to boost everyone's confidence.
"But ultimately, we'll need to face him directly. Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki isn't like Madara Uchiha or Obito Uchiha—you know that."
"I understand, I understand." Jiraiya realized he had gone too far, and laughed heartily to lighten the mood.
"Sorry, sorry. Sometimes I worry too much. I hope you don't mind. After all, Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki even terrified the Great Toad Sage."
"Tch, I hate toads. Haven't I said that before?" Minamoto rolled his eyes, making Jiraiya freeze for a moment before snorting lightly.
"Whatever. You should rest early. I'm going to check on Naruto and the others. Honestly, those two brats are trying to help out—as if this is our responsibility."
"That's because they're too kind-hearted." Minamoto shrugged. Naruto, seeing the devastation of Iwagakure, instinctively wanted to lend a hand. Sasuke, not wanting to be outdone, joined him.
Those two were always competing, always comparing themselves to each other.
"So you're not kind-hearted?" Jiraiya teased Minamoto with a mischievous grin, then disappeared on the spot.
Watching the spot where Jiraiya vanished, Minamoto sighed deeply.
"Since you're all so worried, I might as well show you." Slowly standing up, Minamoto looked up at the moonlit sky.
"While I'm at it, I'll deal with the Four-Tails' Chakra too. That way, this trip won't be in vain."
As he pondered, his system suddenly triggered.
[New Exclusive Side Quest Acquired]
[Who Dares to Claim Invincibility, Who Dares to Say Undefeated]
"..."
"Damn it, is this system deliberately messing with me?"
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