"Time to make my move."
Gazing at the bustling streets of Konohagakure, Obito Uchiha murmured to himself.
He had already released the "Evolved Being" from Kamui's Dimension and spent some time observing it.
To his surprise, the "Evolved Being" indeed seemed quite powerful.
Even though Obito had been extremely cautious, the "Evolved Being" somehow always appeared to sense his presence.
Such behavior caught Obito off guard, and the strength within the "Evolved Being" was undeniably terrifying.
"That power feels somewhat similar to Kitagawa Minamoto's, but why does this guy seem mentally unstable?"
Obito frowned in confusion. The individual, though immensely powerful and unusually perceptive, seemed dazed and directionless, as if lost in a fog.
"Is this also an 'Evolved Being'? Or perhaps... a failed one?"
Tilting his head, Obito decided not to dwell on it further. This apparent instability might not necessarily be a bad thing for him.
"Did you really think everyone could bear my 'Kāma' like you?"
Isshiki sneered disdainfully as Obito sought information from Kabuto Yakushi.
The "Kāma" was not something just anyone could endure. Even Jigen had barely been able to, and over the years, Isshiki's experiments had yielded almost no successes.
The sealed "White Kāma," lacking Isshiki's will and soul imprint, was too strong for its host, resulting in its current state.
"If it had even a shred of utility, I wouldn't have used it as bait."
Of course, Isshiki didn't mind using it as bait; he had always planned to "clean it up" anyway.
Additionally, leveraging these "White Kāmas" to uncover Kitagawa Minamoto's situation was not a bad idea.
"When my power erupts, it should draw Minamoto in. And not just Minamoto..."
Isshiki mused silently as Obito completed his meeting with Kabuto and headed toward the hospital.
Isshiki shook his head, deciding not to think further. His sole focus now was to gain control over this fool, preventing him from causing more chaos.
Obito, oblivious to the uninvited guest within his body, quietly arrived at the hospital in Konohagakure.
"It seems Konohagakure plans to use Itachi Uchiha's eyes for him."
With Sasuke staying in the hospital, the village's intentions were clear. But what difference would it make?
"Only 'Evolution' is the ultimate path."
Reaching Sasuke's hospital room, Obito phased through the walls and entered directly.
His plan was simple: deal with Sasuke first, then lure Kitagawa Minamoto into battle. If that failed, he'd head to Kirigakure.
Confident in his strategy, Obito felt certain there was no flaw.
"You've finally arrived?"
However, just as he stepped into Sasuke's room, a calm voice suddenly echoed.
Startled, Obito turned his gaze to the window, where a figure stood bathed in moonlight. The silver light illuminated the figure's back, as if he were admiring the scenery outside.
"Kitagawa Minamoto."
Obito instantly recognized the person—that silhouette was all too familiar.
"You knew I was coming?"
"Don't flatter yourself. I sensed you the first time you came to Konohagakure."
Without turning around or sparing Obito a glance, Kitagawa Minamoto spoke indifferently.
"Your Chakra signature is easy to identify. The only reason I didn't act was because I wanted to figure out your intentions. Now, I know."
Obito fell silent, his gaze growing wary. Minamoto continued speaking calmly.
"Actually, I've always been curious about something. Perhaps you can help me understand."
"What do you want to know?"
"Do you even know what you're doing?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, do you truly understand your own actions?"
For the first time, Minamoto turned to face Obito, his eyes filled with genuine curiosity.
Though Minamoto had some insight into Obito's motives, he couldn't fathom how someone who had spent years in Kirigakure hadn't investigated the truth behind past events.
Moreover, Minamoto was intrigued by Kakashi's eye—why hadn't Obito considered reclaiming it?
Despite being repeatedly beaten, Obito still seemed oblivious to certain truths.
Minamoto also wondered if Obito had realized he was no longer entirely himself.
"What am I doing?"
Obito stared at Minamoto for a moment before chuckling coldly.
"What I'm doing is far grander than you can imagine. My goals are beyond your comprehension!"
"Is that so?"
Minamoto tilted his head slightly.
"Have you never felt something unusual in your heart? Have you never considered the current relationship between Konohagakure and Kirigakure, or the truth behind past events?"
"If that's what you're referring to, it only proves your naivety."
Obito sneered, his voice heavy with disdain.
"Of course I'm aware of the issues within me, and I know everything about the past. But what of it?"
"Oh?"
Minamoto raised an eyebrow. Obito continued speaking in a low tone.
"This world is far from the utopia you imagine. It's nothing but hell! The peace you enjoy came at the cost of countless lives. And such peace is inherently fragile—war could erupt again at any moment."
As Obito spoke, he grew increasingly agitated.
"I know full well what they did to me. But it made me realize one thing: this hell must change, and I must be the one to act!"
"So, your plan is to kill everyone?"
Before Obito could finish, Minamoto interrupted him.
"After all, where there are people, there's conflict. Where there are people, there's war. True peace can only be achieved by eliminating everyone."
Obito felt a strange sense of déjà vu. He instinctively refuted,
"I'm not as extreme as you think..."
"Then you'll trap everyone in some Genjutsu?"
Minamoto interrupted again, eyeing Obito from head to toe.
"After all, you keep talking about creating a 'peaceful world with Rin and everyone,' don't you?"
Obito fell silent, feeling as though he'd been baited into revealing too much.
"Think what you will. This painful world has no right to exist. I will create a peaceful world in my own way!"
"So, your refusal to reclaim Kakashi-sensei's eye is your way of severing ties with the past?"
Minamoto seemed to understand Obito better now, though his expression grew increasingly peculiar.
"No wonder Tobirama called the Uchiha clan insane. When they lose it, they really lose it. Your teacher and his wife cared for you, didn't they?"
"Don't act so self-righteous!"
Obito snorted coldly, his Chakra beginning to stir.
"Haven't you killed enough people? How many died during your raid on Kumogakure? Don't pretend you're innocent."
"That's the difference between us."
Minamoto sighed, slowly drawing his short sword. His hair and clothes began to flutter despite the lack of wind.
"My approach to solving problems is to address the root cause. If that's not possible, I'll deal with the person causing the problem."
"?"
"People like you, who flip the table and act recklessly, are truly rare. By the way, I have two questions for you."
"..."
"First, do you think, after all you've done, Rin would mourn for you when you die?"
Minamoto's Chakra surged violently as he appeared before Obito in an instant.
The sound of his short sword slicing through the air reverberated, causing the space around them to distort.
Obito snorted, his figure flickering as he escaped to the hospital's exterior.
Buzz—
Despite his retreat, the sound of Minamoto's blade lingered in his ears, along with the Hokage's voice.
"Second, do you even know who you are anymore?"
Boom—
A violent shockwave swept through the area around Obito, forcing him to remain in Kamui's Dimension to escape Minamoto's devastating attack.
Even Isshiki, hidden within Obito's consciousness, felt a sense of unease.
"Did he notice something? Or..."
Isshiki wasn't surprised by Minamoto's display of power; after all, anyone capable of fighting his Ōtsutsuki kin was formidable.
But he hadn't expected Minamoto to suspect something was amiss with Obito.
"Furthermore, this guy seems to have grown stronger since his battle with Minamoto. How interesting."
Minamoto, now enveloped in natural Chakra, radiated an intensity far greater than during his clash with Kitagawa Minamoto.
Isshiki began to understand why Minamoto had taken an interest in Obito.
"Still, this makes it harder to gather more information, especially with Kamui's Dimension involved. Hmm?"
Isshiki's thoughts were interrupted as he noticed Obito leaving Kamui's Dimension.
"Hmph, how shameless. Even with such strength, you still try to manipulate my emotions?"
Obito took a deep breath, clenching his fists as his Chakra condensed further.
"But let me tell you, if I lose, Rin will still mourn for me—unlike Kakashi!"
"?"
Minamoto paused, surprised by Obito's declaration.
Obito's power continued to surge, his gaze fixed firmly on Minamoto as he spoke.
"She guided me. It was her constant encouragement that showed me the way forward!"
As he spoke, black markings began to spread across his body. Feeling his strength grow exponentially, Obito seemed to undergo a genuine evolution.
"Don't think you're the only one capable of 'evolution.' With Rin standing behind me, guiding me, I can evolve too!"
With a roar, Obito unleashed his full power, appearing truly transformed.
"..."
Minamoto's eyes widened.
"Isshiki... Rin? What kind of twisted story is this?"
Meanwhile, Isshiki's expression turned grim.
"Why do all my chosen hosts have issues?"
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
📚 BOOK COMPLETED ON PATREON!📚
This story has reached its conclusion on my Patreon!
🔥 Full story available now
💎 Exclusive bonus content & early access to new books
👉 Join my Patreon community today!
[✨ patreon.com/GoldenLong]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━