In a secluded cave on the other side of the Uchiha compound.
With a spatial distortion, a muffled thud and a suppressed grunt sounded as three figures appeared out of thin air in the cave.
"Gah! Cough, cough…"
Uchiha Itachi fell heavily to the ground. The dizziness from the spatial transfer and the weakness from excessive blood loss surged forth.
He propped himself up with his remaining right arm, his body spasming and dry-heaving uncontrollably. His stomach churned, but he could only vomit up blood foam.
His clothes were already soaked with blood gushing from his severed arm, creating a jarringly crimson pool on the ground.
Every cough tugged at his wound, causing an intense pain that made his already pale face turn ashen. Cold sweat mixed with rain and bloodstains dripped from his forehead.
He looked like a dying fish thrown ashore, ragged and barely breathing.
Not far from Uchiha Itachi, Hatake Kakashi also lay on the ground, still unconscious with his eyes closed.
Uchiha Obito stood silently to the side, looking down at Uchiha Itachi struggling in pain on the ground like a stray dog.
The scarlet Sharingan beneath his mask scanned the gushing blood from the severed arm and his face, which was twisted in agony. He casually pulled out a bandage and tossed it in front of him.
"Hmph."
Obito let out a mocking snort, his voice even hoarser and colder. "How pathetic, Uchiha Itachi. Is this all your 'resolve' is worth?"
"You couldn't even save your own arm and were almost crushed like a dog. How pathetic and laughable."
His words were like poisonous needles, stabbing viciously at Itachi's fragile nerves. His body, already trembling from the pain, shook even more with rage and humiliation.
Uchiha Itachi suddenly raised his head, his bloodshot Mangekyo Sharingan staring fixedly at Uchiha Obito. His voice was hoarse and weak. "Madara, you really didn't die…"
Before he left, he had glanced at the 'corpse' of 'Madara' and found that the body, including the blood, had completely vanished.
Clearly, this guy had used some kind of bizarre technique…
"Heh!" As if he had heard a joke, Uchiha Obito sneered coldly. "Who do you think I am?"
However, under his mask, Obito's expression was grim.
In truth, it was not as easy as he made it out to be.
That monster that suddenly appeared had genuinely killed him once.
The scene replayed in his mind, and Uchiha Obito's eyes narrowed. He thought, That completely abnormal ability and speed must be a Mangekyo Sharingan jutsu…
It only took a thought for him to activate his 'Kamui' intangibility.
But that monster had somehow managed to hit him.
If he hadn't transplanted a Three-Tomo Sharingan beforehand and used 'Izanagi' at that moment, he probably would have truly died from that sudden strike.
So after that, he didn't show himself again to that white 'monster.'
He had watched the entire battle between the 'monster' and Uchiha Shisui from a distance.
Seeing that while Shisui couldn't dodge the attacks, he could still block them with his Susanoo, Obito now had a guess about the 'monster's' jutsu.
"It can be 'blocked,' but it can't be 'dodged'?"
Realizing the potential ability of this jutsu, Uchiha Obito's face under his mask darkened.
What kind of bizarre ability is this?
And what is the bizarre principle behind it?
His greatest reliance was the intangibility of 'Kamui,' an ability that made him almost invincible, allowing him to come and go as he pleased no matter how strong the enemy was.
But now, he had run into a guy who just happened to counter his ability!
Just as Obito was filled with shock and anger.
The ground beside him began to writhe. A bizarre, half-black, half-white figure, like a pitcher plant, slowly emerged, its upper half surfacing.
"Madara-sama, Itachi, I've found you."
Black Zetsu's hoarse voice sounded. His gaze swept over the unconscious Kakashi on the ground and then looked at Obito with a knowing look. "Madara-sama, are you planning to take his Sharingan?"
It gestured meaningfully toward Kakashi's left eye, which was covered by his headband, where a Mangekyo Sharingan belonging to Uchiha Obito was transplanted.
Hearing this, Obito's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. He didn't answer immediately but instead stared intently at the unconscious Hatake Kakashi.
"Power. In my current state, I need more power."
Whether it was the white monster that was born from Uchiha Fugaku, those black masked monsters, or the 'Shadow' who suddenly appeared and stole Nagato…
All of these were proof that a dramatic change he could not understand or control was happening in the ninja world.
It was as if an invisible giant hand was manipulating everything from on high, and he felt like a chess piece that could be captured at any moment!
This was something he absolutely could not accept.
Even when facing Uchiha Madara, knowing that Madara was using him, Obito never saw himself as a pawn. He had always wanted to achieve the 'Infinite Tsukuyomi' on his own.
Now, facing all kinds of people with unknown backgrounds and sudden, unresolvable situations, he felt a wave of powerlessness and rage.
So…
"There can be no more sentimental attachments."
The last trace of hesitation in Obito's eyes as he looked at Hatake Kakashi was replaced by cold indifference.
Before, perhaps it was because he didn't want to face Kakashi, the source of his pain, or perhaps because a trace of attachment to the past had not been completely severed.
He had always deceived himself into believing that a single Mangekyo Sharingan was enough to handle everything, thus tolerating and ignoring his own eye remaining with Hatake Kakashi.
But now, that was no longer an option.
The ninja world was full of unpredictable variables. He now needed his full power—the power of two Mangekyo Sharingan—to face the potential risks.
Even if it meant personally digging out Kakashi's eye and completely severing the last ridiculous bond!
With this thought, Uchiha Obito no longer hesitated. He slowly began to walk, one step at a time, toward the unconscious Kakashi.
His footsteps echoed, especially clear and heavy in the silent cave. However, just as Obito was a few steps away from Kakashi, the unconscious Hatake Kakashi on the ground suddenly twitched.
Then, his one exposed left eye snapped open, instantly filling with alertness and sharpness.
"You…"
Kakashi forced himself to stand, fighting the dizziness. He stared at the figure in front of him, his hand on the hilt of his short sword. "You're the guy who calls himself 'Uchiha Madara'?"
Uchiha Obito's steps paused slightly. He didn't answer. The single eye beneath his mask just grew colder as he raised his foot again.
"Stop!"
Kakashi felt the bone-chilling killing intent rushing toward him. His heart pounded, and his strong survival instinct made him react instantly.
According to the intelligence, this guy had a space-time ninjutsu with an unknown principle. Its effect was similar to 'intangibility,' and no attack could hit him.
So, he abruptly drew the short sword named 'Envy' from his waist, which emitted a chilling aura that was as unsettling as maggots in a corpse.
Envy: Spurious Mirror!
This technique would copy a target's possible future 'mirror' and force it to fight the target until its chakra was exhausted.
This wasn't the first time Kakashi had used this sword's ability. The few times he had used it in the past had not been very effective. He had only been using it as an improved version of the 'Shadow Clone Jutsu.'
But now, facing this helpless enemy, he could only bet on the power of this sword.
Voom!
The moment Hatake Kakashi channeled chakra into the blade, a ripple that seemed to twist reality burst forth!
"What is this thing?"
Feeling an aura of intense malice lock onto him, Uchiha Obito instinctively halted his steps toward Kakashi.
In the next moment, in front of Kakashi, the air rippled like the surface of water, and a figure slowly coalesced and appeared out of thin air.
However, when the figure fully materialized, both the caster, Hatake Kakashi, and Uchiha Obito, Black Zetsu, and Uchiha Itachi had a change in expression.
Uchiha Obito's body seemed to have been pierced by an invisible object, freezing him in place. The scarlet Sharingan beneath his mask trembled with shock and disbelief!
Hatake Kakashi was also completely stunned, his hand clutching 'Envy' trembling slightly. He stared fixedly at the person slowly materializing in front of him, his eyes filled with incomprehensible bewilderment.
And a huge sense of absurdity that came from the depths of his soul!
The 'mirror' standing in front of Kakashi had the exact same height, build, and silhouette as the 'Uchiha Madara' in front of him.
But the difference was, he wasn't wearing a mask!
That face… that face…
"Kakashi?"
The 'mirror' spoke. Its voice was familiar yet foreign, and then it slowly turned around.
It had short black hair and was wearing a Hokage hat. Half of its face was covered in ugly, twisted scars. It was wearing a Konoha green flak jacket with the ceremonial Hokage cloak over it.
"You… you…"
Staring intently at the face of the 'mirror,' that face overlapping with the youthful face in his memories, Hatake Kakashi's mouth gradually fell open.
This face… is Obito's?!
"No, that's impossible, this…"
Kakashi's voice became incredibly dry and shaky from the extreme shock and confusion.
He stared fixedly at this "Uchiha Obito" who was a Hokage, then suddenly looked up at the masked "Uchiha Madara" a few steps away, his mind a complete blank!
The ability of 'Envy' was to copy a target's "possible future mirror"…
Which meant…
The "Uchiha Madara" wearing a mask in front of him was…
"Obi… Obito?!"
Hatake Kakashi's voice was hoarse and twisted, his eyes filled with an indescribable horror and a huge sense of absurdity that had completely shattered his worldview!
This man wearing a swirled mask, who called himself Uchiha Madara, who planned the Nine-Tails attack, who manipulated Uchiha Itachi into slaughtering his clan, who had caused countless bloody storms…
Was he the Uchiha Obito who was crushed by a boulder in the Kannabi Bridge battle while saving him, the one he personally 'buried' beneath the Memorial Stone?!
Was he the Uchiha Obito he saw in countless nightmares, who tearfully questioned him, "Why didn't you protect Rin?"?!
Was he the Uchiha Obito whom he had thought was long dead and turned to dust?!
"You, you're still alive? Why…"
Hatake Kakashi's unconscious murmur came to an abrupt halt, as a tangible killing intent erupted. A chilling sensation instantly filled the entire silent cave!
"HATAKE KAKASHI!!"
Uchiha Obito's tone was filled with the rage of having his identity completely exposed.
"You're dead!!"