In the dense forest outside Konoha.
Aozora glared intensely at Obito across from him, frowning. "Not a Genjutsu? But I clearly cut you!"
His eyes gleamed with sharp insight, seeming to analyze Obito's abilities, but in truth, he was weighing whether to pretend to join him instead.
Obito possessed terrifyingly powerful and abnormal abilities—Genjutsu that controlled Yagura, Intangibility that nullified all attacks, Kamui that dragged people into other dimensions, and Izanagi that twisted fate itself and turned death into life...
Frankly speaking, even if Aozora knew all of his secrets, he currently saw no hope of defeating him.
Against Obito, unless one specialized in Space-Time Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, victory was practically impossible.
He could naturally call upon Shisui for help, but whether Kotoamatsukami could affect a fellow Uchiha possessing the Mangekyo remained uncertain.
Unlike Obito, every use of his Mangekyou drained Shisui's vision—and potentially his life force. Since the situation wasn't urgent yet, Aozora had no desire to reveal Shisui's power.
Worse still, if he could call for help, what made him think Obito couldn't do the same?
Recently, he always felt like someone was secretly watching him. Seeing Obito now made him immediately suspect Zetsu might be nearby as well.
Facing off against Obito and Zetsu together, even if he brought Shisui along, victory wasn't guaranteed.
And that's just talking about winning a battle. Without Kakashi and his Sharingan here, before Aozora mastered Space-Time techniques himself, there was absolutely no way to keep Obito here.
Rather than revealing his strength in an all-out battle against Obito, it would be better to feign compliance and infiltrate the Akatsuki to observe the situation.
Nevertheless, as a proud Uchiha, he couldn't possibly surrender without even fighting!
Obito hovered above Aozora and declared, "All your attacks are completely useless!"
"In the Ninja World, no jutsu is ever truly perfect!"
After saying this, Aozora quickly formed a hand seal and unleashed a massive fireball.
[Fire Release – Great Fireball Technique!]
A blazing fireball erupted from Aozora's Fire Release technique, dazzling like a scorching sun. Instantly tearing through the ground and incinerating all plant life in its path, it surged rapidly toward Obito.
Seeing Aozora using the Great Fireball Jutsu, Obito originally wanted to demonstrate his own formidable Fire Release abilities to further solidify his identity as Madara Uchiha.
However, upon seeing Aozora's sun-like fireball and sensing the immense heatwave filled with a heaven-burning aura, he immediately dropped the idea.
A mere C-ranked Ninjutsu technique had, under Aozora's execution, reached the power of an A-ranked move—an achievement rivaling even the resurrection of Madara himself.
With no thunderous roar, the colossal fireball scorched everything in its path, carving a charred trail through the dense forest.
Closely observing, Aozora saw that Obito's figure had vanished ahead.
Suddenly, Aozora furrowed his brow, sensing something strange behind him.
Shup!
Instantly spinning around, Aozora pulled out a kunai, which appeared in his hand as he slashed backward at the approaching figure.
With his Sharingan vision, Aozora clearly saw the kunai blade cut inch by inch through Obito's body, yet it felt like slicing through a ghost—his keen senses told him he had hit nothing at all.
"It's pointless!"
As Obito spoke, Aozora's kunai sliced clean through his body. Then, Obito seized Aozora's wrist tightly.
The next moment, Obito's right eye began spinning rapidly. The three pitch-black tomoe merged into one, forming a trio of connected sickles, and a strange suction force emerged from within.
Aozora immediately sensed the appearance of a Spatial Vortex ahead, along with an inexplicable twisting and pulling force radiating outward.
Then he felt dizzy and weightless, as if his body had been paralyzed, losing all control.
Deprived of bodily control, Aozora was instantly pulled by Obito into Kamui's dimension.
It felt like an arduous journey—A violent sensation of weightlessness surged over Aozora.
Suppressing nausea, he quickly stood up and scanned the surroundings.
The sky above was pitch black, but the space wasn't dark at all.
Underfoot lay a desolate land made only of soil, showing no trace of life. Around him were numerous neatly arranged yet oddly shaped cubes.
Just as he was observing, Aozora suddenly looked up.
A Spatial Vortex appeared once again, and from it emerged Obito. He stood atop a tall cube, arms open: "Aozora, welcome to my world!"
Needless to say, Obito was an excellent actor.
Anyone encountering Kamui for the first time would panic.
Caught off guard, he had been struck by a Space–Time Ninjutsu technique, and anyone placed in such unfamiliar surroundings would feel fear.
Aozora displayed terror in his eyes and pretended to struggle to control his body while subtly allowing a slight tremble to escape.
At the same time, Aozora secretly contemplated whether unleashing a Great Fireball Technique fueled by Homura Chakra on Obito could kill him.
If he remembered correctly, this version of Obito inside Kamui's dimension had already lost his Intangibility ability.
After a moment's thought, Aozora discarded the idea.
Obito still possessed Izanagi; killing him was impossible, and attempting it would only provoke suspicion. It might even draw attention from Akatsuki toward himself.
He wasn't absolutely certain of success, so better not make rash moves for now.
A strange chill passed through Obito's mind, and he looked at Aozora in surprise. It seemed Aozora truly posed a threat to his life.
Still, he didn't feel shocked. Without such capabilities, Aozora wouldn't have survived under Orochimaru's thumb in the first place.
Aozora tightened his grip on a kunai clutched to his chest, cautiously asking, "Space–Time Ninjutsu?"
Obito didn't deny it. In a hoarse voice, he praised, "No wonder you're someone I value—your talents have won my approval."
Feigning analytical focus, Aozora continued, "Your Sharingan just now... that was Mangekyou, wasn't it?"
"You seem quite well-informed!" Obito remarked calmly.
Pretending to be enthralled, Aozora exclaimed, "So it's true! Obviously, there exists even greater power beyond the Sharingan!"
Upon hearing this, Obito's right eye flickered with dark light, followed by a questioning tone: "It seemed that those decaying Higher-ups in the Clan didn't want capable individuals taking their places."
Hearing these words, Aozora skillfully acted out indignation, portraying himself as a genius crushed by the rotten elites.
Then Aozora's eyes gleamed sharply as he suddenly said, "You must be the descendant of the branch family who defected alongside Madara Uchiha!"
Obito neither confirmed nor denied, replying flatly, "Why do you say that?"
Aozora analyzed confidently, "You're not here to help me—you want me to help *you*. You want revenge on Konoha and the Uchiha. Am I right?"
Obito was silent for a moment before shaking his head. "I have to admit, your talent and wisdom are truly extraordinary. But you've misunderstood both my identity and my goal."
Aozora gave him a skeptical look.
Ignoring Aozora completely, Obito rose into the air, then spread his arms wide.
"It's true I want revenge on Konoha and the Uchiha, but that's not my real objective. My true goal is to create a world without deception or betrayal!
And I... am known as Madara Uchiha!"
You have to admit, the Uchiha really do produce first-rate actors.
Obito's deep, raspy voice combined with his levitation instantly painted an image of absolute, unstoppable villainy.
If Aozora hadn't read the original story, he might've actually fallen for it.
But Aozora's acting skills were just as impressive.
"Uchiha... Madara!?"
The perfectly timed pause and trembling voice fully expressed Aozora's shock and disbelief.
Then Aozora narrowed his eyes and said in disbelief, "How could this be possible?"
Obito offered no explanation. As Aozora reeled from the revelation, he began manipulating him instead.
"The village has fallen into decay, endless wars plague the ninja world. This is a hopeless place!
Together, let's build a beautiful new world—one without lies or betrayal!"
Aozora didn't answer immediately. He stayed quiet for a long time before asking, "Creating a new world?"
There was a hint of hope in his voice—but more doubt.
Hearing this, a faint smile curved beneath Obito's mask.
"To build this new world, I secretly founded the Akatsuki, gathering many powerful S-ranked rogue ninjas. Even someone like Orochimaru was under my control..."
Obito revealed some information about the Akatsuki, then continued, "As for how to create this new world, it's recorded on the stone tablet at the Naka Shrine. If your ocular power is strong enough, you can go see it yourself."
Aozora nodded thoughtfully, staying pensive for quite a while before saying, "I'll join the Akatsuki and help you create this new world—but on one condition!"
Obito replied coolly, "Speak!"
Aozora said firmly, "You are forbidden from laying hands on Shisui!"
Without hesitation, Obito answered directly, "Agreed."
In his eyes, Shisui's strength wasn't bad, but his loyalty to Konoha was absolute.
Even after everything—his younger brother's betrayal—he still threw himself wholeheartedly into Konoha's affairs. That kind of person would be nearly impossible to turn.
At the same time, Obito also had suspicions about why Aozora still hadn't awakened his Mangekyou. Perhaps it was because he couldn't let go of his bond with Shisui.
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