"Big brother, the Obito you're talking about and the Obito I know seem like completely different people. Are you saying all of this was truly his doing?" Rin Nohara remained silent for a long time before voicing her disbelief.
"Obito's own words just now revealed everything. He wants to create an illusionary world free of all pain, where everyone's wishes can be fulfilled and all people resurrected. He just hasn't awakened to reality yet, continually deceiving himself," Anya spoke with a tone of pity.
There's truth to the saying — those who are pitiable often have a side that deserves blame. It's fair to say that Madara Uchiha truly understood human nature.
"What can we do to stop him?" Rin asked earnestly.
Anya countered, "Have you ever considered that, back then, the war between Konoha and Mist had already ended? Who at the top would directly bypass Minato to assign you two a mission, and just happen to let Obito witness you impaling yourself on Kakashi's Lightning Cutter?"
Hearing this, Rin finally realized, "You mean to say that everything back then was meticulously orchestrated? But for what purpose? At that time, we were merely..."
"It was all for Obito." Anya, already understanding the full truth, patiently explained. "That person was Madara Uchiha. Back then, he was already old and frail, nearing death, yet he was unwilling to die. Thus, he sought someone in the world who could inherit his name and become his new vessel. Obito was the one he chose. The reason for letting you die by Kakashi's hand was to push Obito completely into darkness, making him a mere pawn in Madara's game."
"That despicable man—we must never forgive him!" Rarely did anger show on Rin's face.
"How is your training with the Soul Body Technique coming along?"
"Very well."
Rin gazed at her ethereal body in genuine admiration, exclaiming, "Big brother, your Sage Chakra is absolutely extraordinary. It blends perfectly with this technique. I've already begun to grasp how to continuously maintain this soul form by drawing in Natural Energy, and my sensing abilities have greatly improved."
Anya asked cautiously, "Try focusing your senses to locate Kakashi. Right now, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, with you involved, you should be able to assist him effectively. As for Obito, leave him to me."
Without hesitation, Rin focused her senses. Soon, a flicker of joy appeared on her face, followed swiftly by concern. The Reanimated Army has vanished, and Kakashi was now directly facing the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, which now controlled seven Tailed Beasts.
"In that case, I'm off then, big brother. I have one request—please, no matter what, spare Obito's life, okay?"
In response to Rin's plea, Anya nodded, "Fine, I won't kill him."
"Thank you."
Sighing with relief, Rin's soul drifted away with the wind, heading into the distance.
Anya lowered the barrier, a faint sneer crossing his lips as he addressed a certain spot in the woods, "Come out. You've been hiding there for a while without leaving. I imagine you have something to say to me."
A completely black figure stepped forward, approaching Anya. His orange-yellow eyes were fixed intently on Anya, filled with complex emotions.
"So, Black Zetsu, you dare appear before me after hiding in the shadows for so long? Don't you fear I'll capture you?"
Anya was indeed somewhat surprised.
Black Zetsu gave a sinister smile. "You won't do it. After failing to kill you completely during the Third Battle, we knew you'd become a huge problem. Never thought you'd get this strong."
Anya hadn't moved, speaking with interest: "No need for roundabout talk. Just say what you're here for directly."
"An exchange." Black Zetsu produced one Rinnegan in his hand. "Hand over Nagato's two eyes, and this eye becomes yours."
Anya gave a dismissive shake of his head. "One for two? That's a bad deal for me."
Black Zetsu remained undeterred. "Do you know who previously owned this eye? It belonged to the very being who created the ninja world as we know it—the Sage of Six Paths! Aren't you curious about the dojutsu contained within?"
Indeed, his guess had been confirmed. Still, Black Zetsu's smug confidence really got under Anya's skin—"I can just take you down and claim the eye anyway."
"Madara Uchiha is at his weakest right now. If we seal away his Edo Tensei body now, this Fourth Great Ninja War would end completely. Yet despite this, you've never acted—wasn't that because you wanted to finish him off for real?" Black Zetsu said confidently, "I know you well. Given your vengeful heart against Madara, how could sealing just an Edo Tensei body ever be enough for you?"
You really have figured me out, thought Anya, smiling slightly while his eyes flickered. "The Sage of Six Paths has been dead for at least a thousand years now. Surprising that this eye remains so well-preserved without decay. Is this special ability from the Rinnegan itself, or did someone take this eye from the Sage's corpse shortly after his death?"
Internally, Black Zetsu was shaken, even lowering his gaze submissively. If it weren't for this unexpected factor creating too much pressure upon him, why else would I have gone through the trouble of offering this eye—to enhance his power and also to obtain something from you?
Once Madara found out about this, the consequences would be catastrophic. In that instant, countless thoughts rushed into Black Zetsu's mind, even entertaining thoughts of giving up. Yet... the plan was already within reach. After working so hard for so long, could he really abandon it now?
While caught up in chaotic thinking, Black Zetsu suddenly heard Anya softly chuckle and throw over two Rinnegans.
"Forget it. There's some truth to what you said—a mere Edo Tensei body holds no interest for me. Then let Madara Uchiha truly resurrect; I want to kill him with my own hands."
Black Zetsu's lips curled upward instinctively catching the Rinnegans before immediately handing over the unique single eye to Anya. He answered, "As you wish."
When Black Zetsu turned around, both bore strange smiles on their faces. Had outsiders witnessed this scene, they certainly would have called them both devious grins.
Now possessing the new Rinnegan, Anya immersed himself deeply into its mysteries, quickly beginning analysis.
There exists a similarity between the Rinnegan and the Mangekyo Sharingan—in different individuals, awakening grants different dojutsu abilities.
The Rinnegan technique known as [Shinra Tensai] inside Madara Uchiha's Edo Tensei body had already been fully analyzed by Anya—an absolute godlike skill against weaker opponents. It was practically unbeatable below the Six Paths level, although rather ordinary against opponents stronger than Six Paths. Compared to this newly acquired Rinnegan, his previous interest had significantly waned.
Although he hadn't openly shown respect for the Sage Hagoromo, Anya still took things seriously inside.
As his consciousness sank deeper, Anya felt a chill run through him. Though the power hidden within those eyes seemed weak at first glance, it was wild, vast, and overwhelming—gravity, repulsion, raw chakra, fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, yin, yang, sealing arts—it was all there.
Even a quick glance gave Anya deep understanding. He could even sense mysterious forces pointing directly to the origin of the world itself.
Unable to hold back any longer, Anya activated his Sage Mode. His pair of Three-Comma Sharingan began slowly rotating, radiating powerful spiritual energy straight into the Rinnegan at its center.
The Rinnegan suddenly trembled violently. The black dot deep within its pupil rapidly expanded, unleashing invisible ripples of the Scroll of Seals. Surrounding space twisted into a spatial black hole.
"Oh no."
Before Anya could finish speaking those two words, he was completely swallowed by the black hole. Countless surrounding rocks were pulled in by the gravitational force, dragging the sealed Anya and the land itself toward it.
A glowing sphere formed in the sky, rising higher and higher until it vanished into the clouds as if it had never existed.
Black Zetsu, who had just obtained a pair of Rinnegan, stepped out laughing wildly. Gazing at the fully sealed Anya, he muttered to himself, "Everyone has weaknesses—even you and someone as brilliant as Madara, rarely seen in a thousand years, are not immune. Your greed was evident even as a child. A single eye pointing toward the essence of the world—you definitely wouldn't pass that up. Therefore, your probing would surely trigger the maternal powers I hid within, ultimately setting off the Six Paths' Planetary Devastation secretly embedded inside the Rinnegan. Indeed, everything is going exactly according to my plan."
Watching the glowing orb rise slowly into the sky, Black Zetsu's expression turned unusually complex: "Even Mother herself was sealed away. Compared to you—a mere mortal—it's nothing. Now that I've eliminated the most troublesome opponent, dealing with the rest will be easy. Mother, wait just a little longer. Very soon, very soon, I'll see you again."
After muttering these words, Black Zetsu transformed into a shadow and disappeared.
Yet he failed to notice one thing—one blade resting against a tree trunk at Anya's original location, letting out faint hums carried by the wind.
On the battlefield, Kakashi faced the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. Five Tailed Beast Balls formed right before him, their immense pressure crackling through the air like thunder.
Facing them head-on, Kakashi's left eye transformed into Mangekyō. He turned to Might Guy beside him and said, "I'll use Kamui to blast them out of the sky."
"There are too many; your ocular power alone won't handle this," Guy snapped, blood surging as he spoke passionately, "Let me open the Eight Gates."
Kakashi didn't hesitate to cut him off: "No way. You'll die."
As they spoke, five Tailed Beast Balls soared through the sky on elegant arcs straight toward them.
At the same moment, two flashes—one yellow, one white—blocked Kakashi and Might Guy's path forward. The five Tailed Beast Balls were batted away like tennis balls.
"Master?"
Kakashi's aging eyes first spotted a familiar yellow figure, then inadvertently noticed another white-clad one. He couldn't believe his eyes. "Impossible... Rin?"
The white-clad figure turned around and playfully smiled at Kakashi. "After all these years, you still remember me, Kakashi."
That familiar voice, those recognizable features, and that warm smile—Kakashi's eyes couldn't help but moisten. He rushed forward urgently to confirm, "Rin, is that really you? You're alive!"
"Yes! Thanks to the Spirit Transformation Technique taught by my brother, I've been living in this world as a soul for many years now."
Overcome with emotion, Rin saw Kakashi rapidly approaching and was tightly pulled into his arms.
Kakashi felt the spiritual form in his embrace. After a long pause, he finally murmured, "Rin, you're actually alive. That's a huge relief."
Rin hugged Kakashi back, resting her head on his shoulder as she answered, "Seeing you again is wonderful."
"Mr. Bushy Brows, what's going on?" Naruto asked confusedly, having just arrived on the scene without understanding what was happening.
Might Guy felt similarly puzzled, sensing the woman looked somewhat familiar but unable to place her name.
Obito, wearing a white mask, appeared not far away, silently watching this scene unfold while Black Zetsu emerged beside him.
"What's wrong? Seeing your former lover who you thought dead now alive, hugging your best friend, feeling pretty complicated inside?"
Obito remained cold and indifferent. "Rin currently has no physical body; she can't keep her spirit form for long. I know what you want to say. Our plan remains unchanged. Collecting the nine Tailed Beasts remains most important."
Black Zetsu felt quite surprised, though since obtaining the Rinnegan and sealing Anya, everything had proceeded according to his script. The man standing here was no longer of such importance.
"You understand clearly already. Go ahead. Both Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails are down there. We're only one step away from our goal."
Standing atop the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, Obito looked down at the figures below—Kakashi, Might Guy, Rin Nohara, Naruto, Killer Bee, Kushina Nohara, and Hakuto—as both sides confronted each other.
Kakashi noticed something off and instinctively pulled Rin behind him. "Rin, be careful."
Simultaneously sensing Obito's presence, Rin broke free from Kakashi's protection and floated upwards facing him. "Obito, stop right now! Don't make the same mistake twice. You've been used. Your real self isn't like this at all."
"What? He's Obito?" Kakashi's eyes filled with astonishment. This day had brought too many shocks. Never would he have imagined that two teammates he believed dead during the Third Battle were actually both still alive.
Facing the present-day Rin, Obito's entire body trembled violently. His gaze kept shifting, refusing to meet hers directly.
Hearing Rin call his name, Kushina Nohara, who had come with Naruto, looked curiously at Obito, then shook her head. "He's not Obito, Rin. You must have mistaken someone else. In Minato's words, Obito was a helpful, bright and kind-hearted kid. There's absolutely no way he could be the terrorist provoking this Great Ninja World War."
Rin's eyes clouded with disappointment as she saw Obito remain silent. She floated over to Kushina and said, "Master's wife, I apologize on behalf of Obito. Back then, he was manipulated—someone used my death..."
"Stop it, Rin," Obito finally interrupted, cutting her off. "At this point, none of that matters anymore. The [Moon's Eye Plan] is nearly complete. I won't give up. Once the [Infinite Tsukuyomi] is cast, everyone will be reborn, and all wishes will come true."
The moment those words left his mouth, everyone fell silent, unable to believe what they'd just heard—it was as if Obito himself had just confirmed his identity.
Hakuto, who had been silent until now, suddenly felt a wave of unease surge from within. His Rinnegan pulsed with an eerie sensation, as if something significant—something intimately tied to him—had just occurred. The intuition was exceptionally clear.
Hakuto decided to break the silence first. "Master Kakashi, since you all know him, I'll leave him to you. I must go to another location."
Kakashi asked, "Where are you planning to go?"
"I don't know either, but it'll show me the way." Hakuto pointed at his eyes. A black portal appeared, and he quickly stepped through, vanishing from the scene.
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