Outside Konoha.
The evening wind swept across the cliffs.
Obito stood silently atop a rocky outcrop, his black cloak fluttering in the breeze.
The village lay in the distance, peaceful and unaware.
At least, that was how it appeared.
His visible Sharingan stared toward the horizon.
Inside that village were two people he absolutely could not ignore.
Naruto Uzumaki.
Nagato.
One had become the greatest variable in the world.
The other possessed the Rinnegan, the indispensable key to the Eye of the Moon Plan.
Losing either one would cripple years of preparation.
Losing both would be catastrophic.
A spiral distortion appeared beside him.
Black Zetsu emerged from the ground.
"Have you decided?"
Obito remained silent for several seconds.
Then he spoke.
"I'll go myself."
Black Zetsu frowned.
"That's dangerous."
"It has to be done."
Obito's voice was calm.
"If Nagato has truly abandoned the plan, then I need to know how much he told them."
Black Zetsu understood immediately.
The real threat wasn't Nagato leaving.
The real threat was information.
Nagato knew too much.
He knew about the Ten-Tails.
He knew about the Gedo Statue.
He knew portions of the Moon's Eye Plan.
If he revealed everything to Naruto and Konoha, the situation would become even more troublesome.
"Then be careful."
Obito let out a cold laugh.
"Careful?"
"Since when has anything gone according to plan?"
Kamui activated.
Space twisted around him.
His body vanished.
Meanwhile, inside Konoha.
Naruto stood on the roof of a building, gazing toward the western forest.
His expression had become unusually serious.
Sasuke landed beside him.
"You sensed something."
Naruto nodded.
"Yeah."
"An enemy?"
"A very annoying one."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
If Naruto described someone as annoying rather than weak, that usually meant the opponent possessed troublesome abilities.
Footsteps sounded behind them.
Nagato arrived moments later.
His expression immediately changed.
He felt it too.
That chakra.
Even after all these years, he could never mistake it.
"The masked man."
Naruto glanced at him.
"So you recognized him."
Nagato nodded.
A cold light flashed through his Rinnegan.
"I won't mistake that chakra."
Konan soon joined them as well.
The atmosphere grew heavier.
For years, that masked man had manipulated events from the shadows.
He had guided Akatsuki.
Exploited Nagato's grief.
Used Yahiko's death.
And pushed countless conflicts across the shinobi world.
Now he was approaching openly.
Naruto crossed his arms.
"Looks like he finally realized things aren't going his way."
Nagato's expression darkened.
"He won't give up."
"Of course not."
Naruto grinned.
"People obsessed with their dreams never quit easily."
For a brief moment, Nagato found the statement oddly familiar.
Because not long ago, it could have described him as well.
Several kilometers away.
Obito materialized within a dense forest.
He immediately concealed his presence.
Directly attacking Konoha would be foolish.
His goal was information.
Nothing more.
The village's sensory barrier remained active.
However, Kamui allowed him to bypass many conventional defenses.
Carefully.
Patiently.
He advanced toward the village.
Yet after only a few minutes, he stopped.
A familiar voice echoed from above.
"You're late."
Obito's eye widened.
He looked upward.
Naruto sat casually on a tree branch.
One leg dangling.
Smiling.
As if he had been waiting the entire time.
Obito instantly activated Kamui.
But Naruto simply laughed.
"Relax."
"If I wanted to attack, I would've done it already."
The forest fell silent.
Neither moved.
For several moments, they simply stared at one another.
Then Obito spoke.
"You're becoming troublesome."
Naruto scratched his cheek.
"You're not exactly easy to deal with either."
A faint killing intent emerged from Obito.
Naruto remained completely relaxed.
As though he didn't feel it at all.
Finally, Obito asked the question he cared about most.
"Where is Nagato?"
Naruto's smile widened.
"So that's why you're here."
His answer came immediately.
"Safe."
Obito's gaze darkened.
"And Konan?"
"Also safe."
The masked man's fist tightened.
Naruto continued casually.
"Honestly, you should be thanking me."
"What?"
"You were using a sick man connected to a giant life-support machine to run your organization."
Naruto shook his head.
"Pretty unethical if you ask me."
For the first time in years, Obito genuinely wanted to punch someone.
Naruto's tone was so casual that it made everything sound absurd.
Yet the worst part was that he wasn't wrong.
Nagato had indeed been little more than a dying man clinging to life.
The silence stretched.
Then Obito asked another question.
"Did he tell you everything?"
Naruto's eyes gleamed.
"Depends."
"Everything about what?"
The answer confirmed Obito's fears.
Nagato had talked.
At least partially.
Which meant time was running out.
The balance of the board was changing faster than expected.
Obito slowly stepped backward.
Naruto watched him carefully.
Neither attempted to attack.
Not yet.
Because both understood something.
The next time they met...
It probably wouldn't end with a conversation.
Kamui's distortion began to spread.
Before disappearing, Obito spoke one final sentence.
"You think you've won."
Naruto smiled.
"No."
"I think the game just started."
The space around Obito twisted.
Then he vanished completely.
The forest became quiet once more.
A few moments later, Nagato emerged from the shadows.
He had been nearby the entire time.
"Why let him go?"
Naruto looked toward the fading sunset.
"Because he's desperate now."
Nagato frowned.
Naruto's smile slowly returned.
"And desperate people make mistakes."
Far away, beneath his mask, Obito felt an unfamiliar sensation growing stronger.
For the first time since beginning the Eye of the Moon Plan...
He was losing control of the future.
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