Hearing Simu's words, Obito's crimson Mangekyo Sharingan instantly emerged from beneath the eyehole of his mask.
"On the basis of my identity."
"Madara Uchiha."
His voice was low, powerful, and carried an undeniable authority.
If Simu had not already learned the man's true identity back in the Hidden Leaf Village, he might have harbored a sliver of doubt regarding Obito's claim.
But now, hearing those words only struck Simu as utterly laughable.
Of course, though he found it ridiculous internally, Simu maintained a completely unbothered facade, merely asking with a look of great interest, "Madara Uchiha?"
Obito seemed highly dissatisfied with Simu's reaction.
Who was Madara Uchiha?
He was the eternal rival of the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju, a legendary figure of the Uchiha Clan, and the man who had very nearly defeated the God of Shinobi himself!
How could your reaction be this indifferent?
However, since he had already made the claim, Obito had no choice but to keep up the act.
"Naturally. These eyes are the greatest proof."
Obito deliberately bared his Mangekyo Sharingan precisely to lend greater credibility to his words.
Unfortunately for him, Simu possessed a Mangekyo Sharingan of his own and felt absolutely no special emotion upon seeing one.
He lightly adjusted his glasses and said indifferently, "Then let us temporarily assume you are indeed Madara Uchiha."
"In that case, Senior Madara Uchiha, what makes you think you have the right to demand that I stop?"
Simu currently held a massive advantage. As long as he could keep Obito pinned down, the downfall of the Blood Mist faction was an absolute certainty.
Under these circumstances, Simu was genuinely curious as to what method Obito would use to persuade him.
Obito stared intently at the completely composed man in front of him.
He found it difficult to comprehend how anyone could remain so calm upon hearing the name Madara Uchiha.
Unless, he already knew my true identity beforehand...
But that is impossible.
The name Obito Uchiha had perished long ago in the war years prior. No one could possibly imagine that the dead-last of back then would grow into the entity he was today.
Thus, he continued speaking in his persona as Madara Uchiha. "I think highly of you, and therefore I hope you will join my plan."
"The Eye of the Moon Plan!"
"I am all ears."
At this, Simu finally showed some genuine interest.
Although he had deduced beforehand that the mastermind controlling the Hidden Mist Village was Obito, he had never quite known what Obito's ultimate goal had been throughout all these years of hiding in the shadows.
Now, he finally had the chance to uncover the truth.
"Do you know of the Ten-Tails?"
To earn Simu's trust, Obito decided to first reveal a piece of ancient secret history to bolster the credibility of his identity as Madara Uchiha.
"The Ten-Tails?"
Simu raised an eyebrow, a trace of confusion appearing on his face.
There were only nine known Tailed Beasts, ranging from the One-Tail to the Nine-Tails, so the name of a Ten-Tails was indeed something very few had ever heard of.
Seeing the confusion on Simu's face, Obito finally nodded with satisfaction. There was finally something this fellow did not know.
Since the other party was ignorant of it, things would be much easier to handle.
He continued, "The so-called Ten-Tails is actually the Divine Tree planted by the Otsutsuki Goddess. In ancient times, the Sage of Six Paths deemed the power of the Ten-Tails to be far too terrifying. Therefore, he used his grand might to divide the Ten-Tails' chakra into nine portions, which are the Tailed Beasts from the One-Tail to the Nine-Tails we know today."
"As for the husk of the Ten-Tails, it is the Gedo Mazo that Pain summons."
Hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Simu's eyes, and he said with sudden realization, "So, the Akatsuki organization is gathering the nine Tailed Beasts to seal them back into the Gedo Mazo simply to recreate the Ten-Tails?"
Obito nodded. Seeing that he had finally piqued Simu's interest, his tone grew increasingly enthusiastic. "Exactly. This is the secret I deciphered from the stone tablet of the Uchiha Clan."
"Only by gathering the nine Tailed Beasts and awakening the Ten-Tails can we recreate the Divine Tree. Then, by using the Divine Tree, we can cast a supreme Genjutsu known as the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
"This Genjutsu will envelop everyone in the entire world, thereby creating a beautiful world free of slaughter, conflict, and pain, a world that can grant the desires of every single person!"
The more Obito spoke, the more excited he became, as if the world he was describing struck a deep, resonant chord within his own heart.
After listening to the entire explanation, Simu thoughtfully rubbed his chin.
"The concept itself doesn't sound too bad."
According to Obito's plan, the Infinite Tsukuyomi could indeed achieve peace in a certain sense.
"Right? You support my plan as well, don't you?"
Obito looked at Simu, speaking with an excited tone, as if he urgently desired the other man's validation.
Looking at the agitated Obito, the corners of Simu's mouth curled up slightly.
"While the concept is quite nice, how can I guarantee that the world created by the Infinite Tsukuyomi will be the world I want?"
"Furthermore, how can I be sure that you won't simply end my life with a blade once I fall under the Genjutsu?"
"And how can I be certain that you are not simply using the banner of peace to harbor other hidden motives?"
Simu's three fatal questions instantly left Obito completely speechless.
Because he truly had never considered these issues.
His mind was entirely consumed by the thought of becoming the Jinchuriki of the Ten-Tails, casting the Infinite Tsukuyomi, and creating a world where Rin existed.
He had completely forgotten to consider how he was supposed to make others believe him.
Faced with a bewildered Obito, Simu offered his own suggestion.
"How about this: when the time comes, I will take control of the Ten-Tails, and I will be the one to cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
"Absolutely not!"
Obito countered almost purely by reflex, and then he caught sight of the faint, mocking smile playing upon the corners of Simu's lips.
Simu gently removed his glasses and began to slowly wipe them with a handkerchief.
"All conflicts in this world essentially stem from the greed inherent in the human soul, manifesting as a fundamental lack of trust between people."
"The same applies to us. Since true trust does not exist between us, then naturally, true peace cannot exist either."
"To say nothing of any so-called cooperation."
"Wouldn't you agree, Senior Madara Uchiha?"
This single sentence from Simu completely shut down any further arguments Obito could have made.
What a joke. There was absolutely no way Simu would stake his own life and future on an illusion woven by someone else.
To say nothing of the fact that this someone else was Obito Uchiha!
Whether it was the Divine Tree, Kaguya, or that unknown, peculiar will hidden within Sasuke's body, everything told Simu that the Shinobi World was nowhere near as simple as it appeared on the surface.
Under these conditions, how could Simu possibly accept Obito's proposal and voluntarily enter a fabricated world?
If he submitted himself to the Infinite Tsukuyomi, he would likely end up dead the very next second.
Therefore, from the absolute beginning, Simu had never intended to agree to Obito's suggestion.
Even if he did agree, this so-called Infinite Tsukuyomi would have to be entirely under his own control.
Naturally, Obito would never accept such a counterproposal, because the suspicion between individuals could never be completely erased.
As a matter of course, a terrifying wave of rage instantly erupted from the rejected Obito.
"If that is the case, then to ensure this secret remains safe, I can only ask you to die."
"Fire Style: Bomb Blast Dance!"
Scorching flames spewed from beneath Obito's mask. Simultaneously, the surrounding space began to warp, twisting the roaring flames into massive, dancing dragons of fire that lunged wildly toward Simu and Hidan!
The heat generated by this Jutsu was exceptionally high. Compounded by the warping of space, it became utterly impossible for an enemy to discern the precise trajectory of the incoming fire dragons, making it highly troublesome to deal with.
The surrounding trees turned to black charcoal the moment they were touched by the fire dragons, as the chaotic vortex of flames roared and unleashed its devastating might.
It was entirely evident that Obito had truly lost his patience.
Seeing this, Simu nodded with satisfaction. This was exactly the reaction he wanted.
As he did so, his own eyes transformed into the Mangekyo Sharingan under Obito's utterly unbelieving gaze.
Immediately after, a massive torrent of chakra erupted from his body. Under the influence of the Mangekyo Sharingan, it rapidly materialized into a skeletal giant, completely enveloping both Simu and Hidan within its protection.
The wildly dancing dragons of fire slammed heavily against the giant from multiple directions like colossal whips. Yet, aside from causing the giant to tremble slightly, the attack proved completely useless!
Instead, the raging flames that formed the fire dragons rapidly dispersed upon impact.
"Susanoo..."
As a member of the Uchiha Clan, Obito naturally recognized this technique at a single glance. But the critical question was, why did this man possess the Mangekyo Sharingan?
Suddenly, Black Zetsu behind Obito realized something and pointed at Simu, exclaiming, "So it was you who stole Fugaku's Sharingan that day!"
Simu smiled faintly. "You finally remembered."
Yet, Obito's eyes remained filled with profound confusion. "But you are clearly not a member of the Uchiha Clan. How are you able to freely activate and deactivate the Sharingan?"
In the Shinobi World, transplanting eyes was not a particularly advanced form of medical technology; nearly any competent Medical Nin could manage it.
However, the primary reason very few people chose to transplant a Sharingan was that it required the genetic lineage of the Uchiha Clan to properly deactivate it.
When an ordinary person underwent a Sharingan transplant, the eye remained active twenty-four hours a day, continuously draining vast amounts of chakra, which ultimately caused more harm than good.
Kakashi was a prime example of this.
He had gone from being the youngest Jonin in the history of the Hidden Leaf Village to a shinobi constantly plagued by chakra exhaustion.
Whether the Sharingan had truly enhanced Kakashi's overall strength or merely severely limited it was highly debatable.
But Simu was entirely different. Obito had clearly seen with his own eyes just moments ago that Simu's eyes were plain black, only switching to the Sharingan once the battle commenced.
This indicated that the other party possessed a definitive method to control the activation and deactivation of the Sharingan!
Faced with Obito's bewilderment, Simu spoke with a knowing smile. "How can you be so certain that I am definitely not a member of the Uchiha Clan?"
Obito was deeply dissatisfied with this answer, so he decided to stop dwelling on the matter and launched a direct assault against Simu.
His figure darted forward with incredible speed, effortlessly passing straight through the formidable defense of the Susanoo to reach the interior, thrusting his fingers directly toward Simu's eyes.
"The things belonging to the Uchiha should be returned to the Uchiha!"
Obito's icy voice rang out, but Simu paid it no mind whatsoever, merely driving a pre-prepared kunai straight through the man's throat.
The sensation of making contact with an enemy never came.
Similarly, Obito's fingers passed clean through Simu's eyes and head, as the two men phased directly through one another.
With his back turned to Obito, Simu spoke in a calm, measured tone. "What right does someone who assisted Itachi in slaughtering the entire Uchiha Clan have to call himself an Uchiha?"
Obito's eyes narrowed instantly as he spun back around, still standing alongside Simu within the interior of the Susanoo.
The space directly in front of him suddenly began to distort in a spiral, and several kunai rigged with Explosive Tags materialized via space-time Ninjutsu, flying straight toward Simu at point-blank range.
Although he no longer had the protection of the Susanoo around him, handling a few kunai was still well within Simu's capabilities.
With a swift clap of his hands, an earth wall rose from the ground, successfully intercepting the incoming projectiles.
"Boom!"
The resulting explosion from the Explosive Tags shattered half of the earth wall, and thick black smoke rapidly began to billow outward.
From within the dense smoke, a figure wearing a swirl mask materialized atop the remnants of the earth wall, lunging toward Simu once more at absolute maximum speed.
Obito's eyes were completely bloodshot with rage. "Did you not also participate in the Uchiha Clan's demise?"
Simu allowed the Susanoo enveloping him to completely dissipate as a violent surge of lightning crackled violently from his body, piercing straight through Obito.
"I merely gave the Uchiha a final push. Furthermore, I have never claimed to be an Uchiha, nor will I ever represent them."
Simu spoke with a cheerful grin as the lightning discharging from his body thoroughly permeated the other man's form.
Unfortunately, Obito had anticipated this and entered his intangible state ahead of time, taking no damage from the discharge.
Nevertheless, Obito halted his continuous chain of attacks.
Because at this moment, Simu was continuously emitting a vast web of minute electrical currents all around himself. The instant Obito attempted to strike and deactivated his intangibility, he would immediately be caught by these currents.
While it would not be fatal, a mere fraction of a second of paralysis would be more than enough for Simu to react and either kill him or leave him severely wounded.
To be completely honest, Simu was quite interested in the unique ocular Jutsu housed within Obito's eye. If he could manage to successfully claim it for himself, it would be a magnificent acquisition.
Regrettably, Obito refused to take any reckless risks in his offensive.
In fact, after witnessing Simu's Mangekyo Sharingan, he did not even entertain the thought of testing his opponent with Genjutsu.
There was no helping it; the potency of Genjutsu relied heavily on the caster's precise, fine-tuned control over their chakra, in addition to raw ocular power.
And this specific area happened to be Obito Uchiha's greatest weakness.
If the Mangekyo Sharingan did not possess an inherent, natural suppression over the Tailed Beasts, and if Madara Uchiha's legacy had not been so incredibly vast, Obito could never have controlled Yagura Karatachi so flawlessly, let alone maintained his position as the shadow Mizukage for all these years.
This realization left Simu slightly disappointed.
If Obito had actually dared to use his Mangekyo Sharingan to invade his mental world, he would have gladly shown Obito the true meaning of a terrifying surprise.
As a result, the battlefield fell into an eerie, tense standstill.
Simu continuously released electrical currents, hoping to catch Obito the moment his intangibility ended.
Meanwhile, Obito remained deeply wary of being trapped by the electricity and chose to maintain his intangible state indefinitely.
Neither of them launched a definitive strike, yet both were actively engaged in a fierce assault.
This was a profound psychological chess game.
Though to anyone watching from the outside, they merely appeared to be staring blankly at one another.
Hidan, of course, possessed absolutely no tolerance for such a tedious standstill. He hoisted his Three-bladed blood scythe onto his shoulder and pointed it directly at Black and White Zetsu standing behind Obito.
"I say, since those two are busy fighting, let's not just stand around doing nothing. Let's have ourselves a match."
"The loser gets sacrificed to Lord Jashin!"