Here's a bonus chapter for you all! Thank you so much for waiting. I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments, and I hope you have a wonderful time reading!
Inside the Akatsuki hideout, a dimly lit chamber.
The gaping wound that had pierced through Obito's chest and back was now patched with White Zetsu's body tissue.
At this moment, Obito's back was exposed, revealing two Flying Raijin Jutsu marks symmetrically imprinted on either side.
One mark was left by Minato, the other by Naruto.
Initially, Obito hadn't paid much attention to Minato's mark, as Minato was long dead. However, the mark left by Naruto was a different story. As Naruto had warned, it made Obito restless, unable to sleep or eat in peace.
He had to remove it immediately, even if it meant self-mutilation.
"Ah Fei, I'm counting on you," Obito said firmly.
Behind him, Ah Fei hesitated, holding a kunai in his hand. "Shouldn't we use some anesthetic?"
"No need. Just do it! I want to remember the shame of this defeat!" Obito growled.
He folded a towel, biting down on it hard.
Ah Fei's hollow eye sockets betrayed a tinge of complexity. He raised the kunai and began to scrape at Obito's back.
"Ughhhhhh!!!"
Sweat instantly drenched Obito's deeply wrinkled face. Veins bulged as he bit down on the towel, suppressing his groans within the dark chamber.
This pain was nothing compared to the agony of losing Rin!
Scrape!
Finally, the skin on his entire back was peeled off, exposing the raw white bone beneath. Exhausted, Obito bent over, blood pooling on the ground beneath him.
Ah Fei worked quickly, disinfecting the wound, applying medicine, and bandaging the exposed flesh. Then, he disposed of the discarded skin and bloodied tissue.
"Huff… huff…" Obito removed the towel from his mouth, breathing heavily. His gaze fixed on the wall in front of him as he sank into deep thought.
There was no mistake. Naruto's lip movements back then had said: "Beware of Black Zetsu!"
Black Zetsu was supposed to be Madara's will. Obito had always been wary of him. Moreover, in terms of strength, there wasn't much point in sowing discord between him and Black Zetsu. Naruto must know something.
Covering the bandages on his back with his clothes, Obito asked, "Ah Fei, aside from being Madara's pawn to monitor me, what else do you know about Black Zetsu?"
Ah Fei, who had also noticed Naruto's lip movements, hesitated before replying, "It's better not to discuss such secrets with me. Like all White Zetsu, I'm a product of the Gedo Statue. Ultimately, we all obey the will of the Gedo Statue, which is the will of the Rinnegan's original owner."
Obito chuckled. "Ah, so if Madara and I were both here, you'd prioritize obeying Madara, right?"
After a moment of silence, Ah Fei replied, "I'm your friend, so I don't want to lie to you."
"Likewise, you are my friend, so I willingly accept the uncertainties of the future," Obito said.
Ah Fei hesitated again. "Black Zetsu doesn't feel as simple as just being Madara's will. If the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki warned you, it's not baseless."
"I see…" Obito's eyes darkened as he put his mask back on. "What about Sasuke? Has he been brought back?"
"Yes, but he's been reduced to his former self again," Ah Fei replied.
"Hmph…" Obito chuckled as he stood up. "We're both Uchiha traitors and failures. It should make future interactions a little less awkward."
"Are you heading out?" Ah Fei asked.
"Yeah. As much as I loathe it, it's time to reclaim what's rightfully mine for the future," Obito replied.
---
In another room, Sasuke sat in a daze, his eyes vacant as he absentmindedly scratched his neck.
The Flying Raijin Jutsu mark on him had been left on his throat, making it impossible to remove his skin like Obito had.
The fused Black and White Zetsu stood at the doorway of the room.
"White Zetsu, go check on Obito. I'll comfort our defeated warrior," Black Zetsu instructed.
"Alright, but don't overstep your boundaries. He's quite suspicious of us," White Zetsu replied.
"Don't worry. I only serve the Eye of the Moon Plan. We're on the same side," Black Zetsu said.
Rip!
Black and White Zetsu split apart.
Black Zetsu approached Sasuke. "You seem troubled. That mark on your neck—I can remove it."
Gurgle…
Black Zetsu placed his hand on the mark, activating the power of Yin-Yang Release to erase the Flying Raijin Jutsu mark.
Sasuke looked up at the black entity before him. "Who are you?"
"What? Don't we see each other every day? Can't you recognize me when I'm separated from White Zetsu?" Black Zetsu replied.
"Oh, it's you—the black half of that Yin-Yang face," Sasuke said.
"Humph. We're usually together, but we occasionally act separately. Speaking of which, how do you feel about losing to Naruto this time?" Black Zetsu asked.
Sasuke frowned. "Are you here to mock me?"
"Don't misunderstand. Naruto's strength comes from having obtained Madara's Rinnegan. Your defeat was inevitable," Black Zetsu explained.
Sasuke was shocked. "What did you say? That Rinnegan isn't Nagato's? And Madara… isn't he…"
"I'll keep it brief. That masked man is not Uchiha Madara. The real Madara is dead. The Rinnegan isn't Nagato's either—it was awakened by Uchiha Madara. After Madara, the former Uchiha clan leader, was defeated by Hashirama Senju, he didn't die. He gained Hashirama's power and awakened the Rinnegan before his death.
"So, if you want to defeat Naruto now, you'll need the power of the Rinnegan. Perhaps Kabuto Yakushi can help you," Black Zetsu suggested.
Black Zetsu's thoughts churned: Obito has no intention of reviving Madara according to the original plan, so I deliberately let Kabuto discover Madara's corpse to resurrect him through Edo Tensei. But both of Madara's Rinnegan are now in Naruto's hands. That boy is beyond ordinary comprehension. I must prepare a backup plan. Sasuke, as Indra's reincarnation, might also have the potential to awaken the Rinnegan.
---
At the memorial stone in Konoha.
Kakashi stood deep in thought.
The person on the Hokage Rock back then, though masked, was undoubtedly Naruto. Was Naruto's appearance what forced Sasuke to leave the village?
If that's the case, then Naruto really…
"Yo, Kakashi, mourning your friends again?" a mocking voice suddenly rang out behind him.
Crackle!
Kakashi's eyes sharpened as he turned, his Chidori slicing toward the source of the voice.
Whoosh!
But it passed right through the masked man's body!
The masked man raised his hand eerily, reaching for Kakashi.
Swish!
Kakashi quickly retreated, putting distance between them!
"Impressive, Sharingan Kakashi. You're fast," the masked man said ominously.
Kakashi's gaze turned sharp. "You're Madara!"
Rip!
Without hesitation, Kakashi pulled down his headband. His left Sharingan spun into a Mangekyō, focusing on the masked man's head. "Madara, I'll deal with you here and now!"
"Stop, Kakashi. That technique is meaningless against me," the masked man said.
He raised his hand and removed his mask, revealing his true face.
Boom!
Kakashi was struck like lightning, frozen in place!
"I'll be taking that eye back," Obito said.
Rip!
In an instant, Obito lunged forward and gouged out Kakashi's left eye!
Thud!
Kakashi dropped to one knee, ignoring the blood pouring from his empty left eye socket. He stared at his former comrade's back with despair. "Why? You're alive, yet…"
Holding the bloodied eye, Obito replied with his back turned, "This world is an illusion. You, who failed to protect Rin, and Minato-sensei, who couldn't arrive in time, are all useless. No, even I am no exception."
Whoosh!
Obito activated Kamui, sucking himself into his own dimension.
His voice echoed: "Kakashi, let us continue living as failures until the day I bring the world the dream of hope. Then we'll meet again, with Minato-sensei and Rin."
Thud!
Kakashi's vision darkened, and he collapsed unconscious.