In the brief half-second just now, Uchiha Madara considered many possibilities.
At first, he thought his grandson was just having one of his usual mental lapses again. Misunderstanding good news and bad news was nothing new, after all.
But when his grandson revealed the form of an Ōtsutsuki, Madara instantly understood everything!Obito had been possessed by Ōtsutsuki Isshiki!
The "Karma" mark engraved on Obito had already affected his mind.
Faced with this terrifying display of thunderous power, Obito was stunned, his face frozen in shock.
He phased just in time to avoid the crackling arcs of lightning, then shouted, panicked:
"Grandpa Madara, are you trying to kill me for the greater good?!
"All I did was show off my new outfit!"
"It's not like I'm handsomer than you by a billion times or anything… Why are you so mad?!"
(Note: This change is not permanent and won't be affected by transformation pills.)
Madara gave a cold chuckle. He raised a hand, summoning another Truth-Seeking Orb.
"Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, if you release your control over my grandson right now—"
Before Madara could finish, Obito had already figured out what was going on.
"Grandpa must have misunderstood… This is my fault!"
He quickly retreated, raising his hands as he began to explain.
"Grandpa Madara, I'm still me—just a unique spark!"
"I found a way to tame the wild 'Karma.' Look closely with your Rinnegan, and you'll see the truth!"
Madara paused his attack, narrowing his eyes as he inspected Obito with his Rinnegan.
"…Huh?"
Upon closer examination, Madara noticed the details. His grandson's chakra was exactly the same as before—there were no signs of corruption.
Not only that, but the chakra emanating along the "Karma" pathways also belonged entirely to Obito.
Madara furrowed his brows, asking suspiciously:
"You're sure you're still my grandson and haven't been influenced by Ōtsutsuki Isshiki?"
Obito dispelled the "Karma" mark and shrugged helplessly.
"Grandpa Madara, Isshiki is a god. Why would he want to be your grandson?"
"Besides, if I were really under his control, why would I reveal myself? I'd just sneak up and stab you in the back!"
Madara's furrowed brow slowly relaxed after hearing Obito's explanation. However, a hint of doubt remained in his eyes.
"That may be true, but what about the 'Karma' mark? How do you explain it?"
Obito displayed the black mark on his hand with a grin.
"Grandpa, the 'Karma' was left by Isshiki, but I've fully mastered it now. Isshiki has no control over me—he couldn't influence me even if he appeared in person."
Madara started to understand what Obito was thinking.
"So you see this as good news?"
Obito nodded repeatedly, speaking with conviction.
"I not only stole his power but also bought us extra time. Isn't that a huge win for us?"
Originally, the plan was to launch a preemptive strike against Isshiki before he had a chance to prepare. It was a tight schedule with a high risk.
But now, from Isshiki's perspective, Obito had already been marked and was under his control.
There was no longer any rush. They could even afford to hold a wedding first.
Madara had mostly accepted Obito's words by now.
"One last question—how did you gain control over Isshiki's 'Karma'?"
Obito scratched his head and gave a sheepish smile.
"Well, it's all thanks to the Sage of Six Paths… Here's what happened…"
He shifted all the credit onto the Sage of Six Paths.
Then Obito offered another piece of evidence.
"As the current reincarnation of Indra, Uchiha Itachi has also received a gift from the Sage of Six Paths. If you don't believe me, check for yourself—he must've awakened a Mangekyō Rinnegan just like mine."
Madara nodded thoughtfully.
"Very well. Take me to see Uchiha Itachi."
Obito nodded, but then asked curiously:
"Grandpa, aren't you afraid I'll dump you into some alternate dimension halfway there?"
Madara chuckled dryly, his tone teasing.
"You must've figured it out already—I have ways to counter your ocular powers."
Obito grinned.
"I knew it! Alright then, let's go. Kamui!"
In less than a second, the two appeared thousands of meters above the Konoha army.
"Grandpa Madara, look—it's that kid in the clan robe."
Madara followed Obito's gaze and saw Uchiha Itachi, along with his Mangekyō Rinnegan.
"Why am I the only one without a Mangekyō Rinnegan?!"
Madara let out a displeased snort.
"What kind of man wears a braid? He's nothing like the proud men of the Uchiha clan!"
"What's Grandpa so mad about?"
Obito was speechless.
Just then, Itachi seemed to sense something. He looked up at the sky.
Obito chuckled.
"Looks like we've been noticed… Do you believe me now, Grandpa?"
"Hmph."
Madara ruffled Obito's hair and said with mock annoyance:
"Behave yourself from now on, Obito. Don't keep giving me 'surprises' like this!"
"I got it, Grandpa Madara," Obito replied with a laugh.
"Good."
Madara nodded, glancing down at the Konoha army.
"Since there's no rush to deal with Isshiki, stay in Konoha for now and rest. I'm heading back to base. We'll make new plans later."
"Gotta deal with Orochimaru first…"
Obito gave Madara an "OK" sign.
"Got it, Grandpa."
He watched as Madara disappeared into the distance in a flash of light. Obito used Kamui to blend into the Konoha army.
Itachi, noticing Obito's sudden appearance beside him, asked quietly:
"Obito, was that Uchiha Madara just now?"
Obito nodded, speaking softly as well.
"It's complicated. I'll explain later."
Itachi nodded, but there was a deeper meaning behind his words.
"There's more than one thing you'll have to explain, Obito…"
With his Mangekyō Rinnegan, he could now see through Obito's disguises.
"He has the same Mangekyō Rinnegan as me, along with Six Paths power… It's hard to believe I got this power without Obito's involvement."
"Oh, by the way, Obito," Itachi said suddenly. "A boy named Yakushi Kabuto has been asking me to introduce him to you. He really wants to meet you."
"Yakushi Kabuto, huh…"
Obito thought for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"Alright."
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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