Chapter 265: Minato meets Obito

Main World, Konoha, Anbu Building

"They said they'll move you somewhere else tomorrow, and I'll be coming along too." The translucent figure of Yahiko stood in the middle of the room, sounding rather helpless. "I'm not sure where they'll take you, but the Konoha ninja probably won't kill you."

"Link is pretty soft hearted. When the time comes, try to stick around him. If all else fails, you could work for him."

He rambled on, a steady flow of words. Having died once already and now existing as a spirit, Yahiko's dream of peace remained in his heart, but more than anything else, he still cared about his companions.

Konan nodded. "I understand."

"I don't know how Nagato's doing either, nor that masked man—" She abruptly fell silent, turning her head to the swirl in the space beside her. Out of nowhere, the familiar masked man appeared, the curse seal on him not yet lifted. All she could do was watch him seize her, and in the midst of that vortex, everything spun. In the blink of an eye, she found herself inside a cavern.

"Nagato?!"

She blurted out the moment she saw her companion, who looked even more haggard than before, sitting in a wheelchair not far away. She rushed forward, concerned: "How are you?"

"I'm fine." Nagato lifted his head. His eyes were dull and lifeless. After Madara had shattered his ideals, he hadn't known how to fulfill Yahiko's dream. Ever since being brought back to reality in that way, he'd remained expressionless, hollow.

Konan stood beside him, feeling pity, unsure what to say.

"Tell me about all the intel in your head." Uchiha Obito opened his crimson Sharingan eyes, his voice devoid of emotion.

He wouldn't abandon the Eye of the Moon Plan, no matter the obstacles.

In this garbage, hollow world, as long as he was alive, he'd chase his goal.

Konan paused for a moment. "I won't tell you." Lowering her gaze to Nagato, her face was full of sympathy and warmth. "I saw Yahiko—he was summoned by Link."

"This man isn't someone you can trust. He's using you… using us."

Uchiha Obito frowned beneath his mask. He hadn't expected Konan—normally a quiet follower without strong opinions—to side with Konoha here. "Have you forgotten how Yahiko died?"

"Or how Konoha devastated the Land of Rain?"

"The great nations aren't worth trusting."

"No, I'll never forget those things." Konan still couldn't even mold chakra right now, but she lifted her head to meet his stare. "You use hatred as an excuse to pursue your own unknown objective."

"You claim that, for the sake of protecting the ones you love, your hatred arose—wanting us to cut off these chains of cause and effect and create a new, orderly, peaceful world."

"But your plan is merely to force the entire world into fear through raw power…"

"Yahiko was right. You really are a despicable, clumsy schemer."

Konan thought of her time in Konoha, of meeting Link and talking to Jiraiya and Yahiko.

Voice resolute, she said, "Nagato, we can't keep making mistakes like this."

"What a shame. I thought we could…" Uchiha Obito muttered, feeling anger surge. His scarlet Sharingan spun, ready to fling a genjutsu.

Boom!

In that very second, an immense repulsive blast shattered part of the cavern. Nagato stood there, face blank, one hand raised.

"You were about to—?"

"Go after whom?"

"!" Obito, who seemed to have been blown back, vanished in midair—only to reappear right at the pair's side. With one easy motion, his hand dug out a Rinnegan.

"?!"

In truth, Nagato had sensed him the moment he appeared, but Shinra Tensei was still on cooldown. Seeing the masked man's fingers dart in—knowing Obito's intangibility turned off upon actual contact—he reached out, yet still was a moment too late. The agony of having his eyeball gouged out paralyzed him for a second.

[Was that the Human Path's ability? Even if I used Izanagi, I couldn't let him touch me…]

Uchiha Obito calmly clutched the blood-dripping eye, turning intangible again to back away.

Nagato slammed his hand against the ground. The giant humanoid "Gedo Statue" appeared. Clutching his one bleeding eye-socket, he said in a low voice: "Konan, find a way to escape—"

Without the Six Paths of Pain around, yes, as the main body he was strong, but he was also far too fragile; his poor mobility severely hindered normal fighting.

Facing this phantom-like masked man with incomprehensible powers, all he could do now was hold the enemy off so Konan could flee.

[I'm sorry. Please, live on.]

Nagato felt oddly calm inside. In his current state, with only one Rinnegan left, controlling the Gedo Statue to attack would likely consume him entirely.

But it didn't matter. Even if he died, so be it.

[So troublesome—one fewer pawn. Link, Yahiko—]

Obito never wavered.

In truth, ever since Nagato's Pain bodies were destroyed, draining his chakra and exposing his frail self, Obito could at any moment have taken the Rinnegan. During this time, neither had let the other rest properly; they watched each other warily. Even now, Obito felt sure he could prevail.

Finding a suitable pawn for the Rinnegan was extremely difficult. But if he delayed further, Konoha, with its reanimation powers, was sure to become a massive threat.

[First I'll take the Rinnegan.]

Uchiha Obito repeated his move, rushing in. With Izanagi, a near-perfect technique, plus Kamui, not even Uchiha Madara could easily handle him.

He saw Nagato's body pushed to its limit, still trying to resist and protect a comrade. A strange emotion welled up inside him, yet it only deepened his loathing of this world.

Because in this garbage world, countless precious feelings turned into nothing but pain.

Bang!

Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of Konan. Sensing something amiss, Obito's instincts flared, but in that instant a swirling orange Rasengan smashed into him, slamming him into the floor.

Izanagi triggered once more, so Obito reemerged uninjured at a safe distance, slipping right back into intangibility.

"As I suspected—it's you, the mysterious man who unleashed the Nine-Tails." Namikaze Minato, calm and collected, stared at the masked figure who had just shrugged off his Rasengan and reappeared. He carefully sensed the Flying Thunder God mark on the target.

After Konan's capture, she had told them everything. The masked man who claimed to be "Madara"—all they knew. So they'd used Konan to lure him here.

He'd discreetly left the Flying Thunder God mark on Konan. Link had intentionally allowed Yahiko to appear and speak with his friend. This was all according to plan.

Moreover, Kakashi had approached him secretly before, suspecting who the masked man might be…

Minato's expression hardened. Voice low, he asked:

"You… are you Obito?"

~~~

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