Chapter 28

Itachi's figure quickly disappeared into the shadows of the forest. Hatake Satoru was just about to jump down from the branch— 

When a kunai suddenly flew past and nailed itself into the tree right next to him. 

"An ordinary person?" 

Obito, who had already started walking in another direction, was somehow now standing under the tree. 

His Sharingan couldn't detect cursed energy, and he couldn't sense any chakra from Hatake Satoru either. 

But Hatake Satoru was wearing a mask, dressed in black, and quietly standing in a tree eavesdropping on them. 

No matter how you looked at it, something about him felt off. 

Obito wasn't someone who showed mercy to strangers. With a faint clink, a black chain suddenly appeared from inside his sleeve. 

He calmly fastened it to his wrist. 

Hatake Satoru jumped down from the branch, landing steadily not far from Obito. 

He raised one hand to shield his masked eye, turning his head slightly like he couldn't bear to watch. 

"Huh? Jumping straight to bondage? That's a bit much~" 

"We just met like, five minutes ago." 

Obito's Sharingan narrowed slightly behind the mask as he stared in surprise at the man beside him. 

There was no sign of chakra, and judging by his build, he didn't look like a taijutsu expert either. 

So what just happened?! 

And the guy acted way too casual—like they were old friends or something. It was kind of irritating. 

Obito couldn't help but frown slightly in annoyance. 

A mask—within Konoha, only Root or Anbu members wore them. 

It was only after Hatake Satoru landed that Obito got a clear look at his mask. 

In the shadows, it looked okay. But now that he was standing in the light, it looked like a toy a kid would wear. 

Who the hell draws a pair of sunglasses on their mask?! 

This guy's powers and his appearance didn't match at all. It was weird. 

And Obito was pretty sure Konoha didn't have someone this strong hiding in it. 

Still surprised, Obito reminded himself of the role he was playing. 

His expression and voice stayed cold as usual. 

"You've heard too much." 

He charged straight at Hatake Satoru. 

Using Kamui, Obito phased and in a flash, wrapped the chain around Satoru. 

He pulled hard, trying to drag Hatake Satoru closer. 

"I know more than just what happened today, y'know?" 

Caught mid-air by the chain, Hatake Satoru lifted one finger with interest. 

Obito looked up, confused for a second. 

The chain still wasn't fully wrapped around Satoru—there was distance between them. 

It wasn't tight enough to trap him, and he could easily dodge or move if he wanted to. 

But no matter how much Obito pulled, it was like something invisible was blocking the chain from getting closer. 

A transparent wall of some kind was completely separating them. 

Usually it was others trying to figure out Obito's ability—now it felt like the other way around. 

"Trying to get all your words out before you die?" 

Obito started gathering power. He was used to being the one in control. 

No one had ever doubted his identity as Uchiha Madara.

But the man in the mask stood there like he was completely in control, as if he already knew who Obito was.

Annoying. Seriously annoying.

Obito knew his own limits, and no matter how strong he was now—

In five minutes, he'd lose his edge.

Especially since this guy hadn't even used a single jutsu yet. Once Kamui started its cooldown, Obito wasn't sure if he could really win against him.

He had to end this fast.

Obito phased through space and appeared right next to Hatake Satoru, grabbing his arm and yanking him down hard.

The chains couldn't touch him—but his body could?

Still, there were tons of weird jutsu out there. If that was all, it wasn't anything too surprising.

Behind the hole in his mask, Obito's Sharingan glared at the eyes hidden behind the other mask.

No matter how strange a jutsu was, it couldn't escape the Sharingan's genjutsu.

But behind the mask—was total darkness.

"Like, for example... what happened to Nohara Rin."

Hatake Satoru didn't sound even a little surprised. He was still talking with that same teasing, playful tone.

Like he was just joking around.

Rin's name exploded in Obito's ears like a bomb.

Rin!?

Obito flinched on instinct. After all this time, no one had ever mentioned her in front of him.

Hatake Satoru raised one hand, claw-like. A pale blue energy burst out from his palm.

Obito suddenly felt a huge pull from Hatake Satoru's wrist—it was yanked right out of his grip.

And in that one moment of hesitation, that strange pulling force came in from the side.

A flicker of movement—and Hatake Satoru vanished before Obito's eyes.

Obito's hand was still half-closed, like it was still holding his arm.

Right after he disappeared, huge broken logs came crashing in from all sides, slamming toward Obito.

The logs phased right through Obito's body. He weaved between them easily.

That kind of attack didn't mean much to him.

Everyone treated him like Uchiha Madara—but not all of them were wrong.

Still, no one had ever guessed his identity this accurately.

Who *was* this guy?

Obito's doubt grew. From the way he moved, his body, even the jutsu he used—it was all stuff Obito had never seen before.

This guy clearly didn't grow up in Konoha. Obito knew plenty of jutsu from other villages too.

But he had never seen anything like this.

If they didn't know each other, then how did he know about Rin?

Everything about this man was a mystery—his weird moves, his strange intel.

Creepy and dangerous. Better not let this drag on too long.

Smoke and dust burst up from the ground as the logs hit. If any of them connected, they'd slam someone straight into the earth.

Obito stood on one of the slanted wooden stumps, staying above the dust.

He didn't want to keep fighting Satoru. Not before he figured out what this guy was really about.

He couldn't show his hand too early.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You show up now, trying to stop me—what do you want?"

Hatake Satoru brushed some leaves off his head, landing lightly on a broken log nearby—left there after Obito had grabbed his wrist.

It was the first time he used Blue to erase the space between himself and something else.

If Obito had held onto his arm just a little tighter, he'd probably be walking around one-armed right now.

"Stopping you from going to the Uchiha—that wasn't obvious enough?"

"Stay out of Itachi's business."

"Besides that, your deal stays the same."

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