CHAPTER 36

And the realm of the soul, to most people in the ninja world, is just such a mystery—untouchable, unfathomable, and sealed away from conventional ninjutsu.

However, ever since acquiring his illusory world—a Mangekyō Sharingan domain surpassing Itachi's Tsukuyomi in both scale and utility—and cultivating the Spiritualization Technique from the Yamanaka clan archives, Uchiha Yue has come to personally grasp the tangible form of his soul.

To him, the soul is no longer an abstract notion. Perhaps he has yet to reach the level of someone like Sage of Six Paths, who could manifest souls and chakra into physical bodies, but segmenting, isolating, and manipulating portions of the soul—such as separating a soul fragment imbued with Mangekyō power—is well within his reach.

So, after about ten minutes within his illusory world—equivalent to mere seconds in the physical realm—Uchiha Yue's consciousness returned. A second soul body, this one dimmer, weaker, and devoid of ocular power, floated before him—Uchiha Obito's fragmented and pacified essence.

True to his word, Yue had excised the soul's chakra core without erasing it entirely. The newly manifested soul fragment drifted silently.

"Then this time, farewell. I hope the Pure Land offers you something Konoha never did."

Looking at Obito, whose expression had become devoid of hope or hatred—completely numb—Uchiha Yue spoke with an unusually light heart, then released his mental bindings.

As the seal dispersed, the residual soul fragment lifted skyward, drawn by the invisible force of the Pure Land. This time, no longer restrained or manipulated, Obito's final remnant ascended in peace.

Still, Yue's gaze lingered.

"Even if Obito's soul has passed on, his body still holds value."

Turning toward the fallen body once more, Yue's Mangekyō flickered with intricate geometric patterns as he formed a hand seal.

"Ninja Art: Parasitic Puppet Technique."

Invisible chakra threads burst forth. Obito's corpse, which had already lost all traces of life, shuddered faintly. Slowly, it began to breathe again. Its pallor receded, and after a few moments, the once-dead body sat upright, eerily lifelike once more.

To an uninformed observer, it would be impossible to tell that it was a reanimated corpse.

"White Zetsu's cellular integration was indeed useful. Even Kabuto's reanimation pales compared to this with some fine-tuning."

"But speaking of Zetsu… Black Zetsu has been silent for days. Has he really given up on Obito?"

Yue narrowed his eyes. It had been several days since he captured Obito. Given how long Black Zetsu had parasitized Madara and manipulated Obito as a vessel for Kaguya's resurrection, his lack of intervention was strange—unnatural, even.

The fact that Yue was able to kill Obito and manipulate his soul without triggering Black Zetsu's intervention was one of the reasons he moved so quickly.

But in the end, even if Black Zetsu remained hidden, Obito's defeat still marked a crucial blow to the millennium-old scheme.

"Whatever plans he has, they won't matter. As long as my strength grows, I don't need to fear any ancient conspiracies."

With that thought, Yue dismissed his speculations. His eyes swept over Obito's inert puppet body once more before turning to leave. He now possessed both Mangekyō Sharingan—the right one from Obito and the left one he cultivated himself—and had even extracted a portion of Obito's chakra signature.

With those, the conditions for awakening the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan were complete.

But just as he began to fantasize about the might of the eternal form—greater insight, longer duration, and the liberation from the risk of blindness—a voice cut into his thoughts.

"Uchiha Yue, wait."

Startled but not alarmed, Yue paused as he passed the ruins of his earlier battlefield with Kakashi. He turned to see Kakashi Hatake—bloodied, clothes torn, barely standing—clutching his side, yet standing nonetheless.

"You're still here, Kakashi?" Yue asked, mildly surprised.

"Did you… kill Obito?"

Kakashi's single visible eye was bloodshot, but steady. His voice was low and strained, yet it trembled with emotion.

Yue chuckled, unbothered. "Isn't that obvious? Obito slaughtered my clansmen, helped Itachi execute the Massacre, and now wanted to die. Why would I deny him that wish?"

The confirmation crushed what little hope Kakashi held. His shoulders sagged, and he slumped to his knees.

Emotionally, Kakashi was a wreck. Despite all Obito had done—despite him becoming the masked menace that had started the Fourth Great Ninja War—Kakashi still clung to the memory of that boy who once said "those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."

And just when he thought he might have a second chance to save that boy… it was gone.

Yet Kakashi endured. Unlike in the past, he didn't shut down. He didn't die like Rin or retreat like before. He simply stayed there, mourning.

Uchiha Yue saw it all, and though they could no longer be allies, his past-life memory of Kakashi made his next words softer than expected.

"If you have nothing else, leave." Yue said. Then, after a pause:

"And Kakashi… don't put too much faith in Sarutobi Hiruzen. Whether it's the current conflict between the Uchiha and the village, or your father's suicide—Hiruzen's inaction played a significant role."

"Finally, don't stand in Uchiha's path. If we clash again, there won't be a next time."

With that, Yue turned away. He didn't wait for a reply.

In truth, he still held a sliver of goodwill toward Kakashi. He remembered the Copy Ninja as the weary war hero, the man who helped Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura grow, and who later became the Sixth Hokage.

But now, Kakashi was still bound to Hiruzen's crumbling legacy. Whether this warning would help break those chains or not—it was worth trying.

After all, it cost him nothing.

And if Kakashi refused to awaken? Then he would fall like the rest.

JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCE 30+ CHAPTERS

Patreon.com/Kora_1