[Tobirama Senju: “You wicked Madara Uchiha!
You orchestrated this entire trap just to deceive that boy!”**
[Uchiha Izuna: “Hmph!
cunning Senju!
My brother calls that strategy.
Could you have come up with a plan like this?”**
[Hashirama Senju: “Enough arguing.
Let’s keep watching the video.
Madara…
why would you do this to me…?”**
[Madara Uchiha: “Hmph.
When you stabbed me in the back back then, did you ever think about any of this?
Do you know how much that hurt…?”**
[Mei Terumī: “???”**
[Uchiha Sarada: “?”**
[Kurotsuchi: “Uh…
what’s going on here?”**
[Chiyo: “I’d heard rumors that the First Hokage and the Ghost of the Uchiha had an unusually close relationship.
I never believed them until now…”**
[Uzumaki Naruto: “Huh?
What does that even mean?
I don’t get it at all…”**
[Kushina Uzumaki: “Ahem.
Don’t worry about it, kiddo.
You don’t need to know.”**
[Tobirama Senju: “Brother!
What kind of outrageous things are you two talking about?!”**
[Hashirama Senju: “Madara…
I’m sorry.
I really wasn’t thinking that far ahead back then.”**
[Madara Uchiha: “What’s the point of apologizing now?
It’s far too late!”**
[Mito Uzumaki: “Just what kind of relationship do you two have…?”**
[Tobirama Senju: “Sister-in-law, please don’t be upset.
It’s all just a misunderstanding…”**
[Butsuma Senju: “Tobirama…
what exactly was the relationship between your brother and Madara Uchiha?”**
[Tobirama Senju: “Let’s just continue watching the video…”**
The footage continued.
“Pretty impressive, huh?”
Seeing Obito effortlessly smash through the wall, Zetsu spoke with a teasing smile.
“Good.”
Obito looked up at the opening he had created, a gleam flashing across his eyes.
At that moment—
Madara Uchiha, who had been sitting motionless on his chair and appeared to be on the verge of death, slowly raised his head.
“So…
you’re leaving?”
Obito didn’t answer.
Instead, he reached up and forcefully tore the cable connected to his head free.
Rip!
The spiral-shaped White Zetsu covering his face unfurled, revealing his youthful features.
“You saved my life, and I’m grateful for that.”
“But I have to leave.
No matter what.”
“You are in far too much of a hurry.”
Madara watched Obito’s back with a meaningful gaze.
“Perhaps it’s still too early for you to thank me.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever come back.”
Obito glanced back at him, his voice icy.
“I’ve already expressed my gratitude.
That’s enough.
I’m leaving.”
“…You’ll return.”
Madara’s aged face remained expressionless, yet a faint killing intent lingered in his eyes.
“When that day comes…
I’ll accept your true thanks.”
“Hey, white guy!”
Obito turned toward Zetsu anxiously.
“Where are Rin and Kakashi?
Take me to them.
Now!”
“The one attached to your body is my clone.”
Zetsu replied casually.
“As long as we’re within a certain range, we can communicate through our minds.
“My other clones are spread throughout the underground, constantly gathering and exchanging information.”
“I’ll use this one to guide you.”
The White Zetsu wrapped around Obito lifted a finger and pointed toward his head.
“This swirl?”
Obito looked confused.
“Forget about that.
Let’s get outside first.”
“Please!”
Without another word, Obito dashed toward the exit.
Inside the cavern, countless scrolls and treasured relics of the Uchiha Clan lined the stone walls.
Obito glanced around.
Unable to find a weapon that suited him, he simply grabbed a black cloak, draped it over himself, and sprinted into the darkness of the night.
[Uchiha Tajima: “I’ve got to say…
There are weapons everywhere in this cave, and you don’t take a single one?
You just change your outfit?”**
[A Konoha Chūnin: “Looking cool is a lifelong commitment.”**
The footage continued.
With the hood of his black cloak covering his head, Obito raced through the forest without slowing down.
“How are Rin and Kakashi doing?”
His voice was filled with worry.
“According to my companion, the situation is extremely dangerous.”
“They mentioned something about a Kirigakure experiment, but I’m not entirely sure what that means.”
Zetsu answered in his usual strange tone.
“An experiment?”
Obito froze for an instant before launching himself off a cliff.
“In any case, Rin and that idiot Kakashi are surrounded by dozens of enemies.”
“They’re all elite jōnin and Kirigakure ANBU.”
Obito leapt from treetop to treetop at full speed.
“What is Minato-sensei doing?”
“Who’s that?”
Zetsu asked blankly.
“I’m asking about the Yellow Flash!”
Obito’s anxiety grew stronger.
“He seems to be carrying out another mission.”
“…Of all times.”
A trace of frustration flashed across Obito’s face.
His thoughts drifted back to the promise he had entrusted to Kakashi.
Kakashi…
you promised me…
Rin’s smiling face appeared in his mind.
She stood with her hands behind her back, smiling at him as sweetly as ever.
Kakashi…
you have to protect Rin with everything you’ve got.
Obito accelerated again.
The scenery blurred as it rushed past him.
I’m almost there.
Please…
let me make it in time!
“Obito.”
Zetsu interrupted his thoughts at the worst possible moment.
“I think we’re about to enter a battle, so there’s something I want to tell you first.”
“What is it?”
Obito asked impatiently.
“You’re not as capable in combat as I am.”
“My body is currently wrapped around your battered one, protecting you.”
Zetsu’s tone suggested he hadn’t finished speaking.
“So what are you trying to say?”
Obito gritted his teeth.
“I think it would be better if I controlled your body during the fight.”
Zetsu answered quietly.
“Madara also said that the Sharingan reaches its true potential only when both eyes are together.
“Kakashi possesses the other eye on the battlefield.
“If the two of us work together, we’ll be stronger than you alone.”
Obito never slowed his pace.
“Kakashi and I…”
“We’ll protect Rin.”
“Perhaps.”
Zetsu chuckled.
“After all, your body now contains Hashirama’s artificial body.
The power of the Senju and the Uchiha combined may produce strength unlike anything seen before.”
At that moment, Obito landed atop another treetop.
A few raindrops suddenly fell from the sky.
They splashed against his hood.
Obito stopped for a brief moment.
Rain…?
Why is it suddenly raining?
[Uchiha Sarada: “Normally, it shouldn’t be raining under these conditions…”
[Tobirama Senju: “It’s the work of a Water Release technique used by Kirigakure shinobi.”
[Rasa (Fourth Kazekage): “You’re that certain?”
[Tobirama Senju: “No one understands Water Release superior to I do.”
[Mei Terumī: “I beg to differ.
My mastery of Water Release should surpass yours!”
[Tobirama Senju: “Hmph.
And who exactly are you, little girl?”
[Hashirama Senju: “Tobirama, this isn’t the time to argue!
What happens next?”
[Tobirama Senju: “If I’m right…
Madara should already be dead by this point.”
[Hashirama Senju: “What do you mean?”
[Tobirama Senju: “It’s only a guess.
But Madara undoubtedly left behind a contingency—some other means of reviving from the Pure Land.
However…”
[Hashirama Senju: “However what?”
[Tobirama Senju: “Obito isn’t a simple fool.
I doubt he’ll blindly follow everything Madara says.”
[Madara Uchiha: “???”
[Uchiha Obito: “Lord Madara, don’t listen to that wicked—no, that cunning Senju!
My loyalty to you is absolute!
I would never betray you!”**
[Madara Uchiha: “Hmph…
Tobirama may not be particularly impressive, but his tongue is certainly sharp.”
[Uchiha Izuna: “Exactly!
My brother plans everything perfectly.
There’s no way he’d ever be caught off guard again!”
[Hashirama Senju: “Why did you say ‘again’?”
[Uchiha Izuna: “Do you think my brother’s an idiot?
After you stabbed him in the back once, you think he’d fall for the same trick twice?
If someone manages to punch a hole through his chest again, I’ll eat—”
[Black Zetsu: “That’s right!
Lord Madara is unrivaled!
No objections accepted!”**
[Kawaki: “This Madara Uchiha is kind of…”
[Uzumaki Boruto: “Kind of what, Kawaki?”
[Kawaki: “…Nothing.”