Obito’s Return

Half a month later.

At the very center of the Rain Ninja Village, five new Six Paths of Pain had been created, yet the one who had remained guarding the place was still the original Deva Path Pain.

A black vortex appeared behind him, and soon, Obito Uchiha stepped out from within it.

"Long time no see, Madara. You still failed to find the Black Shadow Ninja this time." Deva Path Pain turned to look at Obito Uchiha. His inorganic gaze made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Perhaps that was one of the advantages of a puppet—it truly remained unruffled in the face of any situation.

However, when it came to putting on airs, Obito Uchiha was no less capable—one had a cold, expressionless puppet face, while the other wore a vortex mask. Neither of them could read the other’s thoughts from their face.

"He cannot hide forever. One day, I will make him join the organization," Obito Uchiha said coldly. "Taking advantage of me does not come cheaply."

"Unfortunately, you are already too late." Deva Path Pain spoke as coldly as ever. "Half a month ago, I already fought the Black Shadow Ninja."

"How could that be… The Black Shadow Ninja came to the Rain Ninja Village?" Obito Uchiha felt a chill run through his heart before quickly realizing what had happened.

Because Nagato had difficulty moving around, the Six Paths of Pain rarely left the Rain Ninja Village. Under such circumstances, it could only mean that the Black Shadow Ninja had personally come to the Rain Ninja Village.

"Did you kill him?" Obito Uchiha asked in a low voice.

"Of course not. He is quite strong, and the Akatsuki is in need of people right now. He is a Bounty Hunter Ninja himself and has a grudge against Konoha, so naturally I intended to recruit him," Deva Path Pain said.

Obito Uchiha fell silent for a moment, feeling rather annoyed. He had actually set his sights on the Black Shadow Ninja long ago, but he had never been able to locate him. He had not expected Nagato to recruit him in such a short time.

Although both were part of the Akatsuki, Nagato and Obito Uchiha were only outwardly harmonious. They were both highly wary of each other, which was why the later Akatsuki could vaguely be divided into two factions.

Now that the Black Shadow Ninja had been recruited by Nagato, he clearly belonged to Nagato’s side.

Judging solely by their achievements, the Black Shadow Ninja’s record in Konoha might not have been much weaker than his own. Obito had been able to unleash the Nine-Tails largely because of Madara Uchiha’s Summoning Contract. Otherwise, that Uchiha Clan Head hiding a Mangekyo would have been enough to give him a hard time. His single Mangekyo Sharingan could not compete with the genjutsu of someone possessing both eyes. At that point, control of the Nine-Tails would certainly have been taken from him.

It could be said that the enormous chaos and losses Obito Uchiha had caused in Konoha were largely the result of a string of coincidences. There was a great deal of exaggeration in his record. He had only fought the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, one-on-one—and had then been defeated outright.

If the Nine-Tails had not been causing havoc, Obito probably would not have made it back alive at all.

But although the Black Shadow Ninja had also entered Konoha amid chaos, the remaining Kage-level ninja of Konoha had all fought him, only to be defeated one by one. Those achievements were all solid and genuine.

Especially when Obito had White Zetsu inspect the battlefield and discovered that the Dark Release used by the Black Shadow Ninja also possessed spatial properties, he became even more wary of him.

Most importantly, Kakashi’s Kamui Sharingan was in the Black Shadow Ninja’s hands. If that Black Shadow Ninja noticed something suspicious, Obito would truly be finished!

However, the matter was already settled, and Obito had nothing more to say. Looking on the bright side, at least he would not have to personally test the Black Shadow Ninja.

Although Obito’s Kamui could be considered the most overpowered ability among the Mangekyo Sharingan, it was ultimately still a type of spatial ability. Ordinary ninja found it difficult to see through, but those who also possessed spatial abilities could easily spot certain clues.

And once the secrets of Kamui were seen through, its deterrent power would immediately drop considerably. Obito’s true strength was far from exceptional; at most, he could be considered an ordinary Kage-level ninja. If he ended up getting beaten by the Black Shadow Ninja, the Madara Uchiha facade he had built would be completely stripped away.

"Your last trip to Konoha failed to successfully subdue the Nine-Tails. This shows that the Five Great Shinobi Villages still have considerable foundations. During this time, I intend to focus on developing the Akatsuki," Deva Path Pain continued. "Have the White Zetsu under your command found any information on S-Rank Rogue Ninja?"

Obito Uchiha frowned, instinctively unwilling to let Nagato Uzumaki continue expanding his own forces. "Leave the recruitment of those S-Rank Rogue Ninja to me. Given your condition, it is not suitable for you to travel around any further."

Deva Path Pain cast Obito Uchiha a cold glance, as though he had seen through his thoughts. "What are you worried about, Madara Uchiha? It seems you really have grown old."

Obito Uchiha nearly cursed aloud. Negotiating with this chuuni idiot really made his blood boil. Fortunately, after Deva Path Pain finished speaking, he said nothing further. He simply waved a hand and dismissed Obito Uchiha.

"Has he really started treating himself like a god? Does he think I am his underling?" Obito Uchiha muttered nonstop, but his body obediently walked away.

He had no choice. Obito Uchiha knew full well that he had some skill at playing god and deceiving others with Kamui, but if Nagato’s real body were not in such poor condition, then in an actual fight, Nagato with the Rinnegan would beat him senseless. That was why the leader of the Akatsuki was Nagato Uzumaki!

Kamui was ultimately a tricky ability. Once someone figured out its workings, its threat level would drop sharply. That was why Obito Uchiha never dared to stand in the open and could only scheme in the shadows.

Yet just as he reached the entrance, he saw a tall ninja leaning against the wall as though waiting for him to come out. His arms were folded across his chest, and he wore black clothes and a black mask.

The ninja’s gaze was sharp as lightning as he swept Obito Uchiha from head to toe. Then he coldly asked, "Are you Madara Uchiha? Were you the one behind Konoha’s Nine-Tails’ Rampage?"

Seeing that attire, Obito Uchiha naturally recognized the Black Shadow Ninja. In particular, seeing that the other man wore a mask just like his own, and that his tone held no reverence whatsoever but instead a hint of suspicion, made Obito Uchiha feel somewhat irritated.

The key was that Obito Uchiha truly was not Madara Uchiha. Yota’s words had struck directly at his sore spot.

"Hmph, what is it, brat? You do not believe me?" Angry as he was, he could not let the facade slip. Obito still maintained an unfathomable expression as he spoke.

"I really do not believe it… A coward who hides his face dares call himself Madara Uchiha?"

The moment his words fell, Yota attacked like lightning, throwing a punch.

With a swish, Yota’s fist passed through Obito Uchiha and blasted a huge hole through the wall behind him.