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Itachi followed Konan into a room, only to find the self-proclaimed Uchiha Madara standing by the window.
"It's you?" Itachi said, surprised.
"You don't want to see me?" Obito asked.
"I thought you died after the Battle of the Valley of the End," Itachi replied.
"Hmm… people always take rumors at face value, never bothering to verify their truth," Obito said.
"You said you'd help me find my brother. Does that still stand?" Itachi asked.
"Of course it does, but you'll need to give me time," Obito said, eyeing Itachi. "It's not an easy task, is it?"
Itachi gave a cold laugh. If he hadn't known about the "Kirigakure Incident" before leaving Konoha, he might've been moved to tears by Obito's words.
"Why did you call me here? Surely not just to chat? I asked you to take off the mask, but you refused."
"Naka Shrine," Obito said abruptly.
"What?" Itachi stared at him, caught off guard.
"Don't look so shocked. If you're surprised I know about that place, I can only say—I'm Uchiha Madara. If you're wondering what the Naka Shrine even is… do you think I'd believe that?" Obito countered.
Itachi masked his surprise.
The Naka Shrine was a secret gathering place for the Uchiha clan, known only to a select few, even among the clan's members.
"What does the Naka Shrine have to do with me?" Itachi asked.
"It has everything to do with you. The shrine's mystique doesn't come from the place itself, but from the hidden chamber beneath it. Did you know about that?" Obito asked.
Most Uchiha wouldn't know about the "hidden chamber," even if they'd awakened the "Mangekyo Sharingan." But Itachi's status was unique—Uchiha Fugaku, the clan leader, not only knew of the chamber but had the authority to enter it.
As Fugaku's son, with exceptional skill and the potential to be the next clan leader, Itachi might well know of its existence.
Itachi nodded, confirming Obito's suspicion.
"There's a stone tablet inside. You know about that too, right?"
Itachi looked at Obito in surprise. "You know about the tablet?"
"I was once the Uchiha clan leader. Don't act so shocked," Obito said with a shrug.
Itachi took a deep breath and nodded again. "These are Uchiha clan secrets. I'd rather not discuss them in front of outsiders."
Obito glanced at Konan, whose expression was peculiar, but she turned, opened the door, and left the room.
Itachi stepped closer, ensuring Konan was truly gone before turning back.
"What's with the tablet?"
"Have you read its contents?" Obito asked.
"I have."
"Then do you know that different dojutsu can reveal different information on it?"
"Different information? What do you mean?" Itachi asked, astonished.
"Those without ocular powers can't read anything on it. With a Sharingan, you can read the text, but only the basics. To uncover more, you need the 'Mangekyo Sharingan' or the Rinnegan. After awakening your 'Mangekyo Sharingan,' have you gone back to the chamber to read the tablet again?"
Itachi shook his head, a seed of doubt sprouting in his mind.
First, what did the tablet have to do with him? Second, if the "Mangekyo Sharingan" could unlock deeper insights, why hadn't Fugaku told him?
"That's good to know. By the way, Pain has the 'Rinnegan,'" Obito pointed out.
"What… Orochimaru and Danzo just died, and you're suggesting I follow in their footsteps?" Itachi shot back.
"Of course not. You and Pain are both valuable partners to me. I'm just giving you a heads-up. Even if you've read the tablet with your 'Mangekyo Sharingan,' you might still have questions. It's incomplete."
"I don't get it. What does it have to do with me? Whether I read it or not shouldn't change anything, right?" Itachi asked skeptically.
"What if the tablet's contents hold the key to resolving the conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha clan?" Obito countered.
Itachi froze. "Resolving the conflict?"
"Exactly. Of course, you can doubt me or dismiss it. After all, I've left the Uchiha clan," Obito said, his tone light, though Itachi remained skeptical.
The tension between the Uchiha clan and Konoha had reached a breaking point. Any misstep could plunge the clan into ruin.
The clan's situation was already precarious, and Shisui was deeply entangled in it.
If the tablet truly offered a solution, why hadn't Fugaku acted on it?
After much thought, Itachi could only come up with two possibilities: either the solution was so difficult it was nearly impossible, with a success rate close to zero, forcing Fugaku to abandon it; or the solution wasn't effective at all.
"Why are you telling me this?" Itachi asked, puzzled.
"Call it a soft spot. Though the Uchiha clan didn't support my choices and betrayed me, I still don't want to see them slaughtered by Konoha. Maybe this is the last shred of compassion in me? Besides, there's another reason," Obito said, staring at Itachi. "There aren't many with the 'Mangekyo Sharingan,' and you're among the best. I don't want you to repeat the detours I took."
Itachi's expression grew heavy, and he didn't respond. After two or three minutes, he bid farewell to Obito.
As the door closed, someone emerged from the ceiling, hanging upside down.
"How'd it go? He doesn't seem to fully trust you," Zetsu said.
"That's because he hasn't lost anything yet, and…" Obito muttered, then looked up at Zetsu. "Some information doesn't surface right away. Let's keep watching—things might get very interesting."
"No, I just want to know if he'll wholeheartedly hunt the tailed beasts."
"I can't say one hundred percent, but the odds are high," Obito replied.
Itachi left the room with a heavy expression.
Ever since meeting "Uchiha Madara," one question had been gnawing at him.
He'd nearly blurted it out several times but held back: Are you the one who made the Nine-Tails rampage?
He didn't want to tip his hand. After all, finally catching "Madara's" trail wasn't something he'd let slip easily.
But now that he'd met "Madara," Itachi was certain that, one day, he'd unmask him and see who was really hiding behind that facade.