Obito chuckled lightly.
"Jiraiya, and you call yourself a Sage? So what if ninjutsu's useless—you still have senjutsu and taijutsu, don't you?"
"But Hyuga Gakuya knows all of those. The real problem is whether you can even land a hit on him."
"You should know by now—Hyuga Gakuya's power is completely beyond anything this world can handle."
Jiraiya frowned deeply. "And if you know how strong he is, then tell me—how are we supposed to defeat him?"
Obito smiled behind his mask, a strange twist to his lips.
"That's exactly why I'm proposing we join forces. I plan to bring you with me to persuade Nagato—together, we'll ambush and kill Hyuga Gakuya. Only someone with the Rinnegan can stand against his Tenseigan now."
"Nagato, huh..." Jiraiya's mind drifted back to the young boy he once trained. "How confident are you this will work?"
"Less than ten percent," Obito admitted without hesitation. "Nagato and I have already parted ways. But with you there, Jiraiya, we might have a thirty percent chance."
Jiraiya, who knew his student well, narrowed his eyes and voiced his doubts.
"Hyuga Gakuya is part of the Akatsuki. His dream isn't so different from Yahiko's or Nagato's—he wants to bring peace through power. Why would Nagato agree to turn against him?"
"Because of the Ten Tails," Obito revealed flatly. "Hyuga Gakuya is using the Akatsuki's power for his own ends. He wants to unify the shinobi world, but he can't do that without the Ten Tails."
"He joined the Akatsuki because I personally invited him, and I told him everything about the Ten Tails plan. I saw it in his eyes—he couldn't hide his greed in that moment."
"You want to know why the truth about my identity suddenly came to light? That was all Gakuya's doing. He wanted to drive a wedge between me and Nagato, to kick me out of Akatsuki and take control of the Ten Tails plan for himself."
Everything Obito said now—these secrets—had been taught to him by Hyuga Gakuya himself. The cruel irony was that it wasn't until the moment of his death that Obito truly understood what was happening.
It wasn't that Obito was too stupid to see it—he had already begun to suspect that someone was manipulating him. He knew he couldn't trust Black Zetsu. What he hadn't expected... was that Gakuya, too, had only been wearing a mask.
What Gakuya wanted wasn't just power. It was the entire shinobi world.
As a transmigrant, Gakuya knew every hidden truth about this world. He stood outside the boundaries of the game board... and there was no one else to play against him.
This world was Gakuya's personal board. When he was weak, he could only watch the pieces move on their own.
But now that he was strong—every piece danced to his will.
...
Jiraiya fell into deep thought as he listened to Obito's revelations. He weighed the truth in each word, processing the implications. Then, a cold smile formed on his face.
"You've said a lot about Gakuya's schemes. But what about you? You make it sound like you're just some innocent victim. Don't you have any tricks of your own?"
He stared hard at Obito, eyes locked onto the crimson Sharingan behind the mask. It was clear: if Obito didn't give him something of real value, this so-called alliance was over before it started.
"Gakuya's dual personality fooled me... But you're still hiding something, aren't you?"
Obito raised a hand to his mask, pausing as if in thought. After a long silence, he finally spoke—as if making a choice.
In truth, it was Gakuya who had instructed Obito to reveal this part of the shinobi world's truth to Jiraiya.
"It doesn't really matter anymore. What's done is done. I'm not Uchiha Madara... but I am his successor."
Jiraiya's eyes widened.
Madara—the legendary shinobi who had co-founded Konohagakure. After all these years, someone had taken up his mantle?
But even that revelation couldn't compare to the greater shock he'd received earlier, when he learned that Chiba Mokushu and Hyuga Gakuya were the same person.
So much had happened in one day. He'd seen too much. Heard too much. And yet, he found himself... growing stronger. Calmer.
"Successor?" Jiraiya's brows furrowed. "So the reason you didn't die on Kannabi Bridge... was because Madara saved you and chose you to carry on his will?"
Obito nodded. "That's right. I inherited his will... and continued the Ten Tails plan."
Jiraiya fired off another series of questions.
"Didn't Madara die after the battle at the Valley of the End? Are you sure you didn't meet an imposter? And if Madara chose you, why is Nagato the one carrying out the plan now?"
"You really think a member of the Uzumaki Clan could awaken the Rinnegan on his own?" Obito sneered, suddenly seated atop a stone pillar, his chin resting in his hand as he looked down at Jiraiya. "You're too naïve."
"Madara survived the battle at the Valley of the End using a forbidden jutsu—Izanagi. He lived on... and the Rinnegan? That was his prize."
...
Jiraiya stopped asking questions. He listened, quietly, as his worldview was shattered again and again.
"Using the flesh and blood of Hashirama Senju... and his own Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, Madara awakened the Rinnegan at the end of his life. But he was too old and frail to carry out his plan."
"So he chose a vessel—someone with the powerful chakra and vitality of the Uzumaki: Nagato. He entrusted the Rinnegan to him. Not just to gather the Tailed Beasts... but to serve as the vessel for Madara's resurrection."
Obito's words revealed something crucial: the Rinnegan could be used to bring the dead back to life.
"And I," Obito said, "was the one tasked with guiding Nagato down that path."
At last, Jiraiya's anger boiled over. So that's how it happened. His student—twisted and corrupted—and the one in front of him bore a direct responsibility.
"So you're the one who turned Nagato into this?!"
"Whoa, whoa, let's not be hasty, Jiraiya-sensei." Obito waved his hands innocently, though his voice was laced with mocking amusement. "I merely gave him a little push."
"If you're looking for the real mastermind, you should probably be pointing fingers at Konohagakure."
His words struck a nerve.
"After all, we have to thank Danzo, don't we? If he hadn't tried to seize the power of the Rinnegan for himself, I wouldn't have had it so easy."
Jiraiya's expression darkened.
Even though Danzo was long dead, somehow, more dirt always surfaced. Even in death, he couldn't let people have peace.
"You really dropped the ball as a teacher, huh? Let me enlighten you."
Obito's voice cut like a blade through Jiraiya's heart. And Jiraiya could only stand there, filled with guilt. Maybe if he'd guided them better... maybe if he hadn't left so soon... the tragedy could've been avoided.
...
"In the beginning, the Akatsuki wasn't some terrifying criminal organization. It was a true movement—one dedicated to peace."
"They even caught the attention of Hanzo of the Salamander. He shared their ideals and intended to bring them under his protection. Everything was headed in the right direction."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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