"Cough, cough, cough."
Inside the Kamui Dimension, Nagato coughed incessantly, and Black Zetsu was examining him.
Obito stood silently to the side, the current Nagato was miserable. He was covered in blood, and his previously healthy body seemed to have been completely drained, reverting to its emaciated state.
"To lose so badly?"
Obito muttered, but even he found it difficult to say.
He glanced around, the area was a mess, with traces of battle everywhere.
There were even puddles of blood on the ground, indicating that the fight here had been extremely intense.
"Damn Kakashi, to master that eye so well…"
Recalling his battle with Kakashi, Obito's fists clenched involuntarily.
His use of his eye even exceeded his imagination, and most critically, his ocular power was ridiculously abundant.
"What exactly is going on with him?"
Obito couldn't quite figure it out. He seriously suspected that Kakashi might have used Hashirama's cells.
Or perhaps...
"Back then, when he cut off my arm?"
He unconsciously glanced at his right hand. He had clearly felt Kakashi intentionally attacking his right hand just now.
And with such a violent explosion just now, he knew he had to disengage from the fight with Kakashi.
However, the current Kakashi left him with no good options, so he could only give Kakashi an opening to escape.
As for his right hand...
"Could it really be that reason?"
Obito dared not speak, knowing it would be an act of 'aiding the enemy.'
Fortunately, Black Zetsu got up at that moment, and he no longer pondered, opening his mouth to ask.
"How is he?"
"The situation isn't particularly good."
Black Zetsu's expression was grim. He mused for a moment before speaking, "Takemi used some method to inject a special power into his body, and that power is still continuously attacking Nagato."
"Still continuously attacking?"
Obito's expression also turned grim upon hearing this.
"How long will this last? It won't be…"
"Don't worry, it won't."
Black Zetsu replied somewhat strangely. Truthfully, he felt it was already incredible that Nagato was still alive.
That power was extremely unique. He had no idea how Takemi had done it, and he himself had no way to deal with such power.
However...
"Takemi might not be proficient. After Nagato entered the Kamui Dimension, that power has weakened."
"The Kamui Dimension weakened that power?"
Obito was somewhat bewildered, he didn't understand what was happening.
"Indeed… it weakened…"
At this moment, the incredibly weak Nagato spoke.
His face was filled with immense pain, but what pained him most, more than his physical suffering, were Takemi's words.
"I see no difference between the current you and the past you…"
Three or four years had passed, and he thought he could re-walk the path of the Sage of Six Paths.
He thought Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki was his only true enemy!
But the result was that he was once again effortlessly defeated by Takemi without even meeting Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki.
If he had lost to Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki, perhaps he could understand, but to lose to Takemi…
He couldn't understand, nor could he accept it!
He was clearly the successor of the Sage of Six Paths, he clearly possessed the Rinnegan, so why was this the ultimate outcome?
He raised his head, staring fixedly at Black Zetsu, and asked in a hoarse voice.
"Why… is this happening? Why… did I lose to Takemi? Why did it turn out like this?!"
Nagato's questions silenced Obito. He understood the pain of continuous failure, and he looked at Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu's expression was even more dazed. He hadn't expected Nagato, who remained resolute even after being severely beaten by Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki, to be so utterly broken at this moment.
However, he could somewhat understand, and this was also an opportunity for him.
"Obito, do you still remember the information on the Uchiha stone tablet?"
"Of course I remember."
Obito nodded.
His eyes were only Mangekyo, and he couldn't see much. But at least he saw the Sage of Six Paths's concern for this world, and the alternative solution he provided.
He was also fighting for this cause, but saying these things now, was it not…
"You mean…"
Suddenly, Obito thought of something.
"The chapter about defeating the Rabbit Goddess?"
"Exactly, although the section is short, it indeed mentions one person."
Black Zetsu nodded, causing Obito to frown and stroke his chin, while Nagato's face was a mixture of pain and confusion.
"Mentioned whom? What are you talking about?"
"This is an Uchiha secret, that person is the Sage of Six Paths's younger brother."
Obito explained impatiently. Although the stone tablet mentioned it, it was only a single sentence.
Because the event of defeating the Rabbit Goddess itself wasn't elaborated upon much, merely a few brief sentences.
Furthermore, this was something even a normal Sharingan could see, so Obito had no interest in pondering it, but now recalling it…
"Could it be that putting aside the Sage of Six Paths, his younger brother also fought alongside him? But the passage is too short, there's hardly any information, and it might even just be…"
"A legendary tale?"
Black Zetsu glanced at Obito, then shook his head and said.
"Can you still regard it as a legendary tale now? And doesn't Takemi's potential and strength explain everything?"
Black Zetsu's words silenced Obito.
Indeed, with the appearance of that absurd Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki and this black fellow also said that the Rabbit Goddess's surname was Ōtsutsuki, many things couldn't be regarded as mere legendary tales anymore.
"Takemi inherited the power of the Sage of Six Paths's younger brother?"
Nagato was the most agitated at this moment, as if a drowning man had clutched a lifeline.
Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki was a god, losing to him was not shameful.
But continuously losing to Takemi truly shook his belief, that sense of defeat was indescribable.
However, if Takemi was also very special, then…
"If nothing else, it should be."
Black Zetsu nodded, speaking earnestly, "Otherwise, there's no way to explain why he's so strong. A normal person finds it hard to learn even one Kekkei Genkai, but what about him?"
"Based on what's known, he has Ice Release, and also Dust Release, a Kekkei Tota, and even Wood Release…"
Obito seemed to have noticed the problem as well, and he spoke gravely, "Not only that, he learned Flying Thunder God in an extremely short time, and created Purple Electricity right after graduating. His talent is simply limitless."
"So… he might really be… no, he definitely is…" Nagato murmured.
Although there was no definite proof yet, he seemed to have already affirmed this answer.
Only this answer could give him peace of mind and restore his will.