Obito Uchiha clearly understood Rin's instructions and knew exactly what he needed to do.
One target was Kitagawa Minamoto, a man who had unmistakably embarked on the path of "evolution."
Through him, Obito could uncover more secrets!
"But..."
Obito hesitated. The thought of confronting Kitagawa Minamoto in battle made him feel uneasy, even though his resolve was firm.
That day, Minamoto had stood indifferent against both him and Madara Uchiha, their two colossal Susano'o forms.
That day, Minamoto had stepped onto the blade of his Susano'o in an instant, and then shattered it with a single kick.
The painful memories of that encounter, the terrifying strength Minamoto displayed—Obito couldn't forget them, nor could he easily come to terms with them!
"But since it's Rin guiding me, I must proceed. Still, some adjustments are necessary."
Taking a deep breath, Obito's figure flickered and vanished from the spot.
"Hmm?"
In a secluded corner of Konohagakure, Kabuto Yakushi had just finished his day's work and was preparing to rest.
However, at that moment, he suddenly sensed something and looked up sharply.
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
"As expected of Orochimaru's spy, and also Sasori's spy."
As Kabuto finished speaking, a deep voice rang out. Obito Uchiha's masked figure emerged from the shadows.
Kabuto had remained in Konohagakure for years, largely because he hadn't revealed himself to anyone.
Given Konohagakure's current state, staying behind to gather intelligence was far more beneficial than leaving with Orochimaru.
"It's you?"
Recognizing the visitor, Kabuto's face broke into a smile.
"You've got some nerve, showing up in Konohagakure alone. Don't you realize how dangerous this place is now, Obito-senpai?"
"Don't bother with such fake smiles."
Obito snorted coldly, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"I came to find you for a reason. Your job is to cooperate with me."
"Is this an order from Orochimaru-sama?"
Kabuto adjusted his glasses, the lenses glinting in the moonlight, obscuring his expression.
"If it is, I'll do my utmost to assist. If not, exposing myself wouldn't be good for Orochimaru-sama, nor for you."
Obito didn't respond immediately. He simply stared at Kabuto.
His crimson Sharingan gleamed, cold and piercing. The oppressive aura emanating from him made Kabuto feel as though he were suffocating.
Still, Kabuto maintained his smile, watching Obito intently. For a moment, the two fell into silence.
No one knew how much time had passed, but Obito eventually grew impatient. His Sharingan began to stir, as if some power were brewing within it.
Sensing the shift, Kabuto looked away and spoke softly.
"I think we should remain calm. Acting recklessly in Konohagakure could spell disaster for both of us. Why not tell me what you want to do first?"
"Hmph."
Obito snorted coldly before speaking indifferently.
"Sasuke Uchiha—I want information about him. After all, Itachi Uchiha's body is in Konohagakure's possession."
"Sasuke?"
Kabuto froze, then asked curiously.
"Are you after his Sharingan?"
"Don't ask questions you shouldn't."
Obito didn't answer, his gaze remaining cold and detached.
"I hope you're someone who understands the situation. This is all I need."
Obito had his own plans and intentions. Since he was already in Konohagakure, he felt compelled to act.
Besides, if he wanted to confront Kitagawa Minamoto, he needed a legitimate reason. He couldn't afford to let Minamoto suspect anything!
"Information about Sasuke Uchiha?"
Kabuto's expression turned peculiar. After a moment, he nodded slightly.
"If that's all, I can provide it. But you'll need to wait a bit."
"Fine."
Obito nodded calmly. He hadn't expected Kabuto to fulfill his request immediately.
Waiting a little wasn't a big deal, especially since he had other preparations to make.
"I'll give you one week. After that..."
As he spoke, his figure began to blur, and the surrounding space distorted.
"If I don't get what I want, you'd better watch your back!"
With those words, Obito vanished, leaving Kabuto to adjust his glasses lightly.
As the breeze swept through, Kabuto chuckled softly.
"What a fool. Someone knows about your plans, Obito Uchiha..."
"Obito Uchiha has set his sights on Sasuke?"
Under the hazy moonlight, Kitagawa Minamoto sat in his home, his expression suddenly shifting.
Ino and Naruto had already left. Minamoto had intended to see them off, but ultimately stayed behind.
Naruto didn't require his attention, and Ino had politely declined.
"Senpai, you've worked so hard. You should rest more."
Given the circumstances, Minamoto didn't insist, especially since he genuinely planned to take a break.
"I must say, Ino has real talent in cooking. Her dishes are just as good as those from the village's restaurants."
As Minamoto mused, he suddenly received information from Kabuto. The news left him momentarily stunned—he hadn't expected Obito to be so active.
"Did I go too easy on him?"
Minamoto immediately considered this possibility, but upon reflection, he felt something was off.
After all, Obito had suffered terribly at his hands—his complete Susano'o had been shattered by a single kick.
"And now his target is Sasuke. Or perhaps he has other plans?"
Obito's sudden appearance was indeed peculiar. Even if he were foolish, he shouldn't be reckless enough to provoke Minamoto.
The most logical course of action would be to quietly collect Chakra from the Tailed Beasts and attempt to resurrect the Ten-Tails.
Only then would he have a sliver of hope!
"If that's his plan, then his current actions likely aren't his own."
Minamoto stood by the window, gazing at the sky as he analyzed the situation.
"Isshiki—could it be that he's been deceived?"
Minamoto had "scammed" Isshiki before, but he wasn't entirely sure if the bait had worked.
Now, with Obito's sudden activity, it seemed Isshiki might have "taken the bait."
"Interesting..."
Minamoto stroked his chin. If Isshiki had indeed fallen for the ploy, it was undoubtedly a good thing.
After all, Minamoto intended to exploit Isshiki completely, extracting every possible benefit—even the "White Kāma" Isshiki had left behind wouldn't be spared!
"Given my current relationship with Obito, he's likely seeking me out for a confrontation. Does he want me to help him unlock the Kāma?"
Minamoto continued to ponder, and soon pieced together Isshiki and Obito's likely intentions.
"As for how Isshiki convinced Obito, it's probably tied to 'evolution.' And Obito's use of Sasuke might be a diversion."
Of course, there was also the possibility that Obito genuinely coveted Sasuke's eyes.
But Minamoto felt his theory was more plausible, which made his thoughts race even further.
"This isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Minamoto's strength had grown significantly, and he increasingly craved the power of the Ōtsutsuki.
Whether it was for his Divine Tree Source or himself, this development was undeniably beneficial.
By accelerating Isshiki's decompression while controlling its pace, Minamoto could simultaneously exploit Isshiki and enhance his own abilities—a true "win-win" situation!
"Besides, I didn't have Amenominaka before. This means my Chakra surges have already spread widely. So..."
Those true "Celestial Beings" were likely not far from arriving in the ninja world.
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki had already made his move. Though the other investigators were farther away, they could still sense his presence.
At this moment, they were likely racing toward the ninja world, possibly arriving very soon.
"I'm looking forward to it."
Minamoto welcomed their arrival. After all, these beings were prime "materials."
"Even if I can't absorb their energy yet, their presence will accelerate my growth."
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki had feared those so-called "Celestial Beings," but to Minamoto, they were entirely different.
Moreover, Minamoto was still contemplating one matter. His gaze shifted slightly, turning toward the moon.
"Kaguya Ōtsutsuki—how should I deal with her?"
Kaguya was a being who had consumed the fruit of the Divine Tree—a true immortal.
Though her combat awareness was weak, and she lacked any real battle techniques, her "stats" were undeniably high.
However, Kaguya was incredibly prideful. After being sealed away by her two sons, her thoughts were difficult to discern.
Not to mention, she had initiated the Infinite Tsukuyomi to counter the Ōtsutsuki clan. Her attitude toward other living beings remained uncertain.
"And the Sage of Six Paths—what are his and his brother's thoughts? I can't say for sure either."
Minamoto stroked his chin. Strictly speaking, Kaguya was a natural ally. But the sheer mess of circumstances made it hard to judge.
"Perhaps..."
After pondering for a while, an odd thought emerged in Minamoto's mind.
"This might be the best way to make certain judgments."
As the idea took shape, Minamoto's thoughts grew more active.
Given his current abilities, meeting her didn't seem difficult at all!
While Minamoto mulled over his plans, Obito had already arrived in the Land of Water.
Surrounded by thick mist, he felt a sense of disorientation, as if he had traveled back in time.
"Back then, it was here that Kitagawa Minamoto drove me away."
Painful memories surged, causing Obito to clench his fists tightly.
"Forget it. No point dwelling on the past. I should focus on finding the other 'evolved individual' Rin directed me to."
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
📚 BOOK COMPLETED ON PATREON!📚
This story has reached its conclusion on my Patreon!
🔥 Full story available now
💎 Exclusive bonus content & early access to new books
👉 Join my Patreon community today!
[✨ patreon.com/GoldenLong]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━