Faced with Maoyue Sunset's sudden question, Obito—formerly Yamato Arata, now transmigrated into Uchiha Obito's body—replied calmly, "Let's just say... we're old acquaintances."
Sunset's thoughts churned: Old acquaintances? Hatake Kakashi's old acquaintance? Within the Uchiha clan, the only one who trained with him was Uchiha Obito... But wasn't Obito the hero who died in the Battle of Kannabi Bridge during the Third Ninja War?
Come to think of it... the Sharingan Kakashi possesses did come from Obito. And then, somehow, he lost it.
Her gaze narrowed as she stared at Obito's back. He calls himself Uchiha Yu, but back when I worked in Konoha's ANBU, I had access to the Uchiha clan's family registry, including even the newborns. There was never anyone named "Yu."
Suddenly, a terrifying realization hit her, sending a chill down her spine. "Are you... Uchiha Obito?"
Up ahead, Obito raised the corners of his mouth slightly but didn't answer.
Ironically, the first person to suspect Obito's true identity wasn't his close friend Kakashi or even his former mentor Minato Namikaze, but Uzuki Yuhi—a woman who had never even met him before.
It was... oddly poetic.
Truthfully, Obito didn't have to hide anything. He could have just confessed outright that he was Uchiha Obito.
But...
Isn't her probing a sign of interest? Why ruin the mystery? It's far more effective to keep her guessing... that's how to hold power over curiosity.
"Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not," Obito said with a mysterious smile.
Sunset's lips pouted in frustration. "What kind of answer is that?! You are Obito, aren't you?"
"Who knows?" he teased.
"You—!" Her face flushed with anger. Maybe I have seen Obito before... I just didn't remember him clearly...
So she said, "Then take off your mask and let me see your face, okay?"
"Sure. Come on, take it off," Obito said with an inviting smile.
She rushed forward, reaching for his mask.
Fwoosh! But her hand passed right through his face.
In a flash, Obito grabbed her hand, activated Kamui, pulled her briefly into the void, then released her.
"Behave yourself," he said, still smirking.
"I swear—I'll kill you, no matter who you are!" Sunset shouted, almost trembling with rage.
"Mmm... is this what humans call being a third wheel?" murmured Zetsu (in his playful "Tobi" form), watching the scene unfold like a soap opera.
After another day of travel, the trio had crossed most of the Land of Water and finally arrived beneath the high cliffs that led to Kirigakure.
Being a woman, Maoyue Sunset couldn't tolerate the discomfort of days of sweat and grime. After securing Obito's promise that he wouldn't peek, she found a clear mountain spring, scanned her surroundings, and undressed.
Her face was beautiful, framed by long, flowing purple hair. Her figure was perfectly proportioned—both as a kunoichi and as a woman. Though she wasn't as exaggerated as Tsunade, she certainly wasn't inferior to a grown-up Hinata.
Under the moonlight, her body glowed. She stretched slightly, arms crossing over her chest, a faint blush on her cheeks.
Obito had already noticed she wasn't identical to Maoyue Xiyan as he remembered her. This woman had a beauty mark beneath her left eye—something Xiyan lacked.
She bathed quietly in the spring, letting the water wash away her tension and exhaustion.
Oddly enough, nothing humiliating or disgraceful had happened to her since she was taken. Contrary to her expectations, she had been treated with... restraint.
Nearby, Obito sat by a fire, eating wild fruits. Zetsu lounged boredly up in a tree.
Obito suddenly said, "Now that I think about it... the location we passed before was still pretty far from Kirigakure. So why were the Seven Ninja Swordsmen all there at the same time? It couldn't have been a coincidence. The odds are way too low."
He had previously ignored the detail—too busy relishing the battle.
From his perch in the tree, Zetsu (still in "Tobi" persona) shrugged. "If it wasn't chance, then someone must've leaked your location."
"Who could it be?" Obito narrowed his eyes. "Zetsu, from this distance, can you still communicate with the other clones?"
"No problem," Zetsu replied confidently. "They report in regularly. Orochimaru's progress matters to your bigger plan, so I make sure nothing is missed."
"Have you kept an eye on Kabuto Yakushi?" Obito asked.
"That four-eyed guy under Orochimaru?" Zetsu scoffed. "He didn't seem that remarkable, so I didn't pay him much attention."
"Hmm..." Obito's eyes narrowed further.
He didn't currently regard Kabuto as a threat—but he knew that the man possessed frightening potential. If Kabuto weren't Orochimaru's trusted aide, Obito would've already eliminated him.
"What—are you saying that guy is the one who betrayed us?" Zetsu asked.
Obito didn't answer. He already knew the truth.
It was Kabuto.
Kabuto Yakushi had always been a layered, multi-faced spy. Originally a pawn of Danzo's, he had traveled the world, gathering intel. After Danzo discarded him, he attached himself to Orochimaru with frightening loyalty.
But loyalty to Orochimaru didn't mean loyalty to Obito.
Think about it—if Kabuto discovered that Orochimaru, the man he admired, was being used as a tool by Obito to extract Hashirama's power... What would he do?
It wouldn't be surprising at all if Kabuto had leaked Obito's location through Orochimaru. He was exactly that kind of man.
"If that's true, I'll have the White Zetsu clones kill him immediately!" Zetsu's tone, for once, carried genuine killing intent.
"Not yet," Obito said, suppressing his own bloodlust. "Just watch him for now. Right now, nothing matters more than Orochimaru's research. The Hashirama cells are vital to my future. I can't afford for anything to derail him—even if Kabuto is plotting something."
But despite his calm tone, Obito's eyes gleamed with murder.
In this ninja world... someone dares to scheme against me?
He'd already made up his mind—once Orochimaru's research bore fruit, he would kill Kabuto without hesitation.
Even if it meant falsely accusing him. No mercy.
Later, when Sunset returned from her bath and saw the fire, her expression twisted with annoyance. "Don't you know anything about basic ninja survival?! Lighting a fire at night is dangerous! Enemy shinobi could spot us!"
"Isn't that perfect?" Obito replied with a grin. "If I get killed, you'll be free."
"You—!" Sunset ground her teeth in frustration. She knew he had a point... and she couldn't argue back.
Suddenly—whoosh!
The fire, burning bright just moments ago, flickered violently and snuffed itself out.
A dense fog swept over the mountain like a wave.
It wasn't natural mist—it was unmistakably Hidden Mist Jutsu. But this time... its scale was far beyond anything even the Seven Ninja Swordsmen could conjure.
Within the infamous Blood Mist, there was only one shinobi capable of unleashing Hidden Mist Jutsu at such a grand scale.
"I defeated the Seven Swordsmen alone. You've left me no choice but to come here myself... and erase the intruder."
A soft, eerie voice echoed through the fog. A beautiful young man with pale green hair and violet eyes stepped forward, his tone light and clear—almost like a child's.
Obito stood slowly, unshaken. "I didn't expect we'd meet so soon... Fourth Mizukage. Yagura, the puppet master of the Blood Mist."