Akashi, Yahiko, and Hanzo stood around a crimson, glass-like sphere that was placed atop a soft cushion.
Judging by its outward characteristics, there didn't seem to be much difference from what Akashi was trapped by three years ago, save the color.
However, upon a proper inspection, such wasn't the case.
"Did you find anything?"
Getting impatient, Hanzo asked. He was maintaining a poker face, but his demeanor spoke of his disinterest in Konan's state.
Akashi, now skilled enough to be considered an expert in fuinjutsu, was the one inspecting the orb.
"First of all, it is far different from what I experienced. For my case, breaking the orb was enough to free me. This one, however... should it be destroyed, Konan will die along."
"Then what?"
Hanzo frowned, not liking where the conversation was heading.
Yahiko eyed Hanzo solemnly before returning his eyes to the sphere.
Nagato was seated a little away from the rest, with a piece of cloth wrapped around his eyes. Nearby, Mei spectated the scene with her back leaning against a wall.
"Normally, having an outward restriction as severe as 'taking the life of the trapped should it break' should result in a relatively easy breakout from within. Unfortunately, this is more than just a fuinjutsu. Seals are nothing but a frame that encapsulates the actual force that is keeping Konan trapped."
"Which is?"
"Genjutsu. A very strong one, too."
Akashi, trying to suppress his rage, gnarled his teeth.
"Genjutsu and fuinjutsu exist in a near-perfect harmony. Such a feat would require years of knowledge and practice... I can tell that this orb isn't meant to trap Konan, but rather..."
"You."
Hanzo, crossing his arms, stated solemnly.
"...That masked man, Akashi,"
Yahiko then asked.
"You said that he has to do something with Uchiha Madara, didn't you?"
"Most likely."
"Just... what are Nagato's Rinnegans? Why are they after those?"
"I am not sure either. The information that we have at hand is scarce."
"Then?"
Hanzo stared at Akashi.
"What now?"
"...There is only one way to free Konan."
Nagato perked up. Although he could no longer see, he could hear just fine. In fact, losing his sense of vision seemed to have raised his sense of hearing, even though it hasn't been long.
"I need to enter the sphere and break the genjutsu from within. Doing so will shut down this array of seals as well."
"...You?"
"...! No! Let me be the one, Akashi."
Yahiko said firmly, with his eyes burning in determination.
"If what you said is true... Uchiha Madara may be lurking out there somewhere, right? You should stay. I will go in and—"
"No, Yahiko."
"Why?!"
"I already gave you an answer."
Akashi, with his eye glancing over the surface of the red sphere.
"This object is meant to be used against me. I am unsure of what kind of genjutsu it holds, but whatever it may be, it will be far from pleasant."
"...But—"
"Yahiko."
Nagato was the one to speak up, causing Yahiko to shut his mouth. His fists trembled before loosening.
"Sorry. I just..."
"Keep your emotional conflicts to yourself. We have no time for those."
Hanzo sharply intervened. He then asked Akashi,
"Must you truly go, my grandson?"
Akashi narrowed his eye at the way Hanzo called him, although he decided to ignore it for now.
"...What do you mean by that?"
"Although Konan was a good kunoichi and a patriot, her value cannot be compared to yours. You—"
"She is my family."
Akashi solemnly responded, cutting Hanzo off.
"Even if she were a beggar on the street, I would still go."
"...Is that so."
Turning away from Hanzo, Akashi stated,
"I need to make some preparation."
Leaving the red sphere, Akashi walked past Mei, toward the exit.
"Mei, call the others to assemble here."
"Will you be staying until their arrival?"
"No. You will have to explain the situation."
"And then?"
Akashi stopped right before the exit.
"Whoever that masked man was or is affiliated with, our enemies will act while I am occupied with that orb. If they deem me as this much of a threat to their plan, they may try to destroy that orb while I am within it."
"...Understood."
Akashi left the room.
__________
"Huff... huff... how... how did he..."
Within the dark cave, a bleeding man made his way out through a vortex that suddenly appeared in the middle.
He was severely bleeding in the chest. Unable to maintain his balance, he fell and began to crawl.
"Heal... yes... given enough time, these wounds will heal... huff... huff... I got... Senju Hashirama's cells..."
Uchiha Obito, unknowing of the fact that his mask had fallen off, positioned his back against the nearest wall.
Occasionally, as he breathed, a gurgling noise could be heard. He would then cough out blood.
The wounds he suffered were critical. Should he were a normal person, he would've long been dead.
However, Obito smiled. Placing his trembling hand into his cloak, he revealed a jar holding a pair of Rinnegans.
"The world which I... envision..."
"Obito."
The ground in front of him softened, before Zetsu—completely black—revealed himself.
"You don't look good."
"Yes... for... huff... huff... now..."
Obito proudly held the jar of Rinnegans.
"But... the goal... is within... the reach..."
"Indeed. Madara's goal, that is."
Obito turned stiff. His smile died down, not liking the sound of Zetsu's words.
"What... do you... mean—"
Without a further word, Black Zetsu began to creep over Obito's wounded body.
Weakened and vulnerable, Obito couldn't fight back and regain control over his own body.
The left half of his body was taken over by Black Zetsu.
His left arm—completely black—was raised. It opened the jar holding Rinnegans.
Reaching for his left eye, his own eye, one that holds a Sharingan, was plucked out. Within its socket, one of the two Rinnegans was inserted.
"What... are... you..."
"I was watching, Obito. I watched how much of a gap there existed between you and that Akashi. With his presence, there won't be much that you can do. You won't be as lucky as this time. He will try all that he can to stop you, and soon or later, you will die."
Obito gritted his teeth as he tensed his body. He tried to resist, but to no avail. His hands were moving against his will.
They, joining together, formed a hand seal. The Rinnegan that was barbarically inserted into his eye socket was absorbing the tremendous amount of chakra in him.
Considering how exhausted he was, Obito felt as if his life was being drained into a mere eye.
"This... is...!"
Obito recognized the hand seal that Black Zetsu was making him form. His right eye, the only part that was under his control, widened.
"You truly let us down, Obito. We expected far, far more from you, and yet... I am forced to resort to this."
"NO—"
Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life.
The coffin, at some distance away from them, began to shake.
Its lid was slid open.
A corpse that was in the process of rotting revealed itself. It was forced into the air by an invisible force.
Magically, the corpse's body parts began to regenerate. Muscles, nerves, bones, skin—the old was reverting back to new, and the weak was regaining its past glory.
The long, spiky white hair began to regain its vibrant black color.
Black Zetsu... he was reviving Uchiha Madara through the forbidden technique of the Rinnegan, with the cost being none other than Uchiha Obito's own life.
"From the very start, Obito... you probably knew as well, but..."
At last, the Black Zetsu whispered,
"You were nothing but a pawn to Madara. Your task was to convince Nagato to revive Madara, but oh well. You instead took the eyes out of him, so here we are."
"Bas...tard..."
Obito's vision began to blur. The voice of Black Zetsu no longer reached him.
As Black Zetsu controlled his left hand to take the Rinnegan out of his left eye socket and put it back into the jar, Obito's right eye turned glossy.
It was so abrupt. When Rin died, he promised that he would change this world. Yet, to meet his end like this...
"...Rin."
Whispering the name of the girl whom he loved, Obito's soul left his body.
Now being nothing more than an empty shell of a body, the Black Zetsu stopped controlling it.
Then, the man standing in front of it, Uchiha Madara, opened his mouth,
"...Hm, isn't this a little too early?"
His eyes were closed. After all, his eye sockets currently lacked eyes.
Holding his hand out, Madara received the jar of Rinngans from Black Zetsu.
"I was supposed to be revived after all the tailed beasts were collected."
"Yes, however, Akashi remains a huge anomaly whom we cannot ignore."
"Was Obito that incapable?"
"I wouldn't necessarily say so. Rather... Akashi's strength is absurd."
"Hmph. That rascal always manages to interfere with my plan."
Opening the jar, Madara took out the Rinnegans.
One by one, he put them in his eye sockets.
With his eyes yet closed, Madara sighed contentedly.
He was no longer old but back to his younger, prime self.
At the same time, the knowledge and experiences that he accumulated over the years remained with him.
Rinnegans, which he awakened at the end of his life, were back to him.
Madara could confidently say that, should he fight Senju Hashirama now, he would win.
"No matter. Be it Obito's incapability or Akashi's interruption, none of them matters before me."
Slowly, Madara opened his eyes.
The eyes didn't exhibit Rinnegan-like qualities, but the cold, black pupils.
Then, they swirled and turned crimson. Sharingans were revealed, three-tomoed. They rapidly spun and morphed into a unique pattern that belonged to that of a Mangekyo Sharingan.
Continuing, the crimson Mangekyo Sharingan, at last, morphed into the purple, ringed Rinnegans, the ultimate eyes of the Sage of Six Paths.
This meant that Madara was able to willingly turn Rinnegan on and off. This meant that he was the original owner of these eyes, ones that were on Nagato for years.
"And now... it all begins."
Madara smiled in exhilaration.
__________
Tools replenished. Hunger and thirst resolved. Enough rest taken.
Akashi has completed all the preparations that he could do.
Standing in front of the red sphere and staring intently at it, Akashi was now ready to go into it.
"...Return safe, Akashi."
Mei worriedly spoke, and Akashi nodded in response.
"I..."
Yahiko grimaced, looking down. He managed to push words out of his mouth,
"...I will ensure that Nagato remains safe. This time around... I won't fail."
On the other hand, Hanzo didn't speak but watched stoically. It wasn't that he didn't want to speak, but that he couldn't think of what to say.
Akashi, nodding again to Yahiko's words, placed his palm on top of the red sphere.
"...Here we go."
He took in a deep breath as he closed his eye.
The red sphere began to glow. The glow intensified. The bright red light took over the room, causing others to shield their eyes.
When the light faded, Akashi was no longer with them; only the red sphere remained.