"It's you!"
"You must be Deidara's former follower. I didn't expect you to dare show your face!"
Kakashi and Yamato looked surprised.
This man hadn't intervened during their fight with Deidara. Judging by that, he shouldn't be very strong—yet here he was, stopping the three of them on his own.
"Senior, let's capture him and bring him back to Konoha for interrogation."
Yamato formed a seal and extended a curved wooden pillar from his hand. It wrapped around the masked man instantly.
"Ah! Wood Style ninjutsu? Oh no, I've been caught!" the masked man exclaimed in mock surprise.
Kakashi frowned. This guy was a member of the Akatsuki. There's no way it should've been that easy.
Sasuke watched quietly from the side, eyes narrowing. He could tell—Obito was just toying with them.
Sure enough, the next second—
Obito's body phased right through the wooden restraint, like it wasn't even there.
"Haha, just kidding! I may not be the best fighter, but escaping? That's where I shine."
"You… what just happened?"
"He passed right through Wood Style!"
Kakashi and Yamato stood frozen. What kind of ability was that?
"As expected of Akatsuki's 'Zero Seventy'… his power is even more dangerous than we thought," Kakashi muttered, then demanded, "Tell us—why are you here?"
Obito gave a theatrical laugh. "To avenge Deidara-senpai, of course! Now watch this—Lizard Cloak Technique!"
He flipped upside down from a tree branch, hands forming signs.
"Back off! Be careful!" Kakashi barked.
He and Yamato instantly retreated, wary.
But Sasuke didn't move. He stared coldly at Obito.
"Huh? Sasuke, aren't you going to run?" Obito asked, puzzled.
"This childish trick? You can stop now."
Sasuke's Sharingan flared to life.
"Hmph. You really are impressive. In terms of potential and talent, you might even surpass Uchiha Itachi…" Obito said in a low voice.
Under the swirling mask, his own Sharingan appeared.
"You… you have a Sharingan?" Kakashi stepped back, stunned.
Yamato's face turned tense. "Is he… Uchiha Itachi?"
"No… he's not," Kakashi said firmly. "I've fought Itachi before. This guy's aura is completely different."
Clips of memory flashed through Kakashi's mind—especially that fateful moment at Kannabi Bridge.
"…Obito? Is it really you?"
"Hmph. Still as slow as ever, Kakashi," the masked man sneered.
He turned to Sasuke. "Do you want to know the truth about the Uchiha massacre? Come with me."
And with that, Obito vanished into the woods.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly. The truth?Heh... I know more than you think.
"No! Sasuke, don't follow him! He's dangerous!" Kakashi moved to block him.
He understood Sasuke's strength well—but no matter how mature Sasuke acted, he was still a boy haunted by the Uchiha's destruction.
A single wrong move, and he could be led astray.
"Don't worry, Kakashi," Sasuke said, brushing past. "I just want to see what he's planning."
And then—boom! Sasuke opened the Celestial Forge Style.
Lightning surged across his body as he vanished in a burst of speed.
"Yamato! Stop him!"
"Yes, sir!" Yamato reacted fast, twisting the forest into a snaring trap.
Massive roots curled around Sasuke—but he burst through them with raw lightning and vanished again.
"Damn it…" Kakashi clenched his fists.
Deep in the forest—
"Tell me," Sasuke said coldly, "about the so-called truth of that night."
Obito smirked. He came… just as I hoped.
"Sasuke, do you really think Uchiha Itachi destroyed the clan of his own will?"
"Hmph. Didn't he?"
"No. He was following orders. The real masterminds were Konoha's top brass… your beloved Hokage and Danzo!"
His voice was cold, heavy with accusation.
Sasuke's eyes widened in mock shock. "That's… impossible. The Third Hokage would never—"
"Do you think I'd lie to you?"
Obito leaned in. "You want to know who I am?"
Sasuke stared in silence.
"I… am Uchiha Madara."
"Pfft—" Sasuke burst out laughing. "Seriously? That's your story?"
He already knew the truth—but pretending to be fooled would keep Obito off guard.
"You don't believe me?" Obito asked.
Sasuke shook his head. "Madara was from the First Hokage's era. He's been dead for decades."
Obito slowly removed half his mask, revealing his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Sasuke gasped—perfectly on cue. "That pattern… Mangekyō?"
"There are only a few in history who've awakened it…"
"Sasuke, I'm not lying. Our clan descends from the Sage of Six Paths. I found the shell of the sacred tree—its power lets me live for centuries."
"Hmph. If you really were Madara, wouldn't you have achieved your goals already?"
"I've lived too long. I'm no longer at my prime. That's why I created the Akatsuki—to gather strength through others."
Sasuke fell silent, pretending to consider it.
Obito took the bait.
"Sasuke, let me tell you the real history—of Uchiha, Konoha, and everything in between."
He began to narrate, weaving the tales Madara had once told him, adding his own twist, stoking flames of resentment.
"Konoha was built on Uchiha blood. But in the end, they feared our power. They crushed us. They used your brother as a tool to wipe out his own clan."
He leaned closer. "Everyone in Konoha is complicit. They're all murderers."
"And Uchiha Itachi? A traitor. He infiltrated Akatsuki on Konoha's orders!"
Sasuke's fists clenched. He showed just enough rage to sell the act.
"…Then Uchiha Itachi—I will kill him myself!"
3.6 - Hook, Line, and Sinker
Under the mask, Obito smiled.
He'd achieved his goal—not just brainwashing Sasuke, but turning him into a weapon against Itachi.
Once the brothers fought to the death, one problem would solve the other.
"Yes… We can't let traitors live."
"When the time is right, I'll tell you where to find Itachi."
"And after your revenge, I'll help you rebuild the Uchiha clan. You'll be its new leader… and I'll fade away, as the last soul of old Uchiha."
Sasuke remained quiet for a moment—then smiled coldly.
"You're right. Konoha must pay for what they've done."
Obito grinned beneath his mask.
"Haha… With your talent, you'll be the perfect chess piece."
They stared at each other, exchanging smiles—one smug, one sinister.
Of course, only one of them was giggling inside.