Orochimaru squatted in front of Obito, watching the monstrous hatred swirling in his eyes, and spoke lightly.
He knew full well the other man couldn't answer, but he still asked anyway.
"You know the organization. You've said it yourself: 'Akatsuki uses force to capture the Tailed Beasts to achieve true peace.' You've repeated this to me many times."
"But human strength has its limits. I've conducted countless experiments, countless calculations... and what did I get in return?" Orochimaru sneered. "An ugly, broken body."
"That's why," he continued, voice filled with fanaticism, "when I met my god, I realized—God can grant what humanity can never reach on its own. Now, I possess a lifespan of ten thousand years. Almost eternal life, without any side effects."
He spoke to himself more than to Obito, smiling in obsession, while Obito lay trembling.
He didn't know what kind of ridicule would await him when the world saw his true face revealed.
There were only two people present.
Sasuke Uchiha had already gone to Amakura Village to retrieve Pain's real body. During the battle, he had sensed chakra fluctuations from that direction and left in a hurry once the fighting ended.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru reached for the mask covering Obito's face and tore it away.
As expected, it was not Madara Uchiha—just a little brat he knew well: Uchiha Obito.
"Sure enough, it's you," Orochimaru said. "I was wondering which Uchiha survivor was stirring things up from the shadows. If it's you, it all makes sense. Lin's death back then really shattered you."
Mentioning Rin made Obito's eyes flicker with emotion.
Seeing this, Orochimaru chuckled and coaxed, "Do you want Rin resurrected? The real Rin—the girl who died back then?"
Unexpectedly, Obito showed no extreme reaction. He remained disturbingly calm.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly. Something was wrong.
Could it be the Rinnegan?
Could Pain's Rinnegan truly revive the dead?
Even if it could, the cost would be enormous.
Orochimaru studied Obito closely.
One of his Sharingan eyes was Kamui; the other was a transplant from another Uchiha.
To be cautious, Orochimaru removed both of Obito's eyes, replacing them with ordinary ones, even healing his injuries with meticulous care.
After that, he added a minor Blood Curse, just to be safe.
As expected, once Obito was freed from his restraints, he immediately sneered.
"The Rinnegan can bring back the dead! You better let me go now. If Uchiha Madara is resurrected, you'll be the first one he kills!"
Orochimaru laughed lightly. "Oh? So you still dream of resurrecting him? Without the Rinnegan, what can you do?"
He found it amusing. Obito still hadn't realized his situation.
Grabbing Obito by the neck, Orochimaru asked, "Where is the Gedo Statue?"
"I don't know!"
"Fine then. Sasuke will handle the interrogation." Orochimaru tossed him aside casually. "You don't want to talk? It doesn't matter. Once we get what we need from you, you'll be worthless."
He glanced at the clock in his mind.
"Three minutes left. Enjoy what little time you have left."
The minutes dragged painfully by.
For Obito, every second felt like a lifetime.
He thought about his life—how tragic it was. Orphaned young, losing Rin, stepping onto a path of no return... Was this really how it would end?
Facing the terrifying Orochimaru, Obito even began to doubt whether Uchiha Madara could defeat this monster if he were still alive.
Not long after, Sasuke Uchiha returned, dragging behind him Konan and a limping Nagato.
"How's it going? Did you find out where the Gedo Statue is?" Sasuke asked.
Orochimaru shrugged helplessly. "No. His mouth's still tight."
Nagato and Konan were stunned.
Didn't he claim to be Uchiha Madara?
Why did Orochimaru call him Obito?
Confusion filled their eyes.
"Tch. Seems there are still things you can't do," Sasuke muttered, throwing Konan and Nagato to the ground, preparing to use Genjutsu to force the information out of them.
At that moment, Obito suddenly said, weakly but clearly:
"Wait... If I join you, can the world really find peace?"
He didn't want to die.
He couldn't accept meeting Rin in the afterlife as a complete failure.
If there was even a sliver of hope, he had to try.
Orochimaru gave him a satisfied smile.
"Of course. God loves all beings—and so do we, His followers."
Obito's face flushed slightly with shame and bitterness.
In the end, he gave in completely.
He confessed everything.
He explained Madara's manipulation, the Eye of the Moon plan, the real reasons behind Akatsuki.
Listening quietly, Orochimaru found it laughable.
Obito was fooled by Madara, Nagato was fooled by Obito, Akatsuki was fooled by Nagato.
A perfect chain of deception.
Orochimaru chuckled coldly. "Don't you find this whole nesting doll game a little familiar? Every link in the chain relies on using hatred to control others. The only difference is, Nagato's parents were killed by Konoha... and Rin died because of Kirigakure."
Obito stiffened.
A terrible realization sank into his heart.
Sasuke glanced at him with disdain.
"Don't just sit there like an idiot. You got played too. I bet that woman Rin... she was probably manipulated from the start."