Obito's feelings aside, Sasuke remained on high alert.
He might've looked calm, but in reality, he had already prepared multiple ways to counter Obito—Genjutsu, the Rinnegan, space-time ninjutsu. The moment Obito showed even the slightest opening, Sasuke wouldn't hesitate to strike, aiming to kill in one blow.
A guy like Obito, who had stayed hidden in the shinobi world for so many years, definitely had his own tricks. Underestimating him would be as good as throwing his own life away.
That being said, the Rinnegan… Sasuke had heard about it before, but seeing a pair up close still made him uneasy. He couldn't help it—the overwhelming pressure he had felt from the Sage of Six Paths back then had burned the idea into his mind that the Rinnegan was on a whole different level.
He had almost forgotten that a normal Rinnegan was nowhere near the same as the Six Paths version.
Still, unlocking the Rinnegan in an era without Six Paths power? Uchiha Madara truly lived up to his legend as one of the two men who had ended the Warring States period. His talent and strength were the real deal.
Sasuke sent a bit of chakra into Konan to keep her alive, then turned his gaze to Obito and casually said, "By the way, Obito, as a member of the Uchiha, why did you plan to destroy your own clan?"
"Madara being betrayed didn't have much to do with you, did it?"
His tone was so casual, it almost seemed like he didn't care about the answer at all.
Obito raised an eyebrow slightly, then after a brief pause, said, "You don't need me to explain the potential of the Uchiha, do you? The Mangekyou Sharingan's ability to control tailed beasts was the biggest threat to the Moon's Eye Plan."
Honestly, when Shisui awakened his eyes back then, it scared Obito. Especially after learning about Shisui's dojutsu—Obito was so wary that he never dared to show himself around him, only interacting with Itachi from the shadows.
Luckily, some tricks had forced Shisui into a corner, leading to his death. Everything had gone according to plan, and the Uchiha clan was wiped out. Sure, Sasuke was left behind as an even bigger problem, but at least it was better than being brainwashed by Kotoamatsukami.
Sasuke paused for a moment, his expression unchanged. "That's it?"
"Well, I also wanted some personal revenge," Obito scoffed. "The Uchiha clan wasn't exactly kind to me."
Not kind, but not necessarily cruel either.
Suddenly, black flames erupted beneath Obito's feet, engulfing the ground in front of him. The intense fire spread instantly, swallowing Obito completely.
Of course, it was useless.
Standing within the flames, Obito looked down at the burning ground. The black fire crackled like divine punishment, but instead of fear, his smirk grew even wider. "Looks like you're not as indifferent as you pretend to be."
"Well, you were one of the masterminds behind my parents' deaths," Sasuke said, his expression unchanged. The glow of his Tomoe Rinnegan and Eternal Mangekyou grew even stronger. "I really want to kill you. If not for Kamui, you'd be dead a dozen times over by now."
"I'll admit, I can't beat you as I am now," Obito said. "But you're not unbeatable either. Uzumaki Naruto alone could take you down, not to mention the unknown power of the Nine-Tails. At best, you're the third strongest in the shinobi world."
He was trying to shake Sasuke's confidence.
"You're right." Unexpectedly, Sasuke didn't get angry. In fact, he even smiled a little. "By the way, have you eaten?"
Obito: "..."
Thanks, I haven't eaten. What about you?
Even though White Zetsu had already mentioned how this guy talks in such an unpredictable way, actually facing Obito still caught him off guard.
Sasuke sheathed his sword and stretched his neck a little. "Let me think… Where would you rank in the ninja world? Oh wait, do you even rank at all?"
The seemingly polite question made Obito clench his fists. "You've got a sharp tongue!"
"Sorry, did I hit a sore spot? Did it hurt that soft little heart of yours?" Sasuke smirked proudly. "After all, I have the strength to protect the people I want to protect. Even when I stand in front of my enemies, they'd rather run away than go for the kill."
Yeah, he was mocking how Obito had just grabbed Nagato and tried to leave instead of finishing the job.
Not only that, but Sasuke's smile took on a deeper meaning. "Unlike a certain someone… watching the person he loved die at the hands of his best friend, yet all he could do was blame the world…"
"Shut up!" Obito roared.
Sasuke stopped talking, simply crossing his arms and watching him.
Obito gritted his teeth, his Mangekyou Sharingan spinning uncontrollably. "What do you know?! You're just a flower raised in a greenhouse! What do you know?! This world is hell! Rin died because of this hell!"
Yeah, Obito blamed Kakashi for not protecting Rin, blamed Minato for arriving too late, and even blamed himself for trusting Kakashi.
But the one he truly blamed… was the world itself.
This ninja world—this hell where hope and light could never be found.
"The war between ninjas will never end. As long as this world exists, fighting will never stop." Obito's voice grew wild. "I don't want to save this world—it's meaningless."
"I just… want to create a world where Rin exists!"
"A world without war! A world with absolute peace! A world where Rin… will never die!"
"So what do you even understand?!" Obito shouted at Sasuke. "Have you ever faced true despair? Do you know what hell looks like? Have you ever lost everything? Do you know what it feels like to have every bit of trust betrayed?! Do you?!"
"You don't! All of you just talk big about peace while constantly starting wars! You're all hypocrites who turn this world into hell!"
Obito gasped for breath. Even after all that fighting, he hadn't been this out of breath—but now, because of just a few words from Sasuke, he was completely losing his cool.
Sasuke looked at the man in front of him with an indifferent gaze. As Obito struggled to catch his breath, Sasuke suddenly chuckled.
"You lost it."
Damn it!
Obito clenched his fists, his killing intent bursting out without restraint. "I have to admit, Uchiha Sasuke… You're really annoying when you talk. You make people want to kill you on the spot!"
Hearing the gritted-teeth frustration in Obito's voice, Sasuke figured if he pushed him just a little more, Obito might actually bite through his own teeth.
"You're just barking like a mad dog… a complete clown," Sasuke smirked, his eyes filled with disdain. "If I really wanted to mess with your head, I'd keep pushing this further."
Sasuke thought for a moment before speaking again.
"But honestly, it's not even necessary anymore… because right now, you look just like…"
"A dung beetle that can't find any dung."
"Running around in circles with no direction, no answers. Just desperate to find some dung to push, as if pushing it would somehow give your life meaning."
"Doesn't even matter if the dung is real or fake, or who dropped it. As long as there's dung, you'll push it."
"But I guess that makes sense… After all, what else suits a dung beetle better than dung?" Sasuke scoffed. "Pretty accurate, right? Kurama taught me that one."
If anything, this was the perfect example of 'short and to the point.'
---
You can read 10 Chapters ahead on my
pat reon.com/GMadman