October 10, pre-dawn.
Yun, who had disappeared at midnight, reappeared in his room, now holding a pile of black chakra receivers in his hand.
These were the chakra-conducting rods used by the Five Paths of Pain. This was the greatest gain from the trip his clone, "Ku," had taken from Amegakure.
Of course, whether these rods could actually serve as a medium to connect to Nagato was still uncertain. After all, they weren't made of flesh or living tissue, just control conduits Nagato used to manipulate the Six Paths of Pain.
Using Nagato's organic material would be a better medium, but considering Nagato's god complex, anything like that would be almost impossible to obtain.
[Intelligence Exchange System Activated]
[Rule Replication Function Activated]
[Medium Failed to Trigger]
'Tch, looks like the clone's trip was a waste in the end.'
'Still, learning about Obito's strange new ability wasn't a total loss. Consider it a consolation prize.'
'As for getting the Rinnegan this time? Yeah, not happening.'
Yun casually tossed the now-useless chakra rods into a sealing scroll. Once today's task was done, he'd send them back to the clone's location.
Then, he opened a hidden compartment beneath his bed and retrieved a scroll containing a quarter of an arm.
[Intelligence Exchange System Activated]
[Rule Replication Function Activated]
[Medium Triggered]
[Targets Available: Hashirama Senju (Pure Land), Uchiha Obito]
Target locked: Uchiha Obito
[S-Class Ninja Locked: Uchiha Obito]
[Exchange Space Timeflow Adjusted]
[Activate Shadow Mode?]
'Hmm… Shadow Mode. Activate.'
Since the identity "Uzumaki Ku" had already slashed Obito twice, the grudge was deep. Shadow Mode could at least slightly conceal Yun's true identity and reduce future conflict.
The scene changed. Unlike his last transaction with Hashirama at the Hokage Rock, Yun chose a new backdrop.
This time, they stood before Konoha's Memorial Stone.
Obito suddenly appeared and instinctively panicked. His Mangekyō Sharingan spun rapidly, trying to open his Kamui space, but no matter how hard he tried, it was as if his jutsu had been completely sealed.
Next to him, the shadowy figure of Yun calmly said in a raspy voice:
"No need to struggle. Even your Mangekyō Sharingan has no effect here."
The unexpected voice startled Obito. He immediately swung his iron chain, retreating ten meters in a blink.
"You don't have to be so nervous," Yun continued. "This transaction space has likely etched the rules into your mind already. Think carefully."
Obito paused briefly, then slowly retracted the chain.
He had indeed tried to attack just now, but the moment he had the thought, he found himself unable to move.
"Who are you? And this place—"
He stopped mid-sentence as his eyes landed on the memorial stone in front of Yun. It was Rin's memorial, and on it was a bouquet of flowers, left behind by that bastard Kakashi.
He'd been too busy these past few days to come clean them up. What right did Kakashi have to offer flowers to Rin?
"This is just a manifested image created by the exchange space," Yun explained. "Not the real memorial in Konoha. Maybe the space decided this place would help facilitate the deal."
"Tch."
Obito sneered.
"Is this a place where no lies can be told? And who are you, really? You seem to know who I am?"
He rattled off three questions like a tongue-twister.
Yun answered calmly:
"Just like the instructions in your mind say, this space has its rules, for example, you can't attack me. Any form of aggression is invalid here."
"As for who I am… just an information broker. Obito, everything you want to know about this world, bring a price, and it's yours."
Obito let out a mocking laugh.
"Everything? Don't flatter yourself. This world is hell to me. What could I possibly want to know?"
Yun looked toward the glowing characters "Nohara Rin" etched on the memorial stone bathed in sunset light.
"You really don't want to know the truth behind Rin's death?"
Obito scoffed:
"Oh please. Do you think you're someone omniscient? Ha. The Mist ninja implanted the Three Tails into Rin's body, and she begged Kakashi to kill her."
"You think that's news to me? I know Rin chose death by Kakashi's hand, but that's not what matters. What matters is he failed to keep his promise. He failed to protect her!"
Obito raised his head. His Mangekyō eye twisted with fury.
"Trying to use that info to bargain with me? It's not gonna work."
Yun remained unfazed. In this space, no matter how Obito's eye glowed with power, it was all useless.
"There was another hand behind Rin's death. What you know… what you saw… isn't the whole truth."
Another person?
Obito turned sharply, just in time to see the white clouds in the sky swirl together, forming the character for Truth.
'That word… meant the information was real?'
He turned back to the stone.
'Could it be true? Then who was behind it?'
"Have you decided?" Yun asked. "One piece of payment, and I'll give you their name."
"Tch…"
Obito laughed coldly and shook his head.
"I don't know how magical this place truly is, but this is something I'll investigate myself. I don't need to make a deal with you."
Yun froze for a second.
He had chosen the memorial stone setting specifically to break through Obito's emotional defenses via Rin.
But it looked like the plan wasn't working as he had hoped.
"It's been years since Kannabi Bridge. If you really had what it takes to learn the truth, would it have taken you this long?"
Yun looked at Obito again.
"Because of the Mist Village, you took control of the Fourth Mizukage Yagura, pushing the Bloody Mist policy even further. Uchiha Obito… you're not someone known for holding back their anger."
Obito chuckled behind his mask.
"So you don't actually know everything."
He then covered his left eye, the one hidden behind the mask.
"Because of certain reasons, I've come to know a lot lately. And coincidentally, you just gave me a clue. The ability to extend a dot into a full picture? Yeah… I happen to have that power."
'So that's it?'
Yun's eyes narrowed.
Obito's words confirmed his new ability, one that had never appeared in canon. And the way he held his masked eye...
Yun's mind raced. Things were clearly moving out of his control.
If Obito's power really worked that way, then he'd become even harder to deal with in the future.
"Then what about your plan?" Yun asked."The Eye of the Moon Project, maybe it's not what you think it is."
He looked at Obito seriously.
"You… probably couldn't even bring yourself to commit suicide, could you?"