"Ridiculous."
"You are you, I am me."
"What makes you think I'd help you?"
The masked man mocked the young Obito Uchiha's naivety, watching his younger self fuming with rage. It always gave him the feeling that everything real existed in another parallel world. But, unfortunately, that parallel world didn't belong to him. His world had already been doomed to collapse the moment he was chosen by Madara.
For the young Obito Uchiha of that other world, envy was inevitable. If the one chosen by that strange scroll had been them back then, perhaps he would have had a chance to stay with everyone forever.
A blurry image flashed in his mind. It was the Hokage's office. From his first-person perspective, he watched the adult Kakashi, holding a thick stack of files, waiting for his review.
Outside the door, Naruto Uzumaki was calling out, "Obito-sensei!" Relying on his status as Minato-sensei's son and his position as his student's, he hoped to be assigned more important missions.
Downstairs, Kushina-san was shouting at Naruto to stop causing trouble, while Minato-sensei chased after his wife, covering for their son.
As the head of Konoha's Medical Corps, Rin had grown even stricter than before, but she was still the same Rin, taking her responsibilities seriously with every patient.
The relationship between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha had finally been reconciled under my mediation as Hokage. Itachi still remained Kakashi's junior, appearing outside the Hokage's office window with his usual serious expression, helping Mikoto-san bring over the extra red bean soup from home.
Sasuke, that foolish younger brother, was always fighting with Shisui, arguing loudly about who had the right to claim Itachi.
And me? I was probably still the same Obito Uchiha, the one who couldn't stand seeing anyone in need, even as Hokage. Still arriving late because I helped an old lady cross the street.
Then I'd get scolded by my Anbu Commander until I was blue in the face, having to apologize and grovel, bowing and scraping with no dignity as Hokage.
Just thinking about that scene again, I couldn't imagine anything happier than that... How wonderful it would be if I were the one chosen by that mission scroll?
…
"Hmph, we never counted on you in the first place!" Young Obito snorted coldly.
Young Kakashi frowned. "You should already know! This is all Madara and Black Zetsu's scheme! If that's the case, why are you still obstructing us?"
The masked man didn't answer his question. Instead, he tapped his mask with a finger.
"You two attack together. If you can shatter this mask within fifteen rounds, you win."
The Young Obito Uchiha was itching to fight.
Just as he was about to strike, Young Kakashi stopped him.
"What's the point of winning?"
He stared at the masked man, sensing a wager in his words.
"Win?"
The masked man tilted his head back, seemingly deep in thought.
After a long silence, the impatient young Obito Uchiha couldn't help but urge him.
"Hey! If Kakashi and I win, what exactly will you do?! Tell us first, then we'll fight!"
After he asked, the other two never imagined what would happen next.....
Apart from Madara Uchiha and Obito Uchiha, these two characters, the masked man before them seemed like someone with a split personality.
Like a mentally unstable clown, his voice was high-pitched as he waved his arms about.
"Aye-yee~~"
"Well now~ Though the odds are practically zero, what if Tobi actually loses?"
"Tobi doesn't have anything valuable to give you guys~~"
Both Young Obito and Young Kakashi were utterly dumbfounded.
It was like walking down the street when suddenly a lunatic jumps in front of you, spouting gibberish and performing bizarre actions!
The eeriness carried an unsettling, chilling undertone.
The two stared at the masked man before them, frozen in silence!
The masked man calling himself 'Tobi' twisted his body in an eerie manner.
He poked at his mask, making comical gestures.
"Aaaaaah!!!!"
A sudden shriek sent young Obito and Young Kakashi stumbling back half a step.
"I figured it out!"
Young Obito: "You... you're sick?! My future self is actually a multiple personality disorder patient?!!"
"What did you figure out?" Young Kakashi's nerves were stretched to breaking point. Even knowing this man was Obito Uchiha from this world offered no reassurance. Instead, the shifting personalities only amplified their unease.
"If I lose, I'll help you complete your mission. How about that~ Isn't that awesome?!"
"......"
Both young Obito and Young Kakashi were stunned. After all that scheming, this is what you come up with?!
"If I fight you for fifteen rounds, win or lose, my mission is already complete! Are you stupid?!! Your wisdom points—" He almost blurted out that they seemed absurdly low.
But this topic felt like a lose-lose situation.
Young Obito Uchiha forced himself to swallow the words on the tip of his tongue.
The result......
"Aye aye Isn't your wisdom value a bit too low? When did Tobi ever say he'd help you complete this mission" The voice, meant to be hoarse and deep, was deliberately made high-pitched. The 182cm sturdy frame wriggling around was a sight to behold.
Young Obito and Young Kakashi exchanged an unnoticeable glance.
If not this mission, then what else could it be...
Which mission?
Both turned their gaze toward the masked man across from them.
A peculiar premonition suddenly gripped young Obito Uchiha. Could it be...
"Helping you complete that S-rank mission, of course! Ahahahaha! But you two? Hurting Tobi's mask within fifteen rounds? Not a chance!"
In stark contrast to the playful voice across from them, the expressions of Young Kakashi and young Obito darkened instantly.
Though they both knew this man was the Obito Uchiha of their current parallel world, and understood the true culprits were this world's Black Zetsu and Madara Uchiha, the fact that the masked man had killed Minato-sensei's family would never be erased!
Nor would Naruto and Sasuke's hatred simply vanish.
But...
But...
"Do you think defeating me is easy? Even just touching my mask is utterly impossible for you in your current state."
The masked man suddenly shifted into Madara Uchiha's tone!
His deep voice seemed to crush them!
Had they not known his true identity, his impersonation of Madara Uchiha would have been so convincing that few in the world could have detected the deception!!
This seamless switching of personas made them realize that when 'Obito Uchiha' wore the mask, he had already begun concealing his true self—call him a coward, call him fragile!
In the end, it was all just a means to change his identity, evade responsibility, escape pain, and disguise himself through the mask!
Suddenly, they recalled the words spoken earlier by Naruto Uzumaki from the future…
"Shatter Obito Uchiha's mask!"
Given their understanding of Naruto Uzumaki, what he meant was to shatter all his false facades! To force him to confront his true self with nowhere to hide!
Young Obito Uchiha and Young Kakashi, thinking this, slowly crouched down, gripping their kunai and chakram knives tightly, assuming a stance ready to attack at any moment.
A hand clad in black gloves beckoned them forward.
"Fire Release! Great Fireball Technique!"
Young Obito Uchiha struck first! He immediately unleashed the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique.
Within this space, the masked man's greatest disadvantage was his inability to use Intangibility. Thus, facing Obito Uchiha's Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, the best he could do was counter with the same ninjutsu.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!!"
However, it was clear that the young Obito Uchiha's Great Fireball Technique was inferior to the masked man's in both power and size.
The masked man's ears twitched slightly. Behind the fireball, he heard a faint sound.
That crackling noise—no need to guess who it was!
After the masked man's fireball deflected Young Obito's, a sharp figure charged straight at him!
Unlike the Chidori or Raikiri the masked man knew well, this technique was developed by two Kakashi together—a Lightning Release ninjutsu that could be executed perfectly without needing the Sharingan!
"Shiden!!"
A powerful electric current directly struck the masked man's body, making him tremble within the purple currents!
Not as powerful as the Chidori, but still formidable.
At least it was sufficient against ordinary enemies.
Moreover, barring any mishaps, this technique should function effectively as an area-of-effect attack.
Kakashi truly was a genius. Even without the Sharingan, he remained Konoha's finest ninja.
Ironically, possessing the Sharingan meant that Kakashi had to constantly divert a significant portion of his chakra to sustain his left eye, leaving him perpetually chakra-depleted.
Thinking it over, it was ultimately me who held him back...
As the electric shock numbed his entire body, the masked man suddenly recalled their childhood missions together. That proud figure always wore a slight frown.
"Hurry up and catch up. Do we need to carry you? You're holding us back."
Holding them back? That description really suited him...
...
Over there, Young Kakashi and Young Obito froze for a moment!
They succeeded already?!
Young Kakashi and Young Obito hadn't expected to succeed so quickly. They'd assumed these two attacks would at best make the masked man acknowledge their strength, but more likely than not, they'd be dodged. At best, they might be blocked by the masked man.
But they never imagined the masked man would directly absorb his Shiden technique?!
Just as Young Kakashi snapped out of his daze and prepared his next strike!
The masked man, who had been struck by Shiden and paralyzed by the Lightning Release, had fully recovered from this attack!! He swung a horizontal kick toward the nearby Young Kakashi!
The distance was too close. Young Kakashi could only brace his arms to absorb most of the blow!
Watching himself get kicked several meters away, he could have blocked it with his Chakra Blade but chose to use his arms instead.
Evidently, that blade held profound significance for Kakashi.
"Kakashi!"
"I'm fine! You attack, I'll cover you."
"Got it!"
The seamless coordination between Young Kakashi and Young Obito was something the masked man had only witnessed once before—during their joint rescue mission for Rin.
A memory surfaced—the day he and Kakashi had coordinated their attack against the Iwa ninja.
Yet now, he couldn't bring himself to embody 'Obito Uchiha' once more.
For his position had shifted: from Obito Uchiha of Konoha to an enemy obstructing Obito Uchiha's protection of his comrades.
In a startling realization, he found himself standing on the opposite side of everyone important.
Turning back, he discovered he had even become that Iwa ninja named Kakkō from the Kannabi Bridge!
Why? How had everything turned out this way?
Oh right—because Madara Uchiha had chosen him. As Madara Uchiha's stand-in, he was executing the Eye of the Moon Plan.