Nagato knew Obito was quietly contemplating something, but he didn't expect that the words spilling out would be about saving the world. When did the desperate desire to destroy the world turn into a desperate will to protect it? The person who never cried like a child during destruction now wept like one, evoking an almost instinctive pity.
He wanted to ask, but the words wouldn't come. Obito's tears poured down like rain, and no question could make sense of it. Tilting his head, Nagato gave a subtle signal, and a box of tissues was tossed over. Apart from Konan, calmly drinking, the others stared at Uchiha Obito, bawling uncontrollably, utterly confused. From Kakuzu at the top of the table to Hidan at the bottom, no one imagined that the organization's notorious scoundrel could be so emotional.
Kisame nudged Itachi and whispered incredulously, "Was he like this before?"
Itachi quietly nodded, meaning clear in his eyes. "Kakashi-senpai said Obito was a crybaby." Upon hearing this, Kisame slapped himself on the face and refused to acknowledge that this man had ever been his superior.
With tears and snot running freely, Obito blew his nose, though the tears didn't stop. His voice remained thick with sobs, now calmer, the storm of emotion having momentarily settled.
I don't know if the next genjutsu will let me smooth this over… I just lost control and cried… now thinking of Zaraki Kita on the surgical table…
His eyes reddened again, fresh tears spilling over.
"Enough. Say what you need to say—stop crying," Nagato finally said, exhausted. He handed Obito two tissues, urging him to wipe his face. Obito dabbed at his tears and sniffled, muttering quietly.
"Can… can we pretend it never happened?"
The others were silent, simply watching him attempt to put on a front.
Zaraki Kita never wanted to involve Akatsuki. Between her final wishes and her heartfelt desires, Obito chose the former: to handle these matters and prevent future disaster.
"I'm sorry," Obito said, bowing his head deeply, pressing it against the table with a gravity that surprised everyone.
"I deceived everyone. I'm sorry."
This apology was necessary—whether for the events of years past with the "true and false" Madara Uchiha incident, or for Zaraki Kita, he owed it. Even without these, hiding the truth about the Ōtsutsuki over the years was wrong. He didn't lift his head. No one asked further; they waited for him to continue.
"Zetsu… five years ago… that one wasn't Madara Uchiha's consciousness. That one was the will of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. Kaguya Ōtsutsuki is the mother of the Six Paths Sage, Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki. Her goal was to manipulate Madara Uchiha into releasing the Infinite Tsukuyomi to resurrect Kaguya."
Even the names themselves, and the tangled relationships, made one want to bang their head on the table. Konan paused mid-drink, stiffening at the mention of Zetsu, but otherwise showed no strong reaction. The mind struggled to comprehend why events so many years past were being brought up again—until a pair of crimson Sharingan activated.
He opened his Sharingan, drawing everyone present into a genjutsu. From the Six Paths Sage and Hagoromo's sealing of Kaguya, all the way to Black Zetsu's manipulation of Madara, the events unfolded, intertwining the conflicts of Hagoromo's sons. The beauty of the genjutsu was that hours of footage passed within it, while in the real world less than a minute elapsed.
When they emerged, Akatsuki members instinctively reached for drinks, gulping to steady themselves.
"Two years ago, I went to the Moon. I met the descendant of Hagoromo, Ōtsutsuki Toneri. He protects this world alone, keeping it hidden from the Ōtsutsuki clan. But the spatial cracks are widening—if they discover it, the world is finished. Kaguya remains sealed, the nursery is lost, chakra scattered. They won't forgive us. Once they find this place… it's over."
Obito spoke in a low, heavy tone.
"This world is a hell. I've thought that all along. But thinking there's someone fighting desperately to protect this hell… I want to help them. Even if it's hell, I won't let it be destroyed. That's how I feel. So this once… help me. After this, no matter how much you want to kill me, I won't resist. I don't need the Infinite Tsukuyomi anymore. Just this one request—help me protect this world, hide this place. The Ōtsutsuki clan must never find us. Please… only you, only we of Akatsuki, can do this."
Nagato didn't doubt the intelligence, but he questioned its source. Yet given the severity, the source didn't matter. The problem was real, urgent.
"What's your plan?"
"Using the Geto Statue, I'll gather the nine Tailed Beasts. The statue and the beasts will be exiled into the spatial cracks. We'll activate a space-sealing formation to forcefully close the cracks, using the Rinnegan to stabilize spatial curvature. Even if the Ōtsutsuki clan has the slightest chance of locating the statue containing the Tailed Beasts, they won't be able to reach this place. It's the only feasible method we've found."
Obito's sincerity made sense—only Akatsuki could do this because the Geto Statue was in his hands. Simply put, it was his.
"The Geto Statue is the shell of the Ten-Tails, the Ten-Tails being Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. How do you know this isn't Toneri manipulating you to revive Kaguya?" Nagato asked sharply.
Obito quickly responded, "Reviving Kaguya requires the Infinite Tsukuyomi. We're only activating the statue, awakening the Ten-Tails. No one becomes a human sacrifice to release the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
Logical, plausible—not obviously false. But Nagato couldn't simply take his word. The Tailed Beasts were a major deterrent; exiling them required careful consideration. He scratched his head, mumbling vaguely.
"Let's go to the Moon and see first."
"Really, boss?" Hidan asked instinctively. Nagato considered caution, but Obito was already impatient. Before Nagato could answer, Obito vanished into the air, leaving only the trailing echo of his voice.
"I'll inform Toneri."
Nagato muttered, "…I didn't say we should go now…"
Itachi blinked at him. "This is going to be troublesome." Itachi could distinguish illusions from reality. From Obito's constructed scene, it truly happened—he hadn't fabricated it.
"I don't know about the rest, but the fights of those three… that's beyond human capability." Kakuzu agreed, reserving judgment on other parts, but acknowledging the legendary power between the Six Paths Sage, Hagoromo, and Kaguya. Uchiha Obito couldn't have imagined such abilities.
"Konan, your thoughts?" Nagato asked bluntly. Konan set down her bottle, expression as cold as ever, showing no visible reaction, neither shock nor surprise.
"Take it step by step. Witness it, then judge."
No sooner had she spoken than Obito stood there, calm, unflustered. "Toneri says it's fine. Let's go now."
Nagato nodded and rose. The others followed. Deidara muttered as he walked, "I don't know whether to complain about this ridiculous plot first, or that going to the Moon is like going to the restroom, hmm!" Hidan nodded frantically beside him.
From sky to earth, only a few seconds passed.
━━━━ ❖ ━━━
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