Madara moved swiftly toward the Valley of the End, the place where he had arranged to meet Tobi.
Earlier, when he had been surrounded by the combined forces of Konoha and Kumogakure, no one could have stopped him if he had truly intended to leave immediately.
Even so, he had still chosen to act with almost theatrical arrogance, openly declaring his return to the world under the name of "Uchiha Madara." Part of the reason was undoubtedly because he wanted to test the limits of his current combat strength.
Unfortunately, this rejuvenated body had still disappointed him in the end.
The youth he had regained through the vitality of the Uzumaki clan came with severe flaws, flaws that directly restricted the extent to which he could use his power.
The moment he fought at full capacity, visible aging would immediately begin to overtake him again.
Although the battle against the Konoha–Kumo alliance had completely shaken everyone present, it had also cost him ten years of his lifespan.
Even now, he still retained the strength to continue fighting, but Madara could no longer afford to remain there. He still had many things left to accomplish.
If a single battle consumed ten years of his life, then with the condition of his current body, only a few more clashes of that level would turn him back into the frail old Madara he once was…
That was absolutely unacceptable.
Only then did Madara truly realize that he needed support. He needed subordinates.
Almost immediately, several figures came to mind: Nagato, who possessed the Rinnegan; the surviving Uchiha descendant who had offered him a Mangekyō Sharingan; Shimizu Uzuki, who had repeatedly refused his invitation; and the young Uchiha boy whom Tobi thought highly of.
He wondered how Tobi's mission had gone.
Still, judging from how confident the man had sounded, the matter had most likely succeeded.
And just as Madara found himself thinking for the first time that recruiting Obito under his command might actually be worthwhile, he arrived at the Valley of the End.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence… Tobi's chakra."
Madara recognized it at a glance.
Then he stepped directly into the enormous forest sea.
Before long, he noticed Obito lying unconscious on the ground. His gaze swept across the surroundings, but everything was deathly silent.
"Kid."
Obito did not react at all.
"Kid."
This time, Madara casually ignited a small flame beneath Obito's backside.
Very quickly, black smoke began rising from Obito's pants…
A moment later, a miserable scream echoed through the forest.
"WAAAH— I'M ON FIRE!!!"
"Water! Water! Water!"
Trailing a cloud of smoke behind him, Obito bolted around frantically.
"Where's the water?! Where is it?!"
Then, with tears already streaming from his eyes, he looked toward Madara.
"Mister, do you know where I can find water nearby?!"
Madara did not answer. Instead, he simply kicked Obito square in the backside.
In an instant, Obito shot into the sky like a launched rocket—
Boom!
Countless trees snapped in half as he crashed through the forest.
A moment later, Obito slammed back into the ground together with a rain of shattered wood, producing a deafening rumble.
At last, the fire was extinguished.
Obito sat there miserably, wearing a tearful expression.
"Mister, even if you were trying to help me, did you really have to kick me?"
"You don't know who I am?"
"Huh? Am I supposed to?" Obito stared blankly at him. "Who asks a total stranger something like that? Wait… are you famous or something, mister?"
"…Forget it. It seems Tobi never told you about me."
"My name… is Uchiha Madara."
"Mister, you know Tobi too?" Obito's eyes immediately lit up with curiosity, but then he suddenly froze.
"Wait a second… what did you say your surname was again…?"
"Uchiha?!"
"I am one of the founders of the Uchiha clan in Konoha."
Realization immediately dawned on Obito's face.
"So you're the person Tobi told me to wait for here!"
Madara gave a slight nod before asking, "Where is Tobi?"
"Shimizu Uzuki showed up, so Tobi went to deal with him."
"Oh?" A faint trace of surprise flashed through Madara's eyes. "I didn't expect him to make it here from that far away."
"Yeah, but he looked completely exhausted. He's probably close to dying by now."
"It sounds like you bear quite a bit of hatred toward him."
Obito's expression darkened instantly.
"He's the one who caused Rin's death."
"If I could, I'd kill him myself to avenge her."
A bitter unwillingness surfaced in his voice.
"But… I'm still too weak."
Madara fell silent.
He understood the pain of losing someone important better than most.
Suddenly, a violent coughing fit overtook him, and blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
"Mister, what's wrong?!"
"It's nothing… I simply overexerted myself for a while."
First, he had forcibly drawn out power beyond what this body could withstand. Then, in order to shake off Konoha and Kumogakure's pursuit and reach this place as quickly as possible, he had continued pushing the body past its limits.
Now, the aftereffects had finally begun to surface.
Madara's condition visibly weakened, and the signs of aging seemed to deepen once again.
"Mister, why don't I help you sit down and rest for a bit?" Obito asked with concern.
"…Very well."
So Obito stepped forward and supported the visibly exhausted Madara, slowly helping him toward a large tree nearby.
Then—
With a sharp thrust, a left hand suddenly pierced into Madara's back from behind.
Madara immediately spat out another mouthful of blood.
"Your reactions are impressive," Obito said mockingly. "I thought I'd pierce your heart in one strike, but you still managed to react in time."
"You—!"
Madara's Sharingan snapped wide open in fury.
Yet he could not see the enemy behind him.
A moment earlier, he had only managed to instinctively swing his left arm backward and barely block the invading hand.
"So long as it isn't your own will, you'll never truly lower your guard."
"…You're not that Uchiha brat."
"Correct," Obito replied lightly. "But unfortunately, there's no reward for getting it right."
As he spoke, massive amounts of black chakra continuously poured from Obito's left arm before gradually sinking into Madara's body.
I can't move…
Madara could feel control of his body slipping away.
"Who… are you?"
"Madara… do you really think you're some kind of savior? Do you think regaining your youth means you can bring everything to an end?"
"No… this is far from over."
Madara said nothing further.
The block he had made at the last second had preserved a sliver of hope for him.
Although the black chakra was still flooding into his body, he could at least begin gathering his own chakra for one final desperate counterattack.
But the price would be—
Further aging.
"And even now, you still think you can struggle your way out of this?" Obito sneered. "Do you really believe you're guaranteed to survive this ordeal?"
"What makes you think you're special?"
"Don't you find that laughable?"
"Madara… you're nothing more than a clown trapped inside a dream of your own making."
The ridicule only made Madara calmer.
He understood perfectly well that he would have only one chance to strike back.
"What… are you trying to do?"
"You still can't tell?" Obito's face gradually twisted into something grotesque as he let out a distorted laugh. "I'm becoming one with you completely…"
"You… want my body?"
By seizing control of his body, the other party intended to use that black chakra to devour his consciousness entirely.
"I want everything you have."
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