The coffin lids slowly slid open, revealing three faces that Uchiha Obito had never seen before.
Two of them were pale as paper, with strange horns growing from their foreheads. Their bearing was transcendent, faintly carrying an overwhelming pressure that stood above all living beings.
The third looked like an ordinary man. His face was sharp and composed, yet it also carried the weight of countless years.
"...?!"
Obito's pupils contracted slightly. He had no idea that these three were Otsutsuki Hagoromo, Otsutsuki Hamura, and Sarutobi.
He forcibly suppressed the storm in his heart, swallowed, and said coldly, "Can you actually summon them into the world? If not, then what's the point of showing me these coffins?"
The Venus flytrap White Zetsu kept that strange smile on his face as he slowly replied, "Of course I can. Don't be fooled by the fact that Tobirama Senju was never able to freely summon the dead before."
"These people's souls are special. In essence, the Pure Land can't completely interfere with them. As long as I perform the Summoning Technique, they'll appear here."
Obito's heart sank.
A powerful killing intent instantly rose in his eyes.
The last thing he wanted right now was even more variables.
First there was that absurdly powerful Arisu.
Now a mysterious Venus flytrap White Zetsu had appeared, bringing along a group of monsters who had died hundreds or even thousands of years ago...
"Are you one of Uchiha Madara's people?"
Obito asked in a deep voice, now filled with obvious caution and hostility.
The Venus flytrap White Zetsu revealed a meaningful smile and was just about to answer.
At that moment, a low, hoarse voice sounded.
"He's one of my people."
"Who's there?!"
Obito was startled. Every hair on his body stood on end as he instantly activated Kamui's intangibility, his body immediately entering its distorted alternate-space state as he spun around.
A mysterious man in a black robe stood quietly not far behind him.
The man wore a mask that hid his face, but the eyes exposed beneath it were a pair of crimson Mangekyo Sharingan. Their pattern was strange and profound, giving off a frightening sense of pressure.
It was a pair of Mangekyo Sharingan he had never seen before.
"Who are you?!"
Obito's voice was icy as he locked onto the other man with undisguised killing intent while secretly preparing for an attack at any moment.
The black-robed man remained unhurried.
"Uchiha Obito, cooperate with us, and nothing will happen to you. Now, listen to us... Launch the Fourth Great Ninja War immediately."
His tone was calm, yet carried the weight of an order.
The atmosphere throughout the Graveyard of the Mountains instantly became even heavier.
Obito's heart churned.
How could there be another expert like this?
He had always believed he controlled everything, that he was the one moving the pieces behind the scenes and directing the ninja world.
But now it seemed...
He himself was only someone else's chess piece.
He had always thought he was playing the ninja world.
Now it seemed the ninja world had been playing him.
"And if I refuse?"
Obito asked in a low voice, suppressing both anger and unwillingness.
"Then don't blame us for using force."
The black-robed man smiled lightly, his calm tone carrying a chilling edge.
A strong sense of foreboding rose in Obito's heart.
Even so, he trusted Kamui's intangible state. There were almost no attacks in the world that could truly touch him.
The black-robed man let out a quiet sigh.
"Look at your palm.", He reminded him calmly.
Obito frowned and slowly lowered his head to look at the palm of his left hand.
There, without him knowing when it had appeared, was a strange mark.
Its pattern was exactly the same as the Mangekyo Sharingan in the black-robed man's eyes.
"When did this...?!"
Obito was shaken.
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, but he couldn't remember when the mark had appeared.
The next second, the Mangekyo Sharingan in the black-robed man's eyes began spinning.
Its eye technique activated instantly.
An overwhelming wave of spiritual power poured into Obito's consciousness like a flood.
Even while in Kamui's intangible state, Obito couldn't stop that power.
Obito's eyes quickly became empty.
His body stiffened, then he obediently canceled his intangibility, silently walked to one side, and waited for orders.
"So that's the ability of your Mangekyo... Truly terrifying."
The Venus flytrap White Zetsu said respectfully from the side.
The black-robed man spoke calmly, a trace of nostalgia in his voice.
"As long as this mark is carved onto someone's body, I can ignore distance and directly control the target's mind and chakra through the connection. This technique... I haven't used it in a long time."
"I see... So that means..."
The Venus flytrap White Zetsu suddenly rolled up his sleeve, revealing his arm.
The exact same Mangekyo mark was carved there as well.
"So that means... I'm under your control too?"
The Venus flytrap White Zetsu laughed helplessly.
The black-robed man smiled faintly without hiding anything.
"So you noticed long ago. That's right."
The Venus flytrap White Zetsu couldn't help shaking his head with a bitter smile.
"So that's why I've suddenly become so motivated. Originally, the Great Sage only sent me to watch Kaguya and you. I actually just wanted to slack off at Mount Myoboku..."
The black-robed man glanced at him and explained calmly, "If I hadn't used this, your core programming would still be loyal to the Great Sage."
The Venus flytrap White Zetsu nodded, then asked again, "I don't understand. You have a technique that can control everything. Why not step into the open yourself?"
The black-robed man fell silent for a moment before answering in a low voice, "The moment I appear openly, the Great Sage will recognize my technique."
The Venus flytrap White Zetsu clicked his tongue twice.
"The Great Sage's powers are unfathomable. Maybe he already knows everything we've been doing."
The black-robed man shook his head.
"I stayed at Mount Myoboku for many years. Based on what Kaguya told me, the Great Sage is only unbelievably powerful. He isn't all-knowing or all-powerful. He... can make mistakes too."
The Venus flytrap White Zetsu narrowed his eyes and couldn't help asking, "You're planning to oppose the Great Sage? Why? What do you want? What's your goal?"
The black-robed man paused, then quietly spoke two words.
"An apology."
The Venus flytrap White Zetsu froze.
He even wondered if he had heard wrong.
'Make the Great Sage... Apologize?!'
Seeing no reaction, the black-robed man repeated calmly, "Make the Great Sage apologize."
The Venus flytrap White Zetsu completely lost his composure. His expression turned complicated as he stared at the black-robed man, the corners of his mouth twitching.
"You mean... after making such a huge commotion, planning all this for so long, using the Akatsuki to capture the Tailed Beasts, controlling Uchiha Obito to launch the Fourth Great Ninja War... you just want the Great Sage to apologize?!"
His voice kept rising until it carried a hint of disbelief.
"What kind of shoujo-story logic is that..."
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