Obito paused slightly. Realizing something, he chose not to resist and allowed Uchiha Ren to pull him into a crude genjutsu space.
This illusion had no offensive effect—it merely created a completely safe environment for the two of them to talk.
The reason Obito dared to enter so boldly was simple—
Ren only had a three-tomoe Sharingan, while he possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan.
If he wanted, he could break free at any time.
In a genjutsu world filled with green grass and blooming flowers, the two stood facing each other, eyes locked.
Ren spoke first, smiling casually:
"Long time no see… Uchiha Klutz."
A vein bulged on Obito's forehead.
"You're still as annoying as ever."
Ren put on an exaggeratedly hurt expression.
"Teenagers really are rude. Considering my relationship with Minato, you should at least call me 'sensei.'"
Here, "sensei" referred to a jōnin squad leader, not a master-disciple relationship.
Obito sneered.
"I don't even acknowledge Minato-sensei anymore—let alone you."
At the mention of Minato Namikaze, Obito's suppressed resentment finally erupted.
From the moment Team Minato was formed, Minato had the responsibility to guide and protect them.
And yet—
In Obito's eyes, every tragedy they experienced could have been prevented by the man known as the Yellow Flash.
But every time—
Minato arrived too late.
Obito knew, rationally, that war was unpredictable. Minato had orders to follow and couldn't always be there.
But he couldn't stop thinking—
If Minato had arrived sooner during the Kannabi Bridge Mission…
Would he have avoided being crushed?
Would he have never met Uchiha Madara?
If Minato had been there on the Kirigakure battlefield—
Would Rin have been captured?
Would she have had to die?
Even knowing these thoughts weren't entirely fair—
He couldn't stop.
If things had gone differently—
Maybe he would still be the same Obito.
"How heartless," Ren said, his tone turning serious. "So you blame Minato for everything?"
"Shouldn't I?!" Obito snapped. "He had the power to change everything!"
Ren remained silent.
Obito calmed slightly, then continued:
"Fine. I know Minato couldn't control everything. The real problem is Konoha's leadership!"
"They assigned us to his team—forcing us into high-risk missions!"
"They put us in danger!"
His resentment wasn't baseless.
Compared to others like Might Guy or Genma—who handled lower-risk logistics—
Obito, a so-called "dead last," was sent behind enemy lines on critical missions simply because he was on Minato's team.
The difference was obvious.
In truth, Minato's ideal squad should have been composed entirely of elite shinobi.
Only Kakashi could keep up.
Obito and Rin—
Were burdens.
The team itself existed largely to stabilize Kakashi's mindset, under Hiruzen Sarutobi's arrangement.
And in doing so—
The risks to Obito and Rin were ignored.
Whether that was negligence or indifference—
Didn't matter anymore.
Obito continued:
"Minato was at fault. Konoha was at fault."
"But in the end—the real problem is this world!"
"A world filled with endless war!"
"If there were no wars—none of this would have happened!"
"So I will fix it!"
His conviction hardened again.
But Ren laughed.
"Ha… what a self-righteous kid."
"Now I understand your 'Intelligence: 2' even better."
Obito's face darkened.
"You—!"
Ren waved dismissively.
"Alright, alright. But what you said is ridiculous."
"What's ridiculous about it?!" Obito roared.
Ren's voice turned steady:
"I agree—the world has caused countless tragedies."
"But what happened to you… actually has little to do with war."
"Even without the Third Great Ninja War—"
"You likely would've experienced the same fate."
"Because…"
"You still don't know the truth."
Obito's eyes widened.
"What do you mean?"
Ren replied calmly:
"Yes, the village made flawed decisions. But under Minato's strength, your team was relatively safe under normal circumstances."
"So your suffering… isn't something you can blame on someone who knew nothing."
"If you must blame someone—"
"Blame me, who knew and did nothing."
"And Uchiha Madara—who orchestrated everything."
"And the existence that deceived even Madara."
Obito's pupils shrank.
"You know about Madara?!"
"And what do you mean you knew everything?! Who deceived him?!"
Shock flooded his mind.
Ren's certainty left no room for doubt.
Ren continued plainly:
"You were chosen long ago."
"Everything you experienced… wasn't coincidence."
"It was planned."
"During the Kannabi Bridge Mission—Rin's capture, your awakening, your near-death…"
"All part of Madara's design."
"On the Kirigakure battlefield—Rin becoming the Three-Tails' jinchuriki… her death in front of you…"
"All of it."
"Even Minato arriving too late—was engineered through deliberate interference."
"You think meeting Madara was fate?"
"No."
"He had been watching you for years."
"Maybe that old man you once helped… was him."
"So even without war—your tragedy would have happened anyway."
"Impossible!" Obito shouted, eyes bloodshot. "That's too complex to be planned!"
Ren replied firmly:
"That's what makes Madara terrifying."
"He understands human nature."
"With just a little guidance—events unfold exactly as he wants."
"And don't forget—he had White Zetsu."
"They can perfectly impersonate others."
"Replace a few key people—and the outcome stays on track."
"That's all it takes."
Obito froze.
Now that he thought about it—
Too many "coincidences" lined up perfectly.
With White Zetsu's Impersonation Technique, it was all… plausible.
He clenched his teeth.
"Then how do you know all this?!"
Ren looked at him calmly.
"That… is because of my eyes."
"I've seen the future."
Before Obito's shocked gaze—
Ren's Sharingan spun—
Transforming into a unique Mangekyō Sharingan pattern, resembling a fractured sun.
"Mangekyō Sharingan…"
Ren let it fade back to three tomoe.
"My ability is called Kunitokotachi no Mikoto."
"It allows me to trace cause and effect… and glimpse the future."
"I noticed unusual entities around you long ago—White Zetsu."
"Following that trail, I discovered Madara… and his plan."
"And you—Uchiha Obito—are merely a piece on his board."
"Everything… has been within my sight."
Obito's face twisted.
"If you knew everything…"
"Then why didn't you do anything?!"
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