"Why… why are you telling me all this?"
Obito's voice trembled as he asked,
"And how do you expect me to believe you're really Rin? I still don't trust you!"
Black Zetsu slowly rose to its feet and began walking toward him—step by step.
Obito watched it approach with wide eyes, but didn't move a muscle.
Then, gently, Black Zetsu pressed its fingers against his temples and began to massage them, softly humming a nameless melody.
In an instant—
Obito was certain.
This was Rin!
That massage technique, the precise pressure, the rhythm of the humming—it was impossible for anyone else to replicate it!
"Why… why did you lie to me?!"
Uchiha Obito's eyes brimmed with tears. His hands shot forward as if to throttle Black Zetsu again, but the moment he remembered this might be Rin, he hastily pulled back. With no outlet for his fury, he could only stomp around in place like a bomb on the verge of exploding.
Black Zetsu rushed forward and clamped a hand over Obito's mouth, scolding him naturally, "Keep it down! Don't let them hear!"
Even in such a moment, hearing that voice in Rin's familiar tone triggered a Pavlovian response in Obito—he fell silent on reflex.
Seeing him like that, a warm feeling surged in Black Zetsu's heart… but also a faint sting of pain.
But there was no other way…
For the sake of Mother Kaguya, Black Zetsu had to deceive Obito again.
Yet not all lies were equal.
Perhaps… it could tell selective truths.
"Obito, just as I said, I'm a lifeform created by Uchiha Madara. The first time you were attacked by an enemy and I rushed forward to block the strike—that was under Madara's control."
Black Zetsu bowed its head and continued in a low voice: "Madara had long taken notice of your exceptional talent. He believed the kindness in your heart was the perfect antidote to the Uchiha's descent into madness. That's why he ordered me to get close to you, to build a relationship, and eventually put on a performance that would drive you into despair—so that he could turn you into his pawn."
All of this… was true.
A gleam of madness flickered through Obito's eyes.
Damn you, Uchiha Madara… Just because the world calls you the Shura of the Shinobi, you really think you're something?
But that anger faded quickly as Obito's thoughts turned once more to Black Zetsu.
The betrayal, the manipulation—those could wait. Right now, the only question that mattered was:
Rin… Black Zetsu… whatever name this being had—did it truly love him?
"At the beginning… I was just following orders…"
Black Zetsu clenched its fists slowly, its voice heavy: "But because of your kindness, your purity, your warmth… I truly fell in love with you. I never wanted to see you hurt. But I couldn't resist the control of Uchiha Madara's ocular powers…"
"All I could do was keep urging you to train—to make yourself stronger. So that maybe, when danger came, you could protect yourself."
"But Madara still used the chaos of the war. He manipulated the mid-level ranks within Iwagakure to spread your name to Ōnoki. That's why the Third Tsuchikage came to assassinate you."
At last, Obito understood.
Why—why would someone like him, just an ordinary Uchiha ninja, be hunted down personally by the Tsuchikage?
And in that moment…
Obito recalled how Kazuki hadn't wanted him to participate in the Chūnin Exams. And even after he insisted on going, Kazuki had arranged for Might Duy to be on his team—letting the taijutsu master take the spotlight, clearly intending for Obito not to reveal his abilities.
"Kazuki…" Obito muttered in front of Black Zetsu. "You really thought through everything for me, down to the finest detail…"
Even if Madara had used genjutsu to manipulate events, there was no way to completely avoid it.
But the sheer thoroughness of Kazuki's consideration for him… only made Obito feel it all the more deeply.
Hearing Obito say Kazuki's name, Black Zetsu felt its mind buzz.
It really didn't want to hear that name. That word seemed to hold a cursed power—as if simply speaking them would drain its chakra.
And as expected, Kazuki's place in Obito's heart was unshakable.
Though Black Zetsu was deeply irritated, it couldn't deny it—if it ended up standing against Kazuki later…
There would be no benefit. Only disaster.
So it could only fabricate a new story… one that still assumed Kazuki was a 'good guy'.
"But actually… Uchiha Madara didn't expect Ōnoki's resolve to be that strong—that he would take action himself…"
Black Zetsu continued slowly: "The old man was too afraid to strike directly, worried he'd be discovered. So I used the technique of the mayfly and a special body sculpted from the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to shield you from Dust Release…"
"I originally wanted to take you to find Kazuki, but Uchiha Madara quickly took control of me. He made me bring you here to treat your injuries—and planted a sealing talisman deep in your heart, as a contingency to use against you."
"Later, Madara manipulated me into being attacked by the Allied Shinobi Forces, precisely timing it so that you'd awaken your Mangekyō Sharingan after witnessing it—driving you into madness and forcing you into his camp."
All of that was true—Black Zetsu simply omitted any mention of Kazuki.
Uchiha Obito stared blankly at Black Zetsu, lost in thought.
"But what Madara didn't expect was… after being implanted with Uchiha blood through forbidden techniques, and infused with the powers of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and Yin-Yang Release, I awakened a Mangekyō Sharingan of my own—because of the feelings I developed for you, and the pain of seeing you in anguish."
Black Zetsu shook its head slightly.
"No… perhaps it can't truly be called a Mangekyō. It's a unique chakra born from intense emotion. That chakra allowed me to quietly break free from Uchiha Madara's ocular control…"
"It's only today that I finally found the chance to see you again and tell you everything, Obito."
Obito took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on Black Zetsu's humanoid form. Slowly, he said: "Rin… I don't know how to face you anymore. I feel so lost right now…"
"Obito, would you be willing to accept my technique?"
Black Zetsu suddenly knelt down again, prostrating deeply.
"This is the only atonement I can offer—it's not even worthy of being called that."
Obito's confusion vanished instantly. He hurriedly reached out to lift Black Zetsu.
"Rin—Rin, please don't do this!"
"Obito, clear your mind. I need to enter your body…"
Black Zetsu spoke directly and calmly: "Please trust me. I'll give you all of my power."
Seeing Obito still hesitate—seeming not even interested in power anymore—Black Zetsu quickly added: "You still need to help Kazuki!"
At that, Obito's eyes lit up. He asked anxiously: "What happened to Kazuki?!"
Black Zetsu only bowed its head. "Accept my power—and I'll tell you."
Obito paused for a moment, then nodded.
At this point, it didn't really matter anymore…
He had already confirmed that Black Zetsu was Rin. After being deceived by the one he loved most, his heart had shattered like glass—beyond repair.
Giving his life for him had been a lie.
But the warmth of daily life… had been real.
Even so, betrayal was betrayal. Even if Black Zetsu now wanted to turn against Madara—it had still lied to him.
But deep down, Obito also believed: if it really was Rin, then it could never harm him.
Now, in his state of confusion, the only thing Obito wanted to know was—what trouble Kazuki was in.
That might be the only reason he still had to live.
As for Black Zetsu… or Rin…
Obito had no idea how to face such a complicated reality—or this person who stood before him.
He even found himself hoping—just a little—
That Black Zetsu was deceiving him again. That it would enter his body and try to take control.
Because then… he could tell himself:
This isn't Rin.
Black Zetsu transformed into a puddle of dark, viscous matter. Just like it had once attached itself to Nagato, it now enveloped and bonded with Uchiha Obito.
Obito relaxed his mind, signaling Black Zetsu to proceed.
After all, there was already a sealing talisman embedded near his heart—Black Zetsu had told him so.
There was no reason to lie. He'd been unconscious for so long, even the White Zetsu limbs he had now were gifts from Uchiha Madara. Having a seal there was… expected.
Black Zetsu slowly merged into Obito's body, like a Tailed Beast sealing itself into its Jinchūriki—lodging itself deep within his physical and mental being.
And in the next instant—
Obito suddenly felt a strange release at his heart.
"The seal's been removed, Obito. You no longer have to worry about being controlled by Uchiha Madara…"
It wasn't Black Zetsu's voice.
It was the voice of Uchiha Rin, echoing inside Obito's mind.
"Obito, for lying to you… I can only atone with my life. When I saw you being attacked by Ōnoki… when I saw the pain in your eyes as you read my diary… I was filled with self-loathing and regret."
"My ocular technique… exists for that reason alone."
"I will burn my life and chakra to elevate and mend your ocular power—so that you may reach an even higher realm…"
Uchiha Rin's gentle voice carried a hint of lightness and release: "That way, it's as if I've died for you a second time… Obito, you can't stop me now. Once this dōjutsu begins, it cannot be reversed."
"Do you feel a little better now?"
Rin's voice trembled slightly, as if she were on the verge of tears: "I probably only have a little time left with you. Once my chakra burns out completely, I will disappear… I don't expect someone I deceived to truly forgive me. I only hope—"
"Don't say another word!!"
Uchiha Obito cut her off with a roar, his tears pouring down.
"Why are you being so stupid?! I don't want you to die for me again—I forgave you a long time ago!"
"You're my Rin!!"
A beast-like howl tore from Obito's throat as he broke down in anguish.
In just a short span of time, he had first lost the Rin he loved most—
And now he had found another.
But the moment he gained her, he was about to lose her again!
Why—why did the heavens have to treat him this way?
What Obito couldn't bring himself to admit was that, despite the overwhelming pain in his heart, Rin's willingness to give her life for him had once again awakened the feeling of love inside him.
Twisted, perhaps.
But this—this was exactly the kind of love Uchiha Obito yearned for.
A love so extreme, it burned.
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