"Uchiha Obito."
The rain fell in a steady drizzle, as if the sky itself were weeping, its dark clouds perpetually shrouding the land.
Inside a towering structure in the steel city, a blue-haired woman fixed a scornful gaze on the man before her. Despite his identity being exposed, he still wore that mask, putting on a pathetic act.
"Is there still any point in wearing that mask?"
Konan had never liked this man, especially after he manipulated Nagato into setting his sights on the entire shinobi world.
"Or perhaps," she continued, her voice dripping with mockery, "should we still call you 'Madara'?"
Her biting tone left Uchiha Obito speechless.
This was especially true in the presence of the orange-haired Pain standing beside her.
Pain's strength alone was enough to make Obito deeply wary, and now, stripped of the intimidating mantle of Uchiha Madara, his influence was further diminished.
From now on, his voice in their plans would likely carry even less weight.
Obito could only console himself with the thought that Pain's true body was a frail cripple.
Otherwise, in Nagato's presence, he'd have no leverage at all.
As for the man before them transitioning from "Uchiha Madara" to Uchiha Obito, Pain's expression remained calm.
He had never believed this man was the real Uchiha Madara.
The true Madara would never skulk behind a mask, hiding his face. Anyone with even a passing knowledge of Uchiha Madara's life would recognize the audacious, unrestrained nature of the shinobi world's Asura.
The word "mad" was the only fitting descriptor.
Though Pain didn't know why this man had betrayed Konohagakure, he knew Madara had openly challenged Senju Hashirama by controlling the Nine-Tails. No matter how you looked at it, such a man would never stoop to wearing a mask.
As for Uchiha Obito borrowing Madara's name to act, Pain didn't care.
As long as their goals aligned, it was irrelevant.
But now that Obito's identity was exposed, losing the威慑力 of Madara's name, it was a perfect opportunity to put him in his place.
Before, he'd used Madara's name to bluff his way into equal standing.
Now, however…
"I need an explanation."
Pain's voice was calm, but his ripple-patterned Rinnegan seemed to pierce through Obito's soul.
Here it comes.
Obito felt a pang of frustration.
In this moment, the gap between his and Pain's authority was painfully clear.
During his confrontation with Haruno Sakura, he'd let too much slip, leaving no room to hide.
Such a commotion couldn't escape Nagato's notice.
This wasn't just about his identity being exposed—it was about his combat abilities being laid bare.
With Nagato's power, subduing him would be effortless.
"No explanation is needed. I inherited the name of Uchiha Madara."
"I am Uchiha Madara."
At Obito's stubborn denial, Konan's lips curled into a sneer of utter disdain.
To her, Uchiha Obito's behavior was nothing short of clownish.
Using Madara's name to deceive Nagato, and now, even after being exposed, still clinging to his lies.
If that wasn't a clown, what was?
"If that's your answer, should I take it as you trying to deceive a god?"
Pain's words made Obito's mouth twitch.
A god?
You really think you're a god?
You're nothing but another one of Uchiha Madara's pawns!
Of course, Obito would never dare say such things aloud.
Not now, at least.
"…"
"The name Uchiha Madara makes my actions easier."
After a long silence, Obito finally spoke, his voice hoarse.
In a tower in the Hidden Rain Village, a gaunt, red-haired man's lips curved into a faint smile.
"Borrowing another's name is indeed the choice of a mere insect."
Pain's matter-of-fact tone made Obito's fists clench tightly beneath his wide sleeves.
Seeing Obito's silence, Pain didn't dwell on the matter further.
A single remark to remind him who held the upper hand was enough.
Though Pain considered Obito's strength mediocre, he was undeniably tricky to deal with. With the tailed beast capture plan yet to begin, the Akatsuki still needed his power.
Pain wasn't foolish enough to hamstring himself.
"What's the situation in the Hidden Cloud Village?"
Pain shifted the topic, bringing up the Hidden Cloud, currently under Black Zetsu's control.
Among the five great ninja villages, the Hidden Cloud was in Black Zetsu's hands, and the Hidden Mist was under Obito's control.
This meant that even before the tailed beast capture plan had officially begun, the Three-Tails, Six-Tails, and Eight-Tails were already in the Akatsuki's grasp.
More than that, it meant nearly half the shinobi world was under their control!
The Hidden Sand Village, weakened by war, could only rely on the Akatsuki—nominally their hired mercenaries—to fend off the combined assaults of Konoha and the Hidden Rock.
Pain could already envision a not-so-distant future where peace descended upon the shinobi world.
Exhausted from his encounter with Pain, Uchiha Obito walked alone through the steel corridors.
The consequences of his exposed identity were severe. From start to finish, it was Pain asking questions and him answering.
In Pain's presence, he had almost no authority left.
In that moment, Obito realized just how much weight the name "Uchiha Madara" carried in the world.
Without that tiger's skin, who would care about an unknown like Uchiha Obito?
Tap, tap, tap…
Footsteps from ahead interrupted his thoughts, prompting him to look up.
He was met with a pair of cold, crimson Sharingan.
"Uchiha… Obito?"
Uchiha Itachi's soft voice addressed the solitary man before him.
"Well, well, who do we have here?"
"If it isn't our great Lord Madara?"
The familiar words and tone came, shockingly, from Kisame's mouth.
Obito's anger flared.
Pain, he could tolerate. Konan, he could endure. Even Uchiha Itachi, he could swallow his pride for.
But…
But!
Who are you, Kisame, to mock me?
Before, you treated me with respect, and now you show me this attitude?
Seeing the fury in Obito's eyes, Kisame's own gaze brimmed with mockery.
"What's wrong?"
"Did I say something incorrect, Lord Madara?"
Kisame deliberately emphasized "Madara," clearly aiming to provoke Obito.
What a joke!
To think I actually believed this guy was Uchiha Madara!
You think just any stray cat or dog can impersonate Uchiha Madara's name?
Faced with Kisame's taunts, Obito left without a word. But as he brushed past Itachi, he seemed to hear a faint whisper…
"Do you remember the Nine-Tails incident?"
"How did it feel to kill your teacher?"
Obito's mouth twisted in rage at those words.
I put up with you before, and now you have the gall to bring that up?!
I killed my teacher with my own hands, but what about you?!
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