Deidara looked at Tobi somewhat reluctantly, still wanting to spend a little more time with him. But Kabuto's lair was truly dark and gloomy, and staying here any longer made him feel very uncomfortable.
So he said, "Then I'll go first, is that okay?"
Young Obito said, "Senpai, remember to pass my greetings to Leader Konan. By the way, I've already gained Leader Konan's recognition and officially become a member of Akatsuki."
Deidara mocked, "After all this time, only now becoming an official member, how embarrassing."
But the smile on his face once again showed that he didn't really mean it.
Deidara turned around, "Let's meet again."
Then, he quickly left.
Young Obito was a bit displeased, "Senpai actually learned to talk like me."
Kabuto's gaze flickered between light and dark. Now even he couldn't tell whether Tobi was truly the unmasked Old Obito, or the one wearing the white mask, Young Obito.
He asked curiously, "Did you two once share a single identity?"
However, Old Obito said, "No. Tobi was always played by me."
Young Obito, however, became displeased, hopping around next to Kabuto, jumping up and down, "Obviously, I'm the real Tobi, right, Kabuto-senpai?"
Kabuto, for a moment, didn't know what to say. Regardless of who was Tobi, this drastic personality contrast was just too much.
He said to Old Obito, "Compared to you, he indeed fits my impression of Tobi better."
What else could Old Obito say?
He and Young Obito were essentially the same person. When it came to playing Tobi, how could anyone else tell the difference?
He could only change the topic, "For this war, I only need you to delay the Allied Shinobi Forces, draw out the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails. Besides that, you don't need to do anything else."
Kabuto asked, "How can you be sure they'll come? Should I send someone to capture them? I already have a rough idea of their location."
Old Obito gave Kabuto a meaningful glance. Young Obito had told him that in the previous life, he and Kabuto carried out this plan and ended up capturing Yamato instead of Naruto and Killer Bee.
With Yamato working together with the White Zetsu who also had Wood Release cells, they could indeed replicate a portion of the First Hokage's power.
They didn't have True Several Thousand Hands, but True Several Hundred Hands was still possible.
But Old Obito no longer needed that. Compared to capturing Yamato, getting the actual Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails was the real goal.
He said slowly, "At the latest, Naruto and Killer Bee will appear tomorrow."
Kabuto's eyes flickered with uncertain light, 'Just how much intel does Tobi have on the Allied Shinobi Forces? To be this confident?'
'It seemed I'll have to perform well on the battlefield too.'
He pushed up his glasses and said, "Fine, then I'll send the Edo Tensei army to directly engage with the Allied Forces. When necessary, I'll use my proudest creation."
Old Obito only replied, "Up to you."
Then, he turned and walked away. Young Obito exchanged glances with Rin, gave Kabuto a meaningful look, and followed behind Old Obito out of the lair.
Only then did Kabuto lower his guard. Working with the mysterious Uchiha Tobi truly allowed not even half a moment of carelessness.
———
After leaving Kabuto's lair, a White Zetsu slowly emerged.
Old Obito didn't even look back and just asked, "Did you implant the Spore Technique into Kabuto?"
White Zetsu revealed a harmless yet sinister smile, "I did. His alertness is still lacking."
But what Old Obito thought to himself was, 'You really think Kabuto can't detect it?'
Out loud, he said, "I'm going to mobilize the 100,000 White Zetsu army. What did Black Zetsu say?"
White Zetsu didn't know what Black Zetsu was thinking. Logically, with something this important, Black Zetsu should have been here. But this time, it made an excuse.
White Zetsu said, "It won't come this time. It said everything is up to you."
Tobi didn't say anything. He only said, "Continue keeping watch over the Daimyo. Cause as much chaos as you can. If necessary, kill them all, it doesn't matter."
White Zetsu responded with one word, "Okay."
Then its figure slowly sank into the ground and disappeared…
———
[Mountain Graveyard, in the Dark Underground]
Old and Young Obito arrived here with Rin.
Rin looked at the 100,000 White Zetsu lined up before them and exclaimed, "So this is the White Zetsu army? The number really is huge."
Young Obito smiled, "It does look quite spectacular, but their combat power is pitifully low. They can only serve as cannon fodder."
"The truly powerful ones are still the Edo Tensei troops on Kabuto's side."
Rin nodded. Perhaps because she wore the white mask, her entire aura carried a strong sense of conspiracy.
"I thought Black Zetsu would come. Then your plan could've started early."
Young Obito felt a slight disappointment in his heart, "Yeah, if Black Zetsu dared to show up, I would've made sure it never left. But it's even more slippery than I imagined. To think it made excuses for something this important."
"Since I was reborn, I haven't even gotten to see it once. What a pity."
Rin smiled, "Well, that's because when you were trying to persuade Madara, you exposed it. If you hadn't said anything, maybe it would've foolishly come to see you."
Young Obito said, "Yeah, I was too focused on convincing Madara and didn't consider things carefully. Rin, I have to say, wearing that white mask, you really don't look like a good person."
Rin gave Young Obito a light punch with her small fists, but then suddenly fell silent.
After a while, she said, "Wearing a mask does make it easier for darkness to take root. Tobi, it's better not to wear it too often."
"We must always be true to ourselves."
Young Obito looked at the now mask-less Old Obito and said, "Yeah, ever since you took off your mask, whatever you do now seems more open and honest."
Old Obito said, "Since Black Zetsu didn't appear this time, if nothing unexpected happened, then the two Black Zetsus from both worlds may have already met."
"They exchanged information. Because of some of the strange things you've done, it decided to hide."
"This is normal. The Black Zetsu from your world probably doesn't understand what you're thinking. But it definitely understands the consequences of deceiving Madara."
"It is destined to no longer be on the same path as you."
Young Obito said calmly, "Black Zetsu is actually very simple and easy to fool. Unfortunately, I've already exposed too much. I can't trick it anymore. Otherwise, it might've been possible."
As the person who understood Young Obito best, Old Obito thought for a while and understood his plan.
"You mean, using your prophet-like advantage to fool it by saying you're also a child of Otsutsuki Kaguya?"
"That Kaguya thought its plan was progressing too slowly and sent you to assist?"
Young Obito laughed, "Exactly. While it's smart at times, it can't imagine the kind of information that comes from reversing time."
"Especially when it comes to its mother. It's highly likely to act foolishly. If it weren't for the Madara incident, I really would've tried this."
Old Obito was slightly tempted, 'This might really be worth a try.'
But now that their identities were starting to unravel, Black Zetsu would no longer trust them—unless…
Old Obito looked toward Rin.
Unless Rin deceived Black Zetsu, saying she was actually Kaguya's daughter, and everything was her plan and arrangement, only then might Black Zetsu fall for it.
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