"As long as you know what you're doing."
Senju Tobirama didn't know what Kitagawa Gen was thinking, but he nodded in approval of Gen's idea.
"Then, can we try out those two humanoid organisms now? I've been waiting long enough."
"Of course."
Kitagawa Gen smiled, looked at the two of them, and nodded.
"I'm also quite curious—just what kind of results can be achieved by these two humanoid organisms that possess both Yin Release and Yang Release?"
While Kitagawa Gen and the others were once again performing the Impure World Reincarnation, Uchiha Obito sat silently inside the Kamui space.
"Why did it turn out like this…"
He let out a deep sigh, his heart filled with confusion.
This trip to Iwagakure had dealt him a heavy blow. Even though he had undergone great change and improvement under "Rin's" guidance, when facing Kitagawa Gen, it still felt as though nothing had changed from years ago.
Back then in Konoha, he had been ambushed by that man and pulled into the Kamui space; in Kirigakure, he had been effortlessly countered and crushed by that man with Namikaze Minato's Rasengan.
That painful feeling lingered in his heart, and this time, he had even shattered his own Susanoo with a single kick.
"Why did that guy achieve 'evolution'? Why did he become so terrifying? Why is he so strong?!"
Obito clenched his fists. The pain was unbearable, and he didn't even know what to do anymore.
"If only I could achieve 'evolution'… If I could 'evolve', I would be able to create a peaceful world…"
Leaning against a stone monument within the Kamui space, Obito kept muttering to himself.
"Rin, what should I do…"
As he murmured, his consciousness gradually became hazy, as though he had entered a state between waking and dreaming.
Time seemed to freeze in that instant, and everything within Kamui came to a standstill.
And within that motionless space, a pair of eerie eyes suddenly appeared, silently watching him.
"Good—now is the moment!"
Since Isshiki had decided to guide Obito, he had naturally made all necessary preparations.
For now, the decompression of his Kāma was still far from complete, and the best way to guide him was, of course, through subtle suggestion—or perhaps, a direct encounter.
However, though Uchiha Obito wasn't exactly bright, his will seemed unusually firm.
"To be beaten like this and still persist in pursuing what he desires—such a fool, properly guided, can hasten my release."
At the moment, Isshiki's usable power was limited, but during Obito's moments of greatest confusion and despair, he could still manipulate his perception and consciousness.
"As long as I take one step further, the rate of my release will increase—and then, many things will become far simpler."
Watching Obito's consciousness grow increasingly hazy, Isshiki spoke slowly.
"Do you desire to obtain 'evolution'?"
His voice was filled with majesty and absolute authority, yet Obito remained dazed.
"'Evolution'…"
Obito murmured, his eyes already devoid of any light.
"Ōtsutsuki Genshiki's so-called 'evolution' of Kitagawa Gen?"
"…"
Isshiki fell silent for a moment. Why was he hearing the name of that insane clansman here again?
Still, he couldn't be bothered to dwell on it. He had intended to guide the conversation in this direction anyway—this was just as well.
"That's right. Evolution—only through evolution can one truly be freed from pain, can one truly surpass all things, can one truly transcend the world itself!"
Transcend the world.
Though Obito was dazed, his mind seemed to be spinning furiously.
He recalled Ōtsutsuki Genshiki bathed in moonlight, standing aloof from the world like a celestial being, and Kitagawa Gen, who had step by step reached his current overwhelming level of power before Obito's very eyes.
A tremor stirred within Obito's heart.
He didn't quite understand what state he was in now, nor who exactly was speaking to him.
But he didn't seem to care about that at all—he was only thinking about "evolution," only thinking about "transcendence," only thinking about how to obtain it all, and then create a peaceful world for himself, for Rin, and for everyone.
"What… should I do…"
Though his mind was turning, his consciousness still seemed blurred, and even his words came out stammered.
"How do I evolve?"
"Very simple."
Isshiki's calm voice grew even more imposing, as if divine power radiated from him.
"You must personally investigate Kitagawa Gen. Only through him can you learn more—rather than through others."
"Personally… investigate Kitagawa Gen…"
In Obito's hollow eyes, a faint glimmer of color seemed to appear. He nodded slightly, as if engraving the words into his mind. Isshiki continued.
"That's right. Go personally—and if necessary, you must fight him. Only through battle can you understand more."
"Battle…"
"Besides, this world is vast, and there are many things beyond your imagination. You must search for them as well."
"Things beyond imagination to search for."
"For example, some powerful individuals—those who might also possess 'evolution.'"
At this point, Isshiki paused. The "evolution" he spoke of was not the same as Kitagawa Gen's, but it didn't matter.
Having lived in this world for a thousand years, he had prepared quite a lot.
He had left behind many Kāma marks, yet not one of them had been satisfactory.
But he had also prepared something else—that was the "White Kāma."
The "White Kāma" contained only a portion of his power, but it could not bear his soul, nor could it complete the full transformation into an Ōtsutsuki.
A vessel with such a "White Kāma" needed to devour a God Tree Fruit to complete its final metamorphosis.
In a sense, this kind of "White Kāma" was a defective product—but for now, it counted as a usable backup.
"Genshiki is too insane. Someone needs to divert his attention, and my 'White Kāma' happens to be suitable for some experimentation."
Although he had only just attached himself to Obito, he had already sensed that this guy's luck was terribly bad.
The last time he had taken possession of someone, he'd been beaten senseless by Genshiki—and then encountered this man.
In a certain sense, it was because Obito had run into Genshiki, and now once again, he had crossed paths with both Kitagawa Gen and Genshiki together.
Put that way, the odds of such encounters were absurdly high!
To ensure that his Kāma could be released smoothly and that he could establish contact with Kitagawa Gen, Isshiki had no choice but to come up with a plan.
"Besides, using a 'White Kāma' to see how Genshiki will react isn't a bad idea either."
A vessel bearing the "White Kāma" would serve as bait to draw Genshiki in—while also testing whether that path held potential. That was his plan.
"Those who also… possess 'evolution'…"
Obito once again murmured the words, as if engraving them into his mind. Isshiki nodded.
"That's right. One of them is currently in another dimension. His information has already been imprinted in your mind. Remember my words—the more you understand and investigate…"
"The more I… understand and investigate…"
"…the closer you will come to completing 'evolution.'"
"Complete… evolution…"
Obito continued murmuring, but suddenly felt his heart tremble slightly.
In that instant, everything within the Kamui space slowly began to return to normal, and those strange eyes gradually faded away.
The once-frozen space regained vitality at that moment, and Obito's previously hollow eyes slowly began to recover their light.
He did not know how much time had passed before he suddenly stood up.
He looked around in confusion, probing his surroundings—but unfortunately, it seemed he couldn't see anyone.
"Strange… what just happened?"
Obito still felt his head was dizzy; he could barely remember what had happened just now. In a haze, he felt as though someone had been speaking to him.
But who it was, and what that voice sounded like—he could no longer recall clearly.
"Huh?!"
He suddenly froze, because he realized that there truly was all sorts of information inside his mind!
These fragments seemed engraved into his consciousness—impossible to forget, no matter what kind they were.
"This is…"
Obito murmured, his face full of disbelief. He really hadn't expected that sensation from earlier to be real.
"To personally find Kitagawa Gen, to fight him and understand his situation… and there are also other 'evolvers.'"
"Find them, understand them—and only then can I complete 'evolution'?"
It was as if Obito had found new motivation. Though this sudden influx of information in his mind left him shocked, recalling that moment when he had suddenly advanced and completed the "Power of All Creation," in an instant, he felt a sense of clarity.
"I know what I have to do."
Obito spoke slowly, lifting his head and gazing forward.
The Sharingan exposed in his eye socket seemed to firm with renewed determination.
"News about 'evolution' really can't be trusted to others—I have to accomplish it myself."
Saying this, Obito took a deep breath, as if trying to sense the information within his mind.
"An alternate dimension… similar to Kamui, huh? Its location seems to be in the Land of Water? In that case…"
"I'll follow this information and these directions. I will create this peaceful world—I will definitely succeed!"
This time, Obito's resolve was absolute. His once-collapsing heart seemed to have reassembled itself once more.
Isshiki naturally sensed all of this. Though he felt nothing but contempt, seeing this man regain vitality was still better than watching him sink into lifeless despair.
If he even started to shrink back from battle, how many years would it take him then?
Perhaps before he could even fully decompress, Genshiki would have already caught him.
"Pull yourself together, Uchiha Obito. It is your honor to serve as my vessel—hurry and accomplish all of this, and complete your 'evolution' as soon as possible."
Isshiki muttered softly, but at that moment Obito spoke up with utmost seriousness.
"Thank you, Rin."
"?"
"The last time, it was you—and this time, even though I can't remember anything, it must be you again."
"…"
"In the past it was you, and now it's you—it's always been you who encouraged me, who guided me forward."
"…"
"I will definitely create a peaceful world—with you, and with everyone!"
Isshiki fell silent. He felt that finding such an idiot was truly a kind of tragedy.
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