Scenes began flashing before Uchiha Obito's eyes.
Born into the genius-filled Uchiha clan, yet branded as the "dead last" in his childhood. The clan gave him no warmth—only the crushing weight of its expectations.
The thrill of his first meeting with Rin, the shy glances at her during class, the irritation he felt toward Kakashi, the endless comparison between genius and failure, the burden of the clan's glory…
One memory after another flashed behind the bright, gentle face before him, until it all froze on the image of that girl—Rin—dying tragically in Minato's arms.
"Rin…" he whispered softly, a voice only he could hear.
"RIN!"
Obito's eyes widened sharply, his will crystallizing into unshakable determination. He suddenly grabbed Yuki Yoru's arm tightly:
"I will never fall here. I haven't lost yet!"
The Ten-Tails' chakra, which Yoru had been forcefully pulling and stirring within him, was suddenly suppressed under the weight of that iron will. In the next instant, an overwhelming surge of chakra erupted from Obito's body, blasting Yoru back with sheer force.
"…Interesting."
Yoru flexed his left hand, his gaze filled with admiration and praise.
He had never once doubted Obito's willpower. The God of Kamui hides his tears, but in his eyes, there is only Rin. To suppress the Ten-Tails' power with sheer will alone—the potential within Obito was undeniable. He could even be considered the strongest Uchiha.
After all, the Uchiha were a clan of madness. The more twisted and unyielding the spirit, the stronger the shinobi.
But to Obito, that look in Yoru's eyes felt like blatant mockery, like being taunted right in his face.
"What is that look?! Yuki Yoru, don't think you can beat me with cheap tricks like this! Even if you've mastered the power of the Rinnegan, this war's victory will belong to me alone!"
Yoru gave no reply. He only lifted his left hand, quietly feeling the power within it.
Obito's eyes narrowed. He could see clearly—within Yoru's palm was a golden Rinnegan. But this was no ordinary Rinnegan. Upon its surface were several tomoe.
Though the number was fewer than the nine-tomoe of the Moon's Eye in his own brow, there were still six tomoe.
"Six-tomoe Rinnegan? Where in the world did he get that eye?!"
Alarm bells rang in Obito's heart, but Yoru ignored him. He continued to stare at his left hand.
The next moment, a dense mass of chakra bloomed in his palm.
Its intensity was immense, and as it shifted within his hand, it changed form—sometimes a tanuki, sometimes a gorilla, sometimes a dragonfly, sometimes an octopus.
There was no mistaking it—this chakra was the Ten-Tails' chakra.
Even though Obito had cut off Yoru's extraction almost immediately earlier, Yoru had still managed to seize a portion of the Ten-Tails' chakra.
As he carefully examined it, Yoru's understanding of the Ten-Tails deepened further.
This chakra contained not only vast natural energy, but also fragments of spiritual power and soul energy.
Just as Yoru had suspected from the beginning—the Ten-Tails was nothing more than a colossal refining machine. Its very purpose was to drain a planet of all its energy, and convert it into chakra fit for the consumption of the Ōtsutsuki clan.
"All sources are one. With just a few adjustments, I can turn this from a parasitic pet of the Ōtsutsuki… into my own tool—Yuki Yoru's tool."
Yuki Yoru spoke softly, his gaze fixed on Obito:
"So then, to prevent those lurking in the shadows from taking advantage of our battle and reaping the fisherman's profit… would you entrust that thing inside you to me?"
"You're spouting nonsense! You bastard!"
Uchiha Obito was instantly enraged by Yoru's words.
He knew very well that there were hidden figures still in the shinobi world. Ever since Black Zetsu had exposed himself, Obito had understood that. But he didn't care about whoever might be hiding in the shadows. With his current power, if those people truly possessed strength he couldn't resist, they would have shown themselves already. The fact that they stayed hidden meant only one thing: they feared him.
As long as he defeated Yuki Yoru here, everything would end.
Obito's reasoning had no flaw. Regaining his composure, the Sword of Nunoboko in his hand grew darker in color, and behind him five sharp protrusions jutted out, each igniting with eerie crimson flames.
This was Crossfire Offering—a power unique to the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki!
These flames held a destructive force that could burn away the very foundation of matter itself, their strength surpassing even the Truth-Seeking Orbs and Yin-Yang Release. It was the fire of returning all things to origin.
The flames floated forward, wrapping around Obito's Sword of Nunoboko, cloaking the divine weapon that embodied his conviction and resolve in crimson inferno.
There was no doubt—Obito fully understood how troublesome Yoru was, and he was now unleashing 120% of his power to face him.
He would crush Yuki Yoru head-on.
"To see that look on your face is rare indeed," Yoru said with a faint smile, absorbing the portion of the Ten-Tails' chakra into his body. At the same time, he raised his black spiritual blade. "The Mangekyō Sharingan is also known as the 'mirror of the heart.' And the fact that you awakened Kamui… shows that what you desired most, deep down, was escape."
"It's not escape—it's upheaval! It's change!"
Obito's grip on the spear tightened until it groaned. "I'll crush you, just as I crushed Kirigakure!"
"Heh… if you can, then by all means, try."
BOOM!!
Instantly, a brutal spiritual power and surging chakra erupted again. An unparalleled collision of energy swept outward, kicking up countless waves in the sea.
The long spear wreathed in red flames swept horizontally, the resulting shockwave stirring up colossal waves, as if the heavens and earth were diverging.
The pitch-black Soul King Black Blade slashed down, breaking waves and piercing the sky!
The battle between the two intensified to the point where the entire ocean was churned into chaos by the force. Gravity had ceased to function under the turbulent energy shockwaves. Water vapor permeated every corner of the space, and countless water streams erupted.
Their battle only grew fiercer. The ocean was thrown into chaos, its waters boiling and breaking apart under the pressure of their clash. Gravity itself lost its grip in the maelstrom of distorted energy, while water vapor engulfed every corner of the space as streams collapsed into nothingness.
It was as if the entire ocean was on the verge of exploding and boiling away under their combat.
And not just the ocean.
After fighting for dozens of minutes, their battle surged upward into the sky, then shifted again, vanishing from sight. The overwhelming force of Kekkei Mōra distorted space itself, causing their figures to appear across different parts of the world.
The deserts of the Land of Wind, swept by blades of sword energy.
The eternal frozen tundra of the Land of Snow, shattered and split apart.
But now, everyone in the shinobi world had already fallen into the Infinite Tsukuyomi. They could not see, nor could they sense the scale of this battle.
The dream world kept them entranced—so much so that even if the battle consumed them, they would quietly perish within their dreams, without ever feeling pain.
Whether that was mercy… or tragedy… who could say?
Meanwhile, the Sage of Six Paths brothers and Gamamaru silently observed this earth-shaking duel. In the shadows, Black Zetsu clenched his fists tightly, pouring all his hopes and expectations into Obito.
And in one of the Three Great Holy Lands—Shikkotsu Forest…
Among the few beings in the shinobi world able to maintain self-awareness under the Infinite Tsukuyomi, the Slug Sage quietly curled up inside her cavern, saying nothing.
She could clearly sense the raging storms outside—the battle between the Master of Souls and the One-Eyed God. It was a clash of sages and gods!
"I didn't expect that among the three of us, only you would choose neutrality, keeping yourself out of all this."
A small white snake slithered out from beside the massive slug, flicking its tongue as it spoke in a raspy voice:
"To be honest, I thought you would have sided with Yuki Yoru."
"And why would you think that, White Snake Sage?"
A graceful voice echoed from the giant slug's body.
"Simply because Tsunade serves under him?"
"That's only part of it. More importantly, the power he commands, and the caliber I've seen in him… they made me see the possibility of victory." The White Snake Sage's tone carried a sigh.
"Besides, if not for him, I'd have become that damned toad's sacrifice by now."
If Yuki Yoru hadn't appeared in time, he would've long perished in Gamamaru's belly, reduced to nothing more than fodder for the toad's attempt to break past the limits of the bloodline convergence.
Though now his strength had been reduced to barely a tenth of what it once was, at least he was still alive.
"You and the Toad Sage both walk your own paths, and so do I."
The Slug Sage shook her head.
"The Master of Souls is indeed extraordinary, much like the Sage of Six Paths in days past. They are geniuses, the chosen of their era. But all of that has nothing to do with me… Everything should simply follow the course of nature."
"Follow the course of nature, huh." The White Snake Sage sneered.
"If this world itself gets destroyed, what 'nature' will there be to follow? Slug, you're still just as naïve."
"No, it's you who are too greedy, White Snake Sage."
…
The battle between the two shook heaven and earth.
On a mountain peak in the Land of Fire, a surge of overwhelming energy suddenly erupted, shattering the towering mountain into rubble. The collapsing mass thundered with a deafening roar as countless stones and dust filled the air.
Amid the ruins of the broken land, two figures fought even more ferociously, darting madly through the falling debris.
BOOM!!
In the wake of one violent clash, the two combatants separated. Yuki Yoru landed steadily atop the head of a massive statue, while opposite him, Uchiha Obito stood panting heavily.
Beneath their feet stood two giant statues, facing each other—both clad in battle armor, each forming the seal of reconciliation with one hand.
Yes, this place was none other than the Valley of the End, the famed historical site on the northern edge of the Land of Fire near the Land of Rice Fields.
There was no need to recount the old legends of this place, for before their eyes, a brand-new legend was being forged—a myth unfolding in real time!
The waterfall crashing into the valley below roared like thunder. Yuki Yoru, standing atop the statue of Senju Hashirama, gazed at Uchiha Obito before him, the Fourth Mizukage's ceremonial robe snapping fiercely in the wind.
"You seem to be on the verge of defeat… oh, Penhead."
"Don't joke around!"
Uchiha Obito growled, barely managing to support himself with the Sword of Nunoboko.
Though he said that, deep down Obito knew very well—despite boasting of being invincible, in the fight just now against Yuki Yoru, he had clearly fallen into the disadvantage.
Even with the Ten-Tails and the overwhelming ocular power of the Giant Tenseigan, he was still being pushed back. The balance stood at roughly 30–70, with him on the losing side.
This wasn't just a clash of energy levels—it was a confrontation of battle experience, combat systems, and mastery of power itself.
And in this respect, Obito was at a disadvantage.
As the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, Uchiha Obito had undoubtedly reached the pinnacle of shinobi, even the pinnacle of chakra itself. The power he wielded was the culmination of a thousand years of shinobi development and chakra mastery.
The same was true for Yuki Yoru.
But the difference was this: in addition to his spiritual power, Yuki Yoru also possessed a deep understanding of chakra. This wasn't only because of his research into the shinobi world, but also because he held the "Third Eye" of Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki—an eye that, like his own, had reached the realm of Kekkei Mōra!
In contrast, Obito knew next to nothing about spiritual power. Only through his recent clashes with Kirigakure had he gained even a superficial understanding.
The gap between them was obvious at a glance.
And that gap was the very point where the power dynamic of their battle diverged.
"Hand over the Ten-Tails. I'll overlook everything you've done." Yuki Yoru said again.
"You should know my true purpose. My enemies were never you—but those from beyond this world."
"I will never be defeated by you!"
Obito roared, gripping the Sword of Nunoboko and charging once more.
Yoru shook his head, raised his black blade, and met him head-on.
The earth-shattering battle erupted once again. The very valley where Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama had once fought was now, decades later, once more consumed by a cataclysmic clash.
Within moments, the entire Valley of the End had been flattened. The two combatants moved like living natural disasters, and wherever they passed, terrain and environment alike were torn apart and reshaped.
The fight grew fiercer and fiercer. Though Yoru held the advantage, battles of this magnitude could not be decided in a short span of time, even with clear disparities in strength.
Yet after nearly ten days of continuous fighting, Obito finally began to falter. The struggle shifted from a duel to a pursuit—Obito fleeing, Yoru relentlessly pressing.
Chaser and quarry. Predator and prey.
There was no escape.
"Still can't hold on, Obito..."
Deep within the Land of Fire, Black Zetsu's slimy, mud-like form broke through the soil. Gazing at the distant cataclysmic battle, his eyes hardened with grim resolve.
If Obito could no longer endure, then the next phase of the plan would have to be executed by force.
No matter what, the Ten-Tails must not fall into Yuki Yoru's hands!