The sudden turn of events left everyone stunned, their mouths agape.
Especially the words "inferior beings," which made everyone realize something was seriously wrong with the figure before them.
For Obito in particular, the term "inferior beings" struck a deep chord—he was all too familiar with it.
"Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki always loved to address us like that..."
At this moment, Obito was utterly bewildered. He couldn't understand why Nagato had suddenly transformed into this state.
Wasn't this guy supposed to be undergoing "evolution"?
Weren't they, like Kitagawa Minamoto, the most special "evolved beings"?
"What... is happening here?!"
Fear surged within Obito's heart, while "Nagato" raised his head, his expression full of disdain as he spoke.
"What's happening? The reason is simple: because you're nothing more than our 'vessels'!"
"Vessels..."
The word "vessels" made Kimimaro's eyes widen, and Obito's mind faltered.
"That's right. Otherwise, why would I have spoken to you the way I did back then?"
Kitagawa Minamoto raised an eyebrow, stretching his neck leisurely as he spoke.
"True 'evolution' depends on oneself, not on some mysterious force you don't even understand, which supposedly enhances your power."
"No... impossible... impossible..."
Obito muttered softly, his voice trembling with disbelief.
Looking at Nagato, now covered in black markings, with the only difference being the horn protruding from his forehead, Obito found himself at a loss for words.
Because he had seen someone resembling this form before!
"That time, during the theft of the Senju clan relics... Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki descended, and the figure he confronted..."
Obito's mind replayed that night's events in vivid detail. But the more he recalled, the darker his expression became.
"How could this be?! How is this possible?! Absolutely impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Suddenly, he seemed to lose his sanity, clenching his fists and shouting furiously.
"There's no way this is real. Even if it were, it couldn't involve these guys. That's... that's..."
"Rin?"
At this moment, "Nagato" spoke mockingly, his gaze toward Obito filled with contempt.
"Although I possessed him relatively late, I've seen enough of your 'performance.'"
"What are you talking about..."
Obito growled softly, but "Nagato" remained indifferent. He could feel a consciousness within his body still struggling for control, and he was wary of Kitagawa Minamoto as well.
So, he decided to stall for time while sharing some "amusing tales."
"I'm saying that everything you've done, we've seen it all. Do you really think your thoughts and actions are truly your own? Don't kid yourself; someone's been guiding you all along!"
"..."
"The notion that 'Rin' guided you is laughable, but it's also quite entertaining."
"You..."
"Momoshiki was treated as an inferior being by his own vessel, and even as a 'spiritual guide.' It's truly unprecedented!"
"Shut up."
"What's even more amusing is that you seem to deeply believe in this so-called 'Rin,' thinking she's guiding you toward the right path?"
"Shut up!"
"But come to think of it, you really love that 'Rin,' don't you? No wonder Momoshiki exploited that so effectively. Tsk, tsk, what a fascinating tale this is!"
"I said, shut up!"
Obito could no longer hold back. He roared furiously and charged at "Nagato." Even with his mask on, his distorted expression could be felt, and his inner world had completely collapsed at this moment!
"Why is this happening... why?!"
His soul burned like a raging fire, his anger and despair consuming him.
All he had ever desired was peace. A world he could create himself, where there would be no war, no tragedies like his and Rin's, a world of harmony for everyone.
For this dream, he had sacrificed everything, betrayed everything. And now, fate had played a cruel joke on him.
"The root of chaos in the ninja world is actually the Sage of Six Paths."
To resist the Ōtsutsuki threat, the Sage of Six Paths had orchestrated the ninja world's fate for over a thousand years.
All the wars and tragedies stemmed from this so-called "sage" who sought to secure the ninja world's future.
"Laughable... I've been following his path, hoping for peace to come..."
Even more laughable was Rin.
He had always believed that the true Rin, the Rin who yearned for freedom, was guiding him forward. She was the one who had shown him the way, the one who had revealed the path to "evolution."
"But it turns out... it's all fake. All fake!"
There was no Rin yearning for freedom, no Rin guiding his path, no Rin revealing the truth of evolution.
The real Rin was likely still in Konohagakure, or perhaps somewhere on the battlefield.
What he had held in his heart was nothing more than a malicious specter, a demon leading him into the abyss, intent on destroying the world itself!
"Die!"
Obito roared madly, charging ferociously at "Nagato." But "Nagato" remained disdainful.
"Tsk, tsk, can't accept the truth, can you? What a pitiful inferior being!"
Though he spoke dismissively, Momoshiki within Nagato remained vigilant, aware of his precarious situation.
"This damned inferior being keeps struggling, and Kaguya's Chakra is acting up as well. What a nuisance..."
"Forget it; I'll just move around a bit. I need to release more of the 'Karma' as quickly as possible!"
With this thought, Momoshiki acted swiftly. His violent power erupted, causing the earth to crumble. Amid the deafening roar, Obito was sent flying.
The shockwave knocked countless people off their feet, and many were struck by Obito's tumbling body.
"Cough, cough..."
Obito coughed violently on the ground, blood seeping from beneath his mask. Yet he stood up again, glaring furiously at Momoshiki.
"I refuse to accept this... I will never accept this!"
Boom—
The maddened Obito charged again, forcing Momoshiki to engage. He frowned, but had no choice but to respond.
Boom— Boom— Boom—
Violent explosions erupted across the battlefield, with waves of overwhelming energy instantly clearing the entire area.
"This is..."
When they looked up at the battling figures, almost everyone was stunned.
"The Akatsuki is having an internal conflict?"
"What's going on here?"
"Why are those two fighting each other?"
Internal strife wasn't uncommon, but for it to occur on the battlefield like this was unprecedented.
They couldn't understand what was happening, and even the other Akatsuki members were bewildered.
"What are they doing?"
"Are we still fighting or not? If not, just let us leave!"
Even Madara Uchiha, observing from a distance, was dumbfounded, nearly giving Hashirama Senju an opening.
"Damn it, why is this happening now?"
Dodging Hashirama's attacks, Madara silently cursed.
"Has Nagato discovered something? Or is Obito trying to steal my Rinnegan?"
Madara couldn't figure out the situation, his expression darkening.
Meanwhile, Kitagawa Minamoto and his companions, who had witnessed everything unfold, were equally unsettled.
"Minamoto, that disciple of Jiraiya and Obito Uchiha..."
Tobirama Senju remained silent for a moment before asking:
"What's happening to them? Have they been possessed by the Ōtsutsuki?"
"That's one way to put it."
Kitagawa Minamoto glanced at the bewildered Kimimaro, then nodded and explained:
"I've long suspected their chakra was abnormal, as I've encountered similar chakra in someone before."
"You mean Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki?"
Minato Namikaze immediately grasped the connection, causing Tobirama's expression to darken.
"Damn it, so it really is them?! Minamoto, you've refrained from killing them because..."
Though alarmed, Tobirama wasn't foolish. Nagato's sudden transformation had occurred after Black Zetsu's sneak attack, which had likely caused fatal damage.
This realization dawned on him, and Minato seemed to understand as well.
"We can't kill them, or it would accelerate the emergence of those Ōtsutsuki?"
"Yes, I've observed that this process seems irreversible. There's a chakra within them that's constantly being released."
Kitagawa Minamoto was impressed by how quickly the two Hokage had caught on, and continued:
"Combat can accelerate it, and severe injuries or death can speed up the process too. The only good news is that those beings can't fully control their vessels, only guide them..."
"So they can't make them commit suicide, and they're our enemies regardless, and..."
Minato frowned as he spoke, and Tobirama completed the thought:
"No matter what we say, they won't believe us. So you've been slowing down the battle to delay them?"
"..."
Kitagawa Minamoto blinked, realizing he didn't need to explain further—these two had already figured everything out.
He reflected that at his current level, people would always find suitable reasons and excuses for whatever he did.
In truth, he was waiting for the Ten-Tails to emerge, while also anticipating the Ōtsutsuki to deliver themselves to him...
"Though there's been a small unexpected development."
Kitagawa Minamoto tilted his head, looking puzzled at the battlefield, but soon raised an eyebrow.
"This is..."
"Damn it, does this mean once possessed by these beings, there's no way to stop their resurrection?"
Tobirama's expression grew extremely grim, while Minato noticed the change in Kitagawa Minamoto's face and asked curiously:
"Minamoto, what's happening over there? Or have you thought of a solution?"
"I haven't figured out how to prevent their resurrection yet, but there might be a way to prevent one's consciousness from being replaced."
After pondering for a moment, Kitagawa Minamoto suddenly smiled.
"If one's will is strong enough, they might be able to resist. After all, no matter how the body changes, it still belongs to them."
"Strong will?"
Tobirama and Minato were puzzled, but in the next moment, a dramatic change occurred!
Boom—
From where Nagato and Obito were fighting came an earth-shattering explosion!
Roar—
Following this, a soul-shaking, fear-inducing roar echoed across the battlefield.
With this terrifying sound came an enormous shadow that appeared before everyone's eyes!
Through the massive cloud of dust, a colossal figure emerged, with ten tail-like appendages swaying gently behind it.
On its protruding head, a giant Rinnegan slowly opened!
Though most had never seen this monster before, in that instant, a clear answer formed in their minds:
"This is... the Ten-Tails?!"
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