Obito was not indifferent, nor was he afraid.
At this point, what was there left to be afraid of?
From the moment the operation began, Obito didn't know what others were thinking. For him, once he walked out of the Sky Base, there were only two possible endings.
Success.
Or death.
There was no third path left to take.
In the past, Obito had been very cowardly. Especially after the decisive battle in Kyoto, he was like a rat, trapping himself in a hole all day long. He called it living, but in truth, it was no different from being in prison.
The only reason Obito managed to persist all the way until now was purely because he treated his final trump card as spiritual support.
He firmly believed that as long as he became the complete Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, he could overturn everything, erase the pain of the world and allow everyone to sink into an infinite, beautiful dream.
Now, the "Ten-Tails" trump card had already been revealed.
If he could still lose after this, and still have to run for his life… Obito would rather choose death.
Enduring bitterness first is for the sake of sweetness later.
Not to suffer for a lifetime, not to believe that only by enduring the bitterest of bitterness can one become superior among the bitter.
Standing atop the Ten-Tails' head, Obito watched Ryosuke suppress Momoshiki and Kinshiki, watched Isshiki roar at him in despair, while silently weighing gains and losses in his heart.
His role was truly critical.
Helping Ryosuke would allow the two Otsutsuki to be killed more quickly.
Helping the Otsutsuki would force Ryosuke to move Isshiki's head. When that happened, Isshiki would return, the situation would reverse, and Ryosuke would be killed instead.
But neither of those outcomes was what Obito wanted.
What Obito wanted was, for the three Otsutsuki and Ryosuke to all die together, with him becoming the final winner, the victor of this chaotic battle.
This was nothing short of snatching chestnuts from the fire.
If he miscalculated even a single step, Obito would die, and judging by how those Otsutsuki bastards treated the ninja world, the entire world would be buried along with him.
"For Rin, for the beautiful world of Infinite Tsukuyomi."
Obito said softly, "I must carve out a path to victory in this darkness. For that…"
"I need that thing."
The god's eye that symbolizes the deduction of fate,
Amenotejikara no Mikoto.
———
Five minutes earlier.
Summoning Jutsu!
In a lush, dense forest, a man with slicked-back hair, deathly pale skin, and fine cracks spreading across his body slapped one hand onto the ground. With a loud bang, accompanied by billowing smoke...
Click!
A lighter flicked on. The White Snake Sage lit a cigarette, exhaled a puff of smoke, and walked out.
Along with him came four upright coffins.
At this moment, the coffin lids burst open with a series of bangs, and four Edo Tensei ninjas stepped out. Together with the one who had summoned the White Snake Sage earlier, there were five in total.
The Second Tsuchikage, Mu.
The Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hozuki.
The Third Raikage, A (the current Fourth Raikage inherited his father's title).
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The leader of Amegakure, Hanzo of the Salamander.
One of the plans of the Evil God White Snake was to take advantage of the fighting during the signing ceremony to launch a surprise attack on the research institute, rescue Hidan and seize Orochimaru's memory and ninjutsu discs.
Among them, Obito was responsible for restraining the main battlefield, while Kabuto Yakushi was in charge of monitoring the transfer of Isshiki's head.
The White Snake Sage was the one going to the research institute to snatch people.
These five Edo Tensei ninjas were the confidence behind the White Snake Sage's forceful assault on the institute.
What no one expected was the appearance of Otsutsuki Momoshiki and Kinshiki.
The moment the White Snake Sage received the news, he reacted immediately. In addition to Hidan and Orochimaru's discs, they also needed to seize the institute's central processor located in the core server room, Amenotejikara no Mikoto.
The situation was far too chaotic, beyond the scope of mere "adapting on the fly."
They knew the side effects of Amenotejikara no Mikoto, and they knew that the more important the fate deduction, the greater the backlash.
But they had no other choice. Don't be fooled by the current stalemate between Ryosuke, the Otsutsuki, and Obito.
Obito was the weakest. If either side freed up even a hand, they could kill him easily.
Only with the computational power of Amenotejikara no Mikoto could they find a sliver of victorious light.
The White Snake Sage withdrew his thoughts, narrowed his eyes, and looked through the gaps in the forest toward the distant cluster of buildings that resembled a futuristic city.
"That is… the research institute."
He took a deep drag on his cigarette.
"Move out."
The five Edo Tensei members charged out first, without the slightest attempt at concealment.
This was not the time for slow infiltration, evasion, or hiding.
Time was tight. It had to be a swift strike, rush in, save people, grab what they needed, then retreat immediately.
The White Snake Sage knew the institute had defensive mechanisms.
But what kind of defenses could stop the five standing before him?
Under normal circumstances, the White Snake Sage might have worried a little, whether it was Kohaku, Sasuke, Mayuri, or even the legendary swordsman Miyamoto, any one of them appearing would be troublesome.
But today, most of Ryosuke's companions were in Kirigakure, attending the signing ceremony. The institute's defenses were at their weakest, this was the perfect opportunity to act.
"Speed up! Faster!" the White Snake Sage said.
The always sharp-tongued Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hozuki, shot him a glance, "You control me and make me attack Kirigakure's research institute, and then you're urging me to hurry up… do you even hear yourself right now?"
The White Snake Sage let out a cold laugh.
"Kirigakure?"
"There has long been no Kirigakure left in this world. Not just Kirigakure, all ninja villages and countries have been dissolved."
At those words, the Edo Tensei-controlled group, each face clearly spelling out the word "this is bullshit", all turned their heads.
"What do you mean?"
The Third Raikage asked in a deep voice. "Are you saying the ninja world has returned to the chaotic era of warring clans, where families fought endlessly?"
"Quite the opposite. It's unification."
The White Snake Sage narrowed his eyes. Even now, viewing it from an enemy's perspective, thinking it through, he still couldn't help but sigh, "A true unification, of territory, of people, and of ideology."
"The ninja world is about to enter a new era."
"A new era…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi repeated the words, uncontrollably thinking of a single name, "Ryosuke."
The White Snake Sage glanced at Hiruzen and chuckled softly, offering no reply.
There was no need to.
Anyone who had interacted with Ryosuke for a period of time, who had witnessed the path he walked and the things he did, would naturally understand, it was undoubtedly a new world created by Ryosuke.
Hanzo of the Salamander's hoarse voice came from behind his mask.
"If we're entering a new era, then why dig us dead people out of the ground? What exactly do you want… White Snake Sage?"
"Because I do not belong to the new era."
There were now only two White Snake Sages left.
Number Eighteen had already made its choice, cutting itself off from the former White Snake Sage and living its own path.
But Number One would not.
It always believed that it itself was the White Snake Sage.
Not some inheritance. Not a vessel of memories.
It did not like the future Ryosuke was heading toward, because in that world, there was no place for the "White Snake Sage" to stand.
"Besides…"
The White Snake Sage's gaze swept carefully, one by one, across the faces of Hiruzen Sarutobi, A, Gengetsu Hozuki, Hanzo of the Salamander, and Mū, before saying,
"You are the same as me. In the new world, there is no place for you either."
Whoosh!
A fresh breeze blew past, and their view suddenly opened up.
They had walked out of the forest. The research institute was right in front of them.
"So, fight for the old world. If you're lucky enough, maybe you'll even be able to live again. Of course…"
The White Snake Sage's tail pointed forward.
"You have no right to refuse."
Five Kage-level powerhouses, each with their own complicated expressions, launched their assault on the research institute.