Chapter 266: Dark Owl and Obito's First Meeting
A month passed in the blink of an eye, and Kyosuke once again threw himself into his work.
No one in Konoha, aside from Saori and a few of his assistants, knew that his Sharingan had been restored. He hadn't even told Fugaku. He needed time for his dōjutsu power to recover, and he also had to be wary of the high council's spies within the clan.
The Uchiha's position was becoming increasingly precarious. It was essential to keep a few trump cards hidden. If it ever came to a direct confrontation, he was confident that his reawakened Mangekyo would be a nasty surprise for them.
While things were proceeding smoothly for Kyosuke, far away in the Mist Village, Dark Owl was about to meet the so-called "successor."
"Thank you for your hard work today, Lady Mizukage."
Minazuki Saya gave a curt nod to the subordinates she had chosen to assist her and returned to her clan's compound.
She quietly opened the door to her chambers and, as always, went to stand by the window, as motionless as a puppet. From the shadows, a soft sigh could be heard.
"I never thought that controlling a puppet to handle political affairs would be so troublesome. If I had known..."
The figure emerged from the shadows. It was, of course, Dark Owl.
"Actually, this is a good way to train your abilities," White Zetsu said, his upper body protruding from the floor. "Compared to a few months ago, your control over the puppet has improved significantly."
Dark Owl knew he was right. But the hatred that consumed her was a constant reminder that her enemy was still living a comfortable life in Konoha. It was becoming increasingly difficult to wait. If not for White Zetsu's assurances that the "successor" had a plan and would be making his move soon, she would have already used her puppets to declare war on Konoha.
But she had waited and waited, and still, no one had come. Her temper had grown shorter and shorter in recent days. Every time she thought of Kyosuke and that "bitch" in Konoha, a fire of rage would ignite in her heart. On several occasions, she had been on the verge of using White Zetsu's abilities to infiltrate Konoha and carry out an assassination, but he had always managed to talk her out of it.
Her current mental state was a strange, twisted thing. The despair that had once consumed her had led her to reject this "false reality." And with White Zetsu's constant, subtle manipulation, her mind had become completely warped. Even the deaths of her own clansmen, whom she had once cherished, would not have fazed her now.
And yet, every time she heard news of Kyosuke, she couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. In her mind, the current Kyosuke was an imposter, a fake. And this imposter was the source of all her pain. The only way to be free was to kill him.
Only when you are dead can I be free from this hatred. Your death will bring about "everlasting peace."
In that dream world, I will have a grandfather who loves me, and a Kyosuke who is all mine...
You damned imposter. I will kill you soon. Very soon...
Restless, she was about to go for a walk when a strange distortion appeared in the space before her. She immediately donned her mask, the Mangekyo pattern blooming in her eyes. Small branches began to sprout from the floor, surrounding the distortion. Whoever was coming, in this confined space, they would be at a severe disadvantage.
The space twisted, and from the vortex, a long-haired man in a black robe and an orange-and-black striped mask slowly emerged.
"My name," he said, his voice a low monotone, "is Uchiha Madara."
But he was not greeted with a warm welcome.
"Wood Release: Thorn Killing Technique!"
A wooden branch shot from Dark Owl's hand, lashing out at the masked man.
"Wait, this is a misunderstanding..." White Zetsu, who had been looking forward to this meeting, tried to intervene, but Dark Owl was in no mood to listen. If he said another word, she might just take him out as well.
Women are so unreasonable, he thought, retreating to a safe distance. I have no idea why Madara chose someone like her.
"...If you want to play, then I'll play along," the masked man—Obito—said, his voice calm.
He made no move to defend himself. His nonchalant attitude only served to further enrage Dark Owl. Not only did the branch from her hand shoot forward, but wooden stakes also erupted from the ground, cutting off all avenues of escape.
To be able to use Wood Release of this level without hand signs... "he" is stronger than I thought, Obito mused, still not moving. But that's good. It will make the plan easier to execute. As for "his" true identity... it no longer matters.
Dark Owl's attack finally reached him.
But to her astonishment, the branches and stakes passed right through his body, as if he weren't even there.
For the first time, she truly looked at him, and their eyes met.
That's... the Sharingan?!
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