As the scenery within his vision began to distort, young Obito Uchiha knew this was the result of his own body twisting. He was slowly entering his own dōjutsu space.
Compared to the Obito Uchiha of this world, young Obito's speed was far slower. Five full seconds were only enough for the vortex from his right eye to extend to about the size of his chest.
Thud.
There was no sound, yet the impact was unmistakable. The vortex of his dōjutsu space was forcibly twisted in reverse and snapped back into its original state.
It was Adult Obito behind him.
It seemed that although their dōjutsu spaces were different, they possessed the ability to cancel out each other's process of entering those spaces.
Realizing this, young Obito felt a surge of panic.
He didn't know whether this world's Obito was aware of the mission scroll, or of the SSS-rank mission in his possession.
If the other one knew about that SSS-rank mission, then there was at least a fifty-percent chance that his situation was extremely dangerous.
Cold sweat poured down his back.
When they had met in the other world, the "Masked Man" had been using Madara's body, so old that even breathing had been a struggle. Back then, young Obito had still been able to trade verbal blows with him.
But this was different.
This time, the one in front of him was the real thing. A genuine "Masked Man."
Anger at the Masked Man's past actions aside, Obito knew very well where the difference in strength lay.
He was so tense that he barely dared to breathe.
Adult Obito didn't attack him, nor did he immediately pull young Obito back into his own dōjutsu space.
Like a criminal being closely watched, young Obito slowly finished using the bathroom, his mind racing as he searched for a countermeasure.
Thinking it through carefully, the other him had said earlier that he had questions to ask. Combined with the fact that he had already given several subtle hints beforehand, it probably wasn't about taking his life.
So what did he want to ask?
The mission scroll? Or why he had crossed into this world?
No. If it were him, the first thing he would ask about would be the cursed seal on Rin's heart. After that, it would be Black Zetsu's schemes.
Young Obito was still weighing how he should answer when, from behind, the Obito of this era activated his dōjutsu and pulled him directly into his Kamui space.
Young Obito spoke first, seizing the initiative.
"Listen up. I'm living with Kakashi right now. If I don't go back within ten minutes, he'll definitely come looking for me!"
"So what?" Adult Obito replied coolly. "Can he even get in?"
"If he finds me missing, he'll definitely look for this world's Kakashi!" young Obito shot back. "This world's Kakashi has the same eyes as you! That means he should be connected to the same dōjutsu space as you, right?!"
Even though that Kakashi hadn't awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan yet, young Obito decided to bluff first and see what happened.
"..."
All right. That threat held water.
Adult Obito knew it well. Once Kakashi learned how to use the Mangekyō Sharingan in his eye socket, entering this space would be inevitable.
Young Obito: Did that work?!
He forced himself to look relaxed.
"So, what do you want to ask me? You've got ten minutes. You have to let me go within ten minutes."
That attitude slightly irritated the Obito of this world. Accustomed to wearing black gloves like Madara Uchiha, Adult Obito spread his hand and reached out to seize young Obito by the throat.
What neither of them expected was that at this exact moment, young Obito successfully activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.
He actually became intangible inside Adult Obito's Kamui space?!
The concept of Voidification itself is the act of storing one's own body, along with anything it comes into contact with, inside the Kamui space. That is why Obito Uchiha cannot use Voidification within his own Kamui space.
Yet young Obito Uchiha was able to become intangible inside Adult Obito Uchiha's Kamui space. This further proved that young Obito and Adult Obito possessed two completely different dōjutsu spaces.
Uncertain whether his other self could disrupt the casting process and break his escape into his own dōjutsu space, young Obito did not act rashly.
Adult Obito clearly understood what he was thinking and warned him coldly,
"You'd better not get any unnecessary ideas. I have plenty of ways to deal with you."
As he said this, Adult Obito habitually put his mask back on. His voice also shifted, once again using the tone of Madara Uchiha that young Obito had heard during Konoha's early founding period.
Young Obito had a vague feeling that wearing the mask was Adult Obito's way of suppressing the kindness still buried in his heart, completely disguising himself as Madara Uchiha and entering what could only be called an evil state.
"Fine," young Obito said. "What do you want to ask?"
"How much do you know about the Fourth Shinobi World War?"
"Huh?"
Young Obito froze for a moment.
"Hey! Shouldn't you be worried about the cursed seal on Rin's heart first?!"
"She's Rin from your world," Adult Obito replied calmly.
What he didn't say was that he had already confirmed that the cursed seal on Rin's heart was identical to the one on his own.
There was no need to ask further.
Even if he did ask, young Obito Uchiha wouldn't know the answer anyway.
It would be far more practical to find a way to eliminate Black Zetsu and uncover a method to deal with that kind of seal.
"How can you say something like that?!"
Unaware of Adult Obito's thoughts, young Obito stared at the figure before him, shock and disappointment plain on his face. The Obito Uchiha standing there, seemingly even taller than this world's Kakashi, suddenly felt far more unfamiliar than he had ever imagined.
He looked at this man who had fallen into darkness, taking a half-step back in disbelief.
"How did you end up like this?"
"I still can't believe you're me from another world!"
Young Obito irritably ran his fingers through his short black hair.
"You don't care about Rin's safety at all…"
"You killed this world's Minato-sensei and Kushina-san!"
"You gave up on your dream of becoming Hokage! You led the Nine-Tails to attack the village! You didn't even spare the Uchiha clan!"
As he spoke, young Obito's emotions shifted from confusion to outright fury, his voice growing hoarse as he hurled each accusation.
Just moments ago at the gathering with his former classmates, he'd been terrified that someone might bring up the Masked Man, or ask about the Uchiha, or the Nine-Tails incident!
Ever since learning the truth, these matters had weighed on him every single day, like the massive boulder from Kannabi Bridge pressing down on his chest, suffocating him, Kakashi, and Rin alike.
And yet, all of his anger, his confusion, his near-hysterical outburst earned him nothing more than a cold sneer from Adult Obito.
"Hmph. You're just lucky," Adult Obito said flatly.
"So far, you haven't tasted the pain of losing what you love, being forced to meet what you hate, or forever failing to obtain what you desire. But as long as you are me, sooner or later you'll become nothing but trash in this false world."
"No."
Young Obito shook his head.
Staring at the man wearing the orange mask, he calmly denied him.
"In my eyes, Naruto's world is real. You are the only thing in this world that feels fake."
This time, there was none of his earlier agitation. With quiet certainty, he rejected not only Adult Obito's words, but his way of thinking, his actions, and even his very existence.
With just that single sentence.
With just that single stance.
Young Obito refused to play by Adult Obito's rules and instead pulled him into a game defined by his own terms.
It was a battle of wills, fought entirely through conversation.
"What do you know?! You have no idea what I felt when I saw that scene—I—"
Young Obito suddenly understood what he meant.
He had personally witnessed the moment Kakashi killed Rin in this world. That was the very nightmare he'd seen when he first crossed into this world in the Land of Waves, the moment that had awakened his two-tomoe Sharingan.
"I can't fully understand how you felt seeing it with your own eyes," young Obito said. "I only saw that scene in a nightmare, and it was enough to awaken just a two-tomoe Sharingan."
"What truly awakened my Mangekyō Sharingan…"
He stared straight at the man in front of him.
"…was learning that the Masked Man, the one hated to the core by me, Rin, Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and Minato-sensei…"
"…was actually Obito Uchiha of this world."
Rin once hated you with everything she had.
The moment that realization hit Adult Obito's consciousness, it almost shattered him.
Barely, he managed to keep his reason intact.
"I didn't ask you about that!" he snapped. "Tell me what you know about the Fourth Shinobi World War! Trash!"
"..."
Young Obito continued,
"Future Naruto said he had just finished fighting the Fourth Shinobi World War. He even beat you up for Minato-sensei and Kakashi and smashed your mask."
"I think that meant he helped you rediscover your true self. Naruto is special. If you'd interacted with him like I have, you'd understand. He has this strange power to change people's hearts."
Adult Obito couldn't hide the shock in his eyes.
Did his future self… regret it?
After everything, after Akatsuki had already pushed things to the brink of a Shinobi World War, did he regret it?
Naruto Uzumaki… someone who could change hearts?
The son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki?
Seeing the hesitation in the other him, young Obito asked,
"Do you know who Kaguya Ōtsutsuki is?"
"Now I'm the one asking," Adult Obito shot back, unwilling to lose momentum to his younger self.
Young Obito shrugged.
"That's the last piece of information I have about the Fourth Shinobi World War. For now."
"What information?" Adult Obito demanded.
Young Obito answered clearly,
"The final enemy of the Fourth Shinobi World War is Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the mother of the Sage of Six Paths. The Uchiha stone tablet was altered long ago by Black Zetsu. The Infinite Tsukuyomi you believe in is definitely a fake."
"..."
"Give it up already!" young Obito shouted. "Just like how Naruto led everyone through the Chūnin Exams, he'll lead all the shinobi of this world to defeat you and that rotten plan of yours!"
"He'll crush you completely, force you to face your mistakes!"
"The Obito Uchiha who gave up on becoming Hokage is the fakest existence of all!"
The moment he finished speaking, Adult Obito threw him straight out of Kamui.
Young Obito slammed onto the ground, experiencing firsthand what it meant to be heartlessly tossed aside.
Tch. Who even uses that phrase on themselves?
He checked the time.
Exactly ten minutes.
He actually let him go on time?!
For someone who lived by chronic lateness, the sudden punctuality made young Obito feel uncomfortable all over.
A world where Kakashi lived as the King of Tardiness while Obito became perfectly punctual had to be wrong.
Yeah. Definitely wrong…
"Well, that part was true," he muttered.
Looking at the abnormal white substance on his right arm, young Obito wondered if the Obito from the other world, if he could use Wood Release as well, had the same thing in his body.
Because he had become Madara Uchiha, fate had twisted things just enough that there was no cursed seal on his heart.
Reaching into his ninja pouch, he grasped the mission scroll, and a faint sense of reassurance settled in his chest.
He believed this scroll could change their fate. From the standpoint of the entire world, killing the Masked Man was absolutely justified…
But they would eventually have to leave.
When that happened, what about this world's Kakashi?
After losing everything again, would he really be able to endure it?
"Hey, idiot. Did you fall in or something?"
The cold, aloof voice of young Kakashi came from behind him.
More than ten minutes had passed. His roommate had come looking for him.
Turning around, he saw the same Kakashi as always. Disdain in his eyes, a sharp edge to his voice, yet concern for his companion hidden deep down.
Young Obito scratched the back of his head and gave a goofy grin.
"Sorry, sorry. I was so tired I almost fell asleep."
"Idiot."
"Heh. Worried?"
"What are you talking about? Move. I need to use it."
He still didn't mention meeting the other version of himself.
That SSS-rank mission…
If it could be delayed, then he'd delay it a little longer.
Young Obito followed young Kakashi back to rest.
...
Inside Kamui, a man wearing black gloves sat cross-legged on an empty platform, completely still.
In his hands was a mission scroll identical to Obito Uchiha's.
[Mission Rank: SSS]
[Mission Objective: Prevent the Fourth Shinobi World War]