Chapter 303: Obito's Plan
Obito asked, "Is this the original text of the Historical Record?"
Hmm. When it came to naming conventions, even the Akatsuki followed the trend. The entire ninja world called it the Historical Record, so they did the same.
After all, "Historical Record" sounded much more dignified than simply calling it a "stone tablet."
"It's not."
Madara shook his head. "But as the Jinchūriki of the Ten-Tails, controlling the Divine Tree is a fundamental ability."
Obito frowned, pondering Madara's words, but in the end, he shook his head. "That's not reliable."
Hearing this, Madara's gaze turned scrutinizing. "So, you've decided to give up? Or are you questioning the Sage of Six Paths?"
"That's not it," Obito replied, his eyes flickering as he spoke coldly. "I don't trust you! I can only see fragments of the Uchiha tablet. Most of what I know about the Infinite Tsukuyomi comes from your interpretation."
Obito only possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan, not the Eternal Mangekyō, and certainly not the Rinnegan.
The Uchiha tablet could only partially be read with the Mangekyō Sharingan, leaving much of its content inaccessible to him. Everything about the Infinite Tsukuyomi was based on Madara's recounting. How could he not harbor doubts?
Originally, his plan had been to take Nagato's Rinnegan once Nagato outlived his usefulness and verify the tablet's contents himself.
But plans couldn't keep up with changes. Due to external pressures, he had been forced to resurrect Madara. Now, with Nagato having lost one Rinnegan, his original plan was no longer feasible.
"Do you expect me to prove it for you?" Madara crossed his arms, his voice turning cold. "Let me make this clear—this is the only way to save the world!"
Obito shook his head. "I don't need you to prove anything. I just need you to use Transcription Seal to transfer some Rinnegan power to me so I can view the Historical Record myself. As your collaborator, that's not an unreasonable request, is it?"
Madara raised an eyebrow, finding Obito's request peculiar.
Technically speaking, Obito's proposal was feasible. With some of the Rinnegan's power, he could indeed read the Historical Record. But transferring just a portion of the Rinnegan's power wouldn't give Obito any advantage in their current plan.
Without a full Rinnegan, he couldn't control the Ten-Tails.
What was Obito's goal? Was he trying to play tricks?
Narrowing his eyes, Madara said, "The plan begins in two days. Isn't it a little late to be verifying the Historical Record now?"
Obito met his gaze directly. "It's precisely because it's too late for me to meddle that you'd even consider giving me the Rinnegan's power, right?"
The two stared at each other in silence, the room growing tense.
In the end, Madara didn't agree immediately. Using the imminent start of the plan as an excuse, he refused Obito's request and summoned Zetsu instead.
"What's Obito been up to lately?"
"The same as always. When he's in Ideal City, he spends most of his time immersed in the illusionary world. No other movements."
Zetsu shook his head.
"…"
Standing atop a tall building in the center of Ideal City, Madara gazed down at the residents below, deep in thought. "And the other Akatsuki members?"
If it wasn't Obito himself seeking the Rinnegan's power, then perhaps someone else was involved.
Had Obito aligned himself with certain members of the Akatsuki? With the Infinite Tsukuyomi so close at hand, what plan could possibly surpass it?
"Most are busy with their own tasks," Zetsu replied, his eyes flashing slightly. "However, I can't infiltrate the domains of Orochimaru, Uchiha Hikari, or Tamako. I can't determine what they're doing."
"Among those three, huh?"
Madara stroked his chin thoughtfully before giving Zetsu his instructions.
"Focus on keeping an eye on Obito from now on. You can ease up on monitoring the others."
Having uncovered the true nature of Ideal City, Madara no longer expected much from Zetsu's actions here. The ones with the highest authority in this realm were ultimately Hikari and Tamako, who controlled the mental space…
A flash of killing intent flickered in Madara's eyes.
Tamako and Hikari's true goals were difficult to grasp. If not for their necessity in the plan, he would never have allowed them such freedom to act, causing him this much trouble.
This Ideal City placed too many constraints on him.
Zetsu nodded. "Understood."
…
The noonday sun filtered through the dense leaves, casting dappled light on the main street of Ideal City. The air carried a faint scent of earth and greenery.
Shops and stalls lined the street, their wooden signs swaying gently in the breeze, creaking softly.
Inside a small house overlooking the street, Obito stood with a shadowy figure, watching the people below.
The passing ninjas appeared lifelike, but Obito knew it was all an illusion. Everything here was virtual.
But if everyone believed it was real, did the distinction between truth and illusion even matter?
A faint smile appeared on Obito's lips as he turned to the person beside him. "Madara hasn't noticed anything unusual. He's still as arrogant as ever, convinced that the Infinite Tsukuyomi is the best plan and that I have no other choice."
"As expected." Uchiha Hikari stared blankly at this deranged clansman. "Even I didn't think you'd seek me out."
Obito chuckled and shook his head. "When you saw me immersing myself in the Tsukuyomi Space, you should have suspected something, shouldn't you? Compared to the Infinite Tsukuyomi, your Limited Tsukuyomi is far more feasible."
A Moon's Eye plan that neither of them had personally witnessed nor fully controlled, or a virtual space they had already experienced—which was the better choice? The answer was obvious.
And compared to Uchiha Madara, Hikari was much simpler to deal with. At least when collaborating with Hikari, Obito didn't have to worry about being threatened.
When Hikari remained silent, Obito pressed on.
"Honestly, I'm more surprised on your end. I thought you and Tamako got along well. Why are you willing to work with me now? Did she disagree with your plan, or is she pursuing one of her own?"
Within the Akatsuki, Obito had categorized the members into three groups based on their understanding of the plan:
First, those aiming to create the ultimate tailed beast, absorb the Ten-Tails, and become its Jinchūriki to end war. Members like Nagato, Konan, and Shinno fell into this group.
Second, those aware of the true nature of the Moon's Eye Plan, such as Uchiha Madara and Zetsu.
Third, those operating in the shadows, using the Moon's Eye Plan to achieve their own goals. This included himself, Tamako, and Hikari.
As for Orochimaru and Ōtsutsuki Shinichi, their intentions were enigmatic. They seemed knowledgeable yet uninterested in direct involvement, so Obito excluded them from his calculations.
Obito felt cautious yet somewhat clear about the first two groups' objectives. But Tamako, from the third group, remained an enigma.
Hearing Obito's question, Hikari lowered her gaze and softly replied with words that left Obito puzzled.
"I sense something familiar in her. But… she seems freer than I am."
In Tamako, Hikari had felt a similar aura to her own. Both were "tools" created for a specific purpose, which was part of why she had involved Tamako in her plan.
It also implied one thing—Tamako had someone pulling the strings behind her.
(Chapter ends.)
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