Uchiha Obito left Root alone and headed straight for the Uchiha Clan compound without stopping.
The night was deep, and clouds veiled the stars, leaving the Uchiha district dim, quiet, and still.
Obito moved through the shadows without hesitation. He knew exactly where he was going.
The day the blade would fall was five days away. But now, Uchiha Itachi's loss of control had made Obito's entire plan uncertain. Without Itachi as an inside man, Obito knew far less about the Uchiha's internal arrangements and defenses than before.
I have to find someone to take his place.
The intelligence Root had provided was limited. If Obito wanted to strike a fatal blow during the clan's destruction, he needed to find a suitable new insider within the Uchiha Clan.
Someone who could access crucial intelligence and would be easy to control.
Obito knew full well that he was the mastermind behind this operation. Any mistake could ruin the entire plan.
Fortunately, he had prepared in advance. The day before, he had appeared at a clan meeting as "Uchiha Madara." After only a few words, those foolish clansmen had believed him, even hailing him as their savior.
They trust me far too easily. They're desperate for a hero to lead them against Konoha's high-level, Obito sneered. One more appearance would be enough to pick out an ideal pawn from among them.
And he soon found his target.
Uchiha Rekka.
One of the clan's few Elite Jonin, Rekka had never awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, but his exceptional Taijutsu and Ninjutsu made him second only to Uchiha Itachi within the clan.
But because of Itachi, Rekka had never been truly valued by the clan. He had long been kept outside its inner circle, frustrated and unfulfilled.
People like him are easy to control, Obito thought with a quiet laugh as he slipped like a ghost into the depths of the compound.
Before long, Obito had silently reached Uchiha Rekka's residence.
The place was quiet and secluded. Rekka had been pushed to the fringes of the clan early on, and now that made it easy for Obito to sneak in.
At that moment, Uchiha Rekka sat on his futon, brows furrowed and expression grave.
Ever since Uchiha Itachi had defected, the clan's leaders had been in a panic, while Root had been probing them repeatedly. Rekka had been granted certain permissions again, but he knew it was only a temporary measure to fill a gap.
What truly made him feel important was the man who had recently appeared: Uchiha Rei. He had won Rekka's genuine trust.
Rei had told him that the clan's real enemy was not Itachi, who was merely the obvious threat, but the shadow lurking between Konoha's high-level and the Akatsuki Organization.
And Rekka's first task was to find out one thing:
When would the clan's destruction plan begin?
How should I approach Root... or should I start with the Akatsuki?
As he pondered, a sudden ripple in space broke the silence of the night, as if the air had been torn open.
"Who's there?" Rekka sprang to his feet, drew the Katana at his side, and activated his Sharingan, fixing a wary gaze on the source of the disturbance.
Uchiha Obito appeared silently in Uchiha Rekka's room. Space twisted faintly around him as he materialized inside, like a ghost emerging from the shadows.
He made no effort to hide his intentions or suppress his chakra, as if he had never worried about anyone noticing him.
Throughout the Uchiha Clan, he operated under the name "Uchiha Madara." The ancient figure who had once shaken the Ninja World was regarded as the clan's spiritual icon. Most of the clansmen still believed in this fabricated "ancestor," treating him as the Uchiha's only hope of salvation and worshipping him without question.
Even those who happened to suspect that something was wrong with his identity dared not speak up. After all, he was a mysterious figure who could move through space at will and control the Nine-Tails.
More absurdly, some of the clan's leaders now hoped to rely on "Lord Madara's" power to take on Konoha's high-level. They saw Obito as a banner of resistance against oppression, but had never truly understood what that banner represented.
However, an exchange of intelligence with Uchiha Rei earlier that day had already made the truth clear to Uchiha Rekka.
When Uchiha Rei had revealed the Masked Man's true identity, Rekka had felt as if he'd been jolted awake from a long night.
The mysterious man who had spent years pulling strings from the shadows was none other than Uchiha Obito, once known as the "Dead Last" at the Konoha Ninja Academy.
The mysteries and the awe he had once inspired vanished in an instant.
And now, that former Dead Last had swaggered into Rekka's room without even using the most basic stealth techniques or making any effort to suppress his presence.
Uchiha Rekka watched him without a change in expression, but his eyes were already full of scorn and contempt.
So this was the so-called mastermind?
Had he forgotten even the most basic rules of being a ninja?
If Rekka hadn't been neglected by the clan for so long, leaving him with a residence in a secluded area where few people passed by, the spatial disturbance caused by Uchiha Obito's arrival alone would have alerted the nearby clansmen.
Though Uchiha Rekka was full of scorn for Uchiha Obito, he kept it off his face. Instead, he bowed respectfully and asked in a steady voice, "My lord, what important business brings you here today?"
His tone was perfectly measured—not a hint of mockery or defiance. He seemed just like a truly loyal clan ninja awaiting his ancestor's instructions.
Obito looked at him, a hint of smugness flickering in his eyes behind the mask. Then he spoke slowly. "This is a matter of great importance. It concerns the future of the entire Uchiha Clan."
He continued with the same well-worn speech, trying the same tactics to bring Rekka under his control. "Uchiha Rekka, you understand, don't you? This world is already terminally ill. Konoha's high-level see us only as a threat. They have never truly respected the Uchiha Clan. You're an elite ninja of Konoha, a Jonin of the Uchiha Clan, but has the clan ever given you the respect you deserve?"
As he spoke, Obito lowered his voice, deliberately emphasizing his next words. "You've always lived in Uchiha Itachi's shadow. No matter how hard you try, you'll always be 'second' to Itachi. Is a clan like that worth your continued loyalty?"
Rekka sneered inwardly, almost unable to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Was this man really trying to control him with such childish, inflammatory rhetoric? He sounded like an immature boy. If Itachi hadn't defected, this so-called mastermind probably wouldn't even have remembered Rekka's name.
But he showed none of that on his face. Instead, he feigned shock and quietly asked, "My lord, you mean...?"
"You don't need to be surprised," Obito said as he slowly stepped forward, his voice low. "This world is false and rotten. We must overthrow it and rebuild true peace."
As he spoke, his voice deepened, as if it held an enthralling power. "We'll use Uchiha blood to cleanse this land and pave the way for a true New World."
Uchiha Rekka put on a bewildered expression, as if lost in thought, though he was barely holding back laughter inside.
So he really was insane.
Uchiha Rei had already told him that Uchiha Obito's real plan was the so-called Moon Eye—to drag the entire world into an illusion. And now, this man was revealing it all so easily.
And this man is supposed to be the clan's "hope"? Uchiha Rekka sneered inwardly. No wonder so many people have been fooled by him, and even some clan elders are willing to follow him... It's all thanks to this chūnibyō nonsense.
Obito saw Rekka's thoughtful expression and assumed his words had worked. His confidence grew.
"I have a plan," he said abruptly, his voice turning cold. "The first step is to use the blood of the Evil Uchiha to cleanse all of Konoha."
Uchiha Rekka's gaze sharpened. "You... intend to wipe out the entire clan?"
"No. Purify it." Obito's voice was low, as if he were stating the obvious. "The evil Uchiha will be purged, while the truly enlightened Uchiha who understand peace will be reborn in the Dreamscape... They'll be grateful to us."
"The Dreamscape?" Uchiha Rekka quietly repeated. A cold glint flashed through his eyes, then vanished. He slowly nodded and replied in a steady voice, "I understand, my lord."
Obito studied him, his tone softening slightly. "I know you're ambitious and capable... If you cooperate, I can make an exception and let you join us. There'll be a place for you in the New World."
Uchiha Rekka calmly asked, "What do I need to do?"
"Tell me everything you know about the clan's arrangements," Uchiha Obito said in a low voice, his tone oppressive and beyond question.
"On the Night of the Plan, you must help me take control of the clan's key positions."
He paused. His voice dropped, taking on a chilling edge.
"I'll arrange for members of the organization to come and deal with the remaining obstacles... The old, the weak, the sick, the useless—all of them must be eliminated. The Uchiha's rebirth must come at the cost of absolute purity."
Rekka lowered his head and replied respectfully, "Understood, my lord."
"Good." Obito seemed satisfied and nodded. "The operation begins in five days. I'll contact you."
"Yes." Uchiha Rekka bowed once more and watched as Uchiha Obito vanished amid another distortion of space, disappearing into the void.
The area outside the door grew quiet. Left alone in the room, Rekka slowly straightened, and the reverence faded from his face.
"Five days..." He gave a slight smile. "Thank you so much, Dead Last."
He had committed every detail of the intelligence to memory. Uchiha Rei's timing and the enemy's plan were now entirely in his grasp.
Our enemy is even more foolish than we thought, Uchiha Rekka thought.
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