Masked Obito

Yahiko...'s body?

Pain's words left Uzumaki Sora momentarily stunned. What use would he have for Yahiko's body?

Talk-no-jutsu?

Yahiko's talk-no-jutsu could only fool the people from the previous generation of Akatsuki. Anyone with a little experience and a taste of darkness would see right through it. How could he compare to Naruto?

"Calm down!"

A sudden voice interrupted Pain just as he was about to go berserk.

Immediately afterward, countless sheets of paper swept in and wrapped around the enormous trees.

BOOM!!

A tremendous explosion rang out, blasting the trees into scattered fragments.

Explosive Tags?

Uzumaki Sora brushed aside the splintered wood flying toward him and looked up at the woman who had suddenly appeared in midair. A pair of wings made of paper enveloped in Chakra spread behind her.

A special Paper Release jutsu—Konan.

"Everyone has made it to the shelter. An enemy of this level doesn't require your strength."

As Konan finished speaking, eight Paper Clones suddenly emerged from the corners of the area, each appearing beside one of the scattered Flying Thunder God Kunai.

A Paper Clone picked up a kunai marked with a formula. "These special kunai bear Space-Time Ninjutsu coordinates. You've already thrown out eight. How many do you have left?"

Uzumaki Sora looked at Konan and smiled, then pulled out a scroll.

"Release!"

The smoke cleared, revealing another string of Flying Thunder God Kunai, which Sora placed in his ninja pouch.

"Not many. A few dozen, maybe. I heard that the Yellow Flash of Konoha once used this technique to kill fifty enemies in an instant, so I usually carry a few extra."

Sora looked at Konan, who seemed at a loss for words, and shook his head. "Actually, I just came to borrow something. There's no need to make such a big deal out of it."

Seeing Pain beside him about to start acting all dramatic, Sora hurriedly added, "Don't worry, I don't want Yahiko's body. I don't have any weird fetishes. What would I want his body for?"

Pain stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "You used the Transformation Technique to take on Yahiko's appearance, and you intend to seal the other five Paths of Pain into a scroll. Your intentions are obvious!"

"But the power of the Rinnegan isn't as simple as you imagine. Even if you obtain those bodies, you won't be able to obtain the Rinnegan's power."

So this was a misunderstanding?

Pain's words made it clear he thought Sora was after his Rinnegan. That wasn't entirely wrong, but he had the wrong target.

Sora wasn't after Pain's Rinnegan. He wanted the Rinnegan belonging to Nagato, who was in the Tower, connected to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

Just as Uzumaki Sora was about to explain, a space-time vortex suddenly appeared in the ruins.

Masked Obito appeared out of nowhere, his voice altered by a device. "Well, well... If it isn't Uzumaki Sora. How's that arm of mine working out for you?"

His tone was mocking, but Masked Obito was deeply puzzled.

He had only just returned, but even from the scene alone, he could tell how powerful the Wood Release just now had been.

That kind of potential couldn't have come from his arm alone. Besides, without White Zetsu, it wasn't as if anyone could use that arm just because they had it.

He knew firsthand how potent the First's cells were.

Uzumaki Sora looked at the newly arrived Obito and shot back, "Looks like your arm has grown back. But it's not much use to me anymore."

Masked Obito glanced around and asked with a smile, "Are you here alone? I suppose so. You don't seem to be a Konoha ninja, and last time you just got lucky. In that case... you're staying here!"

BOOM!!

A tree burst out of the ground, cracking the earth once more as it shot toward Uzumaki Sora from behind.

But just before it could reach him, it stopped. Then it twisted and rolled, lifting Uzumaki Sora until he was at the same height as his opponent.

"You saw what happened and still used Wood Release? Your Wood Release is nowhere near strong enough."

As he spoke, Sora turned to Pain again. "My goal was never the Six Paths of Pain. I came straight to the Tower because I wanted to see your real body... Nagato."

Nagato and Konan were instantly stunned.

The identity of the real body in the Tower, and the name Nagato, were both among the most closely guarded secrets in Amegakure.

The moment this stranger, Uzumaki Sora, exposed their secret, their expressions changed.

"Who are you?!" Deva Path Pain demanded sharply.

Konan looked at Masked Obito. "Who is he?"

Masked Obito's single eye narrowed as he looked at Uzumaki Sora. He shook his head. "I don't know who he is. His name is widely known in the Black Market, and his red hair does suggest he's an Uzumaki."

"But red hair isn't exclusive to the Uzumaki, and there's no way to verify whether his name is real. He possesses the Flying Thunder God Jutsu of Konoha's Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato. And from what I've seen, he knows more than I do about certain aspects of Wood Release."

Masked Obito kept his gaze fixed on Uzumaki Sora. In truth, there was a lot he hadn't said.

For one thing, this man seemed to know a great deal about him.

And two years ago, during his trip to Konoha, he had been utterly defeated because of this man. If not for White Zetsu, he might really have been done for.

And now...

If this man knew his identity and revealed it, he could no longer use the identity of Madara Uchiha.

Nagato's Rinnegan was still of great use to him. No matter what, he couldn't let the other man reveal his identity.

"I don't know how you learned so many secrets, but none of that matters now. The timing is just right."

As soon as he finished speaking, Masked Obito charged straight at Uzumaki Sora.

Whoosh!

A chain whipped out, but Sora casually knocked it aside.

"I really don't know what gave you the nerve to say that. Is that all?"

He formed the Snake Seal, and enormous trees swept toward them.

Trees surged in from every direction, repeatedly passing through Masked Obito's body.

His intangibility was certainly troublesome, but it had a time limit. There was a way to counter this move.

BOOM!!

The trees shattered the earth, their crushing assault never letting up, but Masked Obito didn't seem worried.

One enormous tree after another was pulled into the Kamui Dimension. Even as they reached Uzumaki Sora, the Mangekyō Sharingan in Obito's eye continued to turn slowly.

Whoosh!

As Obito closed in, Uzumaki Sora threw out six kunai twice.

The six kunai passed through Obito and collided in pairs. Their trajectories changed, and three of them came flying back.

The time was up. Now!

In an instant, he activated the Flying Thunder God.

Whoosh!

Pfft!

Uzumaki Sora had just appeared when he looked down at his abdomen. An iron chain had pierced straight through it.

Smack...

Blood fell, splattering across the enormous branch.

How was this possible?

Sora ignored his abdominal wound and looked at Masked Obito, who was gripping the other end of the chain nearby. "Speed? No. Even with the Mangekyō Sharingan and Senju Cells working together, you shouldn't have been able to react that quickly."