When Nohara Rin died, you were much braver than you are now.

The Tiger-Masked Man stood silently in the darkness, his black-hole-like eye sockets deep and frigid, as if intending to swallow Uchiha Yoru's figure whole.

The surrounding air stagnated, suffocatingly deathly silent.

Uchiha Itachi's corpse still held a lingering warmth, and fresh blood slowly spread, reflecting Uchiha Yoru's scarlet, indifferent pupils upon the ground.

"Are you... worthy?"

Uchiha Yoru slowly squeezed the eyes of Uchiha Itachi in his hand, his tone contemptuous, his face filled with disdain.

With a squelch, the eyes in his palm were crushed by Uchiha Yoru.

"Heh... interesting, truly interesting."

The masked man chuckled, his voice low and eerie, as if he did not care in the slightest about Uchiha Itachi's death. However, his inner vigilance had already been raised to the extreme.

Uchiha Itachi was the most outstanding genius of the Uchiha clan he had ever seen, aside from Uchiha Shisui, yet he had been killed by this unknown youth before him...

But precisely because of this, this youth was worth recruiting.

It was just that his personality was far too arrogant.

"Since that is the case... then let me test your caliber."

The masked man narrowed his eyes, killing intent permeating the air, and he instantly formed hand seals.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

Blazing flames erupted like an angry dragon, rolling and surging, instantly swallowing the area where Uchiha Yoru stood; the firelight soared into the sky, reddening the night.

However, before the flames could even draw near, a skeletal frame instantly condensed, shielding Uchiha Yoru within. The fireball collided with the Susanoo, causing only an insignificant ripple before dissolving into nothingness.

The masked man's pupils constricted, his inner vigilance rising once more.

He had originally only intended to probe the other party's state, as Uchiha Yoru had just displayed a Complete Body Susanoo and twenty Susanoo clones that had left even him shocked.

In Uchiha Obito's mind, even the true Uchiha Madara in his prime would inevitably suffer from chakra exhaustion after exerting such power, perhaps even unable to stand.

But the reality was that Uchiha Yoru not only showed no signs of fatigue, but even appeared to handle his Fire Style with ease?

This brat's strength... is far more dangerous than anticipated.

The expression beneath the mask turned a shade gloomier.

However, since that was the case, he might as well reveal his name.

"I am Uchiha Madara."

His tone was low, deliberately adding a sense of mystery, and he raised his head, his voice carrying a hint of seduction: "Brat, are you interested in joining?"

"The ideal of our Akatsuki organization is—"

Before the words could finish, the corners of Uchiha Yoru's mouth suddenly curled, the indifference on his face gradually transforming into mockery.

He first lowered his head and chuckled softly, then laughed out loud without any restraint.

"Hahahaha... you call yourself Uchiha Madara?"

Uchiha Yoru slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with ridicule, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, his tone carrying undisguised contempt:

"Then should I call myself—Uchiha Tajima?"

"..."

The masked man was slightly stunned, seemingly not having expected such a reaction from the other party.

However, before he could speak again, the smile on Uchiha Yoru's face vanished abruptly, his gaze sharp as a blade, his tone turning suddenly cold:

"Uchiha Obito, who the hell are you pretending to be?"

"?!"

The masked man's pupils constricted violently.

When had his identity been exposed?!

Before he could react, a cold killing intent came from behind him—

"It's your turn."

Uchiha Yoru's figure appeared behind the masked man like a ghost, his scarlet Sharingan already locked onto his form.

Uchiha Yoru's arm passed directly through Uchiha Obito's body without the slightest obstruction, as if he were merely a phantom.

Taking this opportunity, Uchiha Obito leaped back several steps, quickly widening the distance, and stared at Uchiha Yoru vigilantly.

However, Uchiha Yoru did not stop; a half-body Susanoo condensed instantly, and a massive palm crashed down!

"Bang—!"

The ground exploded, dust flew, and a giant crater appeared on the spot.

But when the dust settled, Uchiha Obito still stood there unscathed, as if the attack had never happened.

He tilted his head slightly, his tone indifferent, even carrying a hint of disdain: "Brat, your attacks have no effect on me."

"This is—the power of Uchiha Madara!"

He deliberately emphasized the four words "Uchiha Madara," as if to tell the other party that he was the genuine article.

However, Uchiha Yoru merely offered a cold smile, entirely unmoved by this display of bravado.

Uchiha Obito's Kamui was indeed troublesome...

Immune to physical attacks and capable of phasing through damage at any moment, it was an almost invincible ability.

But—

Invincible did not mean without flaws!

Hum—

Uchiha Yoru's Sharingan narrowed abruptly, his ocular power surging outward like a tidal wave. The figure of his Susanoo coalesced once more, filling the air with a bizarre, suffocating pressure.

Uchiha Obito frowned slightly. He sensed something amiss, yet he remained calm—after all, in the face of Kamui, all attacks were futile.

But the next instant, his pupils contracted sharply—

From every direction, there were nothing but the blades of the Susanoo!

Dozens of Susanoo phantoms flickered into existence, precisely sealing off every path of retreat, covering even the sky above and the ground below!

At this moment, Uchiha Obito was experiencing the exact same perspective Uchiha Itachi had faced just moments ago!

But—

Hum!

A black spatial vortex suddenly appeared, expanding rapidly to slowly engulf Uchiha Obito's body. He activated Kamui without hesitation, preparing to vanish from the battlefield entirely.

Uchiha Yoru's gaze darkened, but he did not rush to stop him. Instead, at this critical moment, he spoke coldly:

"When Nohara Rin died, you were far braver than you are now!"

Hum!

The vortex stalled abruptly!

The previously fluid spatial distortion began to flicker irregularly, as if suffering from some form of interference; for a split second, it felt as though time itself had frozen!

In that moment of hesitation, Uchiha Yoru's Sharingan erupted with intense ocular power, a massive mental shockwave slamming directly into Uchiha Obito's mind!

Boom!

Uchiha Obito's face turned deathly pale, his brain ringing as if countless shattered memories had flooded in all at once:

—The blood-soaked battlefield, the moment Nohara Rin fell, his hand reaching out helplessly, unable to touch her;

—In the darkness, the figure of Uchiha Madara watching him coldly, a low voice echoing in his ears: "This world has long since rotted..."

—In the beautiful illusion of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, Rin stood before him, saying gently: "Obito, let's go home..."

"Ugh—!"

Uchiha Obito let out a muffled groan, his body swaying, but in the end, the vortex fully consumed him, and he vanished from the battlefield.

Uchiha Yoru watched the direction where he had disappeared in silence, his eyes cold and sharp. A faint smirk touched his lips as he uttered a single, calm sentence:

"You ran this time, but next time... will you still be able to hide?"