Railgun-Team 7 Under Pressure!

At those words,

Sasuke and Naruto, who were training in the distance, both stopped what they were doing and listened in, pretending not to care.

"The Chunin Ninja Exams?" Sakura Haruno froze. The exams were every Genin's dream, a test they had to pass to become Ninja capable of standing on their own.

"C-can I really do it?" Sakura trembled with excitement and looked at Aogetsu Hyuga expectantly.

She wanted to become a Chunin, but she had only recently become a Genin. Was it really all right to enter the Chunin Ninja Exams so soon?

Aogetsu Hyuga waved a hand. "It's fine. If you can break that tree, you'll be fine."

"Okay, got it!" Sakura ran back to the tree, fired up to practice controlling her Chakra Enhanced Strength.

Honestly.

Teacher Aogetsu is pretty responsible after all.

Even if he is a pervert.

For now, she had to spend a long time gathering Chakra before she could barely throw a punch with any force. It was still several times stronger than her usual punches, though.

Aogetsu called out, "You brats, keep working hard. I've got something to do."

"Where are you going, Teacher Aogetsu?" Sakura asked curiously.

"A man always has plenty to do. Either he's getting ready for a date or he's on his way to one." With that, Aogetsu vanished into thin air.

That lecherous teacher. Chasing women in the middle of a mission, Sakura grumbled inwardly.

Still, she had to admire him. They had barely arrived in the Land of Waves, and he had already found a woman to date.

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

"The Chunin Ninja Exams..." Sasuke Uchiha shot Sakura a cold glance.

As if that stupid, ugly girl could become a Chunin. If anyone on Team 7 becomes a Chunin first, it'll be me, Sasuke Uchiha!

Sasuke Uchiha looked toward the tree in front of Sakura. "Her condition is to break that tree within five days?"

"Hmph. What a boring trick." Sasuke Uchiha raised his palm, pale blue Chakra gathering there. He concentrated on infusing it with Lightning Nature, but he still couldn't draw the lightning out.

Five days, huh?

Just wait, Aogetsu.

I'll learn Chidori in five days and show you!

That spot in the Chunin Ninja Exams will be mine!

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

Dozens of Naruto Uzumaki's clones huddled together, whispering.

"You heard them mention the Chunin Ninja Exams, right?"

"If we finish training in five days, can we take the exams too?"

"Teacher Aogetsu only told Sakura because there's just one spot, right? If I take it, I'll steal Sakura's chance. I can't do that to her."

"Are you an idiot? If I learn Rasengan in five days and earn that spot, Sakura will totally admire me!"

"Right!"

"You're a genius!"

"Of course I am!"

"Let's master Rasengan and make Sakura admire us at the Chunin Ninja Exams!"

"I'm going to learn Rasengan and teach Teacher Aogetsu a lesson!"

"Shouldn't we teach that smug Sasuke a lesson first?"

"Teacher Aogetsu shows off even more than Sasuke."

"Then let's teach them both a lesson!"

"Yeah!" dozens of Naruto Uzumakis shouted together.

The moon shone overhead, with stars scattered across the sky.

On a cliff at the summit of a mountain in the Land of Waves.

"The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is a lot like I used to be." Obito Uchiha sat at the cliff's edge. A brown spiral mask covered his face, and he looked down over the Land of Waves through his one exposed Sharingan.

He had watched Team 7 that day. When he saw Naruto Uzumaki, he realized how much Naruto resembled his younger self.

Zetsu emerged from the ground, and White Zetsu said, "Tobi, that rogue Ninja from Kirigakure, Zabuza Momochi the Demon, failed. Looks like Aogetsu Hyuga is using him to train those brats on Team 7."

"Failure was expected," Obito Uchiha said evenly. "We only used him to test Aogetsu Hyuga's strength."

"How strong do you think Aogetsu Hyuga is?" White Zetsu asked.

Obito Uchiha said nothing. His crimson Sharingan narrowed slightly.

Aogetsu Hyuga's abilities were strange. He could move with Lightning Release and even turn his entire body into lightning, much like the Hozuki Clan.

But strangest of all were those azure eyes, which possessed abilities remarkably similar to the Rinnegan!

A powerful man like Aogetsu taking charge of the Nine-Tails would certainly make him a troublesome enemy.

But no matter who stood against them, they had to capture every Tailed Beast!

They would end the hollow Ninja World and create a world with Rin in it!

With a hum, azure lightning flashed. Aogetsu Hyuga appeared out of thin air, sat cross-legged at the cliff's edge, and glanced at Obito Uchiha.

Aogetsu Hyuga took out some Dango and spoke indistinctly as he ate. "You've been spying all day and still haven't found a chance to make a move?"

He had just sensed someone's Chakra watching Team 7 train from afar. More precisely, that person had been watching Naruto Uzumaki.

So he had told Sakura he was going on a date and come to see Obito Uchiha instead.

Zetsu rose from the ground. Black Zetsu studied Aogetsu thoughtfully, while White Zetsu complained, "Are you kidding? You're our enemy, aren't you? How can you just sit down and start chatting?"

Wasn't Aogetsu Hyuga their enemy?

Yet he had appeared, sat down beside Obito as if it were only natural, and joined the conversation like an old friend.

"Ninja dealings are all about relationships," Aogetsu Hyuga said casually. "No need to get worked up at this hour. Why not smile and have a chat?"

Kamui's spatial ability was unusual.

If Obito was determined to retreat, Aogetsu had no way to stop him for now. If Obito chose to fight instead, he was asking to die.

Since neither could do anything about the other, they might as well enjoy a chat.

"Your eyes are even stranger than the rumors say." Obito Uchiha turned toward Aogetsu. He had seen countless forms of Dojutsu Power, but never blue eyes as bizarre as Aogetsu's, with such immense power.

More importantly, Aogetsu's eyes had abilities similar to the Rinnegan.

That was truly strange.

Aogetsu Hyuga put on an apologetic expression. "Is this some new way of confessing your feelings? Sorry, I like women."

Zetsu stood beside Obito Uchiha. White Zetsu looked Aogetsu over curiously. "You're awfully confident, Aogetsu Hyuga."

Black Zetsu said nothing, studying Aogetsu's sky-blue eyes.

Strange.

What is this Chakra?

Why does it carry Mother's presence?

Those unusual eyes contain Chakra remarkably similar to Mother's!

I've witnessed the entire history of Ninja, so why have I never seen Dojutsu Power as strange as Aogetsu Hyuga's?

Is the Hyuga Clan hiding some secret?

"Oh, I'm not that confident." Aogetsu Hyuga scratched his cheek as if embarrassed. Then his lips curled into an arrogant smile. "You're all just so weak."

Obito Uchiha did not get angry. Instead, he chuckled. "Heh. Even more arrogant than the rumors."

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Madara Uchiha, a soul of the dead from the Uchiha Clan." Obito Uchiha slowly rose and gazed at Aogetsu Hyuga with his one exposed eye.

"I have no power now. In other words, I'm an empty shell. I need the Tailed Beasts to fill what I lack, and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is with you."

"Madara Uchiha? That name carries weight." Aogetsu Hyuga took another bite of Dango, then said calmly, "You really do like role-playing, Obito."

Still trying to put on airs?

Let's see you keep that up after I expose you!

At those words, everyone's expression changed.

Even Black and White Zetsu looked at Aogetsu Hyuga in surprise.

He knows Tobi's real identity?

Whenever Tobi claimed to be Madara Uchiha, most people believed him after some hesitation. Even those who doubted him could only speculate about his true identity.

No one alive except Black and White Zetsu knew who Tobi really was. So how did Aogetsu Hyuga know?

"What else do you know?" Obito Uchiha narrowed his eye and stared coldly at Aogetsu Hyuga. Space began to warp around him.

Aogetsu Hyuga knows I'm Obito Uchiha.

How?

Aogetsu Hyuga sensed the distortion in space and warned him, "You'll die."

"We'll become enemies sooner or later. Let's settle things next time." Obito Uchiha withdrew his Dojutsu Power. He wanted to deal with Aogetsu now, but doing so might jeopardize his plans.

"The man named Obito died that day." Obito Uchiha sat back down at the cliff's edge. "I am no one, and I don't want to be anyone."

The name Obito brought back too many memories.

"What value is there in living in this world of despair?"

"With strength like yours, you must know how hopeless reality is. No wish can come true in this world."

"The crueler reality becomes, the greater the emptiness inside you."

The image of Rin before her death surfaced in Obito Uchiha's mind.

The Ninja World was full of despair. A world without Rin was cruel.

This Ninja World had killed Rin. He would create a world with her in it, one where she could live happily, fulfill her dreams, and have hope!

Only a world where Rin existed was true reality!

"Watching the woman you love die right in front of you must be devastating. If that happened to me, I'd probably destroy the world to let off some steam too." Aogetsu Hyuga paused with his Dango near his mouth and glanced at Obito Uchiha.

"But a false world is crueler than reality," Aogetsu Hyuga said coldly. "Blaming the whole world for your despair just makes you an immature fool who takes his anger out on others and lies to himself."

"The Ninja World is pretty interesting. You can show off your invincible power to enemies and watch them struggle with everything they've got."

"There are sexy, formidable older women, sweet and adorable little girls, scheming old men, and brats working hard to grow stronger," Aogetsu Hyuga said. "People and events alike—I find them all interesting."

Railgun and Team 7's Pressure!

"You only find it interesting because you haven't lost anything. How could someone who has never known despair understand how cruel reality is?" Space warped around Obito Uchiha, and a spiral distortion gradually drew him in.

"In this world, hope is meaningless. Hoping and giving up are no different. Hope is just an empty excuse."

Obito Uchiha glanced into the distance. "I'll leave the Nine-Tails with you for now."

"A useless man who could do nothing without power thought gaining power would change things. With that pathetic mindset, all the power in the world would be wasted on you." Aogetsu Hyuga watched Obito disappear into the warped space.

Holding a black wallet between two fingers, Aogetsu Hyuga smiled mockingly. "You can't even protect your wallet, yet you expect to change the world? You're quite the comedian."

"A gift to mark our first meeting." Obito Uchiha's mouth twitched, and cold killing intent flashed in his eye.

Aogetsu Hyuga took the wallet from my coat pocket in the instant before I activated Hollowfication.

He's fast.

"Is that so? Then I'll gladly accept it." Aogetsu Hyuga opened the black wallet and found a thick stack of bills inside. Feigning surprise, he said, "Well, well. You've embezzled quite a bit of Akatsuki's money."

Obito's surprisingly well-off.

"Next time, I'll take the Nine-Tails. Enjoy the money." Obito Uchiha vanished completely, and the distortion in space ceased.

He was waiting for Nagato's Rinnegan to recover its Dojutsu Power before beginning the plan to capture the Tailed Beasts. Moving against them recklessly now could jeopardize the final plan.

So he had to wait until the Rinnegan recovered and make certain the plan could not fail.