Konoha: Starting with the Tenseigan and Taking Over Team 7

At those words,

Sasuke and Naruto, who were training in the distance, stopped what they were doing at the same time and eavesdropped while pretending not to care.

"The Chunin Ninja Exams?" Sakura Haruno froze. The exams were every Genin's dream, and a test they had to pass to become a ninja who could stand on their own.

"C-can I really do it?" Sakura trembled with excitement as she looked eagerly at Aogetsu Hyuga.

She wanted to become a Chunin, but she had only recently become a Genin. Was it really all right for her to enter the exams already?

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

"Okay, I've got it!" Brimming with determination, Sakura ran back to the tree and resumed training to control the Chakra for her Chakra Enhanced Strength.

Come on.

Teacher Cangyue really is responsible.

Even if he is a pervert.

Right now, she had to spend a long time gathering Chakra just to throw a punch with a little power. It was not much, but it was still several times stronger than her usual punches.

"Work hard, you little brats," Aogetsu Hyuga called. "I have something to take care of."

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

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

That lecherous teacher is chasing women even during 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.

How could that stupid, ugly girl become a Chunin? If anyone in Team 7 becomes a Chunin first, it has to be me, Sasuke Uchiha!

Sasuke Uchiha's gaze shifted to the tree in front of Sakura. "Her condition is to break that tree in five days?"

"Hmph. What a pointless trick." Sasuke Uchiha raised his hand. Pale blue Chakra gathered in his palm as he concentrated on infusing it with Lightning Nature, though he still could not draw it out.

Five days?

Just wait, Cangyue.

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

That spot in the Chunin Ninja Exams is mine!

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

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

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

"If we finish training in five days, can we enter too?"

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

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

"Yeah!"

"You're a genius!"

"Of course I am!"

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

"I'm going to master the Rasengan and teach Teacher Cangyue a lesson!"

"We've got to teach that smug Sasuke a lesson first!"

"Teacher Cangyue shows off even more than Sasuke."

"Then we'll teach them both a lesson!"

"Yeah!" dozens of Naruto Uzumakis shouted at once.

A bright moon hung overhead, with stars scattered across the sky.

In the Land of Waves, at the edge of a cliff atop a mountain.

"The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki reminds me of my old self." Obito Uchiha sat at the cliff's edge, a brown spiral mask covering his face. Through his one exposed Sharingan, he looked down calmly over the Land of Waves.

He had watched Team 7 that day. When he saw Naruto Uzumaki, he realized Naruto was much like he had once been.

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

"His failure was expected," Obito Uchiha said evenly. "I only used him to test Aogetsu Hyuga's strength."

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

Obito Uchiha said nothing. His crimson Sharingan narrowed slightly.

Aogetsu Hyuga's abilities were strange. He could move using Lightning Release and turn his entire body into lightning. It was much like the Hozuki Clan's ability.

Stranger still were those azure eyes, with powers remarkably similar to the Rinnegan!

With someone as powerful as Cangyue guarding the Nine-Tails, he would indeed become a troublesome enemy.

But no matter who stood in their way, they had to capture every Tailed Beast!

He would end this hollow ninja world and create a world with Rin in it!

Bzzz. Azure lightning flashed, and Aogetsu Hyuga appeared out of thin air. He sat cross-legged at the cliff's edge and glanced at Obito Uchiha.

Aogetsu Hyuga took out some Dango and spoke around a mouthful. "You've been spying all day, and you still haven't found a chance to make a move?"

He had just sensed a Chakra presence watching Team 7 train from a distance—or, more precisely, watching Naruto Uzumaki.

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

Zetsu emerged from the ground. Black Zetsu studied Cangyue thoughtfully, while White Zetsu blurted, "Are you kidding me? Aren't you our enemy? How can you sit down and start chatting like that?"

Wasn't Aogetsu Hyuga their enemy?

Yet after appearing out of nowhere, he had sat beside Obito as though it were perfectly natural, then joined the conversation like an old friend.

"Ninjas are all about getting along with people," Aogetsu Hyuga said casually. "No need to get worked up at this hour. Why not have a nice chat?"

Kamui's spatial ability was unusual.

If Obito chose to retreat with everything he had, Cangyue could not stop him yet. If Obito chose to fight, though, he would be asking for death.

Since neither side could do anything about the other, why not enjoy a chat?

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

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

That was truly strange.

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

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

Black Zetsu said nothing. He studied Cangyue's sky-blue eyes, deep in thought.

Strange.

What is this Chakra?

Why does it carry Mother's presence?

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

I've witnessed the entire history of ninjas. Why have I never seen ocular power as strange and uncanny as Aogetsu Hyuga's?

Does the Hyuga Clan have some secret?

"I wouldn't say I'm that confident." Aogetsu Hyuga scratched his cheek with a finger, feigning embarrassment. Then his lips curled into an arrogant, mocking smile. "You're just all so weak."

Obito Uchiha did not get angry. Instead, he chuckled. "Heh. You're even more arrogant than the rumors say."

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Madara Uchiha, a ghost of the Uchiha Clan." Obito Uchiha slowly stood, watching Aogetsu Hyuga calmly through his one exposed eye.

"I have no power now. You could call me an empty shell. I need the Tailed Beasts to fill that void, and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is with you."

"Madara Uchiha? That's quite a name." Aogetsu Hyuga took another bite of Dango and said evenly, "You really do like playing pretend, Obito."

Still trying to put on an act?

Let's see you keep it up after I call you out!

At those words, everyone's expression changed.

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

He knows Tobi's real identity?

Whenever Tobi had claimed to be Madara Uchiha, most people had believed him after some hesitation. Even those who did not had only guessed at his true identity.

Of those still alive, no one but Black and White Zetsu knew who Tobi really was. How did Aogetsu Hyuga know?

"What else do you know?" Obito Uchiha narrowed his eye and fixed Aogetsu Hyuga with a cold stare. The space around him began to warp.

Aogetsu Hyuga knew he was Obito Uchiha.

How?

Sensing the distortion in space, Aogetsu Hyuga warned, "You'll die, you know."

"We'll be enemies sooner or later. We can settle who wins next time." Obito Uchiha withdrew his ocular power. He wanted to deal with Cangyue now, but doing so could interfere with the plans to come.

"The man named Obito died that day." Obito Uchiha sat at the cliff's edge again. "I'm nobody, and I don't want to be anybody."

The name Obito brought back many memories.

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

"With your level of strength, you must understand how hopeless reality is. No wish can come true in this world."

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

The image of Rin just 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 and fulfill her dreams—a world full of hope!

Only a world where Rin existed was truly real!

"Watching the woman you love die in front of you would be devastating. If that happened to me, I'd probably destroy the world to blow off some steam too." Aogetsu Hyuga paused with the Dango near his mouth and gave Obito Uchiha a cool glance.

"But a false world is crueler than reality," Aogetsu Hyuga said. "You've turned your despair against the entire world. You're just a delusional brat taking your anger out on everyone else."

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

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

Railgun: Pressure on Team 7! ### "You find it interesting because you haven't lost anything yet. You've never known despair, so how could you understand the cruelty of reality?" Space warped around Obito Uchiha, and the spiral distortion gradually drew him in.

"In this world, hope is meaningless. Hoping and giving up are no different. Hope is nothing but a hollow excuse."

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

"A worthless man who couldn't do anything without power, then thought gaining it would change everything—even with power, a coward like that would accomplish nothing." Aogetsu Hyuga watched Obito vanish into the warped space with a detached gaze.

Aogetsu Hyuga held a black wallet between two fingers. His lips curved into a mocking smile. "You can't even protect your wallet, yet you expect to change the world? That's a good joke."

"Consider it a gift for our first meeting." Obito Uchiha's mouth twitched, and a flash of cold killing intent crossed his eye.

Aogetsu Hyuga had taken the wallet from his coat pocket in the instant before he activated his intangibility.

He was fast.

"Is that so? Then I'll gladly accept it." Aogetsu Hyuga opened the black wallet. Seeing the thick stack of banknotes inside, he put on an exaggerated look of surprise. "Well, well. You've been skimming plenty of money from the organization."

Obito was 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 ocular power before beginning the plan to capture the Tailed Beasts. Trying to capture one now could jeopardize the final plan.

So he had to wait for the Rinnegan to recover and make sure the plan went off without a hitch.