"..."
"..."
Konan's words faded.
Silence fell over the shore.
Only the gentle wash of waves against the Reef and the cries of seabirds could be heard.
The scene Konan had imagined—Madara Uchiha and Shinji Uchiha joining forces against Obito Uchiha—never came to pass...
Puzzled, she looked over the three generations of Uchiha: old, young, and in between.
She forced herself to her feet and took a few steps back to put some distance between them, frowning slightly... Things had not unfolded as she'd expected.
Shouldn't they have started fighting at once to seize the Rinnegan?
Shinji noticed Konan's gaze.
He glanced at her.
Their eyes met by chance.
Shinji gave her a gentle smile and nodded.
Konan's guard went up. What... did he mean by that?
Did we know each other?
Nearby, Madara Uchiha was studying Obito Uchiha from head to toe with open interest.
Did Obito think he didn't know the Rinnegan was on him?
Even a pig could have guessed as much after seeing Obito's little move just now
and Konan's severed arm.
But
Madara chose not to say it outright.
Instead, he stroked his chin. "Hmm, Obito, you've changed quite a bit. The scars on your face are gone, too... And you decided to take back the Sharingan you left behind? Kakashi, was it? Your dear friend."
"In some ways, you have grown."
Obito Uchiha said nothing. "..."
The corner of Madara Uchiha's mouth lifted. "But is it because you've grown stronger that you now think you can overthrow me? Naive brat. After all these years, you're still just as simple."
Obito was silent for a moment before saying, "...I never intended to betray you."
Madara Uchiha scoffed and folded his arms. He gave no answer, merely shifting his gaze between Obito and Shinji.
What Obito