"Heh, hahahaha, hahahahahaha!"
The figure that reappeared within the sea of flames let out a deranged laugh. Though the fire raged fiercely, and even his body bore signs of charring, Obito's expression showed no concern.
"Uchiha Itachi, I gave you far too much credit! In the end, you're nothing but a..."
But the urge to unleash his emotions so freely lasted only an instant. Obito soon calmed down.
He reached up to touch the other Sharingan beneath his mask. Activating Izanagi in advance had become his trump card for deciding the battle, an idea inspired by the information he had obtained from Kumogakure about Second Hokage Tobirama Senju's methods—
Combined with closing in through Kamui, no one could evade this move in a head-on encounter...
Suddenly, Obito sensed something strange.
He had not lost half his field of vision. The Three-Tomoe Sharingan that should have closed was still helping him gauge his surroundings perfectly well.
"Strange... did I not trigger Izanagi... hmm?"
Obito's gaze sharpened. Within the flames, Uchiha Itachi's Susanoo shielded him from the inferno, allowing him to evade Obito's killing blow.
Itachi watched him calmly, those Sharingan filling Obito with disgust—
Boom!
Another sudden explosion followed his approach with Kamui, and a vast sea of flames swallowed them both.
Then Obito's body re-formed within the fire.
This time, Obito did not look as arrogant as he had the first time. Instinctively, he sensed something amiss, but as Itachi rapidly approached with his Susanoo, Obito immediately cast everything aside and charged again, his face twisted viciously.
An explosion.
Re-forming.
Sensing something wrong.
Continuing to fight Itachi.
An explosion.
"It's over..."
Outside, Black Zetsu's spirits had already sunk to rock bottom.
Where, in the scene before him, was this drawn-out battle between Obito and Itachi?
Obito had suddenly activated